Libby Gill's Blog

Life is short but, somehow, careers are long. I’m coming up on one of those big birthdays—the kind with the zero in it—and I’ve been reflecting on second, third, or even fourth acts.

I had a great run in television, heading communications for Sony, Universal and Turner Broadcasting in my first career. It was a hoot promoting shows from Married…With Children to Dr. Phil. And I loved my second career as an executive coach, speaker and author of six non-fiction books, working with leaders at organizations including Amazon, Honda, Intel, Marriott, Microsoft, Novo Nordisk, Kellogg’s, Warner Bros. and many more.

Now I want to fill you in on my next act.

As of May 1, I’ll no longer be working with one-on-one coaching clients, though I’m still delivering keynotes and workshops. And I’ll still be writing about careers and leadership, but you’ll definitely notice I’m posting more about creativity, books, and writing.

I’m proud to share I’m making the shift to writing fiction full-time. Penguin Random House is publishing my debut novel Malibu Summer, about love, grief, and television on May 21. And I’d love your support in ordering my book or letting me visit your book club (in person or on Zoom).

I hope you’re planning your next act. It may not happen overnight. Mine certainly didn’t. But it will happen if you are clear on what you want and willing to work for it.

After all, if I can have three careers, so can you.

Now that spring has sprung, taxes are behind us (most of us, anyway!), and Q2 is underway, it’s time to look ahead. Get the quarter off to a great start by asking yourself three very simple questions that can put you—and keep you—on track to personal and professional success, however you define it.

Here you go…

What do I need to keep doing? Identify processes and activities that are working well for you. Maybe it’s your meeting cadence (smaller and shorter meetings please!), daily task list, team objectives or whatever will get you to the finish line more effectively and efficiently. If possible, tweak the “keep doing” items to make them work even harder for you. What do I need to stop doing? Look at your desktop, workload, or calendar and root out the inefficiencies and low-value activities you’re spending time chasing. What are the time-wasters in your world? What can you delegate or outsource to others (and I include personal items that you don’t really need or want to do)? Are there once-enjoyable activities that you’ve simply outgrown? Maybe it’s time to let some of them go. What do I need to start doing? This might be the most important question of all. What will help elevate your game? Boost your productivity? Or find more of that ever-elusive white space on your calendar? I like to identify and implement one new objective each quarter that moves me closer to my annual big-picture vision. We’ll get to that in Q4!

All the best,

Libby

We just celebrated our second New Year in our home in Southern Oregon and I’m delighted to report it’s been a great year. In large part, thanks to all of my wonderful clients and partners.

This is the week I always take a look back at my plan for the past year to see what I accomplished and what I need to either delete (yep, it’s okay to let go) or roll over to this year.

Wins this year include growing green beans and blueberries in my backyard garden; helping my son move into his first home; seeing our grandbaby turn one; getting involved in local women’s leadership and philanthropy groups and…drum roll…selling my debut novel to Penguin/Random House.

My still-to-do’s include a revision on aforementioned novel; creating an online course for beginning speakers; and growing my Writing Sprint group (where people who need to write for business come together every Thursday for guidance and feedback).

Along with more speaking and coaching, adventure—meaning fun, travel, and
family—is high on my list for 2023.

What was your big win for 2022?

And, if you could only accomplish one big win in 2023, what would it be?

Here’s to a great year!

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This is the time of year when stress is running high while patience is running low—especially at work. So here’s a simple tip to help you get what you need from your team, peers, or even your boss without adding fuel to the fire.

It’s basically the Occam’s Razor approach, named after the Franciscan friar William of Ockham, which says that the simplest solution is often the best one. Also called the Law of Parsimony, this principle suggests that we get unnecessary or overly complicated information out of the way. After all, who wants complex when simple will do the job?

Try using the phrase “help me understand” to open the door to dialogue and transparency. For example, if a team member can’t seem to fulfill requests on time, try this:

“Help me understand what the hold-up is so we can meet our deadline.”

Using the “help me understand” approach sends the signal that you’re willing to listen to the other person’s perspective without blame or judgement. You might find out that they are waiting for information from someone else or that they’re simply overloaded. Then you can address the root cause instead of just the symptom.

