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You, Me, and Us — A Framework for Leading Through Transitions · The Strength Catalyst

• 0:06
  SPEAKER_01: Hello and welcome to the Strength Catalyst.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_01: I'm your host, Colleen Baselli.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_01: This podcast is about real leadership challenges, the kind that don't have easy answers, and we explore them through the lens of our own unique strengths.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_01: And today's guest has spent 15 years growing from an entry-level role into senior leadership within the same nonprofit.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_01: And he's someone who naturally builds relationships, as you'll be able to hear him say.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_01: He wants people to feel heard and he really cares deeply about how his decisions affect others.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_01: But you know what happens when leadership changes those relationships?
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_01: When you have to step back and let others lead, maybe hold information you can't always share anymore or make decisions that may disappoint people.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_01: So this conversation explores how to grow as a leader without losing the qualities that make you a strong one in the first place.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_01: And along the way, you'll hear a simple decision-making framework, me, you, and us, that you may find yourself using long after this episode ends.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_01: So let's get into it.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_01: All right.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_01: So, Alad, welcome to the Strength Catalyst Podcast.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_01: I feel so privileged that you said yes when I asked you if you'd like to be a guest on the podcast.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_01: So thank you very much for making the time for this.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_00: Colleen, thank you.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, I've said it to you before, but I'm so excited for this.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_00: You have no idea.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_01: All right.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_01: Well, hopefully we'll all feel it as we get into the conversation.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_01: Um, can you first tell us what drew you to the nonprofit world and what keeps you there?
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna reflect a little bit on my life.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I'm what you you would you may call a quote unquote third culture kid.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_00: For me, is uh growing up, I lived overseas my entire childhood outside of the United States.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_00: And so my dad is from the US originally, my mom's from Wales, but we were very lucky to be able to travel around the world because of my dad's work, which he worked in an international nonprofit as well.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: And so through his work, I got to see kind of firsthand the impact that organizations can have globally on communities.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_00: The general picture is that like I think it's just innate to who I am.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_00: I was very lucky to have uh the upbringing that I had, and it's just really sprung me into this world of wanting to hopefully make the world a better place for others.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_01: Great.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_01: All right.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_01: Well, then tell us a little bit about your nonprofit, Build On, and where you fit into the organization.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so Build On has been around for 35 years.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: We as an organization, our mission is to break the cycle of poverty, illiteracy, and low expectations through service and education.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_00: And really what we do is we unite communities through service and education to ignite a more equitable future.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: We have programs here in the United States where we work in five different cities to engage high school students in these under-resourced communities to get out into their community to take action on local issues that they find important to themselves.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_00: And globally, we construct schools in eight countries around the world in partnership with rural communities that are then taking action, uniting together to build and construct a school for their own children, parents, and grandparents.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_00: So, as an organization, for the global side, we run, we mobilize a community to get community members involved in the construction process.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_00: We then run adult literacy programs, providing income-generating activities for them to then think about how they can generate income for them and their families.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_00: And then the third side on the global side is that we enroll out-of-school children into our classrooms.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_00: We have constructed over 3,100 schools globally.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_01: And what's the role that you play with Build On?
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_00: So I currently work as our vice president of development.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so I work overseeing a team of fundraisers and then work closely with a lot of our different stakeholders, internally and externally, to really drive the organization's strategic initiatives forward.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_00: I love it because I get to work with people.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_01: And I think you just said you've been with the organization for 14 years.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_01: And I think you told me before that you started like pretty soon out of school, like entry level.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_01: And now you're on the senior leadership trait team.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm curious to know, like, what's that journey been like for you over the years and kind of where you landed right now?
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_00: If I were to reflect back on my 22-year-old self soon after school and joining Build On as at the time, it was a service and program coordinator.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_00: There's not a like, there's no chance I would be uh in the place that I'm in now.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_00: One of the things that's really resonated with me is just the opportunities that have come from saying yes in different moments.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, there's so many questions I could ask you.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_01: There's so much to talk about.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_01: Uh all right, but I know that you had two topics that you were particularly interested in exploring together so we can think about how you can use your strengths.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_01: And one of those you told me was about navigating a major uh transition in the organization.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_01: So before we start thinking about uh taking a strengths approach, can you just describe what your current goal is in this sort of transition uh topic?
