The Happy Leader (Amy Sanchez)
Explorez tous les épisodes de The Happy Leader
| Date | Titre | Durée | |
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| 03 Sep 2024 | Mastering the One-on-One Meeting | 00:24:12 | |
One-on-one meetings between leaders and their direct reports are essential for the success of both the team and the manager. These meetings create a dedicated space for meaningful communication, allowing managers to understand their employees' challenges, aspirations, and motivations. By investing time in these regular check-ins, leaders can build trust, foster engagement, and create a supportive environment where employees feel valued. This connection not only boosts team morale but also directly contributes to the overall effectiveness of the manager, as it enables them to stay in tune with the needs and progress of their team. To make the most out of one-on-one meetings, it's important to approach them with intention and structure. Best practices include setting a consistent schedule, allowing employees to build the agenda, and focusing on topics beyond just project updates. These meetings should be a time to check in on well-being, explore team dynamics, discuss professional development goals, and provide constructive feedback. They shouldn’t be a meeting to merely get updated on projects and deliverables. When done right, one-on-one meetings can be uplifting for employees, giving them a sense of purpose and direction while reinforcing their connection to the organization. By creating a safe space for open dialogue, managers can inspire greater initiative and commitment from their team members. Key Questions Discussed In the Podcast
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| 21 May 2024 | How to Protect Your Time (And Calendar) | 00:20:01 | |
As an executive and leader, safeguarding your time is paramount. Your days are inundated with emails, meetings, and constant demands, making it easy to lose sight of your strategic goals. By intentionally protecting your calendar, you can ensure that your time is spent on activities that align with your priorities and values. This proactive approach not only boosts productivity but also fosters innovation and maintains a healthy work-life balance, crucial for long-term success and well-being. This week, I share the story of a remarkable group of female senior leaders. About two years ago, we began meeting consistently every 4-6 weeks. These women dedicated this time to building connections, solving problems collaboratively, and reflecting on their intentions and goals. The results were transformative, enabling them to live more intentional and fulfilling lives. Gain access to the tools that helped them transform how they spent their time so you can benefit from the same positive impact. Key Questions Discussed In the Podcast
Resources: · https://hbr.org/2018/07/4-ways-leaders-can-protect-their-time-and-empower-their-teams https://swim-against.com/contact/ | |||
| 29 Oct 2024 | Annual Planning | 00:17:48 | |
Annual planning is a critical step in ensuring the success of your business and your effectiveness as a leader. It acts as the North Star that provides direction for the upcoming year, aligning your team’s efforts with the company's overarching goals. Without it, you risk disorganization, inefficient resource allocation, and missed opportunities. By setting clear goals, allocating resources wisely, and outlining strategic priorities, annual planning helps to streamline operations and keep everyone focused on what matters most. For leaders, it’s an opportunity to reflect on past successes and failures, improve team collaboration, and establish a clear vision for the future. This week I tell the story of a Silicon Valley company where I played a key role in guiding the annual planning process. Before implementing annual planning, the company was struggling with misaligned departments, frequent conflict, and wasted resources. By helping the leadership team introduce an effective annual planning structure, I was able to guide them toward greater alignment and efficiency. Over the course of two years, their annual planning process transformed the company. Collaboration improved, goals were clearly defined, and revenue grew as a direct result of this structured approach. Key Questions Discussed In the Podcast
Resources: · Articles Annual Planning: Is it Worth It? - by Mykola Tymkiv | |||
| 19 Mar 2024 | Imposter Syndrome When You Start A New Role | 00:11:41 | |
The Happy Leader explores imposter syndrome in new leadership roles using tech leader Dave's journey to showcase overcoming self-doubt with coaching, strengths, and self-awareness for unlocking leadership potential authentically. | |||
| 08 Jul 2024 | Boomer to Gen Z- Clashing Leadership Styles | 00:10:23 | |