When dealing with peers or partners where you don’t have direct authority, “help me understand” can let them know that while you’re not making demands, you are requesting greater clarity or input from them.

“Help me understand where the handoff comes between my team and yours.”

You can also use this phrase when managing up—that is, dealing with anyone who is higher up the corporate ladder than you are. It’s a polite way of probing for more detail when you need it.

“Help me understand how I can make this project a home-run success.”

I’d love to hear the go-to phrases you use in your business!

Libby chats with applied behavioral scientist, leadership development expert, and the CEO of HUMiN Inclusion Partners, Mitch Shepard. Mitch has been working with diverse people from various walks of life for the past 25 years, beginning with nearly a decade spent leading people on wilderness expeditions, guiding teams to achieve extraordinarily challenging goals despite often unpredictable environments and ever-changing landscapes. In 2015 Mitch expanded her reach and impact by curating a diverse and extraordinary team of coaches, trainers, consultants, and DEI experts. HUMiN is known for its creative, pragmatic, actionable, and measurable approach to building the habits and behaviors of inclusion, at every level.

Libby and Mitch discuss:

Her unique path and everything living off grid and experiencing different cultures taught her about diversityThe depth and importance of diversity in the workplace What it means to be diversity and cultural intelligentMeasuring manager effectiveness and inclusive leadership Why real change requires long term learning and long term practiceHow inclusion drives innovationAnd much more

HUMiN Inclusion Partners has become a trusted voice in the ever-growing focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. The company doesn’t only focus on the hottest topics—race, and gender—but incorporates other spectrums of diversity as well. From unleashing the best in introverts & extroverts to understanding and communicating effectively across cultures, navigating generations at work, leveraging neurodiversity and more.  Mitch lives in Seattle WA, with her husband and two children. 

Connect with Mitch:

https://www.mitchshepard.com/

www.humininc.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchshepard

This week Libby speaks with Garry Ridge, chairman and chief executive officer of WD-40 Company. Garry is responsible for developing and implementing high-level strategies, overseeing operations, and nurturing relationships and partnerships for the company. He is passionate about the learning and empowering culture he has helped establish within the organization. His vision and leadership have positively impacted the company in both measurable and immeasurable ways and he now shares his wisdom with leaders around the world.

Libby and Garry discuss:

How understanding tribes (literally) has helped him build an engaged and productive cultureWhy failure should never be an issueWhy pleasure makes perfection at workThe traits of a soul-sucking CEO and how to fix toxic cultures in the workplaceCommunication and leadership differences between men and womenThe importance of being both a leader and a teacherMoving from a fixed to a growth mindset through “learning moments”

Garry joined WD-40 Company in 1987 and has held various management positions in the company, including executive vice president and chief operating officer, and vice president of international. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of San Diego where he teaches the principles and practices of corporate culture in the Master of Science in Executive Leadership program. 

Connect with Garry:

https://thelearningmoment.net/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/garryridge

www.twitter.com/learningmoment

Libby sits down with Dr. Alison Horstmeyer, a leading-edge talent development consultant, executive coach, and humanistic researcher. Alison is considered one of the pioneering practitioners in workplace curiosity and her research focuses on the associated mental, emotional, and motivational attributes. Sharing her concepts of Intrinsic Curiosity, Alison partners and works with executives across a diverse set of industry sectors with an emphasis in technology, media, and healthcare. She has a gift for connecting and working with cross-generational teams and leaders through her unique blend of real-world business acumen and evidence-based practitioner expertise. 

Libby and Alison discuss:

What it means to be intrinsically curiosity How to build your stress toleranceThe three C’s: Curiosity, communication, collaborationThe need for establishing new ways of interacting and connecting with each other in a rapidly changing worldThe need to make space for reflectionChallenging aspects of getting a team to gel

Alison regularly works with clients focused on multi-faceted leadership, healthy team dynamics, and continuous innovation. Alison has worked with many organizations including Hulu, Verizon Media, Marvell Technology, TransDigm Group, Vanguard, Stanford Health Care, among others. She believes we each are innately curious, we just tend to stifle it away.