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so a little bit of history.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_00: So for us as an organization, um, we had operated really as a centralized model.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_00: You know, a lot of the decisions were being made at HQ.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and then at the time we were working in six different cities here in the United States.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_00: And within those cities, we had somebody who was a fundraiser and then somebody who oversaw programs that reported up to folks at HQ level.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_00: In 2025, we made a decision to shift into more of a chapter model where we hired executive directors to be the single point of accountability for both programs and fundraising in each of our regions, um, now called our chapters.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_00: It was a big risk to take because it was a shift that we had to make as an organization, but it was a risk that really worked out.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_00: For context, from a from a revenue perspective, we went from operating in a deficit two years ago to be able to cover all direct expenses last year in one year alone.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_00: As we start to think about what year two looks like or the second phase of this is keeping that level of excitement and energy around these chapters and what's what's ahead of us while understanding that we're not in as quote unquote, you know, uh in as challenging a position as we were a year or a year and a half ago now.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that, you know, for us at at Build On, it really has shown us that like true leaders do rise to the top in really challenging moments.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_00: And we've seen folks that were with the organization prior to the shift, that bought into this shift, that bought into the transition, that wanted to be a part of it, and they're now leading our chapters forward, which has been really exciting to see.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_00: So now in phase two, I really want to start exploring like how do we start to use our strengths?
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_00: How do we start to push these groups to the next level and encouraging these chapters to continue to thrive and operate in a place where hopefully we end up in a surplus and we start to think about adding new schools and adding our deeper impact of our program.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_00: We have a very clear vision of what we want to do.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_00: And in order to do that, we're gonna need strong programs and strong funding sources to be able to make that happen.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_01: So another thing that I want our listeners to know that you did sort of set the stage for today is that you took the strengths profile assessment.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_01: So you have in front of you a list of your strengths, and that list shows the strengths that you're using, that you get energy from, and it shows a list of the strengths that you get energy from, you perform while you're not using as much, as well as some strengths that drain you into weaknesses.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_01: So I know you'll be looking at that through the course of our conversation.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_01: And I looked at a little bit in preparation for today.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_01: So as it relates to the transition challenge or opportunity you just outlined, my first question is as you suggested early in this conversation, you're a relator, like you're a natural connector, rapport builder, like you instinctively bring people together.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_01: And these are this relating, connecting, rapport building are among your greatest strengths.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_01: I'm curious to know like, what are your strategies for using these relating strengths of yours right now, given this new chapter?
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_00: A really good question, Colleen.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_00: Example I think I can give around that is, you know, part of this was having to really lean into the relationships that you have with board members or with stakeholders in different regions.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_00: And now we we want those stakeholders to work really closely with all of our executive directors.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_00: We still maintain the relationships and work closely with them, but we want that that first kind of point of contact to be through the executive directors because they know best.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_00: They're the ones making the decisions on the ground.
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_00: There can be moments where you kind of wish you had those calls frequently still.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_00: I I think another area for me in this like transition to answer your question about like using those in this next phase of this process.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_00: One area that I've been really focused on is how do I kind of keep the team of executive directors feeling connected to one another.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_00: I wish there were more moments that we could bring everybody together to do that.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but one that I thought was a really positive move that we did is at the end of last year, kind of as we were finishing up the first year of what we we called the sprint, right?
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_00: Was we brought them all together and really had the moment for everybody to spend time face to face working, you know, with each other and brainstorming what this year could look like.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_00: I think the other side of it that I would love to be able to lean into more is how do I get to know each of the individual executive directors and then even their staff that they're working with on the ground in more depth because those are some connections I think that when we when we know one another better, we then work to build the connections and bridge that gap to connect other folks.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna ask a follow-up question to get you thinking about using your strengths even more.
