We’ve made it through another semester, with exams finishing up this week. Where are you at on end-of-year processing? Are you looking ahead to 2025?
PP touches on gratitude with your team, how our brains embed some bias around diversity, and some gift suggestions…for yourself.
:: Image of the Week
Your comparison should be your yesterday to your today. How are you improving?
:: Self-Leadership Development
Former Michigan CIO Shares 4 Keys to Effective Technology Leadership
Drawing from her experience leading transformative IT initiatives at the University of Michigan, Laura McCain Patterson outlined 4 ‘critical capabilities’ that technology leaders need to be successful at the 2024 Information & Technology Leadership Conference on Dec 3.
“The Sun himself is weak when he first rises, and gathers strength and courage as the day gets on.” – Charles Dickens, The Old Curiosity Shop
Information & Technology Leadership Conference (I&TLC) Presentations now Available to All
Just announced: recordings and materials from the 2024 Information & Technology Leadership Conference are now available on YouTube.
Whether there was a session you missed or one you wanted to revisit, you now have access to our collection of recordings on our YouTube channel. Audio description versions of all recordings are coming soon. Even if you didn’t attend the conference at all, you will benefit from these great talks.
Learn from many speakers on topics ranging from:
- Leading Through Collaboration: How Shared Governance Shapes UW-Madison’s Future
- Transform Student Workers Into Leaders: A Framework for Meaningful Employment
- Thriving through change: How to navigate workplace transitions successfully | expert tips
And more!
Go to https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_rvChgAE7pTQf8a1v6IFvA to see all of the topics presented at ITLC 24.
:: Diversity and Inclusion
Your Brain is Good at Inclusion…Except When It’s Not
Dr. Steve Robbins provides a foundational look at “level-setting” content around Inclusion. In this keynote address, he will share with participants a science-based business case for inclusion by looking at how the human brain responds to inclusion (better cognitive performance and engagement) and exclusion (social pain and distraction).
This was the keynote at UW-Madison’s recent Diversity Forum. His portion starts at the 1:02:00 mark of this recording.
https://diversityforum.wisc.edu/session/your-brain-is-good-at-inclusion-except-when-its-not/
:: Trust, Psychological Safety & Belonging
Everyday Psychological Safety Starts With Us
“Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage. Truth and courage aren’t always comfortable, but they’re never weakness. Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.” Brené Brown
Psychological safety – it’s more than a workplace idea; it’s a part of being human! It’s an everyday kind of thing. It’s the space we create for others to feel they can be exactly who they are. While it may be colleagues… it’s also our friends, family, or folk we’re meeting for the first time…
The question is: what kind of atmosphere do we shape around us? Please read this post with an associated graphic from Emma Lloyd to see her perspective.
:: CSN’s Book of the Week Recommendation
Slow Productivity by Cal Newport
From the New York Times bestselling author of Digital Minimalism and Deep Work, a groundbreaking philosophy for pursuing meaningful accomplishment while avoiding overload.
Our current definition of “productivity” is broken. It pushes us to treat busyness as a proxy for useful effort, leading to impossibly lengthy task lists and ceaseless meetings. We’re overwhelmed by all we have to do and on the edge of burnout, left to decide between giving into soul-sapping hustle culture or rejecting ambition altogether. But are these really our only choices?
Long before the arrival of pinging inboxes and clogged schedules, history’s most creative and impactful philosophers, scientists, artists, and writers mastered the art of producing valuable work with staying power. In this timely and provocative book, Cal Newport harnesses the wisdom of these traditional knowledge workers to radically transform our modern jobs. Drawing from deep research on the habits and mindsets of a varied cast of storied thinkers – from Galileo and Isaac Newton to Jane Austen and Georgia O’Keefe – Newport lays out the key principles of “slow productivity,” a more sustainable alternative to the aimless overwhelm that defines our current moment. Combining cultural criticism with systematic pragmatism, Newport deconstructs the absurdities inherent in standard notions of productivity and then provides step-by-step advice for cultivating a slower, more humane alternative.
