Are You a Rebel Leader Creating Positive Change, Or Just Being Annoying? Part 2

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“Being a rebel leader requires taking focused actions that actually make a positive difference.” Jeannette Seibly

Last week, we discussed the fine line between effective rebel leadership as a boss and leader, and being annoying when advocating for change. Through examples, we explored how rebel leadership can drive impactful transformation when approached thoughtfully, and contrasted it with behaviors that might unintentionally alienate or frustrate others in companies. We also examined the core principles that define true rebel leadership. Here’s the URL for last week’s article.

Unleash Your Inner Rebel for Positive Results

As a boss and leader, here’s the blueprint for navigating and implementing change effectively, designed to align with your structured, data-driven mindset and passion for impactful leadership communication:

1. Clarity: Articulate the change with a compelling “why” that evokes both emotional and rational connections.

2. Conversation: Transform dialogue into collaborative exploration, not persuasion. Start by openly acknowledging differing viewpoints to build trust.

3. Listen: Encourage creative conversations that generate input and buy-in. Use active listening techniques—paraphrase and validate to deepen collaboration. Remember: Emotional attachment to your idea can hinder its success.

4. Brainstorm: Explore possibilities through lateral thinking—ask bold open-ended questions like “What if?” and “How else?” Fold in your team’s ideas without losing sight of the intended outcome’s value.

5. Alignment: Strive for outcomes that benefit all stakeholders. Showcase clear examples of shared goals and steer away from consensus-seeking; not everyone readily embraces change, even when it’s in their best interest.

6. Plan: Create digestible visual aids such as flowcharts or timelines to outline the essentials: “what,” “who,” “when,” “where,” and “why.” Save the “how” for later stages.

7. Due Diligence: Assess feasibility through a checklist that includes ethical, logistical, operational, human, and financial dimensions. For instance: Ensure the scientific and legal viability of job-fit assessments that you wish to use.

8. Goals and Actions: Craft concise, inspiring goals (10 words or fewer) paired with actionable plans. Now, you’re ready to include the “how.” Example: “Transition the 10-member team to agile practices by June 30, 2025.”

9. Presentation: Make it compelling by narrating relatable stories to highlight the change’s significance, supported with objective evidence.

10. Address Concerns: Remember, when pitching your idea, have factual data on hand to dispel fears, and acknowledge emotional resistance empathetically. Remember, there will always be skepticism about any change. Again (this cannot be emphasized enough), don’t discount their concerns — address them with respect and to maintain credibility and influence.

11. Parallel Systems: Establish protocols for testing new processes alongside existing ones. This ensures business continuity even if issues arise.

12. Address Snafus: Highlight challenges by drawing on past examples of overcoming difficulties. Don’t ignore or talk over them – issues will happen! Engage directly with problem solvers to manage hiccups effectively.

13. Acknowledgment and Appreciation: Celebrate contributions publicly or through personalized “brags” design to acknowledge each and every team member. Use moments of gratitude to amplify morale and showcase leadership savvy

©Jeannette Seibly 2025 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly, an award-winning Talent Advisor, Leadership Results Coach, and Business Author, boasts over 32 years of hands-on experience. Working with small and family businesses, her expertise helps leaders and bosses refine their hiring, coaching, and management practices and achieve their intended results. Along the journey, she has guided the creation of three millionaires and numerous six-figure earners, all while championing those ready to elevate their game to new heights.

Are You a Rebel Leader Creating Positive Change, Or Just Being Annoying?

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“Being a rebel requires taking focused actions that actually make a positive difference.” Jeannette Seibly

At the heart of many entrepreneurial bosses and leaders lies a rebellious spirit. It’s one of the reasons they are promoted and, paradoxically, why they can be sidelined or fired when their rebelliousness becomes more annoying than productive.

There’s nothing wrong with creating new ideas and opportunities. However, continuing to complain or make snide comments about outdated policies or ineffective systems won’t lead to positive change; it’s just annoying.

Example of Just Being Annoying:

I often walk around the golf course where I live. They have a concrete pathway for walkers that also serves as a cart path. However, in the back, on the cart path, there is a new sign that states, “Don’t Walk Past the Yellow Line.” While I understand the importance (Hint: Fore!), my inner rebel steps over the yellow line with both feet to show that I can. (No, I don’t walk any further.) It’s a small act of rebellion since I used to be able to walk to the back of the course.