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_01: So you just said, you know, that you'd like to get to know uh some of these staff in greater depth.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_00: When staff have spent enough time at Build On, or you know, over a period of time, some organizations will provide like a sabbatical, a you know, a time for them to leave and go and learn something new.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_00: I'd love to see us offer a staff trek where we take a group of staff members that have been here for a while to connect on a completely different level, to spend a week together working side by side around our mission of what we do, because those experiences can really connect people on a very different level.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_00: Um, the idea of bringing folks together around service, but also serving kind of the organization and what we're trying to accomplish.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_00: Um, mission, I think that that's why so many of us are here and work in the nonprofit world, is that we're deeply connected to a mission.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_00: We talked about a connector, rapport builder.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_00: You know, those would stand out.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_00: But one of the unrealized strengths that stood out to me here is persuasion in order to be able to get this like over the finish line, right?
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_00: Or advance it is the idea of persuading other people internally and externally that this is a really valuable use of our time and energy as a team.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_01: So there's something for you to incubate on after today.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_01: I'm not gonna ask you to identify the, you know, the exact path forward, but I want to point you to so you continue to incubate on, well, all right, so what are the greatest tools in my toolkit that are going to help me advance my goals?
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_01: You know, whether those are, you know, career goals or there are tangible things I want to do for the nonprofit right now.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_00: I'm very lucky in the role that I'm in.
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_00: I get to travel to visit different regions and countries globally and connect with staff in different ways.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and one of the things I've intentionally set out this year that I want to do is when I am in regions or visiting with folks, like I want to spend time in their space.
• 13:45
  SPEAKER_00: I want to go to like service projects that they've planned.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_00: And it's yes, I want to get to know the students and see the service experience and all that.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_00: But ultimately, like what I'm feeling is I want to get connected to the people that I get to work with because you know, we talked about it earlier, is like the idea of I started out at Build On planning these service projects, working with students every day, working in the schools.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_00: And I've been fortunate to now grow and become a member of our leadership team here, everybody to feel connected to this organization and not feel as though like we are separate because we may have different positions, different titles, different responsibilities.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_00: So that's just another thing I think that I, as I reflect on what you had shared, is like making sure that I'm persistent.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_00: Like I want to come out and do service.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_00: Like I will change my entire schedule while I'm there to make this a priority if I need to.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_00: Ensuring that like I'm there not to observe, I'm there to really sit with you and be with you in solidarity and work with you and like because I want to get back to that connection that I can make with folks here and then also connections in the community, because that's what we do, right?
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_00: Is connect with other folks in the community as well.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_01: Just to build on what you're thinking there, one of your greatest strengths is called catalyst.
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_01: And that's someone who loves to mobilize and inspire other people to get things started.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_01: So now that you're more than a year into the transition and you've got ideas of things you can be doing to make the next phase of this that much more uh energizing and engaging for people, I wonder how you could use this catalyst strength of yours in this sort of middle phase when the excitement of a launch maybe is passed a little bit, but you haven't quite reached the finish line.
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_01: So this is like, again, using this strength of igniting other people.
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_01: You don't do it all yourself, but you can get other people involved.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_01: Any thoughts come to mind on using your catalyst strength?
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know where it sits in my strength finder in terms of rank, but it is something I love doing.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_00: Like I love energizing folks around getting something started.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_00: One thing that kind of stands out is we historically have had this kind of like opportunities for folks to get involved that are external from our students.
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_00: Our service that we plan is for our students.
• 15:57
  SPEAKER_00: That's just like what we do as an organization.
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_00: We get a lot of people reaching out wanting to volunteer with us.
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_00: One of the things that we found in the transition is that in some cases we, you know, we needed more supporters, we needed more in folks to know who we are as an organization.
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_00: So one of the things that we I think I helped to create and push forward last year, the catalyst idea was like, how do we just create open service projects that any interested stakeholder could come and join and learn about it and work with our students?
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_00: No financial ask, no ask for them to join an event afterwards, just come and learn about who we are and see this, the power of students doing service locally.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_00: And we've had some really amazing experiences from it.
