Focus on these 3 areas to keep executives safe

Instead of putting your more reticent team members on the spot during meetings by calling on them, change up meeting formats to match how they like to participate, support them when they do speak up and create the psychological safety everyone needs to share their ideas, writes David Burkus, an author and organizational psychologist. "Over time, you'll see not just one employee speaking up more but a cultural shift where every voice is heard -- and valued," Burkus writes.

Put it into practice: If a quiet employee approaches you after a meeting with an idea, praise them for it and encourage them to share it at the next meeting, Burkus writes. "This two-step process -- private encouragement followed by public amplification -- builds their confidence and strengthens their connection to the team."

Don't go it alone. Eighty-five percent of you report that you could be better at asking for help (with a whopping 43% admitting you're not good or are terrible at asking for help). If you're in this majority, ask yourself why you're not good at asking for help. Is it that you're unaware that you need help? Or that you don't know who to go to for help? Or is it more about ego, pride and unwillingness to admit you can't handle something? Then ask yourself what's worse -- asking for help or failing at a task and needing to ask for help after you fail. The answer should be pretty obvious.

Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness. It's a sign of maturity that demonstrates you know your limitations and you trust those around you enough to enlist their aid in solving a problem. Maybe if we all get better at asking for help, we'll solve more problems and build stronger relationships in the process.

-- Mike Figliuolo is managing director of thoughtLEADERS, which includes TITAN -- the firm's e-learning platform. Previously, he worked at McKinsey & Co., Capital One and Scotts Miracle-Gro. He is a West Point graduate and author of three leadership books: "One Piece of Paper," "Lead Inside the Box" and "The Elegant Pitch."

A new documentary film chronicles the challenges and triumphs of the Houston Herricanes, an all-woman full-tackle football team that played in the 1970s, and filmmaker Olivia Kuan, whose mother played for the Herricanes, says she learned a lot about leadership, community and sticking with your dreams as she interviewed the surviving players. "This lesson for me was that leadership doesn't always come from ambition. A leader can be anyone who turns a dream into reality."

A pair of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in "The Wizard of Oz" sold for $32.5 million at a Heritage Auctions event, setting a record for movie memorabilia. The slippers, one of four surviving pairs, were previously stolen from the Judy Garland Museum and recovered by the FBI in 2018.

In yesterday's SmartBrief on Leadership, the name of Kim Markus, the senior director at Inspire PR Group, was misspelled as "Marcus" instead of "Markus." SmartBrief regrets the error.

I am one of those "quiet employees" David Burkus talks about in his article, and some of the advice he gives is solid for those like me who are hesitant to speak up, especially in a meeting where the attention can feel intimidating.

I like to follow up with my boss after a meeting (or beforehand if I know we're covering specific topics) to offer my take on things. I am more likely to speak up if my boss does what Burkus recommends -- praising me for the idea and asking if I'll bring it up at the next meeting.

It's crucial to follow Burkus' next suggestion if a quiet employee does speak up: amplify their idea (don't gloss over it) to make sure they feel respected and recognized. Doing this enough times may be all it takes to get them to speak up consistently, and other shy team members may soon follow suit!

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