The only result? It’s annoying to my neighbor who walks with me. It does not make a positive difference.

Example of Effective Rebel Leadership:

When I started my career, my employer didn’t have an education reimbursement program. So, I created one with their help and support. I did the research, talked with people, and presented the facts. Upper management approved. Yes, there were a couple of snafus (to be expected) during implementation. But overall, it was well-received (even by the naysayers). As a result, many employees (and bosses) received their degrees, and I was reimbursed for my Master’s Degree.

This is an example of being a rebel guiding the creation for positive change.

What is Rebel Leadership?

Rebel leadership refers to a style that challenges conventional norms and practices. Rebel leaders often think outside the box, embrace change, and encourage innovation within their organizations. They are characterized by their boldness, creativity, and willingness to take risks.

Key Aspects of Rebel Leadership:

  • Visionary Thinking: Rebel leaders can envision new possibilities and inspire others to see and pursue them.
  • Courage: They are not afraid to question the status quo and make unconventional suggestions and decisions. Then, have the willingness to follow-through to execute the idea or plan.
  • Resilience: Rebel leaders are adaptable and can bounce back from setbacks, learning and growing from their experiences.
  • Empathy: Despite their rebellious nature, they value diverse perspectives and strive to create an inclusive environment.
  • Innovation: They foster a culture of creativity and encourage their teams to experiment and explore new ideas.

Rebel leaders play a crucial role in driving progress, disrupting the norm, and transforming organizations and industries. Their approach (along with guidance from their executive coach) can lead to significant breakthroughs, positive changes, and great results when handled correctly. Alternatively, they can be annoying if they fail to walk the talk and simply complain or use passive-aggressive approaches.

How do you unleash your inner rebel for positive results? Next week, we’ll do an in-depth blueprint of being a rebel for positive change.

©Jeannette Seibly 2025 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly, an award-winning Talent Advisor, Leadership Results Coach, and Business Author, boasts over 32 years of hands-on experience. Working with small and family businesses, her expertise helps leaders and bosses refine their hiring, coaching, and management practices and achieve their intended results. Along the journey, she has guided the creation of three millionaires and numerous six-figure earners, all while championing those ready to elevate their game to new heights.

Key Factors to Hire for Job Fit and Avoid Costly Loss of People

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“Job fit is crucial when hiring and promoting people to achieve intended business results.” Jeannette Seibly

Did you know: “Employee engagement in the U.S. fell to its lowest level in a decade in 2024, with only 31% of employees engaged?” (Gallup)

I would assert that many employers are unclear about what job fit is and what it is not. Employees who excel in jobs that fit their thinking style, core behaviors, and occupational interests stay longer and are more engaged.

If you are frustrated and annoyed with hiring great people into the wrong job, this article is for you.

Today, many qualified people are looking for work because they are retiring, being fired, being laid off, or looking for something better. Although there are a lot of great job candidates available – buyer beware – it doesn’t mean they will fit well into the job responsibilities of your company. Outdated hiring practices that rely on intuitive hiring, biases, and inappropriate pre-employment assessments will cause you to lose key customers and top talent while hurting profitability.

“Too often, we hire based on subjective reasons but fire for poor job fit.” Jeannette Seibly

What Are a Few Signs of Poor Job Fit?

• Work assignments are late, with a lot of excuses
• Promises are made without achieving the intended results
• Frequent mistakes occur, and the employee misreads what needs to be done
• Conflicts with team members, customers, and bosses
• Failure to listen, incorporate others’ ideas, and develop win-win-win outcomes
• Lack of business growth (sales) or overrun of expenses
• Constant change in direction – they are easily distracted by “shiny objects” or “crystal ball” syndromes

Why Does Poor Job Fit Happen?

• No real objective data collected (e.g., resumes are more than 80 percent inaccurate).
• Rely on intuitive hiring practices that reflect biases (e.g., the job interviews account for 90 percent of the hiring decision).
• Unwilling to improve the selection process, citing costs for improvement and ignoring costs for hiring mistakes.
• Failure to conduct thorough due diligence (e.g., relying on false data, such as name of employer, education).
• Use inappropriate assessments to determine job fit (e.g., overlook validity, reliability, predictive validity, and distortion factors)
• Believe any known limitations can be overcome with training and development. (Forgetting that no one works that hard to be someone they are not. This is a trap that almost every hiring boss/leader falls into!)

