Be the Delta

Do you remember a bygone era when you printed out directions on MapQuest? What seems antiquated now was– dare we say it? –revolutionary in its time.  

You could get specific directions from point A to point B in less than a second– as long as your dial-up connection was reliable.  

And then– like a pixelated beacon of industry, hope, and innovation –came the GPS.  

In an era of unprecedented workplace transformation, intentional leadership has never been more crucial. While intention has always been defined as a determination to act in a certain way, today's workplace demands a more nuanced approach—one that bridges generational differences, navigates organizational changes, and builds lasting trust across teams.

Have you ever caught yourself scrolling social media during a meeting? Biting your nails before a presentation? Procrastinating on that critical report? Quick – what's your worst workplace habit?

Let's get real: We're all walking, talking bundles of habits. In fact, researchers at Duke University found that a staggering 45% of our daily behaviors are actually habitual—running on autopilot without our conscious input. For leaders, this statistic is both terrifying and exciting. Terrifying because bad habits can derail teams, but exciting because small changes can create monumental shifts.

Your community is the beating heart of your organization. It’s essential to nurturing human connection. 

When people feel connected, they are more likely to be engaged, motivated, and loyal to the organization. This sense of shared purpose and camaraderie creates an environment where people are comfortable and excited to uplift one another.

A strong community fosters a sense of belonging, support, and a shared purpose. It’s basically your team’s superpower. Wield this power for good! 

Thanks to the increasingly digital landscape, remote work has surged since the early days of the pandemic. Projections suggest that by 2025, 22% of the workforce will operate remotely. 

Here’s looking at you, tech! 

Listen up– it’s time to talk about talking. 

Communication is a living, evolving entity. 

Even the dictionary can’t remain static. New words are being added to our global lexicon each year, and existing words receive additional or updated definitions as language and meanings evolve. 

This is an unprecedented employee demographic, and effective leaders must learn how to build and manage their multigenerational teams by understanding the key differences between each generation: their defining values, impactful current events, motivation, communication styles, and worldviews. 

Fostering trust within an organization is crucial for collaboration, innovation, overall success– and public opinion of the future, according to a new study. 

The annual 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer reports a grim reality: public trust in companies headquartered in the US is in an overall decline.  

Yet an interesting finding shows that the trust relationship between an employee and their boss is much more positive.  

Strap in. Leading a team is about to get really personal. 

Just as a knife can dull over time from repeated use, without the proper care and maintenance, your skills as a leader can also wear over time. Leadership is hard, daunting, sometimes thankless work. It’s filled with long days made up of long hours. 

Yet when done well, it can be some of the most fulfilling work of your life. 

In 1987, the country’s leading manufacturer of aluminum, aptly named the Aluminum Company of America, had a problem. Despite the company’s long history of excellence – making everything from the tin-foil wrappers on a Hershey’s kiss to parts for the Wright brother’s plane that first took flight at Kitty Hawk–  Alcoa was a mess. Several management fumbles had left a wake of angry employees; quality slipped and profits dipped.

One might argue that there isn’t a more thrilling adventure to embark on than that of a leadership journey. Learning to step into your own power, find growth opportunities, and develop a new sense of self-worth are all incredible aspects of the path to being an efficient leader. However, two key elements oftentimes get overlooked - they are the importance of self-investment and the ability to seek out champions beyond your inner circle. Today, we will explore the transformative impact of investing in yourself, the art of asking for what you need to be successful, and the value of connecting with a mentor.  

In the rapidly evolving world of leadership, the ability to cultivate a positive outlook in the workplace is more than just nice; it’s the secret sauce to propelling your business forward toward success. Here at Leadership Delta, our team firmly believes that embracing positivity plays a pivotal role in nurturing meaningful connections and reaching long-term goals. In this article, we will explore ways to infuse positivity into your leadership style.

Ringing in the New Year always brings in a surge of optimism and opportunity to begin anew. A fresh start is what most people expect, and that can blend into leadership as well. It’s no secret that January marks the beginning of a whole new journey where we all hit the metaphorical reset button which sets the tone for the next 12 months.

As we celebrate another year of empowering leaders within their organizations, let’s dive deep into a transformative approach that is synonymous with success - The Delta Method. In a world where hope alone cannot drive progress, The Delta Method is a strategic, practical approach to cultivating change and progress.

If there’s one thing you can always count on in the workplace, it’s conflict. People disagree every day, and it’s up to you as the leader of your company to be able to navigate these conflicts efficiently. Having courageous conversations and working with difficult people may seem daunting at first. But here’s the good news - the more you practice, the better you’ll get at it. Before you know it, you’ll be able to turn any conflict into an opportunity for growth. Without any further ado, here are 7 helpful steps to conflict management at work.

