CSN Book Club: The Art of Caring Leadership

>> Join us to read and discuss the book The Art of Caring Leadership
>> Zoom meetings July 20, July 27, and August 3 from 2:00-3:30pm
(attendance at all highly recommended)
>> Book and support materials sent out ahead of first session
>> Limited spots available — this event will fill up quickly

Discover Your Personal Leadership Style and the Actions You Can Take to Uplift and Engage Those You Lead.

If your people know you care about them, they will move mountains. In The Art of Caring Leadership: How Leading With Heart Uplifts Teams and Organizations, employee engagement and loyalty expert Heather R. Younger outlines nine key ways that leaders can ensure all their employees feel included and cared for. Based on Younger’s interviews with over 80 leaders for her podcast, she shares how all of us have the ability to manifest the radical power of caring support at work, no matter what the context or circumstances.

Younger takes an often nebulous, subjective concept and makes it concrete and actionable—emphasizing that leaders have the power to change the lives of those they lead. They shouldn’t just “want” to care, they should see caring as imperative for the success of their employees and their organization. Though Younger stresses that this is not a cookie-cutter approach: just as Monet and Picasso expressed themselves very differently, each leader should express caring in their own unique, personal way.

Whether you’re looking for increased productivity, customer satisfaction, or employee engagement, Younger stresses that you need to care for your employees first. Join us to learn more about caring leadership.

SORRY! Registration has ended for this event.

Dates: 7/20, 7/27, and 8/3 (one link for all sessions)
2:00-3:30 pm via Zoom

About the author:

Heather R. Younger is an experienced keynote speaker, two-time author, and the CEO and Founder of Employee Fanatix, a leading employee engagement, leadership development, and DEI consulting firm, where she is on a mission to help leaders understand the power they possess to ensure people feel valued at work.

Heather harnesses humor, warmth, and an instant relatability to engage and uplift audiences and inspire them into action.

Rooted in her belief that employees aren’t just numbers on the payroll but human beings with ideas that matter, Heather’s talks and workshops are dedicated to helping teams, leaders, and organizations shine by improving how they listen to, communicate with, and empower employees.

She wrote another book, The 7 Intuitive Laws of Employee Loyalty as well, and has a popular TED talk, Transforming Adversity Into Opportunity.

CSN events offer

LEARNING with a side of NETWORKING!

The “main course” of CSN events is the content;
the “side” of CSN events: the meaningful connections you make.

“I do want to share how much I have enjoyed reading the book and also participating in the discussion. The entire experience made me feel supported and part of something much bigger.” ~Laura

“I really enjoy book clubs and the opportunity to do one with other campus supervisors outside my division was enticing since we do a lot within our division but it’s nice to hear from others.” – anonymous survey response

Many attendees have shared that they have learned as much from their peers about how the campus functions as what they took away from the main content of our sessions. This is something to consider when thinking of joining in on a session or not; take into account that the interactions with other supervisors and leaders at UW are as valuable and satisfying as the topics we are covering.

“As an employee of the Division of Extension, I really enjoyed the opportunity of meeting people working on campus. While our individual work may be different, we are all striving to be the best supervisor we can be.” – survey response

That is just one of the added values a UW-Madison community of practice like CSN brings to the table: your hunger for learning is complemented by your thirst for growth and support of others in similar situations.

What have you taken away from your interactions at CSN events? We’d love to hear about them!

Due to COVID-19, CSN is limiting their events schedule. Check back here for book clubs, networking events and other trainings soon!

In the meantime, see our links to resources, TED talks, book suggestions, and recent blog posts.

Campus also has some virtual trainings available at https://hr.wisc.edu/professional-development/programs/virtual-learning/

In reflection:

CSN Elevate Book Club

March 9, 16, & 23, 2021

If the last year has taught us anything, it’s that we can’t stay stagnant. We always have to be improving and elevating ourselves. The world around us is changing at a breakneck pace, and we have to be continually improving to be the best versions of ourselves and keep up with it. This is especially true for leaders and supervisors, who need to be in their best shape to lead in this rapidly changing world. You can’t stay the same and expect to be able to lead teams in the future.

Robert Glazer, CEO of Acceleration Partners, wrote a book about this topic. He has led a fully remote team for years and has seen in the last year how people have had to adapt and improve themselves to work in and lead remote teams. He knows the importance of continual improvement and says it comes down to your daily habits and actions. You have to know where you want to go in order to put in the work to get there.

In his book, Elevate: Push Beyond Your Limits and Unlock Success in Yourself and Others, Robert lays out four ways to elevate yourself for continual improvement:

1. Spiritual. This isn’t necessarily religious, but it’s about knowing who you are and what you stand for. This includes the personal standards you live by each day. In order to improve yourself, you have to know where you are going and what you want most.
2. Intellectual. Spiritual elevation helps you realize where you want to go, intellectual elevation helps you get there. This includes establishing routines and healthy habits and setting long-term and short-term goals.
3. Physical. You have to take care of yourself physically to have the strength and energy to reach your goals. Elevate yourself with improved eating and exercise habits to take care of your body.
4. Emotional. Your emotional levels affect your relationships and how you react to challenging situations. Everyone faces stress and trials, but when you elevate yourself emotionally, you are better prepared to handle the ups and downs.

We discussed these capacities in detail in our three sessions, and were joined by the author during the last session for some in-person Q&A!

For access to the workbook and other resources shared at this book club, visit this link: https://go.wisc.edu/8jzpd8