357: Clarifying Leadership Expectations for Stronger Teams

357: Clarifying Leadership Expectations for Stronger Teams

357: Clarifying Leadership Expectations for Stronger Teams

Are your team members clear about what you really expect from them? In this compelling conversation, you’ll hear Megan Robinson share how confusion and unspoken assumptions can erode trust and productivity—and what leaders can do to prevent that.

You’ll hear how Megan helps leaders transform vague expectations into specific, teachable behaviors that drive growth. She also reveals why “professional guilt” often holds leaders back and how to replace it with curiosity and compassion. If you’ve ever wondered how to give feedback that builds confidence instead of defensiveness, this episode will give you practical insights and stories you’ll want to remember.

Megan is the Founder at E Leader Experience and works with individuals and teams to develop self-leadership skills that grow companies. She started her career in marketing and climbed her way through the corporate ladder at advertising agencies and Fortune 500 companies. Then she caught the entrepreneur bug and started her own marketing company. 

After yet another “Business Therapy” session, Megan discovered her true passion was in coaching. Inspired by her own successful career in corporate and entrepreneurial environments, she makes leadership approachable for everyone, regardless of title, position, or experience. Megan is also the host of the Culture Connections Podcast and the Past President of ATD Chicago, the leading learning and development organization in Chicagoland.

You’ll discover:

  • Why feedback fails when leaders assume understanding
  • How to turn performance gaps into learning opportunities
  • The role of clarity and language in setting expectations
  • Simple ways to test assumptions and create shared meaning
  • How self-awareness and intention make feedback transformative

Watch the episode:

Connect with Megan

  

Megan’s Website

E Leader Experience

Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Apple Podcasts
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Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Amazon
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Pandora
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Leader-team communication and character skills

Grow Strong Character

Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D.

Connect with Your Team Book - Grow Strong Leaders

Connect with Your Team

Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D.,
and Meredith M. Bell
Connect with Your Team Book - Grow Strong Leaders

Peer Coaching Made Simple

Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D.,
and Meredith M. Bell

287: Helping Others Explore Their Growth Edges

287: Helping Others Explore Their Growth Edges

287: Helping Others Explore Their Growth Edges

Are you helping each person on your team identify areas where they could level up? Dan Kent is a master of meeting people “where they’re at” and then listening for ways they can build on their strengths to become even more effective. In this rich and immensely practical conversation, you’ll learn specific questions you can use in conversations to discover more about another person’s capabilities and aspirations.

One of Dan’s superpowers is his ability to not only SEE the strengths in others but also articulate them. In this conversation, you’ll learn more about how he does that with his clients. Meredith experienced Dan’s magic first-hand when she was a guest on his podcast, Clearing Obstacles. His introduction beautifully captured her essence and who she aspires to be in the world. You can listen to that conversation HERE.

Dan is the founder and owner of Best Self Coaching, a business coaching company that strengthens and grows businesses by developing the humans involved in them. He’s affectionately known as the “loving butt-kicker” they often need in their lives.

Dan’s method is a natural extension of his affinity for working both sides of the brain. He has degrees in both Accounting and Theatre Arts, almost thirty years in business ownership, and over a decade in Coaching and Consulting. That balanced approach combining left brain and right brain has served him and his clients well.

You’ll discover:

  • What Dan does to “meet clients where they’re at”
  • The 3 Pillars Dan uses with every client he works with
  • How he discovers the growth edges where a client needs to focus their development efforts
  • Why everything starts with self-awareness for a leader
  • Tips for finding out what your people want most from you

Watch the episode:

Connect with Dan

    

Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on YouTube
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Apple Podcasts
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Pandora
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Spotify
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Amazon
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on iheartradio

Connect with Your Team

Mastering the Top 10 Communication Skills

Peer Coaching Made Simple

How to Do the 6 Things That Matter Most When Helping Someone Improve a Skill

263: Tips for Creating Agreements and Psychological Safety

263: Tips for Creating Agreements and Psychological Safety

263: Tips for Creating Agreements and Psychological Safety

Want to get some practical tips for being an effective leader and hear some unforgettable stories at the same time? This conversation with Ron Reich is a must-listen! Ron draws from his own experiences in the corporate world and from his 30 years of training and development and consulting experience. You’ll come away with new ideas for handling situations that are within your control—and for those outside your control.

Ron’s background is broad based, having worked for some major organizations such as Toshiba, The Chubb Corporation, and Organon Pharmaceuticals.

The majority of his work through these years has focused on leadership and management development, along with corporate training and organizational development.

Ron is passionate about the work he does and makes the workshops as interactive as possible. His only request is for participants to arrive ready to participate and have some fun along the way. For my listeners, I know you’re going to have fun listening to our conversation, and you’ll get some valuable take-aways along the way.

You’ll discover:

  • The importance of setting expectations and getting agreement with members of your team
  • Ways to create psychological safety so others are open and honest with you and with each other
  • An experience one CEO had as a child that moved him to tears as he shared it with his C-suite team
  • Why one of Ron’s mantras is “Stay out of the results business.”
  • How you can use PRD to stay calm and respond appropriately when unexpected situations arise

Watch the episode:

Connect with Ron

  

Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on YouTube
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Apple Podcasts
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Pandora
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Spotify
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Amazon
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on iheartradio

Connect with Your Team

Mastering the Top 10 Communication Skills

Peer Coaching Made Simple

How to Do the 6 Things That Matter Most When Helping Someone Improve a Skill

216: Design a Long-Distance Team for Everyone’s Success

216: Design a Long-Distance Team for Everyone’s Success

216: Design a Long-Distance Team for Everyone’s Success

Many companies are struggling with how to structure work, and some are requiring everyone to return to the physical building. Yet remote and hybrid teams are here to stay. Kevin Eikenberry shares practical tips from his new book, The Long-Distance Team, on making these teams successful.

Kevin is an expert on this subject, not only because he’s written the book, but also because he’s been leading a long-distance team himself for more than 25 years. He explains how to consciously design teams, define and create culture, and nurture employee engagement, all from a distance.

Kevin is the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group.  He’s recognized by Inc.com as one of the top 100 Leadership and Management thinkers in the world. Kevin has spent nearly 30 years helping organizations around the world in the areas of leadership development, learning, teams and teamwork, and communication.

You’ll discover:

  • Why getting involvement from everyone is important when designing your team
  • A simple and clear definition of Culture
  • Differences in creating culture in a new team vs. an existing team
  • The 3 Cs that are the pillars for long-distance teams…and why they are essential
  • The distinction between expectations and agreements for both individuals and teams

Watch the episode:

Connect with Kevin

        

Connect with Your Team

Mastering the Top 10 Communication Skills

Peer Coaching Made Simple

How to Do the 6 Things That Matter Most When Helping Someone Improve a Skill