• 16:37
  SPEAKER_00: You know, folks that came out once or twice and then wanted to think about joining one of our regional boards, or folks that, you know, then want to bring their family and get involved.
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_00: Or so I'm really excited about that catalyst one.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_00: And that's just, I think, an example of the idea, and then can let people take it from you know how it fits their communities and their their context best.
• 16:57
  SPEAKER_01: You know, Alan, what makes everybody special, each of us, is that we have our own unique set of strengths that uh become unique by the way that they, meaning the strengths, interact with one another.
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_01: And it seems to me, just listening to you talk, that some of your uniqueness and your specialness really is all around this ability to create strong relationships, rapport building and connecting, et cetera.
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_01: Um, your ability to come up with these ideas, you know, to think creatively and out of the box, and then uh get people catalyzed, the executive directors, you know, the chapter leaders, the people who report to whatever.
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_01: Let them, you know, kind of figure out how to make it happen.
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_01: All right.
• 17:43
  SPEAKER_01: So you had a second topic.
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_01: Tell us what that is that you want to uh noodle on together here today.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_00: So as I shared, Colleen, I think one of the leadership challenges that I face is a big opportunity for me has been my growth here at Bellbound, coming from the opportunity to work as a 22-year-old just entering the organization in an entry-level position and now working very closely and work and sitting on our senior leadership team.
• 18:11
  SPEAKER_00: There's folks along the way who were or who have been, you know, colleagues, uh uh, sometimes managers of mine, um, confidants and challenging moments.
• 18:22
  SPEAKER_00: Um, we all have those people at work, right?
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_00: Like we've all got that person that sits close to us, whether it's at the desk behind you that you know pass notes back and forth or um someone you reach out and call when you're in a in a bit of a bind.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_00: And I think for me, just you know, transparently speaking in this transition is really how to navigate and manage those relationships when one knowing that a personal feeling or or or thought around the direction that a decision that's being made by folks like myself on the senior leadership team impact lives, but also ensuring that we keep the mission and the priorities of the organization central.
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_00: That's been a big, a big transition for me is really wanting to figure out how I can better manage through those moments for myself, how I can lead through those moments, how I can continue to maintain those relationships that have been so important.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_00: 14 years working here and folks that have helped me kind of get to a certain level within the organization, staying true to that while also recognizing that there's times where it may not be the right conversation to have with everybody.
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_00: Um, there's information that you know we may not be privy to share or other forms of communication that I just have to be mindful of.
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_01: So all right.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_01: Well, all right.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_01: So I two of the strains that you have that we haven't talked about yet today, I think, are unconditionality and equality.
• 19:42
  SPEAKER_01: And those uh caught my eye as you were describing this opportunity because those strengths suggest that you accept people exactly as they are.
• 19:53
  SPEAKER_01: And fairness, the equality strength is really central to who you are.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and as you're I think probably alluding to here, leadership sometimes requires us to make decisions that aren't equal.
• 20:04
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and you have to hold people accountable now and give them feedback and make choices that affect some people differently than others.
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_01: But these are two of your greatest strengths.
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe we'll label them as superpowers.
• 20:18
  SPEAKER_01: You know, as you think through or thinking now about how you're gonna manage people, tell me how your unconditional mindset and your quality mindset could be real assets for you.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_00: The unconditionality one, just accepting people for who they are, is it's one that I like, I I really hope to lean into as much as I can.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_00: I think that that's in in the kind of work that that we're in, and remembering that we, you know, span across the United States and then eight countries globally, and we work with thousands of constituents externally within the organization, like you have to just know that people are going to show up as the people that they are and and recognizing that.
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_00: And I think there's also a time in in in kind of more of a leadership position where you have to make decisions for an organization that are not necessarily made around one person and the uniqueness of one person, right?
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes there are, you have to make those those those decisions.
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_00: But um that's an area where I think just being able to turn that off sometimes is important as well.
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_00: And then I'd say the equality one, it's probably the one that I find myself leaning into a lot more when having to make decisions within an organization or or or like you know, recommendations within the organization.