What Is Job Fit?

Job fit refers to the alignment between an individual’s skills, experience, values, and personality with the requirements, culture, and expectations of a specific job and organization. It encompasses several key aspects:

1. Skills and Experience Fit: How well an individual’s abilities and past work experience match the tasks and responsibilities of the role. While these required skills and experience may sound good on paper, the job candidate may not be able to use the skills effectively. It’s why valid job-fit assessments are required. When using highly validated and reliable assessments, you gain insight into the real person and their core behavior, occupational interests, and thinking styles.

2. Cultural Fit: The degree to which an individual’s values, behaviors, and working style align with the company’s culture and work environment. A startup or new business venture is very different from working in a well-established company. In a company that requires thinking outside the box, some job candidates may believe they can … but are unable to design and develop sustainable systems or results.

3. Motivation and Interest: The extent to which an individual’s career goals and personal interests are aligned with the job’s duties and opportunities for growth. With changes in people’s work ethic, their career or life aspirations may misalign with the company’s needs and goals. It’s critical to have very clear expectations: PTO, work-life balance, accountability for following up and following through, etc.

4. Team Fit: How well an individual works with existing team members and contributes to team dynamics and cohesion. Are they someone who can work well with others, be coachable, and keep their ego out of the way?

When job fit is strong, employees are satisfied, business excels, and customers keep coming back.

Strategies to Improve Job Fit

• Create a sustainable strategic job fit selection process.
• Get real about what you need and the type of person who can fulfill the desired results.
• Work with a talent advisor/hiring consultant to train managers on interviewing, due diligence, and using the proper job fit assessment. (Each should account for 1/3 of the selection decision.)
• Remember, many savvy job candidates will tell you what you want to hear, and hiring bosses have a low probability of discerning the truth. It’s why objective data is required.

To recap: Using a qualified job fit assessment that meets the validity and reliability requirements outlined by the Department of Labor, conducting proper due diligence, and structuring interview processes to affirm your intuition/gut will provide clarity and are crucial to improving employee engagement, customer retention, and improving the bottom line.

©Jeannette Seibly 2025 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly, an award-winning Talent Advisor, Leadership Results Coach, and Business Author, boasts over 32 years of hands-on experience. Working with small and family businesses, her expertise guides leaders and bosses to refine their hiring, coaching, and management practices and achieve their intended results. Along the journey, she has guided the creation of three millionaires and numerous six-figure earners, all while championing those ready to elevate their game to new heights.

Grab her book, “Hire Amazing Employees” — it provides overlooked issues when designing and using a strategic job fit selection system.

What Do We Do When Our Insecurities Get in the Way of Our Leadership?

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“Allowing our flaws to be seen is a step towards self-confidence.” Jeannette Seibly

Ah, insecurities—they have a sneaky way of showing up, don’t they? But fear not!

All leaders and bosses have insecurities. Some are more obvious than others (e.g., fear of conflict, unwillingness to stretch outside your comfort zone). As a boss/leader, you cannot let insecurities get in the way of your success, the team’s success, and your clients’ successes.

How to Navigate Our Insecurities and Lead with Confidence

Acknowledge Your Insecurities

• Be honest with yourself.
• Recognize and name your insecurities (e.g., fear, sadness, anxiety).
• Accept them as a part of you without letting them define you.
• Practice kindness towards yourself.
• Share appropriately with your team (e.g., “Oops! I had a human moment.”).
• Offer an apology when misspeaking or failing to honor your word.

Seek Feedback

• Reach out to one or two trusted colleagues or mentors for honest feedback.
• Ask for and be open to constructive criticism to identify future growth areas.
• Take actions consistent with developing the skills.

Continuous Learning

• Engage in leadership training or workshops, especially if you fear doing so.
• Listen to videos to expand your knowledge.
• Engage in conversations where you are not confident.

Shift Mindset

• Embrace challenges as opportunities to grow.
• Use positive affirmations to reinforce your strengths and capabilities.

