Are you following your curiosity? Are you having fun at work? Are you aware of your blind spots?
All this and more in our next installment of Planners’ Picks, as we continue to celebrate ten years of leadership learning with CSN. Take a break and enjoy some of these resources today.
Oh, watch out for students as they continue to move in throughout this week, and Go Badgers on our opening to football this Thursday!
:: Image of the Week
Follow Your Curiosity
Did you know it’s okay to slow down and wonder? This quote sits inside the Cat chapter of Leading the Team Within for a reason.
The Cat represents curiosity, patience, and self-care, three qualities leaders don’t often give themselves enough permission to practice.
But curiosity?
It’s powerful. It opens doors. It removes ego. It leads to better questions, deeper listening, and more human conversations.
You don’t always need to have the answer. Sometimes your next best move is simply to stay curious long enough to discover it. Where is your curiosity leading you right now?
:: CSN’s Book of the Week Recommendation
Today Was Fun: A Book About Work (Seriously)
“A hands-on, life-changing book about bringing intent to the way we spend most of our time. We’ve created so many ways to be unhappy with our work, Bree Groff is here to help us change that.” ―Seth Godin, author of The Song of Significance
A refreshing and unconventional take on the world of work. Perfect for fans of Brené Brown and Cal Newport, Today Was Fun challenges the notion that professionalism means being buttoned up and overworked and provides seven key rules for better days at work and in life.
Bree Groff weaves together personal anecdotes, research, humor, and practical wisdom, outlining a compelling vision of modern workplaces that make people feel human and alive. Groff provides concrete strategies for implementation, from Do Nothing Days for inducing brilliant work to building a Portfolio Life that ensures work remains only one of many fulfilling things we do.
An irreverent guide for a rising generation of leaders, Today Was Fun is poised to spark vital conversations about how we spend our days and to drive real change in organizations―promoting a fuller, more joyful life both in and out of the office.
When we wish away the workweek, we wish away our lives. What would it take for us to look forward to Monday? Check out this interesting article from author Bree Groff who wrote “Today Was Fun, A Book About Work (Seriously)” and has guided companies like Google and Calvin Klein on infusing more fun into their work environments.
https://nextbigideaclub.com/magazine/serious-guide-making-work-fun-bookbite/56314/
:: Trust, Psychological Safety & Belonging
3 Powerful Trust Accelerators
Leadership coach Danny Langloss tells us in just over 2 minutes about three powerful ways to accelerate trust in your team.
Listen in here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/dannylangloss_leadership-trust-influence-activity-7353787635611439104–xOA
“Contrary to what most people believe, trust is not some soft, illusive quality that you either have or you don’t; rather, trust is a pragmatic, tangible, actionable asset that you can create.” – STEPHEN M.R. COVEY
:: Communication
The Missing 5-Minute Communication Skill that Will Transform Your Team’s Productivity
What if one overlooked communication skill could be the difference between unfinished work and unstoppable team progress?
If you’ve ever walked out of a productive meeting only to find that no one followed through, you’re not alone. This episode is your shortcut to fixing that—using just five minutes and three powerful questions that build clarity, accountability, and action into every conversation.
Listen in and walk away with:
- A simple communication habit that ensures your team always knows what to do next.
- A low-effort way to prevent dropped balls, delays, and confusion.
- A practical technique to build your influence and get noticed—whether or not you’re leading the meeting.
Press play now to master the communication skill that transforms talk into action—starting with your very next meeting.
Leadership Without Using Your Soul podcast offers insightful discussions on leadership and management, focusing on essential communication skills, productivity, teamwork, delegation, and feedback to help leaders navigate various leadership styles, management styles, conflict resolution, time management, and active listening while addressing challenges like overwhelm, burnout, work-life balance, and problem-solving in both online and in-person teams, all aimed at cultivating human-centered leadership qualities that promote growth and success.
“You are not an imposter; you are in process.” – Rachel Druckenmiller
:: Self-Leadership Development
What Are Your Blind Spots?
Gail McDonald is a leadership coach and podcaster, and has begun focusing on identifying your blind spots to help you improve or level up.
Old habits and ways of doing things can surely be blind spots, because we’re less willing to explore new possibilities or perspectives when we drive in the ruts of yesterday’s treads. Being curious at all points ensures we are open to another way, even when our way is working.
Growth often comes not from what’s already visible, but from what’s waiting in the wings—those quiet truths that require just the right spark to be seen.
What are your blind spots? Read the rest of her short post here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/blindspotscoaching_blindspots-clarity-discovery-activity-7355729530289864704-3vRY
“There is no favorable wind for the sailor who doesn’t know where to go.” – Seneca
Why You Don’t Have to Prove Your Worth by Overworking with Shauna Niequist
Our obligations never stop, do they? How do we get off the achievement train and build a beautiful life within the constraints of our own limitations? Writer Shauna Niequist was on the fast track to burnout when she received advice that changed the pace of her life entirely. Kate Bowler and Shauna talk about the productivity myths we believe and how to embrace a slower, smaller life marked by delight. Listen to this episode of Everything Happens, a replay from during the pandemic.
Shauna’s book, Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living, chronicles her transition from a life of striving for perfection to rediscovering her created purpose and living from a place of meaning and connection. With her warm, vulnerable voice, she tells of how she underwent the most important transformation of her life, while also inviting us to do the same.
