Sarah Devereaux

What's in your leadership Library? Not your kindle or your nook or on your podcast line up. What printed books are in your possession that help you with leadership? Tomorrow I start leading an annual LeaderShip Cohort for terrific ongoing client partner Oregon Resource Association. In fact, this is the 5th annual Cohort ~ and here are 6 observational thoughts. 1. When you focus on the people in the room, not those who aren't, everyone has a better experience. The size of audience has little to do with possible action and impact. Those present at the present 🎁 and deserve full focus. 2. Experimenting with format variables is highly likely and helpful - i.e. number of sessions, format, length, space. We started with 3 sessions, then 3 again, then 4, then 6 - and this year it's 5. Partially to celebrate the 5th year of the series. The registered students will tell you what's working vocally and behaviorally. 3. Be willing to add a group and perhaps a 2nd session. We added a 2nd cohort group [max 30 per group] the very first year due to enthusiastic response! Same day, 2 different times, everybody in. That may have also boosted further registration. 4. Have a focused area of growth and be sure to build sessions ecosystemically. A theme is another way of stating this: what's the purpose of the gathering for growth? Having a theme jump starts the connection within the group, since the purpose is aligned from the start. Ours is LeaderShip, and this year I've chosen 5 books to utilize for the 5 classes. 5. Enjoy the organic nature of adjustment as you progress. In every class there are revelations! Respond to those and use them to enhance the future classes. Reference them so that people know they're being heard and their contribution is fuel for the group. If you teach online and in person series, what lessons and observations have you found lightbulby? Please share them below. Stoked for the new series (with some returnees) to begin tomorrow! And there's still time to register if you wish to join us - the link is in the comments below. Connection & LeaderShip. Industry agnostic, fun, interactive, online, good humans. Huge thanks to ORA's Training Coordinator, pro Kimberly Mintrone 🙏🏼 #connection #leadership #professionaldevelopment

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If this is also your credentialing year, I invite you to enroll in this Mentor Coaching group cos Jesse Trout, CHC, CPCC, PCC is amazing and fun and learning go hand-in-hand. Tell him I sent ya ;) Sacred Time #ICFCoaching #MentorCoaching #Credential #coaching #careercoaching

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The Connected Leader: Credibility, Influemce & Impact is a transformation leadership development program that I have had the privilege of being part of for many years. We have worked with many leaders , each of whom shape each instance of our program, and those to come. The conversation continues in 2025!

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I've been an executive leader for a year now 🙌... Over the years, leading in smaller capacities and receiving feedback, I've developed mantras that help me daily. I used to think receiving this kind of feedback meant I could never be a leader: 🙄 "Why do you care so much about details?" 😠 "You need to have a backbone; you are too nice." 🧐 "This is amazing, but it’s too sophisticated for everyone else." Yet, this same feedback has helped shape my leadership mantras today☝ 1️⃣ "Not in the business of convincing.": Trying to convince someone why the details matter when they are not detail-oriented and don’t value them? Nope. They have other strengths to be celebrated. Move on. 2️⃣ "Transactional vs. transformational leadership.": Being kind and giving is a strength in business. Knowledge transfer is the best way to attract those who want help executing. These are the people who will pay you. 3️⃣ "Operate as a host, not a hero.": Host a solution or offering, and let others explore. Don’t assume what others are capable of—you’d be surprised how amazing your co-worker is at something you never thought of. 💡 I know the more comfortable people are sharing feedback, the faster growth comes. Creating safe spaces for others to share is essential. Giving quality, substantiated, and actionable feedback is too. Be on their side; thrive. Try these: 🤝 Co-workers: "There is an opportunity for improvement in how we work together. I'm excited to hear your thoughts." ☝ Manager: "Does this feedback provide clarity? Are you confident with the next steps?" 🤞 Individual Contributor: "Based on this feedback, here is my understanding of the next steps. Does this align with expectations?" -In flight

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When psychological safety is secured in teams the ripple effect can be astounding. How safe do your team members feel when they are brainstorming new ideas and working on new projects?

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Coaching leaders drives results!

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The most impactful leadership coaches use a broad and varied toolkit to help their clients thrive. For the annual Industrial-Organizational Psychology conference, I teamed up with a group of leadership practitioners to explore some of our most-utilized coaching techniques — using stories to illustrate their impact and bring them to the life for the audience. From 360 feedback to future-focused development planning, self-imagery, effective presence, and coachability, our panel covered a lot of ground! What did we explore? 1. Elna Moore Hall, Ph.D. described the value of using visualization to help leaders prepare for key moments and rehearse for situations where high performance is necessary. 2. Lacey Savage spoke to the importance of understanding yourself as a coach, and using exploratory questions to understand a leader's current state and level of awareness of their impact. 3. Dale Rose, Ph.D. described the value of 360 Feedback for helping leaders understand their reputation, accept input, and drive accountability for behavior change. 4. Jake Weiss, Ph.D. highlighted the importance of coachability; a coachee's curiosity, humility, and desire to receive and act on feedback play a key role in the success of a coaching engagement. 5. I spoke to the value of bringing future-focused development planning into the coaching process. Clarifying coaching goals and objectives, and importantly, aligning those with a coachee's manager and HR partner, provide a foundation for a successful partnership between a coach and leader. Amanda (Mandy) Bell, Ph.D. facilitated the conversation, shared her own coaching insights, and brought in the numerous questions submitted by the audience! Want to learn more about how #executivecoaching and these various techniques can help you or your leaders thrive? Let's chat! #SIOP24 #leadershipconsulting #leadershipdevelopment