Contrary to popular belief, leadership isn’t just about authority and control; it’s also about trust and empowerment. One of the most essential parts of being a strong leader is understanding permission - both giving it and getting it. 

When it comes to budgeting for leadership development, the innate value of cultivating and retaining talent cannot be overstated. Many companies invest substantial resources - including time, energy, and money - into their leaders and employees, but what happens when these assets walk out the door?

When the term gaslighting is brought up, it is typically within the confines of personal relationships. However, gaslighting can happen in the workplace as well. This psychological manipulation tactic can undermine trust, distort reality, and erode the very foundation of effective leadership. Equipping yourself with the tools to recognize and combat gaslighting is the first step to cultivating a healthy, authentic environment for yourself and your team members.  

Accountability has emerged as a crucial component of personal and professional success in today's fast-paced world. The concept of accountability goes beyond mere responsibility and encompasses the willingness to own up to our actions, both positive and negative. It involves holding ourselves and others to high standards, fostering growth, and creating an environment of trust and transparency. However, achieving this delicate balance between treating people well and holding them accountable can be challenging.

Teams are the backbone of any successful organization, but even the most talented groups can sometimes find themselves in turmoil. Whether it’s due to conflicts, low morale, or a lack of direction, a team in crisis needs support and guidance to regain its footing. Let’s explore three actionable steps to help you turn around a struggling team and transform them into a thriving powerhouse. 

In today's fast-paced work environment, appreciation and recognition are more important than ever. With the rise of remote work and the need for constant adaptation, it's easy for employees to feel disconnected and unappreciated. In fact, a survey by the Society for Human Resource Management found that recognition is the third most important factor in job satisfaction, after job security and respect.

As a leader, it's important to prioritize tasks and activities that have the greatest impact on your employees, teams, and organizations while minimizing the effort required. Here's a quick exercise you can use to help you identify your impact versus effort priorities and TOGETHER align with your teams to ensure you're all on similar pages.

A Q1 review is arguably one of the highest leverage meetings you’ll have with your team (and yourself!) all year; the actions taken afterward will significantly impact your team’s trajectory for the rest of 2023. Before moving on to the new and exciting challenges that await in Q2, it is vital to take stock of where you’ve been, what you’ve accomplished, and what you may need to adjust. Here are five questions to help you and your team stay on track and adapt confidently.

You've just been promoted - congratulations! Your dedication and hard work are paying off. Before you do anything else, take a moment to celebrate your success! Soon enough, you will have a new set of expectations and responsibilities. Adjusting to a new role following a promotion tends to overwhelm even the most prepared professional, often leading to several common mistakes that can delay or even halt further growth and development.

Healthy organizations are consistently evolving. Especially in today’s fast-paced business landscape, workplaces need leadership that can adapt and thrive no matter what their respective industries endure. As such, there is a constant need for new leaders in all sectors with the skills to lead, manage, innovate, execute strategy and keep up no matter the changes in the business world at large. However, great new leaders don't grow on trees; part of an organization's responsibility is to help individual contributors transition to leaders.

It's often said that the definition of leadership is the ability to transmute a vision of the future into a reality. In today's changing workplace, visionary leadership will be the key to keeping up and thriving because it tells the story of why the culture is changing and how your organization can embrace the change.

The holiday season is typically welcomed with an air of joy and festivity each year. However, amid all the fun of time with friends and family, self-care sometimes sinks lower on the daily to-dos around this time of year. For busy leaders like yourself, it is essential to prioritize self-care during the holidays; doing so helps you experience all the festivities in and out of the office as your best self.

Regardless of the industry or workplace, we live in a fast-moving, overstimulated world where success is tied to achievements. We have deadlines and milestones to meet, team members to guide, managers to answer to, and that's just at work. At home and in our personal lives, we deal with countless other concerns that keep us moving intensely.

In 2020, workplaces all over the world underwent a seismic shift as organizations shifted first to remote operations and then to the uncharted territory of hybrid work models. As we slowly but surely return to some sense of normalcy, it becomes more vital than ever for your workplace to have a well-defined strategy. Without it, your organization may struggle to meet the demand of your workforce and endanger growth, profitability, and even survival.

What is “peer coaching”? It’s usually defined as “a form of learning involving two or more colleagues working together to review current practices, teach one another, and develop, refine, and build new skills.” However, it is much more than that; when implemented and executed with intention, peer coaching has the potential to fast-track your growth and development.