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Leadership Skill Building

Three Changes to Make in 2025 to Become a Better Leader

Three Changes to Make in 2025 to Become a Better Leader

Quint Studer
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Hard to believe, but 2024 is almost over. A good way to wrap up the old year is by thinking about what we might do differently in the new one. How can we set ourselves up to be better, more successful leaders, employees, and human beings in the new year? In thinking how best to answer this question, I revisited some columns I’ve written over the past year. Here are a few actions to focus…
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Two Ears and One Mouth: There Is a Reason!

Two Ears and One Mouth: There Is a Reason!

Quint Studer
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You have likely heard the statement that we have two ears and one mouth for a reason: to spend twice as much time listening as we spend talking. It is true. Many of us could stand to become better listeners. Research tells us listening is a skill with positive outcomes for both the talker and the listener. For example, good listening: Improves relationships by making interactions more meaningful. Builds trust. Good listeners are perceived as more…
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Leading in an Age of Uncertainty: Mindsets to Instill in the Next Generation of Leaders

Leading in an Age of Uncertainty: Mindsets to Instill in the Next Generation of Leaders

Quint Studer
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On the Healthcare Plus podcast, I recently interviewed Leonard Friedman, PhD, FACHE, director of the Executive MHA program at the George Washington University, Washington, D.C. He and his colleague Wayne Psek, MD, PhD, had written an article in Healthcare Executive. The title, “Developing Leadership Competencies for an Uncertain Future,” caught my attention. In healthcare, we have so many new leaders. We hear a lot about getting back to basics, but how do we do that when so many…
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“If It’s Not Clear, Ask.” (Taking Ownership of Your Skill Building and Development)

“If It’s Not Clear, Ask.” (Taking Ownership of Your Skill Building and Development)

Quint Studer
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In quick succession, three people approached me about their situations. While the situations were all different, there were similarities. Common themes I saw centered on the ability to be direct in conversations and to achieve clarity in each person’s circumstances. Let’s take a brief look at each situation. SITUATION 1. An early careerist approached me to share that the small company he works for does not do yearly evaluations (or any performance reviews), and does…
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Pointing Out Problems Is Good; Bringing Solutions Is Great

Pointing Out Problems Is Good; Bringing Solutions Is Great

Quint Studer
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Some time back, I wrote, “When a person identifies a problem, they have a human responsibility to also help with a solution.” Are there times when it’s enough to only point out a problem? Yes. One example is when you see a situation that could be dangerous. I was at a baseball game a few weeks back, and as I walked past an area, I thought I smelled propane gas. I quickly found someone who…
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Let’s Recognize Those Who Make Up Our Coaching Tree

Let’s Recognize Those Who Make Up Our Coaching Tree

Quint Studer
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As school starts back, we often think about teachers and all the lives they touch. In a presentation at Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky, I showed photos of myself in third grade at Congress Park Elementary School in Brookfield, Illinois, and on the Lyons Township High School soccer team in La Grange, Illinois. I pointed out my third-grade teacher, Miss James, and my soccer coach, Coach King, and shared the impact they and other teachers…
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Building trust isn’t just the leader’s job

Building trust isn’t just the leader’s job

Quint Studer
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We know good leader communication is a powerful trust builder. A point that sometimes gets missed is that, just like trust, communication is a two-way street. Recently we looked at what leaders can do to improve their odds of being heard …. but what can the employees do to make sure they hear and act on those messages? A few tips: Meet with employees and ask: “What does good communication look like?” Go around the room and…
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Don’t Be Afraid to Tell on Yourself

Don’t Be Afraid to Tell on Yourself

Quint Studer
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I was sitting in a meeting with people in recovery from alcoholism, and a lady shared that she was new to sobriety and was struggling with wanting to drink. She laid out how she felt in an open way. A bit later, a person with over 35 years in recovery shared that since the death of his son, he has become very cynical about life and recovery. He said that he is making a recommitment…
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Addressing Performance Issues Is a Crucial Skill for Leaders

Addressing Performance Issues Is a Crucial Skill for Leaders

Quint Studer
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When I am asked to present to a group, I ask the organization to survey the attendees to find out what they are looking to leave with from the session. The topics mentioned quite often are how to manage change, communication, building trust, improving staff retention, achieving excellent customer service, and the most requested item is how to address performance issues. For this column, we will dig into the last one, performance situations. The most common…
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How to Help Leaders Accurately Assess Their Own Performance

How to Help Leaders Accurately Assess Their Own Performance

Quint Studer
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Do people in leadership rate themselves higher in ability than their results demonstrate? The answer is dependent on the individual; however, my experience is the general answer is yes.  I like objective measurement. Though we are not able to directly measure some items, measurement should help people see what they do well and identify areas that may need improvement. It is not easy to be a leader. With good skill development, they can learn to do…
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