Nancy R. Burger

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Within most teams are workers who identify as creative and ones who claim not to have a creative bone in their body. While there’s value in knowing one’s strengths and weaknesses, the binary mindset of “creative or not creative” sets up unnecessary limitations.

Chances are, each individual on your team has a creative side. Your team’s resident number-cruncher spends her free time analyzing chord progressions in her favorite songs. Your social media manager edits vlogs for fun. Your IT guy has spent the last year creating his own video game.

As leaders and professionals, we have to remember that no one is their job, and the skills you present at work don’t live in a vacuum. Everyone has a creative side. It’s a leader’s job to coax it out of their team to unleash creative problem-solving and innovation. But how?

Try these tips from Greg Satell’s article in HBR:

🎨 Encourage exploration
🎨 Empower workers with technology
🎨 Reward persistence

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Read the rest of the article here: https://hbr.org/2018/12/set-the-conditions-for-anyone-on-your-team-to-be-creative?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=hbr&utm_source=LinkedIn&tpcc=orgsocial_edit

For more leadership tips, subscribe to my newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/nancyrburger/newslettersignup

The weekly one-on-one meeting between a manager and report can sometimes feel like a waste of time — especially when new tasks and deadlines are accumulating. But when done right, it can be an opportunity to build trust, get on the same page, and reduce anxiety.

According to an article from MIT Sloan, here are 5 ways leaders can get more out of regular one-on-one check-ins with their reports.

https://mailchi.mp/nancyrburger/newslettersignup

To many, high emotional sensitivity seems at odds with professionalism in the workplace. But I challenge leaders to reframe this thinking and instead consider the ways in which high sensitivity can be a workplace superpower.

‌Those who are highly sensitive are in the minority. Only about 20% of the population has a highly responsive nervous system — making it easy for highly sensitive people (HSPs) to feel like they’re being “too much” at the workplace. But when embraced and empowered by leadership, HSPs can be an invaluable source of thoughtfulness, empathy, and dedication on their team.

A Psychology Today article by Melody Wilding, LMSW highlights 12 superpowers HSPs bring to the workplace.

Check them out here:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/trust-yourself/202310/12-reasons-why-high-sensitivity-is-your-greatest-strength

How do you keep your best employees?

You give them new challenges.

Everybody on your team — yourself included — is on their own learning curve. Those on the low end of the curve may have some moments of uncertainty, but ultimately they have a goal (and hopefully great teachers) to guide them up the curve. Those a bit higher on the curve are likely at peak engagement levels; things are starting to click, and they feel good about themselves and the work they’re doing.

At the top of the learning curve is where things get tricky. Once an employee is able to tackle what used to be a challenging task in their sleep, they’re no longer engaged. That’s when you know it’s time for them to jump to a new learning curve.

Leaders, it can be its own challenge to present your employees with new learning opportunities. But don’t be afraid to get creative; find new assignments or even new roles based on developing trends in your industry. And don’t be afraid to sit down with your top-performing employees and ask if there’s anything they’ve been wanting to learn to strengthen their career.

When employees are challenged in a way that yields professional development, they will continue to do great work for you for a long time.

For more leadership tips, subscribe to my newsletter.

https://mailchi.mp/nancyrburger/newslettersignup

Had a great time with my Tomorrows Women Today peeps. Many thanks to for a fab meal and awesome service!!

Tomorrow’s Women Need Your Support, TODAY.

We believe in empowering women leaders through connection. Your donation will increase the number of women leaders we serve.

As a member of Tomorrow’s Women Today, I’m proud to share that our organization has connected thousands of women through our events and programming and offers an unparalleled network for women identified within their profession as future leaders.

