We launched our podcast, Real Talk with RallyBright, in November 2021, and the show has been going strong ever since. It’s hosted by Sharon Tiger – a trusted advisor here at RallyBright who has a successful background in podcasting and is also passionate about leadership and learning more about it every day.
The podcast showcases thought-provoking conversations with business leaders across various industries. With real-life examples, listeners can learn about building resilient, high-performing, and inclusive teams.
If you haven’t had time to listen to each episode in full, don’t fret. We’ve gathered a few insights from our guests below that we know will inspire you on your own leadership journey. So without further ado, here are five of our favorite tips from our Real Talk With RallyBright discussions so far.
Tip 1: Be an active listener
In episode one, Sharon spoke with Alex Boyd, CEO & Founder of the B2B demand generation agency RevenueZen. Alex advises leaders to be not just good listeners, but also active ones. According to him, listening to your team while providing leadership and direction will encourage them to bring their full selves to work while giving you the feedback you need to grow your company to the point where people want to stay a long time.
You can listen to the full interview here.
Tip 2: Acknowledge team accomplishments
The second tip comes from Sharon’s conversation with Joe Colangelo, CEO & Co-Founder of the data analytics firm Bear Analytics. Joe says that many startup leaders, himself included, tend to focus on achieving success as fast as possible and regardless of challenges, readiness and the team’s fitness level. He compares building and running a startup to climbing a mountain. “It’s important to get to a certain point as quickly and efficiently as possible,” he shares, “but then to also take the necessary time to look back at what the team has accomplished and reassess the situation.”
You can listen to the full interview here.
Tip 3: Speak your team’s language
Greg Williams, Director of IT Operations at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, had team communication on his mind in his chat with Sharon. When it comes to aligning your team around accomplishing goals, he says, it’s all about speaking your team’s language. Understanding what motivates each team member, what their goals are, and where they want to go will help you make sure that individual needs are being met while also ensuring a cohesive team effort.
You can listen to the full episode here.
Tip 4: Show empathy
Tip four comes from David Egts, Chief Technologist of Red Hat’s North America Public Sector.
He believes that one of the most important qualities of a leader is the ability to show empathy. When challenges arise, he continues, leaders must be able to identify why the problem exists, what may be going on in the lives of their team members, and the external factors that may be affecting behavior. This can be accomplished by having your team complete a personality test like Tilt or DISC. Such tools can give you an inside look at how your colleagues show up on a day-to-day basis and tips on how to empathize and communicate effectively with them.
You can listen to the full episode here.
Tip 5: Prioritize psychological safety
Last but not least, tip five comes from John Haynes, HR and People Executive. He explains that to bring real change to an environment, employees need to feel safe. If they don’t, the result is a toxic environment – and these harm not only the organization, but also its employees. Employees who feel psychologically safe are empowered to speak up, experiment, and even make mistakes. And an environment of psychological safety helps employees to reach their full potential while avoiding burnout.
You can listen to the full episode here.
We hope reading these tips has inspired you to listen to the full-length RealTalk With RallyBright podcast episodes to learn even more from the experienced leaders we’ve interviewed. You’ll walk away with practical advice for building resilient, high-performing and inclusive teams, and learn how some leaders are making work better for everyone. Stay tuned for the upcoming episodes that we plan to share in April!
Are you a leader eager to share your hard-earned wisdom in a Real Talk With RallyBright podcast interview? If so, we’d love to hear from you. Shoot us a line!
