Owning Your Brilliance: How Leaders From Diverse
Backgrounds Can Succeed
Angela R. Logan
PhD Candidate, Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
Associate Director for Planning and Development,
Nonprofit Professional Development
Mendoza College of Business
January 14, 2014
Topics to be Addressed
• Tips and Strategies to:
• Promote the Successful Integration of the Private
World and the Public Sphere
• Increase Effective Communication
• Promote Adequate Stress Management
• Increase Networking Skills
• Other Tips and Strategies to Promote “Owning Your
Brilliance”
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SELF-AWARENESS
EXERCISE:
IDENTITY CIRCLES
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Private World Meets Public Sphere
Demographics
• Four generations in the workplace
(Silent, Boomers, Gen X, Millenials)
• Racial and ethnic demographics
• Gender imbalance in nonprofit
sector
• Diversity vs. Inclusion
• “Melting Pot vs. Salad Bowl”
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Private World Meets Public Sphere
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Artifacts of Our Private World include:
• Communication and Language
• Food
• Relationships: Family and Friends
• Values and Norms
• Beliefs and Attitudes
• Learning Styles
• Habits and Practices
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Private World Meets Public Sphere
• Leaders who are self-aware understand
how they were socialized and what
influences made them who they are.
• Family influences
• Personal experiences
• Educational experiences
• Peer influences
• Media influences
• Critical incidents
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Private World Meets Public Sphere
• http://youtu.be/O7fXfCZ4sB4
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Items in an Inclusive Leader’s Toolbox
Critical in the Public Sphere
Self- awareness skills
Listening
Empathy
Nonverbal communication
Understanding different
communication styles
Effective communication skills
Leadership skills
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CULTURAL IDENTITY
EXERCISE
9
EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION
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Effective Communication
• What Works and Why?
• Option #1:
http://youtu.be/IPIvwu-573Y
• Option #2:
http://youtu.be/d6wRkzCW5qI
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Effective Communication
•
Communication in General
• It is difficult to communicate TOO
MUCH information
• Clarity is more important than
quantity
• “Less-is-more” is important for
vision/mission/value statements
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Effective Communication
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Oral Communication: Informal
• Don’t just talk to friends and
supporters: consult your critics,
competitors, and consumers
• In large organizations, talk to people
in other regions and field offices
REGULARLY
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Effective Communication
•
Oral Communication: Formal
• When talking in groups, use:
• Memorable idea, prop, or story to
emphasize your major points
• Expressions of interest or passion for
the topic
• A simple but clear structure
• One or more practice sessions to
rehearse
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Effective Communication
• Written Messages
• Never say anything in an email, FB
post, or Tweet you wouldn’t want
your grandmother, spiritual leader,
mentor, or supervisor to read
• Think before you hit “Send”
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Effective Communication
• Written Messages, cont.
• When possible, give drafts of important
documents to others to proof and critique
• Re-read your draft after several hours
have gone by. If it is very important, read
it the next day
• Read it once for grammar and once for
meaning
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Effective Communication
•
Listening
• There is no substitute for taking a
genuine interest in what others have to
say
• When possible, paraphrase/parrot to
ensure accurate understanding: “So what
you are saying is…”
• Try to build off of others’ ideas
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Effective Communication
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Nonverbal Messages
• Remember that alertness and attention to
tasks often say more than words
• “It’s Written All Over Your Face…you
don’t have to say a word!”
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Stress Management/Self-Care
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Three Most Common Ways to Deal
with Stress:
• Foot on the gas
• Foot on the brake
• Foot on both gas and brake
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Stress Management/Self-Care
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“One of the first things most of us do
when children (or adults) are
overwhelmed with inner turbulence is:
we instinctively try to calm them down
into a state of ease before starting to
sort out solutions.”
• Doc Childre, founder of HeartMath
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Benefits of “The Inner Ease Space”
• Creates “flow” by helping to regulate
the balance and cooperation between
our heart, mind, and emotions
• Helps attune our mental and emotional
nature to the most reasonable and
effective way to respond
• Challenging, Normal, Creative
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Benefits of “The Inner Ease Space”
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Prevents and eliminates personal
stress and facilitates quicker recovery
to unexpected stressors
Effective during prep before engaging
in potentially stressful situations
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Benefits of “The Inner Ease Space”
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Shifting to the inner-ease space at the
onset helps prevent stressful scenarios
Easier to include the heart’s
intelligence to situations
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INNER EASE EXERCISE
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Other Stress Management Strategies
• GPS4Soul
• Communicate/interact
with others
• Re-open the heart
feeling
• Practice gratitude
• Decrease drama
• Manage your reactions
• Prayer or meditation
• Heart-focused
breathing
• Sleep
• Exercise
• Reduce comparing the
present to the past
• Reduce fear
• Engage with your
family/close friends
• Don’t blame yourself
• Write a letter from your
heart to yourself
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Networks: How Deep Is Your Bench?
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Look for occasions to make linkages
and to stay in touch with outside
contacts
Provide assistance for others
Choose strategic alliances for joint
collaborations
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NETWORK CHECK-UP:
EXERCISE
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Other Leadership Tips and Strategies
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http://youtu.be/guA_4AzXqh0
Flaunt your honesty.
Focus on your people.
Develop a personal mission.
Correct negative habits and behaviors.
Invest in training.
Retain high performers.
HAVE FUN!
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Summary
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Integrating one’s private world into
one’s public sphere can make an
organization stronger
Effective communication is key to
successful leadership
Stress management is vital to a
leader’s survival
Networking makes leading easier
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Resources
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Avolio, B. and Yammarino, F. (2012). Transformational and Charismatic Leadership: The Road Ahead.
Emerald Group Publishing.
Campus Outreach Opportunity League (2000). Civic Engagement Curriculum.
Childre, D. (2008). “De-Stress Kit for the Changing Times.” Boulder Creek, CO: Institute of Heart Math.
Childre, D. (2010). “The State of Ease.” Boulder Creek, CO: Institute of Heart Math.
Covey, S. (2004). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. New York: Free Press.
Davis-Laack, P. (2012). “7 Things Successful Leaders Do Differently,” Psychology Today, retrieved
October 1, 2013, http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/pressure-proof/201206/7-things-successfulleaders-do-differently
Goleman, D. (2004). “What Makes a Leader?”, Harvard Business Review On Point, January 2004.
Kouzes, J. and Posner, B. (2012). The Leadership Challenge: 5th Edition. Josey-Bass.
Segal J. and Smith, M. (2013) “Conflict Resolution Skills,” HelpGuide.org, retrieved October 16, 2013,
http://helpguide.org/mental/eq8_conflict_resolution.htm
Sonnenschein, W. (1997). Practical Executive and Workforce Diversity. Lincolnwood, Illinois: NTC
Business Books.
Van Wart, M. (2005). Dynamics of Leadership in Public Service: Theory and Practice. Armonk, New
York: M.E. Sharp.
Wolf, J. (2013). “Leadership in Crisis: Take 8 Steps to Avoid Pitfalls,” Wolf in the Workplace, retrieved
October 16, 2013, http://www.wolfmotivation.com/articles/leadership-in-crisis-take-8-steps-to-avoidpitfalls
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