From the aggressive rethinking of workload management to introducing seasonal variation, to shifting your performance toward long-term quality, Slow Productivity provides a roadmap for escaping overload and arriving instead at a more timeless approach to pursuing meaningful accomplishment. The world of work is due for a new revolution. Slow productivity is exactly what we need.
:: Gratitude and Recognition
When Expressing Gratitude to Employees, Timing Matters
Extensive research has indicated the benefits of showing gratitude to those around you, including your colleagues or employees. However, a new study suggests that the timing of these expressions can make a big difference. Through two experiments and an analysis of a top hospital’s intensive care units, researchers found that when you express gratitude to others before they engage in a distressing task it helps counteract some of the negative emotions associated with the task. Expressing gratitude early also makes employees more likely to persist through difficulty and bounce back and be resilient following failure. The authors suggests ways to show gratitude meaningfully and create a culture where your employees feel their work is seen, supported, and valued.
https://hbr.org/2024/11/when-expressing-gratitude-to-employees-timing-matters
:: Mental Health and Self-Care
5 Gifts to Give Yourself This Year
‘Tis the season of fun and giving, and it also can be the season of stress.
In December we celebrate our families, friends, and faiths. There is joy in the air. But for many people, the holidays can be a little daunting. So give yourself a gift this year! When leaders take care of themselves, they stay healthy and focused. This will provide them with the energy and clarity to support their teams and lead without burning out. What follows are a few best practices from the great leaders we’ve known. There might just be an idea or two for you to give yourself a gift this year.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/5-gifts-give-yourself-year-chester-elton-uwpse/
“The common narrative is that kids learn faster than adults, but if you watch any toddler they spend a large portion of the day attempting things that are on the edge of their ability. How much time have you spent on the edge of your ability today?” – James Clear
:: Work Culture & Team Development
Things My Students Taught Me: People Are Closer Than They Appear
From UW-Madison Professor Moses Altsech:
“Are you ever too quick to judge people, and how likely you are to find common ground with them? Yes you are; oh, yes you are. This part of my “Things My Students Taught Me” series shows how I spent years staring at what seemed like a massive gap instead of working on building a bridge. Maybe you’ll learn from my mistake and appreciate my new outlook–but there’s just one way to find out… Read on!”
“Words are the voice of the heart.” Confucius
Lead with Love
Business is about money. Making stuff that you can sell for more money than it cost you to produce. Margins. Productivity. Profits. Not exactly.
To do all that, you must get people (“employees”) to work together towards common goals. You also must get other people (“customers) to pay attention to your offerings in a crowded market of competitive offers. At times, you must persuade a more diverse range of people (“investors”, “partners”, “analysts” and “regulators”) to support or at least not torpedo your plans.
This is where leading with love comes in. It means getting people excited to run towards an exciting future, rather than to race away from a terrifying threat. It also means attracting attention by sharing your passions, rather than your anxieties.
See the rest of Bruce Kasanoff’s article on leading with love at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/bruce-kasanoff-lead-love-bruce-kasanoff-najgc/?trackingId=9rYAM18gkjrhBDXmjLY%2Fjw%3D%3D
“I don’t necessarily have to like my players and associates, but as a leader, I must love them. Love is loyalty; love is teamwork; love respects the dignity of the individual. This is the strength of any organization.” – Vince Lombardi
:: Take Five*
*Note: CSN occasionally adds “Take Five” articles to take you off the beaten path. Articles are about local or regional areas of interest, but not necessarily focused on leadership development. The intent is for you to take a break from being a leader and relax for a moment!
What Your Favorite Babcock Ice Cream Flavor Says About You
Your favorite flavor of Babcock ice cream says more about you than you might think. Find out what your favorite says about you!
https://babcockdairystore.wisc.edu/what-your-favorite-babcock-ice-cream-flavor-says-about-you/