The Look & Sound of Leadership
Episodes
Leadership versus Management
11 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Are leadership and management really different? And does it matter? This month’s coaching conversation explores what separates leadership from manag...
The Conflict Conversation
07 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
What do you say when you’re in an argument? And how can you prepare to have an argument? This month’s coaching conversation dives deeper into the ...
Conflict
02 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Conflict is inevitable. But most of us were never taught the skills that would help us find our way through the dark corridors of this house called ‘...
Dynamic One-on-ones
05 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
There are a million ways to conduct one-on-one meetings with direct reports. How you run yours will reflect your personal style. This month’s coachi...
Acting on the Corporate Stage
07 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This month's episode introduces "Acting on the Corporate Stage." That phrase was Tom's original branding phrase, before "T...
Performing Like a TED Talker
03 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Delivering a top-notch presentation requires you to master your ideas. Of course! But even more, you need to master yourself. Your audience won’t be...
Prepping Like A TED Talker
13 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Preparing a presentation raises many questions. How much are you going to rehearse? What will you actually do during your rehearsal? Are you going to ...
Short Sounds Confident
01 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Holding each other’s attention is a constant challenge. But you can’t achieve The Look & Sound of Leadership if you can’t keep people listen...
Readers’ Letters — Bonus Episode 2
23 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Tom exchanges emails with two listeners. One exchange addresses issues of personal boundaries in the workplace; the other addresses scarcity and abund...
Talking Like a TED Talker
04 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
TED Talkers turn us into engrossed detectives, absorbed in solving the mysteries unfolding before us. But TED Talking doesn’t have to be saved for s...
The Voice of Authority
06 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Authority. It’s a slip-sliding sort of thing, isn’t it? Do we get it automatically along with a title? Sometimes. But sometimes not. This month’...
The Human Element
02 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
At work, we often diminish the importance of feelings – our own or those of others. We think, “I don’t have time for that” or “That’s sill...
Self-Limiting Beliefs
02 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Self-limiting beliefs hold us back. We limit who we are so we don't shatter those beliefs. This month's coaching conversation serves up seve...
Inhabiting Executive Presence
12 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Getting to the next level of executive presence usually demands the adoption of new behaviors. This month's episode explores a three-step process...
Combating Emotional Hijacks
08 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
When we feel threatened or in danger, an old part of our brains, the one that regulates emotions, hijacks our executive functioning. We say and do thi...
Under Executive Questioning
03 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This episode addresses three issues that arise when you’re facing an executive team. First, what meaning are you making about the event itself? Is t...
Creating Safety for Hard Talks
06 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
You can’t be an effective leader if you are not able to have hard conversations that are successful. “Successful” means addressing tough topics ...
How Teams Fight
08 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Conflict on teams is a good thing. Really! Well, it's good if it’s healthy. This month, two techniques to help team members engage in healthy c...
Taming Meetings
04 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Meetings are often viewed as a necessary evil to be endured. But they can be engaging events that build people’s skills and accelerate the work. Thi...
Conquering Fear
07 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Fear is natural but insidious. It can carve caverns in the foundations of our confidence, weakening our capacity. This month, a client learns about th...
Building Empathy
09 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Empathy is a crucial component of The Look & Sound of Leadership. Some people have it naturally, others don’t. In either case, it can be develop...
Readers’ Letters — Bonus Episode
17 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
A bonus episode!Tom shares email exchanges he had with two podcast listeners. One exchange is about handling people who interrupt presentations. The o...
Personal Histories as Your Brand
05 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
How you brand yourself sticks with people a long time.Thismonth, a senior executive dreads having to brand himself duringaninterview – until he lear...
Power Tools for Teams — Plus/Delta
07 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This month, The Look & Sound of Leadership gives you a tool for developing your team. A process that takes only minutes to learn, if practiced reg...
The Mindful Executive
03 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
From the Harvard Business Review to the New York Times, mindfulness is widely touted as a powerful tool to increase personal effectiveness and well-be...
Coaching Under Attack
04 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Coaching is expensive. Coaching is hard to measure. Coaching is too touchy-feely. There are a million arguments against coaching. This month, a tough ...
High-Stakes Meetings
07 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The goal of this episode is to give you a three-step process to help you succeed in meetings when you feel there’s a lot at stake.Step one: Clarify ...
Showing Teeth
03 Dec 2015
Contributed by Lukas
For many businesses, uncertainty and ambiguity is their new norm. In such anxious times, people long for leaders who will make tough decisions, stand ...
Engagement & Performance
04 Nov 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Lack of engagement can assume many disguises but there is one outcome that is predictable: poor performance. What would you say if you found out you c...
Managing Disruptive Executives
30 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Disruptive executives take many forms—bullies, catastrophizers, resisters, you name it. But no matter what mask they wear, they create upheaval. Whe...
Executive Presenting
02 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Presentations are a golden opportunity to display your executive presence. Here are six behaviors that’ll help you command the room and deepen your ...
