Latest / Daily Influence / 836. How Intentional Leadership Builds Culture, Retention, and Results with Alicia Hughes

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836. How Intentional Leadership Builds Culture, Retention, and Results with Alicia Hughes · Daily Influence

• 0:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to Daily Influence, your daily dose of positive influence.
• 0:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm Brian Smith founder of IA Business Advisors and co-author of the Iain team series.
• 0:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: Each day we share stories and insights to help you find be and build your influence in a positive and responsible way.
• 0:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I'm Greg Clino, partner at IA Business Advisors, and co-host of Daily Influence.
• 0:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: Be sure to follow, subscribe, and share Daily Influence with someone who could use a little extra positivity today.
• 0:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: And make us part of your Daily routine, whether it's during your commute, on a walk, or an quiet moment just for you, because you're influenced matters.
• 0:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: Welcome to Daily Influence, I'm Grecollino.
• 0:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: Today, I'm joined by Alicia Hughes, an educator, executive leader, author, TEDx speaker, and leadership expert whose career demonstrates what can happen when people and culture become genuine leadership priorities.
• 1:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: Alicia has served as a teacher, principal, and executive director.
• 1:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: leading organizations through significant growth and change.
• 1:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: Along the way she achieved a remarkable 97% staff retention rate while leading a team at 260 people and help take a school's graduation rate from 30 to 90%.
• 1:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: That is unbelievable.
• 1:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: But what Alicia says she is most proud of isn't a number.
• 1:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's creating environments where people felt included, valued, and cared for.
• 1:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: Her work today focuses on leadership, relationship building, and the small intentional actions that can bring more connection and joy into the way we work and lead.
• 1:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: Alicia, welcome to Daily Influence.
• 2:00
  [SPEAKER_02]: Thank you so much.
• 2:01
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'm excited to be here today.
• 2:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm excited to have you, too.
• 2:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: When you look across that journey, what experiences most shaped your belief that creating a culture where people can feel included and cared for is not separate from achieving results, but is actually part of how you achieve them.
• 2:20
  [SPEAKER_02]: It started literally from the first day of my professional career in my classroom.
• 2:26
  [SPEAKER_02]: I knew right away if those kids didn't feel like I loved them cared for them and had their best interest at heart.
• 2:34
  [SPEAKER_02]: There was going to be no learning going on.
• 2:35
  [SPEAKER_02]: I was teaching middle school.
• 2:37
  [SPEAKER_02]: So you can imagine, you know, middle school, the emotions and the hormones and all the things.
• 2:42
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I knew when I stepped into that room, not that I had to get the kids to like me.
• 2:47
  [SPEAKER_02]: That's not what it's about.
• 2:49
  [SPEAKER_02]: I had to get them to know that I really wanted what was best for them.
• 2:53
  [SPEAKER_02]: And that made all the difference in my eighth grade classroom.
• 2:57
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I translated that same belief into my leadership roles as Assistant Principal Principal
• 3:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: What stands out about your story is that this philosophy didn't just create a positive environment.
• 3:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: It produced measurable outcomes.
• 3:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: You achieved the 97% retention rate with staff of 260 and help move a school's graduation rate from 30 to 90%.
• 3:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: Those are significant outcomes.
• 3:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: If another leader wanted to learn from what you did, what were the two or three specific leadership behaviors or systems that contributed most to those results and how did you know they were working?
• 3:40
  [SPEAKER_02]: I will tell you this, Greg.
• 3:42
  [SPEAKER_02]: When I stepped into my leadership role, we had all kinds of initiatives and practices and processes all over the place.
• 3:51
  [SPEAKER_02]: Just everywhere, here, there, everywhere.
• 3:53
  [SPEAKER_02]: No one knew what to do or where to put their focus.
• 3:56
  [SPEAKER_02]: And when I stepped into my role, I said, listen, we are gonna simplify this.
• 4:00
  [SPEAKER_02]: We are gonna just go back to the basics and we are just going to care about our students and care about each other.
• 4:08
  [SPEAKER_02]: And then we're going to worry about all these other things.
• 4:10
  [SPEAKER_02]: So let's just keep it simple.
• 4:12
  [SPEAKER_02]: And we went really, really, really narrow and simplified what we were doing and every time someone made a decision, they had to first answer the question,
• 4:23
  [SPEAKER_02]: is this in the best interest of that student or that staff member or my colleague, whatever it was, is this in their best interest?
• 4:31
  [SPEAKER_02]: And if they could say yes, they could keep going.
• 4:33
  [SPEAKER_02]: We simplified to that mission and that is when the big changes started to happen.
• 4:39
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I know that sounds like, oh, come on Alicia, like that really made you go from 30% to 90%.
