Alloy Solutions Leadership Blog

Communicating Like a Leader (Part II), by Jamie Hansen

This is the second piece in a series from Jamie Hansen, focused on how a new leader must develop his or her communication skills in order to maximize their impact. You can find the first installment here, and receive the rest of the series in your inbox by subscribing to our newsletter.

Welcome back to the Leadership Toolbox! Today, we are focusing on two additional communication skills that leaders must develop to effectively lead the people and teams around them. If you have already read Part I of this series, you know that the first two skills are Assertiveness and Listening. Leaders absolutely must possess the courage to say what needs to be said, and the patience to hear what must be heard. Next, let's examine two more communication skills for leaders:

3. Proof in Paraphrasing

I call this the drive-thru skill. Anyone can "phone it in" or act like they're listening while their mind wanders. Most of us have...

Communicating Like a Leader, by Jamie Hansen

This is the first piece in a series from Jamie Hansen, focused on how a new leader must develop his or her communication skills in order to maximize their impact. You can get the rest of the series in your inbox by subscribing to our newsletter.

Many of us have seen this play out time and time again: A supervisory position opens up in the organization, and an internal team member gets promoted into the leadership position. They are a great strategic choice because they’ve been a high-performer in their individual role, they know the company and the culture, and it seems the natural next step in their career. The stars have aligned and it’s all systems GO, right? Well . . . maybe, or maybe not. Whether this individual has 30 years or 3 years with the company, they are essentially moving from a position of working through processes, managing operating systems, or overseeing machines, to leading people and teams....

Vision 2020 - Your Best Year Yet! by Jamie Hansen

So here we are in the fourth quarter of 2019. My year so far has been full of adventures, small victories, setbacks, curveballs, and new connections and ideas. The novel and unfamiliar seems to have become the new routine. Whether your 2019 has been a handful like mine or a little more predictable, it's worthwhile to consider what we've learned and what we wish to prepare for in 2020.

Whatever your 2019 has held, my wish for you would be to head into 2020 as strong, confident, and capable as ever. Sounds great, you say, but how is that possible? Here are a few thoughts for your consideration:

1. Make a list of five remarkable moments from 2019. What's on your list? AN unexpected setback? Something you accomplished that you never guessed you would? Perhaps a life lesson learned the hard way? Write down the moments that come to mind.
   
   
2. Consider how these moments may have been connected. Were you using your strengths? Were you falling...

Three Lessons from an Unexpected Success, by Jamie Hansen

I will never forget March 15th, 2019.

Ryan and I were in Orlando, just about to fly home from a John Maxwell Team conference. Typically, these trips send us home inspired and invigorated, but on March 15th we were glued to our phones as we read news reports and texts from friends and family in Nebraska. A cold, snowy winter had abruptly turned into a warm, slushy spring, and eastern Nebraska was facing once-in-a-generation flooding. As my phone pinged with each new message from home, we heard the stories of neighbors evacuating and it became clear that I would not have access to my house after we landed in Omaha. In the next few days, I learned that I had gotten off easy.

At some point during the following week - between slipping past roadblocks and helping neighbors move back into their homes - Ryan and I had the same idea: Alloy should organize a golf fundraiser to benefit flood relief. We had a format from our ...