A Breakdown of Listening
05 Aug 2015
Contributed by Lukas
We all think we’re better listeners than we really are. Luckily, we all have the capacity to improve our skills. But not all listening is the same. ...
In Sync Communications
08 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
When you’re communicating, you not only need to fly through the intricate patterns of your own information, you need to be sure we can thread that n...
Executive Gender Bias
10 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The research is unequivocal: in the workplace, women play on a tilted field. Everyone contributes to work's off-center world -- even women! This ...
The Narcissistic Executive
06 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Narcissistic executives can be infuriating. And, unless you’re one of their favored few, they can be dangerous, too. These five actions will help pr...
Coaching Your People
01 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Helping develop your people is a win for everyone. But developing people is quite different from managing people: developing people requires you to be...
Status
04 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
We all assign ourselves a certain status. Of course, that means we assign status to others, too. The question is: do people experience your status as ...
Defining Success
05 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
“I’ll know it when I see it” is a natural thought when starting a new project. Feeling “It’s just not right” is natural when a situation...
Mentoring & Mentors
06 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Finding good mentors – and using them wisely – can change your career trajectory. So can being a mentor to others. Here are actions for succeeding...
The Honorable Executive
03 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Executives create honor in the workplace not by declarations and speeches. Rather, honor is built in the display of small, consistent behaviors every ...
Managing Performance: Up or Out
06 Nov 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Poor performers often linger far too long. Leaders who avoid these performance issues damage their reputations and weaken their teams. Here are five a...
Thinking Errors
02 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Thinking errors are tough to spot in yourself because they seem true. Usually we've believed them for a long time. Here are ways to free yourse...
Pursuing A Promotion
04 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
We'd all like to be given a promotion merely because it's our turn. But earning a promotion is actually a job in itself. Mastering the four ...
Managing Up
06 Aug 2014
Contributed by Lukas
We all want bosses who are sensitive to our needs. But savvy players know we need to manage our bosses at least as much as they manage us.
Personal Branding
09 Jul 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Each one of us has a personal brand. Every day we reinforce our brands consciously or unconsciously. The tools in this episode will help you craft you...
Leading Through Delegation
05 Jun 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Your ability to execute senior-level work correlates directly to your ability to delegate effectively. The better you are delegation, the higher you c...
Achieving Authenticity
30 Apr 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Leaders who are authentic display The Look & Sound of Leadership™. We follow them eagerly. But how to achieve authenticity? Here are five tool...
Your Goodwill Bank Account
03 Apr 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Certain people seem to have unlimited leeway when they make a mistake or miss a deadline while others seem to acquire black marks and penalties for th...
Captivate Your Audience
04 Mar 2014
Contributed by Lukas
If you don’t grab your audience at the start, it’s tough to win ‘em over later. The two behaviors described here will help you engage your liste...
Creating Devoted Followers
05 Feb 2014
Contributed by Lukas
We all sense the subtle messages we send each other. When those messages have even a whiff of disapproval, your followers may begin to cool.
Perception Is Reality
08 Jan 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Accepting how others see you can be a struggle. Until you can, you may not seem ready for the next step in your career.
Taming Email
05 Dec 2013
Contributed by Lukas
An ongoing series of Executive Coaching Tips designed to help you be perceived in the workplace the way you want to be perceived.
Speaking Your Truth
07 Nov 2013
Contributed by Lukas
We all have moments when we don’t speak up because we worry what other people might think. Here’s a way to help you find—and keep!—your voice....
The Generous Executive
03 Oct 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Choosing to collaborate often feels like inviting an invader to sit down and eat your food. It can be done, but it doesn’t feel natural. And why wou...
Gravitas
05 Sep 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Gravitas is credibility that goes beyond titles or credentials. Without it, you can’t achieve The Look & Sound of Leadership™. This Tip will h...
Soliciting Feedback
01 Aug 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Without good feedback about yourself, you can’t achieve The Look & Sound of Leadership. But how can you get good feedback about yourself?
The High-Maintenance Executive
11 Jul 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Being “high maintenance” can derail a career. Here are four mistakes people make that get them labeled “high maintenance.” And four actions to...
Capitalizing on Differences in Style
06 Jun 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Our own work style seems completely natural—to us! But what about all those people whose styles are different? What do you do with them?
Creating New Behaviors
02 May 2013
Contributed by Lukas
We create impressions, in part, through our behaviors. And changing behaviors can feel overwhelming. This four-stage process makes behavioral change m...
Building Emotional Intelligence
04 Apr 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Companies invest in developing Emotional Intelligence (EQ) because its presence improves performance. EQ has four steps. Here is number one. 04/04/13
Shouldering the Burden of Leadership
07 Mar 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Every leader casts a long shadow. Casual comments can have huge ripples. Such is the burden of leadership. How well are you shouldering the burden?
