As leaders, we must accept the fact that pressure applied by internal and external forces is a given. If we set out with the mindset of trying to make it go away, we will be sorely disappointed. But does this pressure have to consume our lives? Rather, can we find ways to live with the pressure and maybe even turn it into an opportunity for growth?

We start a new series looking at the pressure placed on leaders every day. Whether it’s the internal pressure we put on ourselves or external pressure applied by groups like employees, supervisors, clients, board of directors; the pressure itself is real. But is it rational or appropriate?

In this episode, we continue our discussion around the mindset we choose to employ when dealing with adversity. Effective leaders have the courage to behave differently despite what the environment or dynamic might suggest.

Jim and John start a new series that looks at turning our negatives into positives. While the pandemic has shown us there are things which are certainly out of our control, we can still determine how we will approach life when adversity strikes.

We wrap up our discussion with an interview of Karl Brummer SVP at Messiah Lifeways. Karl shares his thoughts on the effect transformational leadership can have on employee motivation, engagement, empowerment and conflict resolution.

In this episode, we round out our discussion by focusing on the long-term focus and benefits of transformational leadership. Transformational leadership, unlike its transactional counterpart, is not just a means to an end. It’s an opportunity to improve processes, drive change, and alter the status quo.

We continue our discussion on the shift from transactional to transformational leadership. In this episode, we look at the impact a transformational mindset can have on communication. Transformational leaders are focused, intentional and curious.

In this digital age, much of our interaction is very short, informal, and oftentimes driven from the standpoint of satisfying an immediate need. Such interaction could be described as transactional. We see this in leadership as well; shorter, one-sided interactions designed to provide instruction, a quick update, or to address a pressing business need.

Jim and John wrap up the series on Change Management with an interview of Sara Kennedy, VP of Associate Experience at Members 1st Federal Credit Union. Sara discusses her role as a change champion, as well as the importance of things like communication and building trust.

Jim and John kick off a series which discusses the emotional toll that change takes on people. While the change itself may happen quickly, the transition can take much longer and can ultimately have the bigger impact.

In the third episode, the guys continue the discussion on change management by looking at some strategies leaders can take to be more successful in executing change and limiting employee resistance such as creating a sense of urgency and asking questions.

Our initial episode centers on some of the underlying principles of Servant Leadership, such as engagement, care, and listening. Jim and John compare these principles to those associated with other leadership styles and work to dispel some of the myths of Servant Leadership.