Gene Hammett is an executive coach, speaker, and author with over a decade of experience and has worked with more Inc. 5000 companies than any other leadership development company.

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Core Elevation – Check and get the Tough Conversations Framework.

3 Value Bombs

1) Identifying weaknesses and cultivating self-awareness is crucial for leaders to address them effectively as they progress.

2) Effective leadership is more crucial than ever in turbulent times, presenting significant challenges for most individuals.

3) Take charge of your growth plans.

Show Notes

**Click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode.

Today’s Audio MASTERCLASS: How to Be a More Effective Leader with Gene Hammett

[1:15] – Gene shares something he believes about becoming successful that most people disagree with.

He believes identifying weaknesses and cultivating self-awareness is crucial for leaders to address them effectively as they progress.

[1:53] – Why do you believe that leadership matters now more than ever?

We are all facing economic challenges due to global issues and inflation.
Gene’s clients face increased pressure to expand, recruit suitable talent, and maintain momentum, necessitating improved leadership skills.
Effective leadership is more crucial than ever in turbulent times, presenting significant challenges for most individuals.

[2:39] – What seems to get in the way of effective leadership?

A significant factor contributing to this issue is ego. However, it is crucial to have self-awareness. Often, people neglect to take the time to introspect and identify areas where they need to improve.
Gene conducts 360-degree feedback sessions with CEOs involving employee input. A common feedback point was their consistent lateness. When raised, one CEO initially responded with “I’m busy,” but later became self-aware and committed to punctuality. This positively impacted the company, showing the impact of self-awareness on leadership.
This example highlights the importance of identifying and working on personal weaknesses to achieve professional growth.

[4:20] – What does ineffective leadership can cost you as an entrepreneur?

For over a decade, Gene has worked as an executive coach. Measuring leadership effectiveness has proven to be a challenging task for him.
There are seven essential aspects of a company that must be evaluated for effective collaboration and growth, called the Seven Dials.

1. Vision – outlines a three-year perspective of the company’s future and market landscape.
2. Values – assess how well the organization embodies its stated values. This aspect is drawn from interviews with over 600 CEOs who stressed the importance of values in companies.
3. Communication- is recognized as a cornerstone of effective collaboration.
4. Accountability involves evaluating the quality of work and adherence to deadlines. This is an area where many people struggle with.
5. Empowerment – focuses on employees’ decision-making abilities and support.
6. Adaptation – measures the ability to keep up with change.
7. EQ – assesses leaders’ emotional management skills under pressure.

These seven dials provide insight into leadership across an organization.
Companies can take several steps to assess the effectiveness of leadership fully.
- You can evaluate the salaries of your top 10 employees, average them out, and then assess their performance in each of the seven key areas.
- This analysis helps determine how much suboptimal leadership can cost a company.
- The ultimate goal is to achieve 90% effectiveness in leadership, but many companies find themselves at only 60%, highlighting the significant impact of poor leadership.

[7:08] – Gene selected one of the initial four dials and delved deeply into its details.

When interacting with clients or potential clients, they regularly evaluate certain aspects of their communication. They often identify communication as an area that requires improvement, but luckily, it is one of the more attainable aspects to enhance. Despite the common belief that adults are naturally skilled at communication, they break it down into essential components, such as active listening and maintaining focus during meetings.
As part of their leadership development programs for emerging managers, they are coached on communicating to minimize misinterpretation and assess whether effective mechanisms are in place to ensure message clarity and understanding.
Leadership often requires difficult conversations, which many avoid due to discomfort, conflict avoidance tendencies, or a desire for approval. Ignoring these conversations usually makes things worse. That is why they are writing a book on this topic, titled “How to Navigate Tough Conversations,” aimed at helping leaders understand their significance and learn effective strategies for engaging in them.

[8:50]- A timeout to thank our sponsors!

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[12:19] – Gene picks one of the last three dials and discusses details.

Empowerment is a complex concept that can be challenging to implement in a workplace due to employee skill level differences.
For businesses to succeed, it is crucial to nurture the growth of their employees, not just to complete tasks.
To achieve this, leaders must empower their team members earlier and to a greater extent while providing adequate support.
This approach aligns with the concept of accountability, which is essential for fostering a workplace growth and development culture.
Leaders should engage in meaningful conversations with their employees, creating a positive work environment and making employees feel valued.
It is essential to have a culture where the best ideas are recognized and appreciated, no matter who they come from. When empowerment is effectively implemented, leaders can trust a significant portion of their workforce to contribute to achieving shared goals.
Empowered employees are not just task performers but also embrace challenges, learn from them, and offer valuable insights leading to continuous improvement across the organization.

[14:21] – Gene shares about Tough Conversations, an essential part of leadership.

Gene believes that some listeners might be avoiding a challenging conversation, such as dealing with an employee who has a poor attitude and is not aligned with the company’s values or who is struggling to maintain quality.
In moments when you recognize you are avoiding something, Gene hopes that you will consider reaching out and exploring the resources they have developed to help you improve in this area.
It is crucial to view tough conversations as a skill to develop and actively work on rather than allowing issues to linger unresolved.

[16:01] – How do you improve as a leader and scale your companies to the next level?

Gene, an engineer turned executive coach specializing in leadership development, values measuring leadership effectiveness similarly to how businesses track key performance metrics.
Leadership is critical to any organization but often not measured. There are tools available to address this gap, but it is crucial first to identify and acknowledge our weaknesses. This requires you to honestly recognize and articulate your fears and shortcomings rather than vague concerns.
By documenting these weaknesses, you can work on them over time. Whether refining podcasting skills or scaling a company to the next level, intentional improvement is critical.
Gene strongly believes that leadership involves continuous self-awareness and intentional growth, which requires consistent effort. It is a process that demands humility but yields significant rewards in the long run.

[17:43] – Gene gives his takeaway.

Take charge of your growth plans. Simply scaling revenue and operations won’t shape your ideal company. Assess and measure leadership regularly. Whether you are on your first or fifth venture, prioritizing leadership is vital to building the right team and culture.

[18:39] – Gene gives his call to action.

Core Elevation – Check and get the Tough Conversations Framework.

[18:40] – Thank you to our Sponsor!

HubSpot: With the HubSpot for Startups program, you can save 30-90% on a platform that scales right along with you! To see if you’re eligible to join the HubSpot for Startups program and take your growth to the next level, visit HubSpot.com/startups!

Killer Resources!

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2) Free Podcast Course: Learn from JLD how to create and launch your podcast!

3) Podcasters’ Paradise: The #1 podcasting community in the world!

How to Be a More Effective Leader with Gene Hammett

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