• 21:35
  SPEAKER_00: It's one that I find we do a pretty good job here at Build On, right?
• 21:39
  SPEAKER_00: Of ensuring that that's everybody's represented and that we're doing what we can.
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_00: There definitely are moments where that's just one thing I like to make sure I lean into more and bring up and try to figure out how we can do things and make those decisions in an equitable way.
• 21:55
  SPEAKER_00: I think the the other side of it that when you know, kind of talking about my experience before is understanding every single person or the people that that you know that were my confidants and the folks that I used to work really closely with and knowing who exactly those people are and everything about them is really important.
• 22:12
  SPEAKER_00: But making sure that I'm treating information in a way that is equal or equitable as well, right?
• 22:19
  SPEAKER_00: Or those decisions, like making sure that I'm not going to one person and sharing this because I feel a certain way, and then another person is sharing a different piece of information that may counter be counteractive to each other.
• 22:29
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's just one piece that I would probably say using these strengths and making sure that I'm sharing information or sharing my feelings about something or sharing the decision in an equal way is important too.
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_01: Don't know if that answered the question, Colleen, but it's uh Well, I'm asking these questions just to get you thinking about how these strains can serve you, have been, and can serve you well.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so there's no really right or wrong answer.
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but I I want to follow up on one of the things you just said about uh unconditionality.
• 23:00
  SPEAKER_01: You said, you know, maybe I need to turn it off, um, or something, you know, something like that.
• 23:05
  SPEAKER_01: And what that brings to my mind is that, you know, sometimes we do have strengths that are not going to be as useful as others in certain situations.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_01: Um and we could run the risk sometimes of overplaying a strength in in a scenario or in a context where it's not the healthiest of all the strengths for us to be using, or not the wisest of all the strengths for us to be using.
• 23:30
  SPEAKER_01: But because it's part of our set of values and our greatest superpowers, uh, it's hard to turn it off.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_01: But We can turn the volume down a little bit on a strength or two or three, you know, that maybe are not as necessary or as helpful in certain situations if we turn the volume up on another one or multiple of our other strengths that similarly we perform well and get energy from, but maybe have not been thinking about using as much in this particular challenge or opportunity area.
• 24:09
  SPEAKER_01: When you are potentially consciously using the information in an equal way, as you just said, um, but recognizing that you need to be a little more reserved with the information you have, or a little bit more aggressive, even in asking someone to be a little more accountable.
• 24:29
  SPEAKER_01: What other than unconditionality and equality are on your list that might come in handy?
• 24:34
  SPEAKER_00: But one that stands out to me right off the bat is like the relationship deepener.
• 24:38
  SPEAKER_00: With the with the unconditionality one, it's like accepting people for who they are.
• 24:43
  SPEAKER_00: One thing that was shared with me is that is when I've joined the leadership team, is that with leadership, you know, comes with great knowledge and and and um opportunity, I guess, right, to to be in certain conversations comes responsibility.
• 24:56
  SPEAKER_00: Um and it comes comes the weight of the responsibility, the weight of the decisions that may be made as a collective unit, as a team, or individually.
• 25:04
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that when I think of the unconditionality people, is like I can accept folks.
• 25:08
  SPEAKER_00: I'm I'm I love accepting people for who they are.
• 25:11
  SPEAKER_00: And sometimes there's moments to really dig in and deepen the relationships with certain people who may feel really on edge or uneasy about the decision because it may impacted them or may not land well with them.
• 25:24
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that that's one of the things I've kind of leaned on in the past is being able to read the room and understand where folks may not, where may folks may have additional questions or they may be like, I just don't understand why is this why this decision was made, or just want to have a space to kind of um, and that's where I think the relationship deepener is something I've done is like being able to reach out to those folks and just say, hey, I noticed that you had a lot of questions on that, on that call or in that meeting, or you know, as a result of this.
• 25:52
  SPEAKER_00: Like, do you want to talk about it?
• 25:53
  SPEAKER_00: What can I help?
