The Craig And Greg Show: Word Up

July 13, 2023 — Craig T. Owens

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Words are incredibly powerful! With our tongues, we can elevate others to amazing heights, or tear them down completely. In this episode, Greg and I discuss how, as leaders, it is critical that we are mindful of our everyday words so that we ensure we are taking our team in the right direction.

  • [0:20] Sometimes leaders can forget how powerful their words can be. 
  • [1:00] Words need to be used strategically and carefully.
  • [2:05] “Words of affirmation” is one of the love languages, but everyone needs to hear words that affirm and encourage them.
  • [3:40] Some of the most meaningful words are our apologies and requests for forgiveness. When we do this well, it opens up the door for deeper communication.
  • [6:00] Leaders should be able to see a visible and immediate difference in their teammates when they are speaking the correct words to them. If not, we need to quickly adjust our words.
  • [6:50] People don’t care how much their leader knows (or says) until they know how much their leader cares about them.
  • [8:25] Negative words can sour relationships.
  • [9:08] Leaders need to pay close attention to what words work best with each teammate.
  • [10:15] What is the difference between efficient communication and effective communication?
  • [12:40] We share some insights from two noteworthy books: Leadership Jazz by Max DePree and Ten Powerful Phrases for Positive People by Rich DeVos.
  • [15:00] One of the most beautiful words anyone will ever hear a leader speak is their teammate’s name.
  • [19:02] Handwritten notes go the extra mile, but we need to slow down to think about who needs to hear an affirming word from us.
  • [21:20] Greg shares a memorable quote about the long-term results of our words.
  • [22:07] A good coach can give you more impactful insights than someone close to you.

Books referenced in this episode:

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The Craig And Greg Show: Coach Up

June 29, 2023 — Craig T. Owens

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There seems to be a belief among some leaders that the louder they yell, the better they’re understood. No need to call anyone out, but we’re sure someone just came to mind. When you received that kind of coaching, did you receive it well? Of course not! Coaching should be focused on correcting and improving for the next time, not berating for things in the past. So tune in, and learn more about how you can coach up.

  • [0:18] Leadership ideas can come from all over the place. 
  • [1:34] We need to focus on the “up” in our coaching, not just yelling at our teammates.
  • [3:15] We should coach up with questions instead of statements.
  • [4:55] The instructions we give before “the game” pay huge dividends in the heat of the moment.
  • [6:42] Treat mistakes as coaching opportunities.
  • [7:50] When leaders are coaching up their teammates, they need to focus on tone and timing.
  • [10:38] We share some additional thoughts about seeing the potential for coaching in our teammates’ mistakes.
  • [12:27] Every person learns differently so every teammate needs to be coached differently too.
  • [13:21] I share a memorable story from my time working with the Guys With Ties group.
  • [16:03] Greg shares an encouraging quote.
  • [18:03] Coaching takes place outside of the spotlight, so we need to learn the right timing for our coaching.
  • [22:08] Leaders can’t be the armchair quarterback, but they must trust their teammates who were closer to the action.
  • [23:59] Coaching up will eliminate most of our HR problems.
  • [24:44] Greg and I love coaching up, so please get in touch with us if we can help coach you up. 

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The Craig And Greg Show: Wait, You Like Meetings Too?

June 15, 2023 — Craig T. Owens

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Too often we fall into the trap of seeing meetings as perfunctory, tedious, and downright boring to attend. In this episode, Greg and I are here to tell you, we like meetings! If managed correctly, meetings can be an impactful leadership tool that helps grow and bond your team. So set aside any of your preconceived notions, and let us tell you why they think you should embrace opportunities for meetings.

  • [0:57] We’re robbing ourselves when we just try to “get through” a meeting. 
  • [2:33] Leaders help everyone learn during the meetings.
  • [4:00] Don’t spring brand new information on your team at the meeting, but help them prepare to contribute ahead of time.
  • [5:40] There is a value in getting our teams together.
  • [7:50] Sometimes the best leadership move is to cancel a meeting.
  • [9:28] How can leaders make meetings more efficient?
  • [10:42] A leader’s attendance signals the value of the meeting.
  • [11:23] Greg has a sarcastic quote that makes a great point about meetings.
  • [12:57] Not every meeting needs to involve every team member.
  • [14:36] Leaders need to set expectations before the meeting starts.
  • [16:37] How insecure leaders sabotage meetings.
  • [19:01] Be conscious of the workloads of those who are invited to your meetings.
  • [21:47] How do leaders keep people on-topic during meetings?

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The Craig And Greg Show: Be A Noticer

June 1, 2023 — Craig T. Owens

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When was the last time you noticed your team? Not just on a surface level like saying hello in the hallway, but really truly paying attention to what’s going on with your team. Noticing is easy to do, but it does require you to spend time doing it. It’s impossible to see what your team is doing locked inside your office, so get out there and notice!

