Alloy Solutions Leadership Blog

Tips and tools to help you thrive at work.

Stay in the Know - Subscribe Now!

Reflecting on Lessons and Successes from a Jam-Packed 2019

Reflecting on Lessons and Successes from a Jam-Packed 2019, by Ryan Hansen

Two weeks ago, I was in Centennial, Colorado, setting up for one of our biggest events of the year. Our team was bustling around, welcoming guests and setting out materials for the meeting portion of the day. It was a warm and sunny day at a golf course in this Denver suburb. Later, as our group took to the course for a quick golf scramble, I even managed a mild sunburn.

Wait a second. That was not two weeks ago - that was three months ago, at our Leader-Chip event in September. It sure feels like it was only two weeks ago - 2019 really is flying by! Today, in the heart of December, I'm sitting by a fireplace with a hot cup of coffee on hand and a chocolate Labrador lying across my feet (I don't mind, he's warm!).

It's easy for me to spend this time of year dreaming about our great, big plans for 2020 (trust me, they're big and they're bold). In fact, our team...

Read More

Leading through the Holiday Stress

Leading through the Holiday Stress, by Ryan Hansen


It's that time of year again! The air is changing, the leaves are changing colors, and the days are getting shorter. Joyous holiday plans are coming together, families and friends are gathering around tables, and belts are loosening across the country.


It's that time of year again. The calendars are filling, deadlines are piling up, and the final business days of 2019 are bearing down. Schedules are unpredictable, clients and coworkers are unreachable, and tensions are increasing across the country.


If your workplace is anything like mine, both of these cases are true for you in November and December. The holiday season brings a slew of stressful scenarios, unlike anything the rest of the year has to offer. In many cases, it's the necessary trade-off for spending more time with family and friends to celebrate the season. As team members at every level - from the production floor to the boardroom - spend more...

Read More

5 Tips to Get the Most from a Coaching Relationship

5 Tips to Get the Most from a Coaching Relationship, by Ryan Hansen

This week, Jamie and I had the chance to spend a day with one of our mentors in this industry. It was a blessing to spend this focused time with such a valuable resource, and as the hours flew by we lobbed question after question at him to take full advantage of the opportunity. We came prepared - in fact, we had already spent a few hours meticulously crafting a list of questions to make sure we wouldn't waste a moment. The next day, a thought crossed my mind. "What if I put the same effort and preparation into maximizing all of my coaching relationships?"

If you haven't already read Jamie's piece on the benefits of a coach, make sure to check it out right here. If you've read the piece, you are long past the misconception that professional coaching is some sort of punishment or a "finishing school" for underwhelming employees. For the growth-oriented leader, coaching is a means to...

Read More

Confidence: Why You Need it and How to Create It

Confidence: Why You Need It and How to Create It, by Ryan Hansen

Last month, during our Leader-Chip leadership summit, we had an interesting conversation about the role of confidence in succeeding as a leader. Actually, it wasn't a conversation at all - it was a debate! As two of our attendees argued over whether or not leaders can "fake it until they make it," the rest of the group listened closely and even voted on which side they agreed with. More on that later.

What was not up for debate was this: leaders cannot succeed without confidence. Confidence is a prerequisite for leadership. More specifically, self-confidence is the foundation upon which leadership can grow. Vince Lombardi explained it as "Confidence is contagious. So is a lack of confidence." Confidence lets us make decisions, have difficult conversations, and rally the people around us. How can a leader inspire their team members to follow through on a new initiative without confidence? I'll let John Maxwell...

Read More

Why You Can't Undervalue "Soft Skills" Training

Why You Can't Undervalue "Soft Skills" Training, by Ryan Hansen

It probably won't shock you that I'm a big believer in employee development. It's what I do - I'm a trainer and a coach and I write about the benefits of investing in people. Furthermore, I know from experience as a former employee in companies ranging from small to very large that intentional employee development programs are impactful, meaningful, and valuable - both for the companies that drive the initiatives and the individuals who participate. I really like the Richard Branson quote: "Train people well enough so they can leave. Treat them well enough so they don't want to."

For many groups, the pressures of day-to-day business operations take priority over employee development activities. The research tells us that this is a mistake that prioritizes short-term objectives over the long-term benefits to an organization.

Here are three key reasons to maintain an ongoing employee development program:

1. Increased...

Read More

Making Feedback a Priority

Making Feedback a Priority, by Ryan Hansen

How many times have you heard a colleague lead a conversation with, "Can I give you some feedback?" Has that phrase ever preceded a long string of generous compliments? Of course not. "Can I give you some feedback?" has become an acceptable stand-in for, "Can I give you some criticism?" So it's no wonder that many of us equate feedback with criticism and recoil at the thought of unsolicited "feedback."

The inconvenient reality is that feedback - done correctly - is the source of growth, for both leaders and contributors. Feedback gives us guidelines to help us direct our efforts and gauge our own performance. Good leaders should crave feedback and build it into their team's culture.

To make your feedback effective, keep these tips in mind:

  1. Focus on Behaviors, and Be Specific. Don't let feedback become a commentary on anyone's character. People can change their behaviors long before their personalities. Positively affirm...
Read More

Playing the Long Game: Creating Success through Consistency

Creating Success through Consistency, by Ryan Hansen

Throughout 2019, our Solutions Team members have been sharing crucial principles that young leaders should learn and master. You may have seen these notes posted to our FacebookTwitter, and LinkedIn pages. In January, we covered three well-known principles: "Everyone is a leader," "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care," and "Leaders touch a heart before they ask for a hand." These are powerful leadership lessons, but there is another principle that every leader - young and old - should consider every day:

 Consistency Compounds

 Aristotle said "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." John Maxwell included consistency in one of his Laws of Growth: "Motivation gets you going, but discipline keeps you growing." Renowned speaker Jim Rohn pointed out that "Success is neither magical nor mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of...

Read More

Building Personal Resilience to Sustain Excellence at Work

r@w resilience ryan hansen Sep 10, 2018

Sustaining Success with Resilience at Work, by Ryan Hansen

What comes to mind when you think about resilience? Is it a 'grin-and-bear-it' sense of toughness? Perhaps you envision a rubber band stretching and then snapping back into place. How would you rate your own resilience? Would you rate your personal resilience at home the same as your personal resilience at work? How would you even begin to quantify resilience?

It is a common misconception that resilience is only related to our ability to cope with challenges. In fact, our personal resilience directly impacts day-to-day performance at work. Consequently, more resilient individuals have been found to be higher-performing employees - these individuals are better at managing the emotional, mental, and physical challenges of their roles while maintaining high performance.

Just how important is resilience? Consider the consequences: with low resilience, employees are more likely to experience burnout, fatigue, health issues, and...

Read More
1 2
Close

Our Insights, Sent Straight to You

From blog posts to training tips and our latest employee development courses, it's everything you want from a newsletter.
Complete the form below to subscribe.