Connect with Alison:

https://www.dralisonh.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dralisonhorstmeyer

Libby is joined by the CEO and founder of Excellent Executive Coaching LLC, Dr. Katrina Burrus. Dr. Katrina is known for “fast-tracking leaders to the C-Suite and Beyond” and for “Transforming Brilliant Jerks into Inspiring Leaders.” Clients often comment that working with Katrina enlightens leaders to empower co-workers to walk the extra mile. She is a keynote speaker and published, “Managing Brilliant Jerks” and, “Global Leadership” a body of work used by Nestle, Novartis, the World Health Organization, the International Labor Organization, the United Nations, and many more.

Libby and Dr. Katrina discuss:

What it means to be a brilliant jerkThe costs of having a brilliant jerk in your organizationCalling out brilliant jerk mentality and understanding cultural behaviorsTransforming brilliant jerks into inspiring leadersHow to become a thought leader within an organizationDistinguishing the difference between brilliant jerks and demanding leadersAvoiding uncivilized behavior in an organization

Dr. Burrus has 18 years of experience as the first Master Certified Coach and Founding Board Member from the (ICF) International Coaching Federation in Switzerland.

Connect with Dr. Katrina Burrus:

www.excellentexecutivecoaching.com

www.instagram.com/drkatrinaburrus

www.facebook.com/katrina.burrus

Libby sits down with the best-selling author, TEDx speaker, and business strategist Ron Carucci. Ron has a thirty-year track record helping executives tackle challenges of strategy, organization, and leadership — from start-ups to Fortune 10s, nonprofits to heads-of-state, turn-arounds to new markets and strategies, overhauling leadership and culture to re-designing for growth. Ron’s experience spans over 25 countries where he helps organizations articulate strategies that lead to accelerated growth, and then designs programs to execute those strategies. 

Libby and Ron discuss:

The definition of honesty and how it’s changed over the last several decadesEarning trust in the workplace and its importance in successThe four predictable factors under which leaders will tell the truthHow to know if your leadership skills suckTrends among male and female leadersWhy diverse leadership teams perform better than those with less diversityGenerational differences in the workplaceHow to get outside of your own echo chambersAnd more

Ron has authored eight books including his most recent, To Be Honest: Lead with the Power of Truth, Justice and Purpose. He is a regular contributor to the Harvard Business Review, where Navalent’s work on leadership was named one of 2016’s management ideas that mattered most. Ron is proud to be a member of the Marshall Goldsmith MG100 coaches community. His work’s been featured in Fortune, CEO Magazine, Inc., BusinessInsider, MSNBC, Business Week, and Smart Business.

Connect with Ron:

www.navalent.com

www.tobehonest.net

Watch Moments of Truth with Ron Carucci

Buy To Be Honest: Lead with the Power of Truth, Justice and Purpose by Ron Carucci

Perry Marshall joins Libby in the leadership lab for the second time to discuss his new book, Memos from the Head Office: Channeling the Muse in Business and in Life. Perry shares an experience he had where someone shared with him a message from God that ultimately led to new business ventures and the writing of this book. The overarching theme that he wants everyone to know is that each and every one of us are all capable of creating a better life for ourselves whether that be through resolving conflicts, experiencing breakthroughs, and more, regardless of your background (social, religious, etc.).

Libby and Perry discuss:

Why it’s important to stay open to opportunitiesWhy many people with a strong prophetic ear come from troubled homes/backgroundsPaying attention to and tuning into our intuition Being compatible with your own convictionsThe single best habit one can cultivateCreating before consumingAnd much more

You don’t need to hustle harder, raise your IQ, or earn an MBA to solve your most pressing problems. The lines of communication are open if you’re willing to listen. Memos from the Head Office shows you how to resolve impossible conflicts, access new breakthroughs, navigate jagged situations, and reveal hidden insights.

Memos from the Head Office: Channeling the Muse in Business and in Life by Perry Marshall  and John Fancher 

Connect with Perry:

www.perrymarshall.com/memos