Make time for important conversations before adversity hits

Tennis great Roger Federer gave a leadership masterclass in his recent speech to Dartmouth College graduates, which consultant and author Justin Bariso sums up in 14 words: "Effortless is a myth," "It's only a point" and "Life is bigger than the court." In his speech, Federer talked about the years of work it takes to make your job look easy, how to play the long game instead of focusing on short-term losses and why it's good to have a life outside of your primary career.

Put it into practice: Even top-ranked tennis players only win "barely more than half of the points they play," Federer said, which means top leaders don't "dwell on every shot" and instead look for long-term success. "You move on, be relentless, adapt and grow," Federer concluded.

Businesses face a never-ending barrage of challenges and uncertainty, and proactively engaging in discussions with your team can build the resilience and readiness needed to respond when adversity hits, writes author and communication specialist Leah Mether. Striking a balance between optimism and reality, or "hoping for the best while preparing for the worst," is critical when facing the unknown, and prior discussions that establish a shared vision and purpose can serve as a guide amid adversity.

Put it into practice: Initiate an open dialogue using strategic questions, some examples of which are provided by Mether, to unearth insights and concerns from your team. The more you understand their fears and frustrations, the better you'll be able to lead through difficult situations.

Leaders can connect with coworkers by being interested and engaging, and forging connections can help cultivate trust, improve collaboration and ultimately boost productivity, write Karin Hurt and David Dye of Let's Grow Leaders. Even if personal connections don't come easily to you, there are quick, effortless ways to connect with others, such as asking follow-up questions and sharing personal experiences, they advise.

Put it into practice: Next time you ask a coworker a simple question about their weekend or day, plan on asking a couple of follow-up questions to engage further, and even insert an anecdote from your own life to help foster a connection, Hurt and Dye recommend. "It doesn't take long to make a quick human connection."

Omnicom CEO John Wren shares his thoughts on why generative AI will not displace human creativity. "When you can establish a true union between humans and machines, this technology can have a multiplier effect on creativity that leads to better ideas and solutions," Wren writes, noting, "As everyone is deploying the same tools, creativity is what will make some work stand out from the rest."

Researchers used AI to analyze the calls of wild African savanna elephants in Kenya and learned that the animals invent names for each other, respond to their own names and ignore the sound of different elephants' names. Dolphins and parakeets will mimic calls to address others of their own species, but the elephants called each other using unique trumpeting and rumbling patterns, researchers reported in Nature Ecology & Evolution.

Cindy C. sent in this photo of Baby, her Chiweenie, posing among the Texas bluebonnets. "Everyone knows her on our Teams calls," Cindy notes. I'm sure nobody puts this baby in a corner!

What non-humans (with our without fur) keep you company while working from home, or greet you when you return from the office? Send me a photo to share!

I am not big on small talk. I don't know what to say to make a connection, so I'm glad that Karin Hurt and David Dye are there to rescue me (and those like me) in this situation.

Having topics at hand, such as how others spent their weekend, what hobbies or projects they're pursuing outside of work and where they've traveled, along with some follow-up questions, can be a way to build trust and connection. Of course, motive plays into this, as well, because you want to truly listen to their answers and be interested in what's going on with them. Don't use small talk as a tool to get to the "real" conversation. Instead, see it as a way to make a genuine bond and find commonality with a teammate.

Don't make it a one-way street, either. Share a bit about yourself, too, but don't go overboard.

"Think about how you can be both interested in your coworkers and an interesting person they enjoy being around," Hurt and Dye advise.

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What topics do you see in your daily work that I should know about? Do you have praise? Criticism? Drop me a note. And don't forget to send me photos of your pets, your office and where you spend your time off.