In today's diverse workplace, managing multiple generations effectively is crucial. Each generation brings unique experiences, values, and work styles, which can lead to misunderstandings and conflicts if not properly addressed. By recognizing and adapting to these differences, managers can foster a more inclusive and productive environment. Understanding that one-size-fits-all management approaches are outdated, and that flexibility and empathy can bridge generational gaps, is essential for modern leadership. This week I share my story of a personal encounter with a generational clash that highlights the importance of adapting management styles. After delivering a management training session on the importance of catering to different generational needs, I faced criticism from a senior leader on LinkedIn. His traditional view clashed with the modern, flexible approach I advocated for. This interaction reminded me of my own experiences in the corporate world, where rigid management styles stifled innovation and marginalized those who thought differently. It was a pivotal moment that reaffirmed my commitment to fostering inclusive leadership and ultimately led me to become an executive coach. Key Questions Discussed In the Podcast
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| 28 May 2024 | How to Set Goals that Inspire Your Team | 00:12:27 | |
Goal setting is a critical component for both personal and team success. It not only helps individuals understand why their work matters but also fosters a sense of accomplishment when goals are achieved. Setting goals provides a clear direction, aligning daily tasks with broader strategic objectives and values. This alignment ensures that everyone is working towards the same end goal, creating a cohesive and motivated team. Regularly revisiting these goals and providing feedback based on them reduces confusion and surprises, helping maintain focus and drive. I recently worked with a growing Silicon Valley-based company that traditionally only focused on customers, products, and processes. For the first time, they were investing in their people's growth and development. During a leadership workshop, as we were exploring the value of goal-setting, one VP highlighted that knowing the goals in advance made goal attainment more satisfying, providing a clear beginning and end to their efforts. After successfully getting in the habit of annual goal setting at the C-suite level, they began to see greater alignment and success in achieving their goals. Our next step is to cascade these goals down through the ranks, ensuring everyone is aligned and building goals that ladder up, to amplify the overall impact. By incorporating collaborative goal-setting practices, creating SMART goals, and fostering an emotional connection to these goals, leaders can inspire their teams and achieve significant results. Regular check-ins and supportive coaching further enhance this process, ensuring that everyone remains aligned and motivated. If you need assistance facilitating these conversations at a senior level, reach out to amy@swim-against.com for expert support. Remember to celebrate your achievements and let happiness reign when you reach your goals. Key Questions Discussed In the Podcast
Resources: How to Set SMART Goals: https://youtu.be/Iyl_v-O_Cds?si=WB-h-nyP-wjyphTo | |||
| 17 Sep 2024 | How to Foster Better Team Collaboration | 00:12:57 | |
Getting the most beneficial collaboration out of your team isn’t just good for the team—it’s good for you and your company as well. Effective collaboration helps team members share diverse ideas, pool knowledge, and work toward common goals, which leads to better problem-solving and improved outcomes. As a manager, fostering this collaboration creates a more efficient and harmonious environment, reducing the need for constant intervention. For your company, collaborative teams are more innovative, resilient, and productive, making the business stronger and more competitive in the long run. Collaboration can be undermined when a scarcity mindset and competition rear up. When resources like time, budget, or recognition feel limited, team members may become more competitive, holding back information to get ahead. This creates silos rather than fostering cooperation. In addition, when leaders or team members don’t show vulnerability or create a safe space for open dialogue, trust is eroded, making collaboration even more difficult. To build a truly collaborative team, leaders must model transparency and focus on creating an abundance mindset, where the emphasis is on what’s possible rather than what’s lacking. Key Questions Discussed In the Podcast
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| 12 Mar 2024 | How to Prioritize as a Leader When Everything Feels Important | 00:14:46 | |
The episode highlights the transformative power of prioritization for leaders, emphasizing aligning values with goals and utilizing tools like the Eisenhower Matrix for enhanced clarity and success in leadership. | |||
| 04 Jun 2024 | When Work Defines Your Worth | 00:15:27 | |
