Leadership Institute at Columbus State University

Barriers to Being Authentic at Work When I first began hearing the increasing trend of promoting authenticity at work, I was on the fence. I would not bring my weekend self to work. Meaning the sweatpants and hair-tied look would not be appropriate when working with clients. I used to think bringing your authentic self to work meant rolling in to work with the hot mess baggage we often leave at the elevator doors. Based on the research and thinking about bringing my true self to the workplace, I have a better appreciation and understanding of authenticity at work. A survey administered by Simmons University Institute for Inclusive Leadership of more than 6,000 professionals, found that 93% agree “being authentic at work is important.” But why? Authenticity leads to job satisfaction at work. Survey respondents feel more confident at work, are more engaged, happier, more inspired, and feel better about themselves and the company (Simmons University Institute for Inclusive Leadershi...

  Self-Advocacy at Work After landing your first career job, did you ever think: I will stay in this position forever. If you saw yourself advancing beyond your first role but now seem to have hit a roadblock, keep reading. Traditionally, in the workplace, we feel networking or job shadowing is the key to advancing one’s career. Is this still true today? Our friends on social media think the opposite. When it comes to advancing your career 50% of respondents selected “being good at what you do”. Some may be thinking if it was that easy, I would’ve been promoted or would have received robust job offers by now. But advancing your career doesn’t stop at just being good at your job, you must learn to advocate for yourself. What does it take to be an advocate for yourself at work? Gain clarity To advocate for yourself, you must first have a clear understanding of what you want. Ask yourself what are my strengths? Creating a list of things you’re good at can help you nail down ...

  5 Ways to Display Dependability Merriam-Webster defines dependability, worthiness as the recipient of another's trust or confidence. Dependability is important to building trust amongst direct reports and being valued as a reliable leader. So how can you prove your dependability to others? Here are 5 ways to display dependability: 1.  Don’t offer excuses and or blame others A person will be a true leader when they accept responsibility. Avoiding responsibility and blaming others for their shortcomings will result in losing credibility. Even when someone has made a mistake, standing up on behalf of that person will motivate and inspire them to work more efficiently because they feel supported. 2.  Stick to your commitments and know that others depend on you For a commitment made, make sure you take care of it. A commitment is considered a promise made, and when it is not visible in action the trust will be broken. Employees will depend on you and expect honest fe...

Bring the Joy Back A lot of us have experienced being distracted, overwhelmed, or lost of traction on tasks. This has become known as pandemic brain. Social and behavioral scientist and assistant professor for the College of Public Health at Temple University Jeni Stolow says this is a “cognitive impairment that the whole world has been going through because it’s triggered by things like stress.” For the past 24-48 months, in addition to feeling this way at home, this emotion has spilled over into the work-life for many. I am coining this the work fog. Across different regions, professions, and roles in the organization, workers must find joy at work again. Dr. Rebecca Newton, a psychologist who studies how professionals thrive in organizations has observed the following as reasons why that spark of joy at work is absent: 1.)    Burn out from two years of loss and grief. 2.)    Feeling inauthentic because you still have jobs to get done. 3.)    ...

  After the Holidays: Transition Back to Work Last night you peeked at your work email only to become quickly overwhelmed, you snoozed the alarm three times, you contemplated taking a “sick day”. These are just some of the things you may experience this morning as you return to work after a long holiday break. If you’re looking for a better way to get back into the swing of things this new year, these tips are for you. Face reality your inbox is full Before returning to work, face the fact that you will have a lot to catch up on since closing for a week or so. To reduce the immediate pressure to respond to everyone the first few days back, avoid scheduling meetings or calls in the first week. Schedule time on your calendar to work through your inbox. Or set an automatic reply for the first few days back: “I am currently working through my inbox since being out of the office for 2 weeks. Please give me grace as I work through my emails. All emails will be responded to by M...

  How Employers Can Create Purpose at Work In today’s workplace, workers are in search for more and that’s usually more purpose. Based on a 2018 report published in Harvard Business Review, employees with very meaningful work spend one additional hour per week working and take fewer days of paid leave each year. Generating an estimate of an additional $9,078 per worker per year . Besides generating more income for the organization why else should employers create a meaningful work environment? When employees have a chance to reflect on their own sense of purpose, and how it connects to the company’s purpose, good things happen. Psychologist Martin Seligman says, “meaning comes from belonging to and serving something beyond yourself and from developing the best within you.” We can conclude being fulfilled at work provides people with a greater sense of responsibility and them taking pride in basic job functions. Encouraging them to go beyond and being inspired to do so because they ...

  3 Underrated Tools of Leadership The qualities that one must possess to be a leader are often discussed but some skills that one must possess to be a great leader are missed. Here are three tools that are crucial but are often disregarded.  Showing appreciation develops loyalty to the organization Most  leaders do not recognize their team and their contributions enough. Did you know recognition is what motivates employees to bring their best self to work? Recognition builds resilience, improves work commitment, and increases behavior that reinforces organizational values. A leader must also recognize their peers, send thank you and encouraging messages or surprise them with rewards to acknowledge their contribution to the leadership at the company. Advancing listening skills play a vital role in leadership  Listening is necessary, but  remember that active listening is key. Active listening is a method of listening and responding to the others in a way th...