SML Consultive

The first move in a new leadership role is not action.

I have stepped into this a few times, and every time I spent one to seven days going person to person, just hearing their heart.

Frontline folks got a half hour, managers an hour, no agenda.

Skip that, and even your best ideas read as disruptive.

What would you ask your team first? Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments 👇

Getting the results you wanted doesn't mean your leadership is working.

That's the trap.

You can hit the outcome you were chasing and still be standing over a team that's completely demoralized.

They did what they were told to do, but they're not thriving in it.

This is why I don't measure attitude as good or bad.

Good and bad are subjective, and honestly, most of us can't see our own attitude clearly anyway.

Sometimes we have a bad one and don't even realize it, while our team feels it every day.

So I use a different test: is my attitude effective or ineffective?

And effectiveness has two parts.

One is results.

The other is the people delivering them.

If the numbers look right but your team is quietly breaking down, that attitude isn't actually effective, no matter what the report says.

Attitude can make or break a team, so it's worth checking both sides honestly.

When was the last time you looked past your results to check how your team was actually doing? Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments 👇

Leadership training is one of the most overused phrases in business today, and in most places nobody is actually doing it.

Here is the part most miss: you can't train care.

Skills you can build, but care you can't.

And we learn slowly, through repetition, practice, and failure - not a once-a-year firehose.

That is why we teach one hour, once a week.

Want to see how that works for your team? Book a 30-minute exploration call here: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/mysml-meeting

Our founder, Jon Antonucci is heading out to connect with HR leaders across the country!

It started with Utah SHRM this week, 🏔️🍂🚀

where participants lined up for his book, Servant-Minded Leadership: How Mindfulness Changes Servant Leadership.

(Inside the book, you’ll discover how to: Master practical daily habits, build a thriving workplace culture rooted in authentic care and mutual trust,
..and a whole lot more! + catch his book in his other upcoming speaking engagements 🙌

🗓️ Jon’s upcoming Fall SHRM Conference Schedule:
Sept 21–22: Utah SHRM (DONE!)
Sept 24: VTSHRM (DONE with his Keynote & Breakout Session)
Oct 5: Maryland SHRM
Oct 8: Iowa SHRM
Oct 21: MISHRM

👇 Will you be present in one of these conferences? Don’t shy away, just say hi! 👋 🥹

MISHRM

When your team keeps coming back mid-project for approval, you did not delegate.

You kept all the power and all the control, and just handed off responsibility for the outcome.

That is not delegation.

That is responsibility without authority.

Day one was listen.

It was not do, it was not execute, it was not cast vision.

Leadership is not conferred by a title - people follow you for your example and integrity.

So I spent one to seven days going person to person, hearing their heart, before changing a thing.

Skip that, and even your best ideas read as disruptive.

What would you ask your team first? Share your thoughts in the comments 👇

When you interview a leader who has never led before, stop looking for the right answer.

Ask scenario-based questions instead.

They may not have the answer, and it may not be wrong either, because they have never been in that situation.

What you are really listening for is how they think th

You cannot bolt culture onto a team overnight.

When I bring someone in from the outside, I cannot expect them to acclimate that fast.

You can screen for fit in the interview, but people slip through, and the bigger the organization the harder that gets.

So it comes down to declared expectation and exhibited example, given time.

How long do you give a new hire to absorb your culture? Share your thoughts in the comments 👇