Please help us Recruit, Retain and Promote female leaders by donating to TWT on this Giving Tuesday. Your donation will provide emerging leaders with:

•Actionable leadership programming

•Relevant continuing education and professional development from industry experts

•Executive tier mentoring

•Access to influential women who have achieved success

•Access to a high-quality cross sector peer network that is financially accessible to ensure diversity of industry and occupation

•Opportunities for Community Service

•Opportunities for Civic Engagement

•Exposure to non-profit board opportunities and volunteer advisory roles

•Group and one-on-one Executive Coaching

•Opportunities to mentor the next generation of leaders (undergraduate and post graduates)

Donation Options:

•$100 provides a membership scholarship to an Early Leader (undergraduate and early career)

•$250 provides a membership scholarship to an Emerging Leader

•$1,000 contributes towards a membership scholarship for a non-profit leader or government employee

•$2,500 supports a leadership development workshop

•$5,000 contributes towards our mentoring program

Use the link below to make your donation. Thank you!
https://tomorrowswomentoday.com/donate/ #!form/Donate

Don't miss tomorrow, November 28th at 12pm ET! I'll be joined by author, speaker and founder of Days for Girls International, Celeste Mergens for a discussion about empowering female leadership. ⁠

REGISTER & GET NOTIFIED WHEN WE GO LIVE:
https://www.facebook.com/events/348838771009886
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Too many leaders make the mistake of equating productivity with doing the most stuff in the smallest amount of time.

In reality, making the most of a team’s time boils down to these following guidelines. ⏩️

https://mailchi.mp/nancyrburger/newslettersignup

Are you looking for a speaker to motivate and inspire your corporate audience to think differently about how they think, to leave feeling empowered and energized about what’s possible, equipped with actionable strategies they can use right away?⁠
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If so, schedule a discovery call with me. I have limited dates available beginning April 2024.⁠
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Every thought is a possibility. Let 2024 be the year of possibility for your organization.⁠

https://calendly.com/nburger29/free-discovery-call
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Leaders often have an instinctual desire to hide their weaknesses, assuming imperfections undermine their leadership.

This mindset is flawed for two key reasons, according to Peter Bregman, CEO of executive coaching company Bregman Partners:

1. It’s not sustainable. Nobody is capable of hiding all their weaknesses; they eventually catch up to you and set you up for bigger consequences.

2. It’s poor leadership. A cornerstone of great leadership is connection, and employees do not feel connected to someone who is perfect, AKA not human.

Disguising our weaknesses does nothing but undermine our leadership abilities and set unrealistic expectations for our team. In the words of Peter Bregman, “Hiding our weaknesses in an attempt to be strong leaders makes us weak leaders.”

Show your strength by acknowledging your shortcomings and asking for help. When your team sees that you can find success alongside your weaknesses, they will strive to do the same.

For more leadership tips, subscribe to my newsletter.

https://mailchi.mp/nancyrburger/newslettersignup

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Got questions?? In these monthly, live, lunchtime sessions, we answer your questions on leadership, communication, business, coaching and personal or professional development. This month I'm joined by author, speaker and founder of Days for Girls International, Celeste Mergens.⁠
⁠
‌ASK YOUR QUESTIONS ⁠
Have a question you want to submit? Use the link below and submit your inquiry anonymously and I'll choose questions at random.⁠
https://forms.gle/UWHujUnVVPz8VZg79
⁠
REGISTER⁠
https://www.facebook.com/events/348838771009886
⁠
‌ABOUT CELESTE ⁠
Celeste Mergens is an author, thought leader, and changemaker and has been featured in Oprah’s O Magazine, Forbes, and Stanford Social Innovation Review. She is the Founder of Days for Girls, a global award-winning organization championing Women's Health and Menstrual Health Equity. Days for Girls was named by the Huffington Post as a ‘Next Ten’ Organization poised to change the world in the next decade and has reached more than 3 million women and girls in 145 countries. Typically averaging dozens of speaking events a year, Celeste is a sought-after professional speaker and consultant. She was awarded the AARP Purpose Prize, Conscious Company Global Impact Entrepreneur Top Ten Women, 2019 Global Washington Global Hero, and Women's Economic Forum's Woman of the Decade.⁠
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The approaching holiday season can stir up a lot of excitement. But — from the anxiety of end-of-year deadlines to gloomy weather — this time of year can also pose a threat to our well-being.

For leaders, this presents a huge opportunity to make a positive difference by providing relief valves for their teams, improving connection in the workplace, and embracing conversations about well-being at work.

Check out my latest blog post for actionable methods to making well-being a pillar of your leadership.

https://nancyrburger.com/2023/11/10/well-being-at-work/

It seems like the term “people-pleasing” is everywhere right now. But what does it entail, why does it happen, and how can we do a better job at putting ourselves first?