  • [0:17] Kids on the playground demonstrate an important leadership attribute.
  • [1:43] Leaders sometimes get too engaged in their work—how do we keep this from happening?
  • [3:48] People are dying to be noticed!
  • [6:17] What happens when we do or don’t notice the uniqueness of our teammates?
  • [9:54] Leaders need to know the difference between windows and mirrors.
  • [13:25] How our teams reciprocate for their leaders who notice them.
  • [14:45] There are some huge and lasting benefits when leaders create a culture of curiosity.
  • [17:11] Greg challenges leaders to learn a leadership lesson from Jesus.
  • [19:20] We need to build noticing into our weekly schedules.
  • [21:07] One group that all of should notice and celebrate: Our veterans and the family members of fallen vets.

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The Craig And Greg Show: Stop Doing Traditional Performance Reviews

May 18, 2023 — Craig T. Owens

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Performance reviews are a great tool to help leaders measure and celebrate the growth of their team, but the standard model of quarterly and yearly reviews is a terrible way to go about it. In this episode, Greg and I suggest a different approach to reviews that relies on frequent coaching and giving your team “the answers to the test” to set them up to succeed.

  • [0:15] We all have “have to” and “get to” leadership tasks in our organization, but we think performance reviews never should be in the have to” category. 
  • [1:29] Performance review times are a great time to unleash potential in our teammates.
  • [2:44] Greg shares how his daughter’s school does this well and how an organization he worked with did this poorly.
  • [4:02] I teach leadership principles to a group of young men called “Guys With Ties,” and I always have them focus on future growth.
  • [5:22] Leaders can only do effective reviews by having regular interactions with their teammates.
  • [7:00] We suggest a better way to give out compliments and corrections.
  • [8:35] Three key elements in performance reviews: (1) honesty, (2) timeliness, (3) looking forward.
  • [10:54] How do we handle situations where the review doesn’t match the projected employee bonus?
  • [12:55] Many of our teammates have probably had a bad experience with a previous performance review, so we need to address that upfront.
  • [13:16] Accountability is a heavy word but it is a vital growth piece.
  • [15:23] What happens when leaders are tired?
  • [17:27] What does it say to our teammates if we’re always too busy to schedule a time for a performance review?
  • [21:13] The culture we need to foster in our organization is an “improvement culture.”

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The Craig And Greg Show: Toughen Up, Buttercup

May 4, 2023 — Craig T. Owens

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Recently Greg got a call from an educational institute asking him for advice on how to help their athletes “toughen up.” Unfortunately, they’re not alone, it seems like resilience is in increasingly shorter supply across the board these days. As a leader, it is your job to help instill grit into your team. Not tearing them down, but showing them that you view them with more potential.

  • [0:15] It’s time to toughen up, Buttercup! 
  • [2:54] We learn the best leadership lessons from the toughest times.
  • [4:17] Greg shares an example from coaching t-ball that applies to all our leadership roles.
  • [7:28] The temporary pain can protect us against the pain that would have derailed our leadership.
  • [8:35] A college contacted Greg about why their athletes are lacking resilience.
  • [10:12] Greg shares an insightful quote about struggling through a problem to achieve success.
  • [12:07] We define the leadership culture that will serve us and our teams best.
  • [13:34] We discuss an example from Greg’s NFL experience.
  • [14:56] Resilience can be hard to teach, but we still need to keep trying.
  • [17:54] Data from the Mayo Clinic that encourages us to develop grit.
  • [19:34] What happens to reach that have teammates who don’t show stick-to-it-iveness?
  • [21:04] A leadership separator is action over feelings.
  • [24:00] The wrong and right ways to handle disappointments.
  • [25:53] We can help coach you to bring out the resilience in yourself and your team.

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The Craig And Greg Show: Transition Gracefully

April 20, 2023 — Craig T. Owens

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Accepting a new position is a very exciting experience! Whether it’s a promotion in your current organization or an opportunity elsewhere, it’s very tempting to want to immediately throw your full attention into the next project. In this episode, Greg and I discuss the necessity of maintaining a balance between that excitement and recognizing that the people on your team now still need your leadership. This might create more work for you in the short term, but the long-term benefits of transitioning well will be huge for you! 