Build a Support System

• Seek mentors who inspire and guide you.
• Surround yourself with supportive and understanding peers.
• Hire an experienced executive coach to confidentially talk through your concerns.

Set Clear Goals

• Create and celebrate small wins to boost confidence.
• Develop a clear vision and align your actions toward it.
• Learn how to self-promote to win a job or other opportunities.
• Stop chasing bright shiny objects or relying on the crystal ball syndrome that sabotages your goal.

Practice Self-Reflection

• Reflect on your experiences, challenges, and growth through private journaling.
• Incorporate mindfulness practices to stay grounded. Also, take programs designed to deepen these experiences.
• Develop positive self-talk.

Lead by Example

• Show vulnerability to create a safe space for others experiencing similar insecurities.
• Be true to yourself and your leadership style.
• Develop clarity of your true strengths and weaknesses by taking a job fit assessment.

Seek Professional Help if Needed

• Professional guidance can offer positive insights without relying on trial and error.

Remember, everyone, even the most renowned leaders, has faced insecurities. It’s not about being flawless but about continuously growing and evolving. You’ve got this!

©Jeannette Seibly 2025 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly, an award-winning Talent Advisor, Leadership Results Coach, and Business Author, boasts over 32 years of hands-on experience. Working with small and family businesses, her expertise helps leaders and bosses refine their hiring, coaching, and management practices and achieve their intended results. Along the journey, she has guided the creation of three millionaires and numerous six-figure earners, all while championing those ready to elevate their game to new heights.

Selling Ideas is Required of Leaders

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“To be an influencer, you must be emotionally unattached to receiving credit.” Jeannette Seibly

As a leader, selling your ideas takes two things: 1) lots of practice and 2) the ability to have the right conversations. Emotional intelligence is also required to be able to read others’ reactions, incorporate their ideas, and be flexible without losing the intention of the idea.

What gets in your way?

• It’s all about you! AKA ego! While it may initially be your idea, the refusal to expand and contract the idea will hurt implementation and execution.

• Immovable. You’re emotionally attached to how it MUST look. The reality? Others will influence the idea’s success.

• Ignoring the Full Impact. You’ve not considered the impact it has on others, the situation, perception (e.g., co-workers, community, clients), cost, and time factors.

• It’s Not the Right Time. And … the reality may be (depending on your team, boss, and company) … it may never be the right time (especially if they don’t like your idea).

• You always have new ideas! People hate change and have tuned you out, especially constant change for the sake of change.

How to Sell Your Ideas and Be Heard

• Share ideas during meetings. Then, research the pros and cons IF there is interest.

• Create ideas during conversations. Be responsible for listening to their feedback and input.

• Share ideas after you’ve researched them. This includes the benefits and costs: objective facts, other’s insights, and company politics.

• Get real — objective facts are key. Look at actual costs, time, and impact on others. Then, include emotional factors.

• Incorporate others’ input. Be responsible for listening, asking open-ended questions, without diminishing the value or the intention of their input or your idea.

• Brag! Use your brags effectively. Selling yourself and your idea at the same time makes a positive difference. For example, when I worked at QRS as a Quality Manager, we talked about a similar idea, and here were the pros and cons. Remember, facts are important!

• Share the credit. Remember, it’s a team effort!

©Jeannette Seibly 2025 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly, an award-winning Talent Advisor, Leadership Results Coach, and Business Author, boasts over 32 years of hands-on experience. Her expertise helps leaders and bosses refine their hiring, coaching, and management practices and achieve their intended results. Along the journey, she has guided the creation of three millionaires and numerous six-figure earners, while championing those ready to elevate their game to new heights.

Results Aren’t Hard to Achieve When You Set Them as Big Goals

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“We need to change our mindset about how we go about achieving our goals!” Jeannette Seibly

Achieving results can be straightforward when you set them as achievable goals! Often, the problem is we play it safe and stick to results we know we can win instead of expanding our mindset and skill set. Setting small comfortable goals (aka tasks) often leads to distractions, boredom, and blaming external factors.

Getting outside your comfort zone with bigger goals can make a positive and impactful difference. (Remember, a goal is not a task … it’s intended to make you stretch yourself.)

Tips to Achieve Intended Results

1. Complete the “Get Your Brag On!” and learn how to sell yourself and win in five easy steps. These exercises create the positive mindset to expand or create your “winning game.”