• 4:46
  [SPEAKER_02]: Of course there were other things involved right once we got our momentum going okay we're going to add in this practice we're going to add in that practice but we started with that simple concept got everybody on board and then began to add back in practices procedures that would continue that mission forward.
• 5:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: of that is great advice and the numbers tell us something important, but leadership often becomes most real when we see it's effect on one individual.
• 5:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: Can you share one person, conversation, or moment when you realize that something you had intentionally done as a leader had affected someone far beyond what you expected?
• 5:25
  [SPEAKER_02]: Yes.
• 5:26
  [SPEAKER_02]: So I had one staff member.
• 5:30
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'll call him a negative Ned.
• 5:32
  [SPEAKER_02]: He never, ever believed in anything.
• 5:36
  [SPEAKER_02]: He was grumpy.
• 5:37
  [SPEAKER_02]: He was, you know, if I said the sky's blue, he's going to tell me it's, you know, purple.
• 5:42
  [SPEAKER_02]: If I said we're going to do this practice, he was going to tell me why it wasn't going to work.
• 5:47
  [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, everything was negative with him and so I made it my mission to bring him sunshine and rainbows and positivity and sparkle and happiness whenever I could and I didn't go out and say hey negative net I'm giving you some confetti today but I would just go out of my way to be kind and happy and joyful when I saw him and I would insert little tiny
• 6:11
  [SPEAKER_02]: phrases if you will right like when we were talking if he said the sky is not literally it's purple and i would say well i hate to choose think that i am so you know that just makes me so sad that you would think that and but you know what that's okay we all have differences of opinions but you know until i try to reframe thinking
• 6:31
  [SPEAKER_02]: took years to take years, but he came to me years later and said, at least I have to thank you.
• 6:38
  [SPEAKER_02]: I had such a terrible attitude for so long.
• 6:41
  [SPEAKER_02]: It was affecting my marriage, it was affecting my teaching, it was affecting my children, my relationships with my children, and I just finally had to say, why am I being so negative all the time?
• 6:52
  [SPEAKER_02]: He came to me with that idea, and I, I mean, that almost makes me happier than the 90% graduation rate, right, that I could impact his life in such a way, just by being myself, but with a little bit more intentionality to try to bring him that sparkle and that joy.
• 7:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: I love that and sounds like not only did you just have an amazingly positive influence on him, but here he went on you as well.
• 7:16
  [SPEAKER_02]: He sure did.
• 7:17
  [SPEAKER_02]: He did because, and I've got to tell you, I'll tell this on a story.
• 7:20
  [SPEAKER_02]: I would see him come and, and I'd be like, oh, oh.
• 7:25
  [SPEAKER_02]: In turnally, in turnally, I would be like, I do not want to talk to him right now.
• 7:28
  [SPEAKER_02]: He's going to bring me down.
• 7:29
  [SPEAKER_02]: He's going to bring me down.
• 7:31
  [SPEAKER_02]: But I would put on my happy face, and I would just go and be all my sparkly self.
• 7:36
  [SPEAKER_02]: And, you know, it did.
• 7:39
  [SPEAKER_02]: It had an impact on me too, because I could feel that shift change it.
• 7:42
  [SPEAKER_02]: I would see him come in, you know,
• 7:45
  [SPEAKER_02]: Okay, it's not so bad.
• 7:46
  [SPEAKER_02]: And then by the time you know, we've been together while I was like, I can't enjoy talking to him.
• 7:52
  [SPEAKER_02]: So it was, it was a full circle moment that I think we both realized, you know, that this, this is a good way to be and work together.
• 8:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and those moments can affirm what we're doing is right.
• 8:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: And but some of our most valuable leadership lessons come from the moments when we get it wrong, can you tell me about a leadership decision interaction or approach that didn't create impact you intended.
• 8:18
  [SPEAKER_02]: So I was at that role a long time.
• 8:22
  [SPEAKER_02]: So I can't remember, great specifically what the decision was.
• 8:28
  [SPEAKER_02]: But I made a decision, and it was a complete dumpster fire, pretty much from the get-go.
• 8:33
  [SPEAKER_02]: I can't even remember what it was, but here's what I do remember.
• 8:37
  [SPEAKER_02]: Everybody hated it, everybody was mad, everybody was complaining to me all the time.
• 8:41
  [SPEAKER_02]: And so after a few months of trying and reiterating and doing all the things,
• 8:47
  [SPEAKER_02]: I looked at my staff and I said, okay, we're done here.
• 8:50
  [SPEAKER_02]: We are done here and to symbolize being done with this process.
• 8:54
  [SPEAKER_02]: I got a pinata and I think wrote on the pinata whatever again, I wish I could remember what it was that I tried to change, but whatever that was, I wrote it on the side of the pinata, I gave them a stick, I lined them up and I said, and we're going to beat this thing to death.