From a young age, we are conditioned to seek external validation through grades, accolades, and praise. This continues into our professional lives with performance reviews and feedback from bosses. While curiosity and self-reflection are essential for growth, linking our self-worth to external validation can lead to significant emotional distress and debunk progress. It's important to ensure self-worth comes from within. It should be an internal sense of knowing you’re talented and worthy of love and belonging, regardless of external feedback or events. By understanding this, we can prevent ourselves from spiraling into negativity when faced with criticism or setbacks at work. This week I share a story about Sarah, an executive who experienced a dramatic emotional journey at work. She was a high achiever recruited by a top tech company and faced a significant setback when her first major campaign failed. Despite external factors beyond her control, she internalized the failure, leading to a severe drop in confidence and self-worth. Through coaching, Sarah realized her self-worth was too closely tied to her job performance. By unraveling her sense of worth from her career and developing practices to maintain a positive self-view, she not only recovered but also thrived, mentoring others on the importance of separating self-worth from job performance. Key Questions Discussed In the Podcast
Free values assessment: https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/555271/111813391951070229/share | |||
| 26 Mar 2024 | Golden Handcuffs or Career Happiness? | 00:17:39 | |
In this episode of The Happy Leader, I delve into the difficult choice many senior leaders are forced to make between golden handcuffs or career happiness. This is the point where many leaders reach the pinnacle of their careers only to feel unfulfilled. Climbing the corporate ladder often brings increased financial rewards, but it can also lead to a lack of purpose and fulfillment. This sense of emptiness can stem from not meeting higher-level needs, explained by a well-known psychology model that I share in this podcast. You’ll hear about "Pierre" who, despite his success and wealth, felt trapped and deeply unhappy. Pierre's internal struggle exemplifies the conflict many leaders face when deciding between financial security or personal fulfillment. Key Questions Discussed in the podcast
Resources Mentioned in the Podcast
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| 05 Mar 2024 | The Best Leadership Style for Today’s Workplace | 00:15:58 | |
Transformational leadership, known for motivating teams effectively in today's dynamic workplace, empowers leaders to bring out the best in their team members without micromanaging. You’ll hear how a new manager at Amazon, “Vanessa” transformed her team from waiting for her guidance to proactively problem solving and how she embodied transformational leadership to drive the change. Key topic discussed in the podcast:
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| 23 Apr 2024 | How To Manage A Low Performer | 00:18:49 | |
In this episode of The Happy Leader, I share insights on addressing chronic underperformers in the workplace. Chronic underperformance not only affects productivity but also has emotional and professional consequences for leaders and teams. I’ll go into the reasons behind underperformance, such as skill mismatches, personal challenges, and lack of motivation, helping you determine the root cause to inform the right course of action. I’ll share the story of the leadership team of a well-known non-profit organization here in Silicon Valley, whose delays in addressing the underperformance of a team member eventually led to questioning the abilities of the team leader. Lastly, I’ll provide a strategic approach for leaders to leverage to address underperformance, including how to gather data, having a candid performance conversation, and setting clear expectations and goals for improvement. Key Questions Discussed In the Podcast
Resources Mentioned In the Podcast Contact Amy to secure leadership training: amy@swim-against.com Further Reading | |||
| 27 Feb 2024 | Know Yourself to Gain a Leadership Advantage | 00:11:01 | |
In our inaugural episode of The Happy Leader, Amy discuss the impact of unconscious behaviors on leadership development. We discuss the curious case of "Vince", and how by addressing triggers and behaviors, he was able to undergo a significant leadership transformation. What you'll learn:
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| 16 Apr 2024 | Leading Effectively as an Empath | 00:12:31 | |
In this episode of The Happy Leader, I explore the significance of empathy in leadership, discussing how it can be both a strength and a challenge. Empathy allows leaders to connect with their team on a deeper level, fostering innovation, engagement, and retention. However, overextending empathy can lead to emotional depletion and hinder leadership effectiveness. I share the story of Sophia, a CEO who struggled with this balance, but through coaching, she learned to set boundaries and empower her team to solve their own challenges. Learn how to use your empath abilities to your advantage and prevent it from making you take on the emotional toll and additional work of others. Key Questions Discussed In the Podcast
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| 14 May 2024 | Resolve Work Conflict In Your Favor | 00:23:07 | |