2. Ask yourself, what do you really, really, really want to achieve? Write it down, cross it out, and ask again without any “yeah, buts!” This helps uncover your true (underneath the surface) goals.

3. Repeat the question above. Doing so helps bypass initial beliefs about what you should want to achieve, and goes beneath the surface.

4. Write down your goal and fine-tune it into 10 words or less. This make take some time. Don’t skip this step! Clear, concise goals are more engaging and meaningful. And, more likely to be achieved.

5. Review for intention. Clarity of your intention is crucial to influencing others while selling and achieving your results.

6. Declare a deadline for the goal. While achieving the goal is important, the transformation of your attitude and behavior requires commitment and focused action. Without a deadline, you will let yourself off the hook with too many excuses.

7. Work backward from the deadline to create milestones. Weekly or monthly indicators work best to ensure you’re on the right path.

8. Fill in the details. Include team members, communication, budget, ROI’s, operation, and technology aspects.

9. Hire an executive coach to hold you accountable and responsible for achieving your results. The right coach will guide you, simplify the process, and keep you focused. They will also hold you to a higher standard that you’ve always wanted to achieve but didn’t know how.

Remember, without structure and accountability, you’re more likely to dilute your goal, get distracted, or set it aside when obstacles arise … and they will.

Results can be easy to achieve when you set them as BIG, achievable goals!

©Jeannette Seibly 2025 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly, an award-winning Talent Advisor, Leadership Results Coach, and Business Author, boasts over 32 years of hands-on experience. Her expertise helps leaders and bosses refine their hiring, coaching, and management practices and achieve their intended results. Along the journey, she has guided the creation of three millionaires and numerous six-figure earners, all while championing those ready to elevate their game to new heights.

Leadership Development: Turning Challenges into Opportunities

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“Developing future leaders requires full-time opportunities … not one-and-done events.” Jeannette Seibly

All too often, companies believe their leaders are ready to take the reins. Sadly, many leadership development efforts fail to prepare current leaders and develop new ones. It’s why many employees today say “no” to leadership roles.

Why? Too often, they not only know they are not ready …, but they also believe their company has no commitment in getting them leader-ready.

Let’s explore the common pitfalls and how to overcome mediocre-to-great leadership results.

What Does the Company Normally Do?

  • Use generic programs and fail to monitor results.
  • Rely on biased and subjective impressions by one or two decision-makers.
  • Focus on classroom case studies and hypothetical theories.
  • Overlook behavioral and attitude changes required to lead others.
  • Fail to acknowledge and refine progress.

What Challenges Does the Leader Normally Fail to Do?

Fail to …

  • Ask for help when experiencing problems in situations or working relationships
  • Engage distracted team members
  • Develop team members
  • Balance facts and emotions
  • Produce sustainable results
  • Focus on tangible metrics (e.g., instead focus on superficial happiness to improve retention).

Ways to Prepare for Outstanding Leadership Results

Personalize Development Plans: Create individualized development plans that align with both organizational goals and personal strengths. The goal is to elevate — first you must establish a baseline. It’s important to remember: Have monthly 1:1 reviews and executive coaching sessions and monitor results.

  • Conduct a Thorough Assessment: Evaluate the leader’s current skills and strengths through objective assessments, and identify areas for improvement through self-assessments, peer reviews, and performance evaluations.
  • Align Goals: Ensure that the leader’s goals are in sync with the organization’s strategic objectives, driving both individual and company growth.
  • Focus on Workshops and Courses: Identify workshops and courses that address the leader’s specific development needs, covering both technical and soft skills, such as communication, emotional intelligence, and leadership. Ensure these skills are being used effectively and developed on-the-job.
  • Provide Challenging Projects and Roles: Have them take on projects or roles that push them out of their comfort zones and facilitate practical learning.
  • Engage in Cross-Functional Team Participation: Involve them in cross-functional teams to broaden perspectives and understand various aspects of the business.

Establish Continuous Feedback Loops: Implement mechanisms for real-time improvement and growth.

