Supporting Employees for Excellence

Cathie Leimbach • March 7, 2023

There is a lot of concern today about the state of the workplace. Most of the conversation I hear focuses on employee shortfalls such as limited skills and effort, turnover, low morale, and mediocre productivity. Yet, studies show that employees only control 30% of the factors that impact workplace engagement and, therefore, the bottom line. Let’s talk about the people leaders who control the other 70% of factors that impact workplace engagement which in turn impacts most current concerns about the workforce.

Workplace excellence requires employees to have strong competence in the work they are doing and high commitment to the organization, its leadership, and their job.  Leaders can make or break the employees’ commitment and have a responsibility for placing employees in roles that match their competence or providing training to develop the necessary skills. 

Only about 10% of people leaders give adequate attention to developing and maintaining employee commitment. Stephen M.R. Covey calls their style of leadership ‘trust and inspire’. They lead in a way that builds trust with and among employees and inspires employees to do their best.

Covey and Gallup call the other 90% ‘command and control’ leaders. They tell their employees what to do but seldom interact in a way that considers, engages, or empowers them.  They don’t get their employees best.

Trust and inspire leaders engender high commitment and provide support to develop high competence in their employees. By paying attention to both factors that impact employee success, their organizations have lower turnover, higher morale, and a stronger bottom line.

How can you move from any command and control tendencies you may have to become a strong trust and inspire leadership?  Conversational Management training equips leaders with the mindset and the skills to develop a trust and inspire leadership culture.  You can learn about this transformational program by contacting Cathie Leimbach at cathie@agonleadership.com.

The Power of Reflective Listening at Work

By Cathie Leimbach • April 22, 2025
Have you ever felt like someone wasn't really hearing you? Reflective listening can fix that problem in the workplace. Reflective listening means truly understanding what someone is saying before you respond. When a coworker is speaking, focus completely on their words instead of planning what you'll say next. Many of us start forming responses while others are still talking, which means we miss important parts of their message. True listening requires patience and practice. To become a reflective listener, start by giving your full attention. Put away your phone, turn away from your computer, and make eye contact. Then, after the person finishes speaking, briefly summarize what you heard. You might say, "So what I'm hearing is..." This shows you were truly listening and gives them a chance to clarify if needed. The benefits of reflective listening are huge. It reduces misunderstandings, builds trust between coworkers, and helps solve problems more effectively. People feel valued when they're truly heard, which creates a more positive workplace. With practice, reflective listening becomes a habit that improves all your work relationships. Remember: listen first, respond second. Your workplace will be better for it.

The Self-Discipline of a Growth Mindset

By Cathie Leimbach • April 15, 2025
A growth mindset means believing you can get smarter and develop new skills through hard work and practice. People with a growth mindset see challenges as opportunities to grow. On the other hand, a fixed mindset means thinking your talents and abilities cannot change much, no matter how hard you try. People with a growth mindset are more likely to exercise self-discipline to learn new behaviors. This helps us adapt to new opportunities. When we push ourselves to try different approaches, we open doors that would otherwise remain closed. This takes courage and commitment, especially at first when new ways of doing things feel uncomfortable or difficult. Our brains have amazing potential to change throughout our lives. When we repeatedly practice new skills or ways of thinking, our brain creates new pathways that make these actions easier over time. What once felt impossible can gradually become second nature.  The hard part is sticking with new behaviors long enough for them to become normal. This is where self-discipline comes in . By consistently practicing different approaches, what once required enormous effort eventually feels natural. This ability to adapt keeps us growing, helps us keep up with our changing world, and unlocks possibilities we might never have imagined.
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