Leading Matters #47 Christine Comaford

Christine Comford is the Author of the book Smart Tribes. She has worked with two Whitehouse, been praised by Bill Gates, and Bill Clinton has built and sold five businesses, and currently helps her clients tap into leadership skills that help emotionally engage both the marketplace and the workforce.

This is an absolute MUST LISTEN episode. Christine Comaford knows her subject matter, and knows how to not only make it accessible but will give you very practical tips on putting her knowledge into action. You will come away with so many actionable ideas when this 30 minutes is up that you will want to thank me for reaching out to Christine to be on the show. Here are the highlights

THE SMART TRIBE
Christine’s latest book offers leaders an emotional intelligence playbook, taking the theory of EI and offering practical steps and how-tos that allow a leader to tap into the value of improving their own emotional intelligence.

STORY MATTERS DENY IT AT YOUR OWN RISK
There is a physiological reality to how our brains work and emotions are at the center. Story helps us tap into that physical reality of who we are as human beings.

MARKETING WINS WHEN IT COMMUNICATES THROUGH STORY
If we choose to communicate and sell through story, we will win not just customers but fans and evangelists. Seek to understand the dent that your product or service is making in the world and tell that story to your marketplace.

MLK HAD A DREAM NOT JUST A GOOD SUGGESTION
Think about that for a minute. A dream. Not a suggestion, not an idea, not a recommendation, a big broad sweeping emotionally charged positive dream.

WE MUST GET COMFORTABLE WITH REAL FEEDBACK.
Too often the employee feedback cycle is ‘Hey you are awesome, but maybe you could be more awesome at this thing over here.” That does not work, but what does work is a solid list of what is working and what is not working. Moreover, being comfortable in the conflict that the latter might introduce.

DIGITAL SOCIAL MEDIA ROBS US OF MORE THAN HALF OUR COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Body, posture, and gesture have much to do with how we communicate. Digital and social media communications rob us of these facets. Could be an incentive to adopt communication that helps include them. Video anyone?

FEAR PUSHES VISION PULLS
Our brains are wired to keep us not dead, so fear is a big motivator and therefore easier for us to tap into. However, big sweeping ideas and change demands we think well beyond fear. So while vision might be more difficult, it has greater dividends.

STOP BITCHING AND START FIXING
Christine and I spoke one week after the presidential election of 2016, and there was much wringing of hands across social media at that moment. She had a unique take on the worry. Choose to focus not on what you do not like, but what you would like. From there take the natural steps to turn in the desired to be state into action. Afford those that might not see it your way the ability to do the same. Easy? No. Valuable? Yes

SHOW NOTES
Why Performance Management is Dead and Performance Motivation Is Here to Stay
America We Need to Talk – Art Papas