  • Monthly Check-Ins: Yes, this is a repeat and often overlooked! Schedule monthly one-on-one meetings between the leader and their mentor and boss to review progress, discuss challenges, and adjust the development plan as needed.
  • Feedback Mechanisms: Utilize these reviews to provide constructive feedback and recognize achievements, creating a continuous loop for ongoing improvement.
  • Action Plans: Develop action plans during these sessions to address identified issues and set short-term goals for the upcoming month. Be sure to check in during the month. (Don’t make the mistake of creating a laundry list! Only focus on two areas at a time.)

Offer Executive Coaching Sessions:

  • Engage with an Executive Coach: Hire a professional executive coach who can offer personalized guidance and support, bringing external perspectives and expertise to accelerate leadership development.
  • Advanced Leadership Techniques: Focus on advanced leadership strategies tailored to the leader’s unique style and the organization’s culture (e.g., communication is crucial).

Provide Mentorship Programs: Establish mentorship opportunities where experienced leaders guide and support emerging leaders. Manage and ensure these are supportive, and monitor their impact on situations and working relationships.

Invest in Emotional Intelligence: Encourage leaders to develop emotional intelligence to better connect with their teams and foster a positive work environment.

Please note: By addressing these areas, companies can transform their leadership development programs into powerful engines for growth and success. And leaders can evolve from average to outstanding, making a significant and positive impact on their teams and organizations.

Note 2: While a new trend is focused on AI being able to develop, train, mentor, and coach emerging leaders — they are wrong! Don’t forget that feedback requires the human element!

©Jeannette Seibly 2025 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly, an award-winning Talent Advisor, Leadership Results Coach, and Business Author, boasts over 32 years of hands-on experience. Her expertise helps leaders and bosses refine their hiring, coaching, and management practices and achieve their intended results. Along the journey, she has guided the creation of three millionaires and numerous six-figure earners, all while championing those ready to elevate their game to new heights.

Communication Styles that Hurt Leadership Effectiveness

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“Good communication skills are required by everyone for a company, team, and project to achieve intended results.” Jeannette Seibly

Between 40% and 60% of conversational utterances are ego-related, focusing on our own feelings, opinions, and personal experiences. This self-centered conversational tendency is even more pronounced on social media, where some 80% of communication focuses on the self. (Wall Street Journal, January 2025)

The Problem: Poor communication is a widespread issue in workplaces today, worsening among leaders and bosses causes preventable conflicts.

Why This Matters: Leaders must listen, engage, and encourage employees. Otherwise, it will impede projects, budgets, timelines, quality, delivery, and other results.

Communication Styles That Cause Conflicts

• Self-Interest Approach: Asking questions just to turn the conversation to oneself (aka BoomerAsking). (Wall Street Journal, January 2025).

• Top-Down Approach: Dictating tasks without explaining “why” undervalues team members, stifles brainstorming, and leads to passive resistance.

• Passive Approach: Avoiding conflict and not asserting opinions leads to unresolved issues and perceived weak leadership.

• Aggressive Approach: Harsh, confrontational communication erodes trust and makes team members fear sharing ideas.

• Manipulative Approach: Deceit and fact-spinning create a toxic culture of mistrust.

• Inconsistent Approach: Frequently changing messages (aka relying on your feelings and indecisiveness) cause confusion and make leadership seem unreliable.

• Lack of Openness Approach: Unwillingness to listen to feedback and new ideas alienates team members and stifles innovation.

• Overly Technical Approach: Using complex language alienates non-experts and hinders understanding.

No one wants to believe that they are using these approaches. But take a moment and really look to see when, where, and why you engage in these bad habits.

How to Transform These Bad Habits

1. Hire an Executive Coach. Even if you need to pay for it yourself, it’s worth every dollar. Poor communication is why many bosses and leaders find themselves unemployed or sidelined. It’s avoidable with an executive coach.

2. Use a Qualified Job Fit Assessment. Understand “why” your thinking style, core behavioral traits, and occupational interests can get in the way of communicating effectively with others. This objective tool is priceless and helps you keep your job! And, when used as designed, can help you get promoted!

3. Develop Strong Meeting Leadership: Leading meetings effectively is crucial — on-site, remote, and hybrid. Work with your coach, take workshops, and watch videos to learn the nuances between mediocre and great meetings. Your communication style will determine the success of your teams’ results.

