TALENT TOPICS
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aligned with personal values, and where meaning and
purpose are acknowledged.
Collaboration: A space for collaboration and cross-polli-
nation of ideas.
Gratitude: An environment that is built on the sensibil-
ity of “we get to do this” instead of “we have to do this.”
Strength-Seekers: An environment where people feel
encouraged to work within their strengths and are con-
fident delegating to others when they are out of their
‘zone of genius.’
Flow: An atmosphere where genius is encouraged and
engagement is employed.
Feed Forward: A space where mistakes are viewed as
data and rejections are viewed as research. The failures
of the past feed the information of the future.
Accomplishments: A workplace where accomplish-
ments are celebrated and appreciation is shown in the
moment, without reservation.
Step 4: Go with the Flow
We are in an attention economy, and Gallup statistics
show that 70 percent of the workforce is disengaged. The
cost of that disengagement to the United States alone is
worth over US$500 billion. However, when we are “in flow”
and fully engaged—and when you create an environment
where your team can be “in flow”—your team will be 87
percent less likely to look elsewhere for a job and your
revenue will increase 2.5 percent (Gallup).
When each team member is in their genius zone, you
can see it. Their body language changes. Their eyes light
up. They become fully engaged, and distraction is no
longer a problem. They are “in flow.” The flow state was
first named by Hungarian-American psychologist Mihaly
Csikszentmihalyi, and it is the Goldilocks sweet-spot of
productivity. You’ve hopefully felt flow before: it’s that ex-
citing state of being immersed in and focused by your
work. Ultimately, flow feels energizing when you are in it.
Flow is the place where the work you do is not so easy
that you become bored, yet it is not so difficult you be-
come anxious—it is “just right,” and you become unstop-
pable.
To notice what brings you into a flow state, think about
the last time you felt time disappear. Now, ask yourself
these four follow-up questions:
l Where was I?
l Who was I with?
l What was I doing?
l How did I feel?
This is when you were “in flow” in the past. Think of
ways you can bring more of this into your present. To rec-
ognize flow state within your team be on the lookout for
the “flow features”: rapid and more fluent speech, better
posture, wide eyes, smiling, laughing and increased hand
gestures.
Step 5: Ask the Big Question
“Why are you someone worth following?”
I was asked this question a while back when I was
working with my own performance coach. It hit me hard
and it stopped me in my tracks. Why am I someone
people would want to listen to? Want to follow? Want to
trust?
Leaders need to earn the trust and respect of their
team. This is not something you should expect of them.
Think of a leader you admire. What are the leadership
qualities you most admire in them? What aspects of your-
self do you see in them?
And now complete the following sentence: “The me I
see in them is…” Here is the thing: if you spot it, you’ve
got it! Now is the time to be the transformational leader
you were born to be. n
PETRA KOLBER is a frequent speaker at the ISPA Conference & Expo. She is a certified performance coach
who works with individuals and teams on how to get unstuck and become unstoppable. You can reach Petra
at [email protected].
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