• 9:09
  [SPEAKER_02]: We are done with this process and you're going to be rewarded with candy at the end of it.
• 9:14
  [SPEAKER_02]: And those people took out their frustrations of that process on that pinata, like you've
• 9:22
  [SPEAKER_02]: It showed that I was human that I was willing to say this, this didn't work.
• 9:26
  [SPEAKER_02]: I thought I was going to work.
• 9:27
  [SPEAKER_02]: I believed in it.
• 9:28
  [SPEAKER_02]: You all gave it a try.
• 9:29
  [SPEAKER_02]: You gave me feedback.
• 9:30
  [SPEAKER_02]: I listened to your feedback.
• 9:32
  [SPEAKER_02]: And now we're going to put it to bed.
• 9:34
  [SPEAKER_02]: And we're going to put it to bed with a big bang, a whole little big bang of the pinata.
• 9:39
  [SPEAKER_02]: And we're going to move forward.
• 9:40
  [SPEAKER_02]: We're going to celebrate that we tried.
• 9:42
  [SPEAKER_02]: That we did try.
• 9:43
  [SPEAKER_02]: We're going to celebrate with candy.
• 9:45
  [SPEAKER_02]: It didn't work.
• 9:45
  [SPEAKER_02]: It was a disaster.
• 9:47
  [SPEAKER_02]: But we're still going to celebrate that we gave it our best effort.
• 9:49
  [SPEAKER_02]: And then we're going to put it
• 9:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: That is a great way to do that and that leads to my next question where you talk about finding small ways to fill your cup with joy and bringing joy to the people you work with.
• 10:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: In business, words like joy can sometimes sound abstract.
• 10:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: So make this practical for us.
• 10:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: What does intentional joy look like as a leadership practice?
• 10:16
  [SPEAKER_02]: I used to say to my staff all the time you've got to surround yourself with things that make you happy because we are as educators we were in sometimes a very dark role you're dealing with some big things coming from your students that make your set make you so sad and break your heart and so you've got to find things that bring you joy and I've worked in this office for many years that you can see that.
• 10:42
  [SPEAKER_02]: paper right back here that I can see as I'm looking on the zoom call that wallpaper brings me such happiness such happiness.
• 10:51
  [SPEAKER_02]: So even if I was on a tough call or I was, you know, something that happened in my personal life and I'm walking into this office carrying it with me.
• 11:00
  [SPEAKER_02]: That little wallpaper, it's not solving the problems, right?
• 11:03
  [SPEAKER_02]: It's not taking anything away, but it just
• 11:09
  [SPEAKER_02]: and so surround in yourself with things that make you happy.
• 11:12
  [SPEAKER_02]: That's just one little thing to help bring that little spark of joy into the workplace.
• 11:19
  [SPEAKER_02]: And then finding ways and breaks that throughout the workday you can look forward to.
• 11:27
  [SPEAKER_02]: So maybe you're going to take a walk around the block on your lunch break.
• 11:30
  [SPEAKER_02]: Or maybe you're going to get down on the floor and do some sit-ups if that's your thing.
• 11:34
  [SPEAKER_02]: Whatever it is, but build those into your workday when you have those breaks.
• 11:38
  [SPEAKER_02]: So you have those moments to look forward to that can fill your cup throughout the day.
• 11:43
  [SPEAKER_02]: So those just two quick ones.
• 11:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: I want to stay with those small behaviors because your work makes an important point.
• 11:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: Cultures often created through hundreds of seemingly insignificant interactions.
• 11:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: If a leader listening today realizes I need to be more intentional about the culture I'm creating, can you give us a simple framework they can use?
• 12:04
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I think it starts right there with what I just described.
• 12:09
  [SPEAKER_02]: If you are wanting to build that joy into your culture, maybe that's
• 12:13
  [SPEAKER_02]: You know, you feel like your office is not sparkly to use one of my favorite words or down Trun or people are just hating coming in.
• 12:23
  [SPEAKER_02]: Start with that practice.
• 12:25
  [SPEAKER_02]: Start with the we are going to intentionally find ways to bring in joy and happiness.
• 12:30
  [SPEAKER_02]: And so tell people, stop right now, get out your calendars, whether it's on your phone or your computer, block 30 minutes and fill it with something that is going to bring you happiness.
• 12:40
  [SPEAKER_02]: Bring in little treats.
• 12:42
  [SPEAKER_02]: I know that sounds silly, right?
• 12:43
  [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, you can't your deep despair and unhappiness with the Starbucks, but you know what?
• 12:51
  [SPEAKER_02]: Someone might remember, she brought me my favorite coffee one day.
• 12:54
  [SPEAKER_02]: Oh, well, she's on my side.