Joanna Hardis LISW-S, who specializes in getting clients “unstuck” from anxiety, refers to people-pleasing as “a rather unhelpful pattern of behavior aimed at avoiding distress and discomfort.” In the short-term, people-pleasing serves to reduce the anxiety of upsetting someone. But in the long-term, it can cause severe burnout, resentment, fatigue, and threaten our well-being.

Boundary-setting, on the other hand, offers a longer-term self-care solution. While people-pleasing is a short-term fix, boundary-setting represents an investment in your health and relationships.

For example, if a team lead asks you to take on a project when your workload bucket is already tipping, a people-pleasing response might be, “sure, I can do it” followed by sweaty palms and feelings of panic. The boundary-setting response, however, might be, “I want to help but will have to review my current workload before answering.” While the first response might feel better in the moment, the second represents a more thoughtful (and probably realistic) approach.

Like any new behavior, boundary setting can feel awkward and difficult at first. But with practice, our boundary-setting muscles can get stronger and more automatic.

Practice makes possible.

Have you ever gotten a shoutout from a boss, coach, or teacher that left you glowing for the rest of the day? 🌟

Building recognition into your team’s culture can work magic when it comes to engagement and productivity. According to Gallup, employees who strongly agree that recognition is an important part of their organization’s culture are 3.7 times as likely to be engaged and about half as likely to experience frequent burnout.

Check out these 5 pillars of strategic recognition, adapted from a recent Gallup and Workhuman report.

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Got questions?? In these monthly, live, lunchtime sessions, we answer your questions on leadership, communication, business, coaching and personal or professional development. This month I'm joined by author, speaker and founder of Days for Girls International, Celeste Mergens.

‌ASK YOUR QUESTIONS
Have a question you want to submit? Use the link below and submit your inquiry anonymously and I'll choose questions at random. https://forms.gle/BMvW6V3ZBF8boErt5

REGISTER
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKO8jEsV-t0
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/events/348838771009886
Linkedin:
https://www.linkedin.com/events/7127308803305299968/

‌ABOUT CELESTE
Celeste Mergens is an author, thought leader, and changemaker and has been featured in Oprah’s O Magazine, Forbes, and Stanford Social Innovation Review. She is the Founder of Days for Girls, a global award-winning organization championing Women's Health and Menstrual Health Equity. Days for Girls was named by the Huffington Post as a ‘Next Ten’ Organization poised to change the world in the next decade and has reached more than 3 million women and girls in 145 countries. Typically averaging dozens of speaking events a year, Celeste is a sought-after professional speaker and consultant. She was awarded the AARP Purpose Prize, Conscious Company Global Impact Entrepreneur Top Ten Women, 2019 Global Washington Global Hero, and Women's Economic Forum's Woman of the Decade.

Encouraging deep curiosity within a company's culture presents an opportunity to uncover connection and innovation.

Use these 4 phrases to cultivate curiosity on your team:

🤨 “I don't know.” Leaders may struggle to admit not knowing the answer(s), but research suggests “intellectual humility” makes leaders appear more competent and communal.

🤨 “Tell me more.” Expressing your own curiosity shows that you value your team’s insight and encourages them to share more.

🤨 “I understand you’re more than your job.” This challenges perceived limitations based on someone’s title.

🤨 “Who else?” Some of the best ideas come from people who need a little nudge to contribute.

For more ways to communicate effectively in the workplace, subscribe to my newsletter!

https://mailchi.mp/nancyrburger/newslettersignup

The benefits of remote work are hard to ignore — increased flexibility, the chance to work with people across the globe, the privilege of wearing pajamas to work (at least from the waist down). Still, it’s fair to wonder whether a lack of in-person interactions takes a toll on a team’s ability to work as a unit. If your team feels splintered, it could be a function of how they’re working more than where they’re working.

Read my recent blog post that offers tips on how to improve team cohesion.

https://nancyrburger.com/2023/10/27/is-your-team-disconnected/

A great leader does not get everybody to agree with their point of view.

They welcome pushback and turn it into progress.

Human beings tend to avoid pushback. We often perceive it as a threat to our sense of security, something we need as innately social creatures. But in a collaborative setting, pushback is a predecessor to innovation.

