Disruptive leaders are needed, but chaos is not

High-performing teams need a "Couth Code" or a formal agreement outlining what they expect from one another in the way of professional courtesies in communication and actions, write Karin Hurt and David Dye. Begin the process by identifying behaviors that cause friction, listing habits that will help the team succeed and leading by example after the code is created, Hurt and Dye write.

Put it into practice: The goal of the "Couth Code" isn't to nitpick and define every expected behavior, but to create clarity on what makes for good teamwork, Hurt and Dye write. "When people know the rules of the game, it's easier to play -- and win -- together."

Kirk Tanner, who became Wendy's CEO last year after building a long career at PepsiCo, says he sees his leadership style as a team builder, bringing diverse members together so they can sharpen each other. "I love to have a team that debates both sides -- part of the team debates one side, the other part of the team debates another, and you come up with a third way," Tanner says.

A study published in JNeurosci explores differences between human and chimpanzee brains. It reveals that while the prefrontal cortex shows more connectivity in humans, the temporal cortex is even more distinct, processing sensory information and language. Co-author Rogier Mars notes that these differences reflect humans' social and cooperative nature, emphasizing that no single factor defines human uniqueness.

I started my radio career at the age of 17 when I was hired at a local AM/FM combo in northeast Georgia. The owners of the radio station had been my neighbors for years. They knew me and took a chance on me.

While working there, I met the news director of a station in a nearby city who had been hired to fill in for a vacationing on-air personality. He and I hit it off, and within that year, he advocated for his station to hire me as a news reporter.

I was barely in my 20s at the time and had never heard of someone being your "sponsor," as Art Petty writes about. But I had stumbled my way into a radio career thanks to two of them -- the owner of the first station I worked for and this news director. Both saw potential in me, and they wanted to help me get my career underway.

My second sponsor also became my mentor, teaching me the fine art of radio news. Then, a few years later, he helped me break into the Atlanta radio market by recommending me for another news reporting job. By then, I had a strong reporting portfolio, including a few Associated Press awards.

Petty is right; mentors are great to have, but sponsors are how you grow your career. I stumbled upon mine, but after that, I began to cultivate them using the method Petty suggests. Identify who the power players are, get to know them and let them get to know your work. Look for opportunities to put yourself in the room when decisions are being made and advocate for yourself.

As Petty notes: "Sponsors back you because they perceive you can meet their need for results. They take chances on you because they trust you to deliver."

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