• 12:57
  [SPEAKER_02]: So starting with those small little intentional ways to celebrate, build them into your practice, build them into what you do every day.
• 13:06
  [SPEAKER_02]: So it becomes normal.
• 13:08
  [SPEAKER_02]: And it's not going to fix things overnight.
• 13:10
  [SPEAKER_02]: It's not going to change the culture, you know, you bring someone to coffee all the sudden they're sunshine and rainbows forever, right?
• 13:16
  [SPEAKER_02]: I told the story of my negative net.
• 13:18
  [SPEAKER_02]: It took years to get to that point with him.
• 13:20
  [SPEAKER_02]: But it starts small and it builds on itself.
• 13:24
  [SPEAKER_02]: And me bringing you a coffee might make you bring your colleague right next to a coffee in a few days and then suddenly it's spread.
• 13:31
  [SPEAKER_02]: So the small intentional steps,
• 13:33
  [SPEAKER_02]: Put them on your calendar, start there, start small, start manageable, and then build into the bigger celebrations, the bigger moments, the bigger opportunities to really celebrate what you've created.
• 13:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's great advice.
• 13:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: And if you could sit down with your younger self at the beginning of your leadership journey, what would you tell her about influence that you had
• 14:01
  [SPEAKER_02]: I started my career as a teacher saying these words, Greg.
• 14:06
  [SPEAKER_02]: I will never be an administrator.
• 14:08
  [SPEAKER_02]: I started with those words.
• 14:09
  [SPEAKER_02]: I am never, I am just going to teach teach teach and that's all I'm going to do.
• 14:14
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I wish I hadn't thought of leadership as a title.
• 14:20
  [SPEAKER_02]: because I did for a long time.
• 14:22
  [SPEAKER_02]: I remained as a teacher for the first 13 years of my career.
• 14:26
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I was a leader as a teacher.
• 14:28
  [SPEAKER_02]: I was the school newspaper lead.
• 14:31
  [SPEAKER_02]: I was the student council lead.
• 14:33
  [SPEAKER_02]: I was the department chair lead.
• 14:34
  [SPEAKER_02]: You know all the things.
• 14:36
  [SPEAKER_02]: But I never thought of myself as a leader and how my influence was impacting others.
• 14:41
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I wish I could tell myself, you don't need a title.
• 14:45
  [SPEAKER_02]: You don't need you are a leader in your actions and your behaviors and in what you do that people see and don't see.
• 14:52
  [SPEAKER_02]: So don't think that it is tied to a title.
• 14:55
  [SPEAKER_02]: Take that opportunity to lead others into different experiences that they might not
• 15:04
  [SPEAKER_02]: And don't shut doors by saying, I'm never going to be a leader.
• 15:08
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'm never going to be a leader.
• 15:09
  [SPEAKER_02]: Just allow things to happen as they do and don't close doors, make statements and just see where the world takes you.
• 15:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's great advice, Alicia, thank you for joining me and reminding us that leadership isn't only reflected in the big decisions we make, it's also reflected in the culture we create and the way people feel after interacting with us, if our listeners want to get in touch with you, what is the best way to do so.
• 15:37
  [SPEAKER_02]: Well, I would definitely say my LinkedIn page.
• 15:39
  [SPEAKER_02]: It's Alicia Victoria Hughes.
• 15:41
  [SPEAKER_02]: And that's where you can find me on LinkedIn.
• 15:44
  [SPEAKER_02]: But my email is Alicia at sparkingupleadership.com.
• 15:48
  [SPEAKER_02]: So either of those would be a great way to reach out.
• 15:50
  [SPEAKER_02]: I would love to hear from anyone who wants to hear more.
• 15:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: Perfect.
• 15:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: We'll put that information in the show notes.
• 15:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you so much for sharing your stories and advice and your sparkle with us.
• 16:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm so grateful for you, Alicia.
• 16:03
  [SPEAKER_02]: Well, I have enjoyed being here, Greg, I appreciate this opportunity to chat with you on your audience today.
• 16:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: In to everyone listening, your influence is happening, whether you're thinking about it or not.
• 16:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: So today, choose one person and one intentional action.
• 16:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: Recognize them, listen more carefully, offer encouragement, or simply make sure they know their contribution matters.
• 16:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: Small actions may not feel significant in the moment, but repeated consistently,
• 16:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: organizations and communities.
• 16:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's your opportunity for daily influence.
• 16:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you for joining us today.
• 16:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: Help us spread the positivity by subscribing and sharing daily influence.
• 16:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: Remember small actions create big impact.
• 16:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: Keep showing up, reading, and growing one day to time.
• 16:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: Until next time, stay inspired and keep having a positive, responsible influence.
• 17:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: Bye bye.