4. Become an Active Listener and Listen to and Give Constructive Feedback: Attend and participate in workshops, leadership coaching sessions, and other feedback programs. Don’t be afraid to provide quality feedback that makes a positive difference. It all requires good communication skills and an awareness of how you are perceived.

5. Develop Emotional Intelligence. Being mindful is key. Learn when and how to use humor, approach sensitive topics with empathy, and be willing to learn along with your team.

6. Pay Attention to Generational Differences. Older generations may use meetings to tout “this is the way it’s always been done,” making it difficult for newer employees to provide new ideas and solutions. Younger employees may rely too much on social media as “the way to get things done” and fail to understand “fake news” and “sensational podcasts designed to attract ‘Likes.’” It’s up to you to manage these interactions with communication finesse!

7. Train on Etiquette and Expectations: It starts with you! Become familiar with virtual conferencing systems and how to effectively communicate using them! Then, train your team members and others on how to get the most out of these meetings.

8. Be Coachable and Have a Willingness to Admit Mistakes: When you feel insecure about a situation or working relationship, you will tend to dominate the conversation instead of asking for help. Share your experience with brevity and admit when you don’t know something. (It’s a foundational skill required of great leaders.) Hold yourself accountable for implementing the feedback asap.

Good communication skills used during 1:1’s, team meetings, and other conversational moments can be beneficial to everyone … especially you! Remember, a good communication style will avoid conflict and will enhance your team’s cohesion and productivity while achieving great results!

©Jeannette Seibly 2025 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly, an award-winning Talent Advisor, Leadership Results Coach, and Business Author, boasts over 32 years of hands-on experience. Her expertise helps leaders and bosses refine their hiring, coaching, and management practices and achieve their intended results. Along the journey, she has guided the creation of three millionaires and numerous six-figure earners, all while championing those ready to elevate their game to new heights.

How to Address Issues and Keep Positive Working Relationships

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“Do you want to be right or effective? It’s a choice we need to make during every conversation.” Jeannette Seibly

There will be times when people do what they do and believe they are behaving appropriately. This includes saying something they believe is true (without supporting facts) or making a project more challenging (due to multitasking and not listening). As a team leader, what do you do?

A team leader has a remote team, and virtual meetings are essential. The problem? Many team members come unprepared, eat during the call, handle personal tasks, or have their cameras off. Instead of addressing the issue one-on-one, the team leader calls them out during the meeting and demands they behave in a way he believes is appropriate. The new problem? Once a person has been humiliated, they will not forget nor forgive!

Steps to Build and Keep Positive Working Relationships

1. Prepare

• Know Your Facts: Gather all relevant information and data to support your perspective.
• Understand the Other Side: Take the time to understand the other person’s viewpoint and the reasons behind it.

2. Use Mindful Communication Skills

• Active Listening: Listen carefully to other people’s arguments without interrupting. Always let them present first and share your own opinions last.
• Empathy: Show empathy by acknowledging the other person’s feelings and perspectives. Be sure to use the words or phrases they used, or you could create further upset (e.g., if they use the word “I’m feeling upset.” Do NOT say, “I understand that you are angry.”)
• Clarity: Clearly articulate your point of view using facts and logic.

3. Adjust Your Approach

• Choose the Right Time and Place: Disagree in a private setting and choose a time when both parties are calm and receptive. If it is a group issue, address the group without naming names.
• Stay Calm and Respectful: Maintain a calm and respectful tone throughout the conversation. If you feel emotional, wait to address the situation. Your tone of voice, when triggered, will get in the way of future interactions.
• Focus on the Issue, Not the Person: Critique the idea, not the individual presenting it. This is key—too often, bosses like to focus on a personality trait, which may be incorrect and leave the person feeling misunderstood and defensive.

4. Be Collaborative

• Find Common Ground: Identify areas where you both agree and build on them.
• Propose Solutions: Offer constructive solutions or compromises that address both parties’ concerns. Remember, win-win-win is the key!
• Stay Open-Minded: Be willing to consider alternative perspectives and solutions. You don’t know everything, so it’s important to allow other ideas to develop before final decisions are made.

5. Follow-Up

• Clarify Outcomes: Ensure that both parties have a clear understanding of the agreed-upon outcome. Write it down – memories are short!
• Express Gratitude: Genuinely thank the other person for their time and for engaging in the discussion.
• Maintain Professionalism: Continue to interact professionally and positively in future interactions. Be responsible for your tone of voice and say, “please” and “thank you.” Also, under all circumstances, avoid gossip!