  • [0:33] Any fresh starts for leaders have to be handled thoughtfully. 
  • [1:32] We need to work hard to make sure we are leaving our previous position well.
  • [2:44] Leaders of integrity give their best effort all the way to the end.
  • [4:08] How can we maintain a humble attitude when we have been selected to be promoted to a new position?
  • [6:08] There are different things to keep in mind when moving to a new position in the same organization vs. moving to a new organization.
  • [8:02] Both of us share stories about friends who benefitted by leaving their old organizations well, and they identify what the true litmus test for leaving well is.
  • [10:14] Greg also has a negative example to share.
  • [11:03] How do senior leaders handle coworkers who leave poorly?
  • [13:06] How do we keep ourselves from being distracted by our new position while we attempt to finish well in our old position?
  • [16:15] How do we arrive well in our new position?
  • [18:35] We need to always keep in mind that we are leaving or joining a team of many—we aren’t a team of one.
  • [22:57] Finishing well is a compliment to the organization you are leaving, and beginning well is a compliment to the organization you are joining.
  • [26:03] We would love to help coach you through these types of changes—whether you are the one leaving for a new position or you are the leader who is losing a team member

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The Craig And Greg Show: Leading Difficult Peers

March 30, 2023 — Craig T. Owens

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No need to call anyone out, but when I say “difficult peer” at least one person probably comes to mind right away, right? So what’s the solution: ignore them, scream, tear your hair out? Greg and I think there’s a better solution. In this episode, we walk through how we’ve dealt with difficult peers in the past and give actionable advice on how your leadership and coaching can help them improve.

  • [0:16] We are continuing our series about leading difficult people from wherever you are in your organization. 
  • [1:24] Our goal as leaders should be to figure out why a particular peer is so difficult to work with.
  • [2:00] A warning about the least productive thing you can do when you are frustrated with a coworker.
  • [3:44] A great example from Jesus for those striving to be servant leaders.
  • [5:17] Some questions to ask ourselves to determine if our difficult teammates are coachable.
  • [7:31] We need to learn the best ways to communicate with our teammates.
  • [9:18] Where does mistrust play a role in these difficult situations?
  • [13:13] Leaders at every level need to learn the art of diplomacy.
  • [15:02] Where does defeatism come into play?
  • [17:03] A shepherd’s heart must be cultivated for us to lead well—especially leading difficult peers.
  • [18:45] “When you’re ready” is a great posture for a leader, but it must be lived out.

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The Craig And Greg Show: Mulligan! Embrace Do-Overs

March 16, 2023 — Craig T. Owens

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I am not a very good golfer, so when Greg and I hit the course together Greg is generous enough to give me a mulligan—sometimes a lot of them! In the same way, we as leaders need to be willing to give our team members chances to learn from and improve upon their mistakes. In this episode, we discuss how embracing a “mulligan culture” in your organization helps everyone grow and thrive.

  • [0:22] I explain what Greg gives me that is a huge blessing
  • [1:25] Leaders need to be gracious.
  • [2:56] What is the goal of mulligans?
  • [4:10] Mulligans can cost our business something. How do we calculate that?
  • [7:18] Success usually goes up with the mulligan attempt.
  • [9:54] Expect greater success in the second chances.
  • [11:04] Mulligans need to be given in a safe environment.
  • [13:06] Second chances and comeback stories are inspiring!
  • [14:31] Remember that people are the focal point of our mulligans.
  • [14:55] Greg shares about an unusual phobia with which many people struggle.
  • [16:50] An important reminder seasoned leaders need to share with emerging leaders.
  • [18:22] High-performing leaders make it look easy because of the mulligans other people gave them along the way.

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The Craig And Greg Show: Keep Your Emotions Regulated

February 23, 2023 — Craig T. Owens

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As a leader, you will have to deal with very emotional situations from time to time. While you may not always have control over when these situations arise, you do have the ability to control your reaction to them. In this episode of The Craig and Greg Show, we discuss emotional regulation and how keeping your emotions managed can be a powerful tool for leaders.

  • [0:34] Well-regulated emotions are powerful.
  • [0:55] How do we keep emotions in check?
  • [2:52] Greg thinks of emotional regulation as a throttle.
  • [3:31] What are the messes created by unregulated emotion?
  • [5:59] The triggers of emotional response.
  • [8:35] We can’t control situations, but we can control our responses.
  • [9:06] The four categories of regulation.
  • [10:52] What should you look for to help you be more self-aware?
  • [13:25] Don’t give up how you feel.
  • [14:12] Self-awareness doesn’t come from a book, it takes practice and reflection.
  • [16:10] Slow down!
  • [16:40] Dis-regulated emotions hurt your ability to influence.
  • [18:34] I talk about servant leadership from my book Shepherd Leadership.
  • [19:05] How to improve your emotional regulation skills.
  • [22:48] I discuss the difference between responding and reacting.
  • [24:02] Greg says people are sensitive and the damage done can be lasting.
  • [25:27] Greg shares an insightful quote from Viktor Frankl.
  • [26:45] We would love to coach you if you need help with emotional regulation.

Check out this episode and subscribe on YouTube so you can watch all of the upcoming episodes. You can also listen to our podcast on Spotify and Apple.

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