The experts at MIT Sloan Management Review recommend that leaders learn the do’s and don'ts of responding to ambivalence, disagreement, or resistance. Here are some takeaways.

Don’t…

❌ Suppress uncertainty

❌ Ignore power dynamics

❌ Assume the loudest voices represent a consensus

Do…

✅ Set ground rules for group discussions (i.e. “Seek to understand viewpoints you disagree with.”)

✅ Orient the team on pushback opportunities (i.e. “I am open to tweaking this plan if anyone has other suggestions.”)

✅ Select the right forums and settings to convey disagreement (i.e. More anxious team members may benefit from having agenda notes before a meeting so they can prepare their comments.)

Read the full article for more valuable insights:
https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/five-ways-leaders-can-turn-pushback-into-progress/

In a society obsessed with productivity, it can feel like we are constantly battling the clock.

Time management is a useful skill — it helps us stay organized and looks good on our resumes — but have you considered how an obsessive need to optimize time could interfere with our well-being?

Our society’s collective commodification of time has consequences. It devalues activities like rest, sleep, and quality time with loved ones — pastimes that are necessary to nurture our mental and physical health.

To befriend time, consider the following steps suggested by Jennifer L Keluskar, Ph.D.:

⌛ Express gratitude for time-saving events in your life

⌛ Embrace non-productive moments (idle brain time is essential for innovation and problem-solving)

⌛ Aim for progress rather than perfection

⌛ Prioritize social connection

Ultimately, by challenging the harmful misconception that our self-worth is dependent on how productive we are, we can see time as our friend instead of our nemesis.

Check out this article from Psychology Today to learn more:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/alone-together/202310/the-tyranny-of-time-optimization

Got questions??

On Tuesday, October 31st, join me for , a monthly, live, lunchtime session on Linkedin, Facebook and YouTube that will answer all your questions on leadership, communication, business, coaching and personal or professional development.

Have a question you want to submit? Use the link below and submit your inquiry anonymously and I'll choose questions at random.

https://forms.gle/FK6uWRj6LrBtoFNu9

Do you need advice on how to breathe new energy into your team? Tune in to on October 31st when I’ll be joined by Kat Frey, speaker, author, coach, and the owner and founder of Oxygen Coaching Group and The Thalassa Group. This is sure to be a motivating discussion, so don’t miss it! If you have any specific questions you would like Kat and I to cover, use the link below to submit them (you’ll remain anonymous on the livestream).

https://forms.gle/FK6uWRj6LrBtoFNu9

Imagine that tomorrow you wake up in a brand new city with a brand new job with brand new people. If your heart rate just spiked, don't feel bad — it's in our nature.

Our brains are hardwired to protect us from threats to our safety, comfort, and other basic needs. So when change pushes us outside our comfort zones, we enter fight or flight mode.

The good news is: our brains can be rewired.

In a phenomenon called neuroplasticity, new experiences pave neural pathways in our brains. As we learn and practice skills, these pathways grow more defined, like a path in the woods that becomes easier to walk on as more people use it.

Understanding neuroplasticity is a great first step toward embracing change. Try these additional tips to set yourself up for success.

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It’s fun to learn how much you have to learn when you’re with cool peeps.

It’s time to embrace conversations about well-being at work.

From the effects of a global pandemic to the rise in cost-of-living, it’s hard to ignore the anxiety we all feel every day— anxiety that doesn’t miraculously vanish the second we clock in.

Just as emotional intelligence has become a sought-after leadership skill, MIT Sloan Management Review proposes the same for well-being intelligence — the ability to identify core mental health challenges, acknowledge their root causes, and design approaches to address them at the individual, team, and organizational levels.

‌Ensure you’re practicing well-being intelligence by trying the following:

🧠 Talk about it! Be open about your own well-being and how it affects your work.

🧠 Look for behavioral cues from team members that may indicate poor well-being, such as struggling to maintain workload, self-isolating in meetings, or arriving late.

🧠 Dedicate time for well-being check-ins— casually in meetings or periodic anonymous surveys.

‌For more leadership tips, subscribe to my newsletter here:
https://mailchi.mp/nancyrburger/newslettersignup

‌‌Check out the full MIT Sloan article here:
https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/well-being-intelligence-a-skill-set-for-the-new-world-of-work/