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Introducing Culture Leaders Daily, Culture Partners' new five-minute daily podcast. We're making research, data, and news around workplace culture easy for busy executives to digest. Catch today's episode (Link below) where Jessica Kriegel discusses: - Debating diverse viewpoints - Leaders acknowledging their perspective isn’t always correct - Turning mistakes into learning opportunities - The importance of adaptability for success #CultureLeadersDaily #CulturePartners #CulturePodcast

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What do you really want your board to know, but are afraid to tell them? According to a study by Board Source, one in five chief executives of nonprofits report that their boards have an "extremely" or "moderately" negative impact on their personal job satisfaction. This can and must change to sustain the well-being of leaders and sustainability of their organizations. We are developing content for new board education programming and would appreciate the transparent feedback of CEOs and Executive Directors to ensure that the sessions are relevant. Our goal is to address these issues in a way that is positive and supportive, but also gets to the heart of the challenges that nonprofit leaders are experiencing with board engagement. We'd love for you to complete our one-question survey at the link (it's completely anonymous). https://conta.cc/4dEEk6l #nonprofits #alliesforgood #mindfulleadership #boardengagement

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Curious about the Culture Design Masterclass? Many people have been using the Culture Design template and wonder if it's worth taking the masterclass. Hint: Participants are often surprised about everything they were missing. Watch and see what you can expect.

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Digging into the Headspace "Workforce State of Mind report" with insights from 2K employees, CEOs, and benefits leaders. Not surprisingly, the data highlights the impact of work-related stress on employees' personal lives and underscores the crucial role of relationships – with colleagues, managers, and leaders – in shaping mental and emotional well-being. Actionable steps to build positive work environments and mental resilience of the workforce include training managers to better support their teams, encouraging boundary setting, fostering a sense of employee community & connection, and transparent communication from leadership to build trust.

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Asking really GOOD thoughtful questions can transform an organization. I love watching participants' lightbulbs ignite during workshops as they learn to ask provocative questions. Here are some questions from FutureThink's CEO Lisa Bodell to jumpstart your questioning! https://lnkd.in/giTPytG6

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"We need a mentorship program." This sentiment comes up pretty frequently when I talk with executives about their employee engagement. I'm not saying they're wrong, but in some cases, they're not right. Mentorship programs can have a great impact on employee engagement and development when executed properly. Many organizations underestimate what goes into designing and executing a mentorship program. There are many things to consider when implementing a mentorship program: 🎯 what are the goals of the program 🚀 clear expectations of all parties 🗣️ training on mentoring across differences ⭐️ WILLING mentors The truth is, if your organization isn't willing or able to lay a solid foundation for a mentorship program, it's likely not your best option. Great mentorship programs can increase engagement, inspire high-potential talent, and fill leadership pipelines. And I've seen poor programs have the exact opposite effect. What programs does your company have for engagement and retention? * * * * * * Check out my Disrupt HR talk on Ditching the Mentorship Myth, where I share a snippet of my experience. https://lnkd.in/g-qb-2xN

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Is the 9-box grid still relevant for assessing talent in your organization? It might be time to rethink. My latest #twentyoneleadership blog looks at why the traditional method might not be capturing the full potential of your team and how alternative approaches can offer a more comprehensive view. #TalentStrategy #EmployeeDevelopment #OrganisationalSuccess

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Syncreate Podcast Episode 59: How Creativity Opens Doors. Full Episode Here: https://lnkd.in/enX4mtTA In this installment of our Creative Spark mini-episodes, Melinda Rothouse, Ph.D. & Charlotte (she/her/hers) Gullick discuss how creativity opens doors, and how saying yes to our creativity also helps to build connection and community. We each share our own experiences of creative connection, and how expressing our creativity has led to new experiences and relationships. This episode, like the mini-episodes that preceded it, includes insights and prompts from our book, Syncreate: A Guide to Navigating the Creative Process for Individuals, Teams, and Communities. For our Creativity Pro-Tip, we encourage you to reflect on how creativity has opened doors in your own life, and to take concrete action toward opening a new door, such as attending a book reading, an open mic, a gallery opening, and so on. #syncreate #syncreatepodcast #creativity #creativeprocess #psychology #spirituality #community #melindarothouse #charlottegullick #podcast ​⁠

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How safe do you make your new employees feel? Perhaps not surprising data here, but psychological safety is critical when a new employee joins an organisation. They need to feel safe to express ideas, take time to learn, ask questions, make (and learn from) mistakes, and challenge the status quo. So, having a culture of psychological safety across the team is essential. Read more about how to achieve this in my white paper: https://lnkd.in/d3si-9iG In the meantime, is psychological safety a part of any leadership development and onboarding training programmes you have in place? #PsychologicalSafety #Onboarding #NewHires

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Last week, Peter and I learned that our podcast received 1000 downloads, and we are still riding that wave of excitement. Let's keep the momentum going!!! 🙌🏼 Our latest episode is now live. You can listen here 👉🏽 https://bit.ly/dtpep28 or on your favorite podcast platform. #designthinkerpodcast #designthinking #designthinkers #podcast #podcastepisode #newepisodealert

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Executives spend an average of nearly 23 hours a week in meetings. I ask you, where is the time to do important-and-not-on-fire (thoughtful) work?! Here's a new-to-me perspective from Liane Davey at the ICF Midwest Coaches Conference: "No conflict, no meeting." If there's no struggle between diverse perspectives, needs or ideas, it's an update email. #leadership #executivecoaching #teamwork #communication #teamcoaching

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New Episode! "Your Survival Guide for Navigating Department Politics" Navigating workplace politics can be a minefield. In this episode, discover practical tips to maintain your integrity and thrive in your role without getting sucked into the drama of organizational politics. Ever feel like yo...

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