• 25:54
  SPEAKER_00: If there's information I can share, I'd love to share it with you.
• 25:57
  SPEAKER_00: I'd love to figure out like then the optimism piece, I think is another one that there's strength that would come through is that I like to try to get people to think about what is possible, not what has happened, right?
• 26:07
  SPEAKER_00: And that I think is something that in those conversations, I've been able to rely on those those two strengths is like, let's really think about listening, understanding you better, deepening the relationship for knowing who you are, right?
• 26:20
  SPEAKER_00: And bring what you bring to the table.
• 26:22
  SPEAKER_00: And then can we end it in a place where it's like we feel optimistic about what is ahead of us as well?
• 26:28
  SPEAKER_00: Um, yeah.
• 26:29
  SPEAKER_00: I think Colleen, one of the things that stood out earlier that you made me really reflect on with the unconditionality and not turning off the switch, but kind of like turning the volume down.
• 26:39
  SPEAKER_00: I talk about my parents a lot, they're big inspiration.
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_00: But when before I got married, one of the things my parents really mentioned and brought up as like a good life lesson that I think is about turning it down is that they said when you get married, there's you're making this you're making a decision on three, not on two.
• 26:54
  SPEAKER_00: You're making a decision for me, for you, and for us.
• 26:57
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that, you know, in that conversation, they said that if two of the three, this and they've made a lot of life decisions for our family and over, you know, moving to seven different countries as a kid and all that, they had to make decisions on the family.
• 27:10
  SPEAKER_00: And sometimes when you're thinking in that framework, you have to turn down the volume in one area that you might feel really passionate about because it may not be the best decision for me, but it's the best decision for you, and it's a best decision for us.
• 27:24
  SPEAKER_00: Therefore, likely it will like I will be okay, right?
• 27:27
  SPEAKER_00: And things will work out.
• 27:28
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that that's something that I find myself going back to is like, how do I, at times in making bigger decisions, really think in a way that's like, it may not be best for me right now, or best for my wife, or you know, a colleague or whatever, but for the organization, it's the right move to move forward with.
• 27:44
  SPEAKER_00: Um and we can get behind it because this is where we're going.
• 27:47
  SPEAKER_01: That seems like such a great example of your optimism strength and your improver strength and your enabler strength and you know, whole a whole host of them in wrapped up in the way that you think about and would be positioning the situation.
• 28:05
  SPEAKER_01: I love that.
• 28:06
  SPEAKER_01: You, me, and us.
• 28:07
  SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna remember that, use that in my work and in my own life.
• 28:12
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 28:13
  SPEAKER_00: I tell you, like it, it's it for my wife and I, you know, taking it to a personal, like it has truly been something that we've been in moments where we were gone back and forth on a decision, and you know, but I feel this way and you feel this way.
• 28:24
  SPEAKER_00: And it's like, okay, let's pause and let's understand what's good for you, what's good for me, and then what's good for us.
• 28:29
  SPEAKER_00: And now that we have kids, and and it really does allow you to say if two of the three are in favor, and it's that it's probably a good decision.
• 28:37
  SPEAKER_00: If two of the three, it's not a good decision, you're probably making the right move by not doing that.
• 28:42
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and there's been times at work that I've used it, right?
• 28:45
  SPEAKER_00: Like for me or for the the colleague, and then for us as an organization.
• 28:48
  SPEAKER_01: And thank you so much for sharing that because I suspect that's gonna be one of the things that people say they like most about this particular podcast conversation, uh, is that is that real little sort of rule of thumb or guidance.
• 28:59
  SPEAKER_01: All right, so I'm gonna switch this gears just a little bit here.
• 29:03
  SPEAKER_01: And um, I sent you a set of introspective daily strength cards.
• 29:10
  SPEAKER_00: Well, Colleen, I'm gonna say I have pulled one every day since I got them.
• 29:14
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, if I can, the few that I've pulled so far, adaptable, centered, and connector, the three that I are at the top of my pile.
• 29:22
  SPEAKER_00: I've not pulled today's yet.
• 29:24
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, all right.