In this episode of The Happy Leader, I share insights on navigating workplace conflict by sharing a personal story of how I didn’t handle conflict well and the backlash that followed. Conflict in the workplace is a common issue that impacts productivity, key relationships and well-being. Conflict is also inevitable in the workplace. The key to managing conflict effectively is outlining your ideal probable outcome and preparing your approach with that in mind. By setting clear intentions, employing active listening, and focusing on the future, you can increase the chance of a successful resolution. At the very least, you will have handled conflict in a way that makes you feel controlled and confident while gaining valuable information that will help you make informed future decisions. Key Questions Discussed In the Podcast Learn how to keep negative emotions about the person or situation out of the conversation so they don’t debunk your approach. How to best prepare yourself for the conflict resolution conversation. How to use the Conflict Resolution Checklist and how it will help you map out exactly what to say before your next difficult conversation. Resources: Managing Conflict Preparation Checklist Tips for Managing Conflict- Clarke University Must-Know Workplace Conflict Statistics, Gitnus.org, Jannik Lindner, April 24, 2024
Recommended Book: How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie | |||
| 06 Feb 2024 | The Happy Leader - Coming Soon! | 00:00:45 | |
Hear stories and leadership tips from coaching some of the most innovative leaders and teams in Silicon Valley. Executive Coach Amy Sanchez will help you navigate the most common leadership challenges so you can amplify what matters most- happiness. | |||
| 12 Nov 2024 | Manager's Guide: Coaching to Drive Behavior Change | 00:12:27 | |
Coaching your employees to demonstrate the behaviors you want to see is key to their growth, your effectiveness as a leader, and the overall success of the organization. When you invest time in guiding employees toward productive behavior, it positively impacts team dynamics, reduces friction, and drives results. As a leader, coaching allows you to empower high-potential employees to become more successful, ultimately creating a more cohesive and high-performing team that can accomplish ambitious goals together. This week, I’m going to give you 5 concrete and actionable steps to coaching that can help you get the best out of your team and align everyone toward shared goals. From setting clear expectations to fostering accountability, these steps will help you lead constructive conversations that inspire meaningful change. With these techniques, you’ll be able to address behavioral gaps in a supportive way, creating a positive shift in your team while driving engagement and performance across all stakeholders. Key Questions Discussed In the Podcast
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| 08 Oct 2024 | How to Deliver Difficult Feedback | 00:15:24 | |
Failing to give honest and constructive feedback can lead to a host of problems for your team. Without feedback, employees may continue to make the same mistakes or operate inefficiently without understanding how to improve. This lack of communication can cause misunderstandings, lower morale, and eventually lead to team dysfunction. Moreover, as a leader, withholding feedback means you miss the opportunity to help your team grow, which can result in missed performance goals, stagnation, and frustration for both you and your team. Providing clear, timely feedback is essential for cultivating a healthy and high-performing team. This week I tell the story of Monique, a highly successful CEO whose discomfort with conflict and difficult conversations undermined her leadership team. Because Monique avoided giving critical feedback, her leadership team became plagued with gossip, infighting, and an inability to collaborate. As a result, Monique found herself constantly stepping in to mediate and fix problems, which drained her time and energy. Her reluctance to address the issues head-on had a ripple effect, preventing her team from reaching their full potential and creating a toxic environment. Key Questions Discussed In the Podcast
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--- Contact Amy to train your team on how to give constructive feedback: amy@swim-against.com | |||
| 07 May 2024 | The Best Way to Handle a Steep Learning Curve | 00:12:55 | |
In leadership, the journey of continuous learning is crucial to stay ahead of the curve and excel in new roles. The concept of a "steep learning curve" is more than just a metaphor; it represents the real challenges leaders face when they must acquire new skills to succeed. Whether it's adapting to a new industry, mastering advanced technology like AI, or adjusting to a new organizational culture, the initial phase can seem daunting. The overwhelming sensation at the start is natural, but it’s the mix of emotions experienced along the way—pride, satisfaction, excitement, growth—that fuels the journey. This week I share the story of 'Gabe', a high-potential leader at a biotech company who faced multiple steep learning curves as he transitioned from academia to the for-profit sector and adjusted to cultural differences in the American corporate environment. Key Questions Discussed In the Podcast
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| 02 Apr 2024 | The Art of Saying "No" Professionally | 00:11:47 | |