Issues can lead to disagreements — they are a natural part of any working relationship. Handling them with empathy, respect, and a focus on collaboration can strengthen professional relationships and lead to better outcomes for everyone involved.

©Jeannette Seibly 2025 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly, an award-winning Talent Advisor, Leadership Results Coach, and Business Author, boasts over 32 years of hands-on experience. Her expertise helps leaders and bosses refine their hiring, coaching, and management practices and achieve their intended results. Along the journey, she has guided the creation of three millionaires and numerous six-figure earners, all while championing those ready to elevate their game to new heights.

Asking for Help Is Required to Achieve Intended Results

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“Asking for help is brilliant!” Simon Sinek

“Recognizing the value of asking for help in hiring, coaching, and managing challenges shows strength and will contribute to your company’s growth.” -Jeannette Seibly

Too often, people believe asking for help makes them look weak. It creates barriers to achieving intended results and hurts our boss/leadership skills.

When stuck in a working relationship, situation, or strategic issue, we freeze, flee, or change the goal (which diminishes the intended result)—all because we failed to ask for help!

Yet, asking for help is one of the cornerstones of achieving your intended results. With only 10 percent of teams achieving their required results, it’s crucial that you, as the boss/leader, confidently ask for help, use the art of listening, and make the necessary changes!

Why do we hesitate to ask for help?

Lack of …

• Willingness. Ego can be a significant barrier. Leaders should remember that seeking advice is a sign of strength, not weakness.

• Trust. Trust yourself and selectively seek insights from a few reliable people rather than broadcasting your query widely (e.g., social media or more than 2 or 3 people).

• Self-Awareness. Lack of self-awareness can lead to an inability to recognize when help is needed.

Seven Tips to Get the Help Needed to Achieve Results

1. Set Aside Your Ego. Take a moment to breathe and seek advice from the right sources. This is critical. Talk directly with the person(s) who can provide the help! For example, a training expert was asked, “I was told I needed to do XYZ when making a presentation. But at a recent workshop, everyone walked out. What happened, and what do I need to do differently?”

2. Don’t Wait Too Long. Anticipate the need for help early to prevent compounding issues. It’s harder to ask for help once you’ve sabotaged yourself (usually unintentionally), experienced a project failure, or damaged a relationship with a co-worker or customer. Ask for help earlier not later.

3. Listen. The art of listening goes beyond the words and includes asking open-ended questions to uncover deeper insights.

4. Don’t Wait for Clarity. (It seems counter-intuitive.) Seek objective feedback, especially when things seem murky and unclear. And remember, you asked for help. This is not the time to become defensive … you asked for help … this is the time to listen. Share in concise statements: The goal of the project or issue; What has been done to date; and What is slated for the future Then, ask for help: “What do you see is missing?”

5. Be Coachable. Stay open to learning and avoid letting ego and pride interfere with accepting help. Remember, your defensiveness will sabotage your success.

An author told me in a group meeting that bragging was nonsense to her, but then complained of poor book sales. She explained, “I don’t see the value and I’m too busy to learn how to brag.” Yet, marketing and self-promotion determine 90 percent of someone’s success as an author. Even after others chimed in, she refused their help! When you refuse to listen, people will stop helping you and your results will suffer!

6. Make Asking for Help a Habit. Seeking assistance regularly can foster your professional growth and build your leadership credibility. Also, it helps you produce results faster and easier each time while building your influence.

7. Make Your Requests for Help Clear and Concise. Clearly articulate what you need and be open to accepting a “yes” or “no” response. If a person is not available or is unwilling, ask someone else.

Important Question! How do you plan to incorporate these tips into your leadership approach?

©Jeannette Seibly, 2021-2025 All Rights Reserved

Jeannette Seibly, an award-winning Talent Advisor, Leadership Results Coach, and Business Author, boasts over 32 years of hands-on experience. Her expertise helps leaders and bosses refine their hiring, coaching, and management practices and achieve their intended results. Along the journey, she has guided the creation of three millionaires and numerous six-figure earners, all while championing those ready to elevate their game to new heights.