• 29:25
  SPEAKER_00: Emotional awareness is the one that came up today, and I'll read it to you now.
• 29:29
  SPEAKER_00: So the in what situation can I be more thoughtful of others' emotions?
• 29:35
  SPEAKER_00: And then the quote is what really matters for success, character, happiness, and lifelong achievements is a definite set of emotional skills, your EQ, not just your IQ.
• 29:49
  SPEAKER_00: And it was Daniel Coleman.
• 29:50
  SPEAKER_01: All right.
• 29:51
  SPEAKER_01: So as you are pondering the quote and the question there in front of you, what might these mean for you right now in this season of your leadership?
• 30:03
  SPEAKER_00: The the first thing that comes to mind in a like work setting for this one is um this is one that I think, for me at least, doesn't stand out alone.
• 30:15
  SPEAKER_00: Like gratitude, I think is one that can just pretty high on my on my realized strengths.
• 30:19
  SPEAKER_00: It's something I find that I can just like operate on its own in some way.
• 30:23
  SPEAKER_00: I feel like emotional awareness needs to have other strengths associated with it.
• 30:28
  SPEAKER_00: And that's where I can really let it come out and show up more.
• 30:32
  SPEAKER_00: But in what situation can I be more thoughtful of others' emotions?
• 30:36
  SPEAKER_00: I think I'll just say like it's very generic, but in every decision and the way that information is rolled out or decisions are rolled out, really thinking about how it is going to impact folks emotionally, whether it's one-on-one individuals or um larger groups of people.
• 30:53
  SPEAKER_00: One area that I find that I I lean on this and think about this a lot is um when giving someone feedback that might be viewed as like what we call constructive feedback, right?
• 31:04
  SPEAKER_00: Like maybe your change that may need to happen is how can I be more thoughtful of like the how the how that piece of information or recommendation or coaching moment might be might land with somebody else and what their emotional, you know, what their emotions may be as a result of it.
• 31:20
  SPEAKER_00: Being that I'm a rapport builder, I love making people upset.
• 31:26
  SPEAKER_00: Um, it's de-energizing to me.
• 31:28
  SPEAKER_00: And so this, I think the emotional awareness one is where I really like think about it a lot, is like if somebody seems upset at the end of a conversation or feedback, it it is definitely one I leave and reflect on and then come back to try to I think resolve or somewhere on there.
• 31:44
  SPEAKER_00: Then come back and think about how I can resolve the emotion if need be.
• 31:49
  SPEAKER_00: And I will also say that I think sometimes as a I have felt that sometimes you have to just be able to let that uncomfortable moment be uncomfortable at times.
• 31:59
  SPEAKER_00: I can't make everybody happy all the time.
• 32:00
  SPEAKER_00: And that's part of part of, I think, being a leader and part of ensuring that the organization and the work that we have to do needs to continue to move forward.
• 32:09
  SPEAKER_01: That almost feels like it could be a a summation of the two topics that you want to talk about today, you know, the transition and managing uh relationships with people who were maybe formerly your stakeholders or your peers or your manager, um that you can't make everybody happy, but as long as you're emotionally aware and you're sensitive to it and you're reacting in ways that are that use your compassion strength.
• 32:35
  SPEAKER_01: You said to me in the little questionnaire you filled out before our conversation today that you really want to learn to be a leader in your own way, not someone else's version of leadership.
• 32:46
  SPEAKER_01: What does that in your own way of leadership mean for you right now?
• 32:51
  SPEAKER_01: What does leading in your own way actually look like using your unique strengths?
• 32:57
  SPEAKER_00: The the first like thing that comes to my mind in this is, and I am gonna think about this question now, just letting you know, Colleen.
• 33:05
  SPEAKER_00: Good.
• 33:05
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 33:06
  SPEAKER_00: Great.
• 33:06
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, but but the first thing that comes to my mind is what feels most energizing and exciting to me and an area that I can like lead really lean on the realized and unrealized strengths that we've talked about is people first, like people-centered leadership, right?