In this episode of The Happy Leader, I delve into the crucial skill of saying no professionally as a leader. I share insights and advice on how mastering the art of saying no can help leaders avoid overwhelm, protect their passion for their work, and enhance their ability to be seen as promotable. I'll emphasize the importance of setting boundaries, smart workload management, and fostering a culture of respect and clear communication within teams. And, from the Silicon Valley Archives, I share the story of "Minli" who faced challenges in speaking up and saying no due to cultural influences and personal tendencies. Hear what she did to get comfortable saying “No" and how it helped her career. Key Questions Discussed In the Podcast: - Why it's important to strategically and professionally say no. - Why saying No to some tasks will open you up to other possibilities that align better with your goals. - How to look for the "Win-win" Resources Mentioned In the Podcast
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| 20 Aug 2024 | Improve Leadership Team Performance | 00:19:54 | |
In any organization, leadership behavior significantly influences the overall culture and effectiveness of the organization. But oftentimes, this predominant style can go unrecognized for years until the organization decides to tune in. When an organization is ready to take a hard and honest look at the strengths and weaknesses of the leadership team in an effort to improve the entire organization, levering a diagnostic tool can be helpful. One of the most effective tools for identifying and understanding leadership traits is the DiSC framework. DiSC categorizes leadership styles into four primary types: Dominance (D), Influence (I), Steadiness (S), and Conscientiousness (C). By learning the predominant DiSC style of the leadership team, organizations can gain valuable insights into the motivations and behaviors of their top leaders whose impact is trickling down throughout the company. This knowledge helps to identify strengths- which can then be amplified- and also blind spots—areas where a leadership team's predominant style may hinder progress or create challenges. Once these blind spots are recognized, strategies can be implemented to address them, leading to a more efficient and effective organization. This episode dives into exactly how to do that. Key Questions Discussed In the Podcast
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| 30 Apr 2024 | The Goal-Setting Secret You May Not Know | 00:13:05 | |
Goal setting is a pivotal aspect of achieving success, but it can sometimes become a double-edged sword. It’s essential to strike a balance between aspiring for more and appreciating what we already have. Without this balance, we risk falling into the myopic goal-setting trap, where our happiness hinges solely on achieving specific outcomes, potentially overshadowing the many joys and accomplishments that already fill our lives. In today’s episode, I share another story from the Silicon Valley archives, this time about Aashini, a high achiever who found herself trapped in a cycle of dissatisfaction and unfulfilled aspirations. Despite her impressive background and career, Aashini’s focus on securing a promotion left her feeling undervalued and stuck. Her situation is a classic example of how a narrow focus on specific career milestones can take a significant emotional and professional toll. Through coaching, Aashini learned to disconnect her self-worth from her job title, broaden her perspective, and ultimately find fulfillment and success in a more balanced way. Have you ever found yourself so focused on a single goal that you lost sight of your overall happiness and well-being? How did you recalibrate your priorities? Key Questions Discussed In the Podcast
Resources Mentioned In the Podcast Energy Leadership Assessment (ELI)- seven energy levels Contact Amy to set up your ELI Assessment | |||
| 18 Jun 2024 | Empower Your Team to Take Initiative | 00:17:28 | |
Transitioning from an individual contributor to a manager requires a significant behavioral shift. As individual contributors, we are used to solving problems and handling tasks independently. However, as managers, our role shifts to empowering our team members to take initiative and perform effectively. This transition is crucial because it not only alleviates our own workload but also fosters a sense of ownership and growth within the team. By enabling our direct reports to contribute meaningfully, we create a more efficient and motivated team, which ultimately leads to better organizational outcomes. This week I share a story about Oscar, a rapidly promoted leader in Silicon Valley who faced a common challenge. Despite his success as an individual contributor, Oscar struggled with micromanaging his team, which stifled their growth and initiative. He realized that his hands-on approach was causing his team to rely too heavily on him. Through coaching, Oscar learned to set collaborative goals, use a coaching approach to problem-solving, and apply situational leadership techniques. These changes transformed his team dynamics, increased their ownership and efficiency, and allowed Oscar to focus on strategic planning. Key Questions Discussed In the Podcast
Resources Mentioned In the Podcast
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