The Flexible Leader
07 Feb 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone you manage is at a different stage of their professional and personal development. Are you managing them all the same way?
Communicating with Clarity
10 Jan 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Expert communicators put up signposts so their listeners can follow them easily. Using these “frameworks” can distinguish you as a clear and exper...
Upward Feedback
06 Dec 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Giving upward feedback can be a dicey proposition. The three-step formula in this Executive Coaching Tip will make that potentially dangerous enterpri...
Turn Values into Behavior
01 Nov 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Companies proudly post their values in their lobbies and on their websites. But values are mere slogans until leaders help people transform those idea...
Self-Awareness & Self-Management
04 Oct 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Leaders who are technically gifted leaders are often less gifted when managing their relationships. To avoid derailing—and to have healthy relations...
Getting Unstuck
06 Sep 2012
Contributed by Lukas
It’s usually painfully obvious to us when we’re stuck. What’s frustrating is that we can’t get ourselves unstuck. Here are three practical way...
The Well-Balanced Executive
02 Aug 2012
Contributed by Lukas
This 100th edition of The Look & Sound of Leadership™ discusses the best predictor of an executive’s long-term effectiveness.
The Disruptive Executive - Part Two
12 Jul 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Trying to manage a disrupter is tough work. Managing yourself while managing a disrupter is no easier! These four tools will help you contain yourself...
The Disruptive Executive - Part One
07 Jun 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Trying to manage disrupters is like getting pummeled by a heavyweight. Here are five tools to help get traction with the disrupters in your life.
The Exhausted Executive
10 May 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Many high performers are running on empty. Here are tools to replenish your reserves.
The Distracted Executive
05 Apr 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Trying to get your message through to a distracted person isn't easy. It takes mental energy, preparation and willingness to repeat yourself. But...
The Many Parts of You
08 Mar 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Recognizing and managing the many, often contradictory, parts of you is crucial to becoming an authentic leader.
Your Team's Best Interests - Part Two
02 Feb 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Engaged and productive employees believe their boss has their best interest at heart.
Your Team's Best Interests - Part One
12 Jan 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Engaged and productive employees believe their boss has their best interest at heart.
Performance Reviews
01 Dec 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Six lessons for delivering meaningful performance reviews.
Leading Teams
03 Nov 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Five questions your team needs to answer if they're all going to move in the same direction. Plus a four-layer pyramid that needs defining.
Facilitating Open Dialogue
06 Oct 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Tips and techniques for the extremely difficult task of getting people to speak openly in public forums—or in private!
Smiling—The Look of Leadership
01 Sep 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Your smile can be a credibility builder or a credibility killer. How is your smile working for you?
Leading Change
11 Aug 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Navigating the minefield of change is fraught with danger. Here's your road map through change's treacherous terrain.
Resolving Conflict
07 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Three actions, plus three behaviors, to help warring factions to lay down their arms and get back to work.
The Power of PowerPoint
02 Jun 2011
Contributed by Lukas
PowerPoint can be a blessing but all-too-often is a curse. Here are 8 tips to harness the positive power of PowerPoint.
Compelling Openings
19 May 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Intimacy in Business: Setting Boundaries
05 May 2011
Contributed by Lukas
The ability to create a sense of intimacy in the workplace leads to deep and long-lasting trust. And it’s not about being personal.
Recommendations & Resources
21 Apr 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Stop Giving Away Your Secrets
07 Apr 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Transparency is great in business—except when you tip your hand and reveal thoughts and feelings that are better kept to yourself.
Women as Powerful Communicators
17 Mar 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Making Stories Soar
03 Mar 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Stories stick with people long after data becomes a blur.
Questions as Leadership
17 Feb 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Leadership and Listening
03 Feb 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Two listening behaviors that will get different results and foster collaboration.
Self-Knowledge as Leadership
20 Jan 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Building Rapport
06 Jan 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Rapport is easy when people’s styles match. But when there’s a mismatch, what then?
Smoothing Harsh Edges
16 Dec 2010
Contributed by Lukas
Three Little Phrases with Big Impact
02 Dec 2010
Contributed by Lukas
Phrases to keep people listening to your data and to get people to comply with your decisions.
Getting Growth Acknowledged
18 Nov 2010
Contributed by Lukas
Compassion During Change
04 Nov 2010
Contributed by Lukas
When a star performer suddenly declines there’s always a reason. The question is where should you look for the reason?
The Look & Sound of Self-Esteem
21 Oct 2010
Contributed by Lukas
Strategic Apologies
07 Oct 2010
Contributed by Lukas
Apologies can enhance or damage a relationship. Too few can be as damaging as too many. Here are four apologies—two to emulate, two to avoid.
Handling Defensive Behaviors
23 Sep 2010
Contributed by Lukas
Unmasking a Stand-In
09 Sep 2010
Contributed by Lukas
Interacting with phantoms from the past is dangerous both personally and professionally.