• 33:23
  SPEAKER_00: Really focused on how do I build really strong relationships with folks, how do I create the space of energizing, exciting ideas that can be led by people because they're energized as well.
• 33:37
  SPEAKER_00: And then hopefully through that, results follow.
• 33:41
  SPEAKER_00: And I have found, and this I think is one of the reasons why I bring up the the challenge of last of this last year, is that it had to be so results driven in making sure that there were certain outcomes that we had as an organ for our organization, you know, to move into this transition.
• 33:57
  SPEAKER_00: That's the place I want to lean into more.
• 33:59
  SPEAKER_00: Is like, how do I get to a people-centered, like how to really build those relationships with folks so that we all feel accountable and connected for the next phase of where we're at.
• 34:09
  SPEAKER_00: And so it's very heavy, heavy on the relationship side, and which is tough to do in this in this digital era that we're in at times.
• 34:16
  SPEAKER_00: And but that's what I would say.
• 34:17
  SPEAKER_01: Well, and those are your those are your superpowers, right?
• 34:21
  SPEAKER_01: So um, if you're gonna be the best version of yourself and grow the fastest and make the greatest impact, it's for you and for everybody, it's our areas of greatest strength where we where we perform the best, where we feel the most natural, where it comes to us easily, where it's almost our common sense.
• 34:38
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so I'm glad to hear you recognize that for yourself.
• 34:43
  SPEAKER_01: So, yeah, thank you very much for the um thoughtfulness and the vulnerability and for thinking out loud so that people who are listening to this can learn from you and also consider how they might use their strengths more strategically.
• 35:01
  SPEAKER_01: That's what this is really all about.
• 35:02
  SPEAKER_01: So I appreciate you coming along and being a guinea pig and hopefully a recipient today, too.
• 35:09
  SPEAKER_00: No, massively, Colleen.
• 35:11
  SPEAKER_00: And thank you.
• 35:11
  SPEAKER_00: And I I think you know, the big, the big thing I'll add to that last question is um I truly feel as though going through this process has allowed me to understand more about what I can lean into because it's a realized or unrealized strength of mine.
• 35:25
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that the next phase for me is how do I understand this about the people that I'm that I'm supporting in their leadership growth and their journey?
• 35:35
  SPEAKER_00: Because then I can be more connected to like what is my strength of connecting to them can then connect to them where their strengths lie, not in what I think they may be excited about.
• 35:45
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm eager to figure out a way to get everybody on my team and others involved in this process too.
• 35:50
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, huge thank you to you, Colleen.
• 35:53
  SPEAKER_00: This has been a highlight of my week so far.
• 35:55
  SPEAKER_00: So thank you for for this.
• 35:57
  SPEAKER_01: Good.
• 35:57
  SPEAKER_01: Good.
• 35:58
  SPEAKER_01: Well, and I'm happy to help you with your team too.
• 36:00
  SPEAKER_01: As you listen to Alad today, you may have recognized something in yourself: a strength you rely on, a relationship you've been navigating differently now that your role has changed, or a decision that you've been wrestling with.
• 36:14
  SPEAKER_01: What stayed with me was the framework Alad carries from his parents that the best decisions aren't made for one person but for three.
• 36:25
  SPEAKER_01: You, me, and us.
• 36:28
  SPEAKER_01: It's a pretty simple idea.
• 36:30
  SPEAKER_01: But in the hands of a leader with Alad strengths, his unconditionality, his deep commitment to fairness, his instinct to connect, this becomes something much more powerful than a decision-making tool.
• 36:45
  SPEAKER_01: It becomes a way of leading.
• 36:47
  SPEAKER_01: In the show notes, you'll find a link to Alad's incredible nonprofit build-on, a link to the strengths profile assessment he took, and information about the introspective cards.
• 36:58
  SPEAKER_01: These are a simple way to stay connected to your strengths each day.
• 37:02
  SPEAKER_01: So thanks for listening to the Strength Callous podcast.
• 37:06
  SPEAKER_01: And until next time, keep leaning into your strengths and using them wisely.