She writes, “This book is an account of my winding, messy journey from exhaustion to peace, from isolation to connection, from hustling and multitasking to sacred presence.”
https://www.ivoox.com/en/listen-again-why-you-don8217t-have-to-prove-audios-mp3_rf_154720167_1.html
:: LinkedIn Learning
A Strengths-Based Approach to Managing Your Team
Maximize your team’s performance and develop your employees by using a strengths-based approach. Join instructor Jessica Mund to discover how to identify your strengths and those of each team member, summarize all of those advantages in a mapping, and then leverage those strengths to benefit the team and the business. Learn how to develop a team strengths plan, run a team strengths meeting, and align the team with a follow-through plan, helping employees translate their skills into performance-increasing actions. See how thinking about strengths and helping the team recognize each other’s strengths can resolve conflicts. Find out how to make individualized plans and use the team strengths map to assign peer coaches, build task forces, and develop project teams. Explore how to establish and track benchmarks that showcase the team’s improved performance.
:: Mental Health and Self-Care
Dan Pink on Taking Breaks
The most underrated productivity hack? Taking breaks. But not just any break. Science says there’s a right way to do it.
Here’s how to restore your energy (and do better work) in 5 proven steps:
“Nothing on earth is more gentle and yielding than water, yet nothing is stronger. When it confronts a wall of stone gentleness overcomes hardness; the power of water prevails.” – Tao 78
Mindful Moment: Loving Kindness
A 5-minute guided meditation from Action for Happiness. The feeling of caring for others is in fact very nourishing for our happiness too. By bringing up feelings of warmth and care for others we can experience more relaxation, joy and freedom in ourselves. This mindful moment is designed to help us do just that. Enjoy your practice and share it with others!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je5nL5TSTJI
:: Work Culture & Team Development
Before You Call an Employee Negative… Listen to This
Ever worked with someone who seems to always spot the risks before you do?
Maybe you’ve even labeled them negative, paranoid, or too intense—but what if they were actually the Guardian of your team?
In this episode of Create Magic at Work, Amy Lynn Durham breaks down the Guardian Archetype—the ones who scan the horizon for danger, ask the hard questions, and protect people and systems from harm before the rest of us know it’s coming.
You’ll hear:
- A real-world story of a Guardian in action (and how they saved the day)
- What makes this archetype indispensable in fast-moving teams
- How to distinguish fear-based reactions from strategic foresight
- Why most people misunderstand Guardians—and how to support them better
https://createmagicatwork.net/create-magic-at-work (Scroll down to find this episode in the choices)
How Individual Strengths Contribute to Team Success
Enough can’t be said or written about the importance of leveraging individual strengths for team success.
We know that team success begins with understanding and championing the unique individuals with unique strengths who make up the team, and determining how each of them can be successful.
Yet, the definition of success and how to achieve it varies, depending on who you ask:
Merriam-Webster defines success as “favorable or desired outcome; the attainment of wealth, favor, or eminence.” Kathy Kolbe is known for saying, “Success is the freedom to be yourself.” Patrick Lencioni says the key to success is being humble, ambitious and smart. See this article from Humanworks8 on how individual strengths contribute to team success.
https://humanworks8.com/individual-strengths-for-team-success/
:: Upcoming Events
Breaking Barriers: Mental Health, Leadership, and the Future of Workplace Well-being
Join the Lyra Team for this rebroadcast from Breakthrough as Dr. Smith shares science-backed strategies for emotional resilience and practical tools leaders can use to create lasting impact.
Mental health is in the spotlight—but how do we move from awareness to real action? Join Dr. Julie Smith, clinical psychologist, bestselling author, and social media mental health content creator with 5M+ followers. Known for her ability to simplify complex psychological concepts, Dr. Smith has empowered millions through her book Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? and viral content that makes mental health relatable, accessible, and actionable.
Whether you’re shaping employee well-being initiatives or seeking personal growth, you’ll leave with concrete takeaways to drive meaningful change.
Date: August 26, 2025
Time: 1:00 pm CST
Location: Online via weblink (register to receive the link)
Register here: https://get.lyrahealth.com/WBN-2025-08-26-BCMW-Breaking-Barriers_RegistrationPage.html
Shatterproof: How to Thrive in a World of Constant Chaos
Learn how to master the daily grind and become shatterproof in a tumultuous world with key insights by Dr. Tasha Eurich as she talks about her newest book, Shatterproof: How to Thrive in a World of Constant Chaos (And why resilience alone isn’t enough).
Are you working too much but feel like it’s never enough? Have you turned the act of pretending you’re “fine” into an art form? Does self-care feel like one more item on your already long to-do list?
We’ve been taught that resilience is the secret to navigating life’s most difficult moments. But according to New York Timesbestselling author, organizational psychologist, and researcher Dr. Tasha Eurich, there is one problem with this assumption. Scientifically, resilience isn’t an unlimited resource, especially with the growing pressure and uncertainty we’re experiencing today.
Whether you’re grappling with work stress, personal challenges, or the chaos of everyday life, Shatterproof offers an urgent alternative to stoic endurance as the only strategy for survival. Combining cutting-edge research, practical tools, and insights from her own struggle with a life-defining health crisis, Dr. Eurich will overturn your beliefs about what it takes to thrive through adversity, offering a scientifically supported system to help you feel better, do better, and live better than before. You’ll discover how to:
- Reclaim your best self when stress turns you into someone you barely recognize
- Uncover the unmet needs that keep you stuck in self-limiting patterns
- Turn stress into strength, exhaustion into energy, and confusion into confidence
- Find peace in the present and be prepared for what the future holds, and much more!
This timely discussion with Dr. Eurich is sure to unlock powerful new ideas about how to show up as our best selves. Register now to be a part of the conversation!
Date: Thursday, August 28th
Time: 1:00-2:00 PM CDT
Location: Online via link
https://libraryc.org/midlibrary/84524?uMarketingSource=_LSC_IEN_08_main