how Your Employees Some Valentine's Day Love
by Becoming a Better You. (These 12 Tips Show You How.)
The best leaders never stop helping employees succeed. But before you can help them, you must first help yourself. Just in time for Valentine's Day, Quint Studer shares tips on how to
love your team by holding up the mirror...and giving them the gift of a better you.
Hoboken, NJ (January 2020)—With Valentine's Day just around the corner, you may be looking for ways to show your employees that you care. Instead of handing out cards, flowers, or candy, why not give them a really meaningful gift? Quint Studer says the best way to show employees love is by becoming a better version of you.
"When we focus on becoming a better leader and a better person, we may well create a stronger company," says Studer, author of Wall Street Journal bestseller The Busy Leader's Handbook: How to Lead People and Places That Thrive (Wiley, October 2019, ISBN: 978-1-119-57664-8, $28.00). "That's a great outcome for everyone. But it also allows us to do a better job of developing employees and helping them become the best they can be."
As leaders we can take people only as far as we've taken ourselves, insists Studer. It's why in all of his presentations and writings he focuses on holding up the mirror: becoming self-aware, staying humble and coachable, and doing the inner work it takes to grow and improve.
It's also why the first third of The Busy Leader's Handbook focuses on "The Leader in You." It's only when we master our own attitudes, mindsets, and capabilities that we'll be able to create the kind of positive and engaging workplace culture that allows others to put forth their best efforts, grow, thrive, and find a powerful sense of meaning.
"In the workplace, creating this kind of culture is how we show love," says Studer. "But it begins internally, inside a leader's heart and head."
Here are some steps you can take to continue growing into a better version of yourself:
Get your ego out of the way. Great leaders bring out the best in others. This cannot happen when you're too attached to your own ideas or convinced you're the smartest person in the room. Pay attention to when you're shining the spotlight on yourself and redirect to others. Focus on constant improvement and growth. Remind yourself often of all that you don't know—this will help you deflate your own ego and move toward humility, which is one of the most crucial qualities a leader can possess.
Build strong humility habits. Great leadership isn't about being right. It isn't about being the smartest person in the room. It's about seeing yourself as you truly are. It's about knowing your strengths and weaknesses. It's about taking yourself out of the center of the equation and keeping the spotlight on others. If you suspect you aren't a humble leader, it's absolutely crucial to work on quieting the ego so that you're open to learning and focused on continuous improvement and growth. A few ways to get in the habit of practicing humility:
Pause often and connect to kindness. Pauses are important. They are the space between what we want to do or say and the moment we take action. Many times, not taking action or saying the words on the tip of our tongue is the better choice. When leaders forget to pause, we can do a lot of harm. We may cause employees to become disengaged, or alienate our colleagues, or lose clients and customers.
"Each day, take more time to pause," says Studer. "In that space, decide what is needed. It could be empathy, patience, forgiveness, or something else that will improve matters greatly. But it can't happen without the pause."
Each day, put yourself into "beginner's mind." Start off each day by setting the intention to learn something new. This will serve you far better than having an attitude of "This is not what I'm interested in." Instead, ask yourself how whatever you are learning could apply to you. If it is not useful to you now, perhaps it might become useful later.
Regularly ask for feedback and make sure people feel safe enough to tell you the truth. Whether you're getting the team's perspective on a decision you're trying to make, or asking how things are going with their jobs (and your leadership) in general, it's important to foster a culture of psychological safety. Leading with humility means always seeking out the truth, especially if it's something you might not really want to hear.
Build up your resilience. The sooner you realize setbacks are going to happen, the better off you'll be. What is most important is learning to bounce back from them. When chaos occurs within an organization, we as leaders must maintain the mental wherewithal to support and guide our teams. Our resilience grows when we have strong coping skills, a sense of optimism, grit, mental and physical stamina, and an environment with plenty of psychological safety.
Communicate regularly, even when there isn't any "news." Employees need to always know what is going on inside their organization. Don't assume that your employees know certain things; chances are good that they do not. Further, don't shy away from delivering bad news.
"When things are tough, people imagine the worst," says Studer. "Your visibility and communication are vital during these times."
Make your expectations clearly known. Conflicts can occur when you don't communicate what you expect from others. Vague directions (or none at all) can cause employees to make mistakes or go down the wrong path, and then you must confront them. Keep in mind that most people want to do what's right and will do the right thing when they are clear on what the right thing is. Head off a lot of conflict by always being very clear about what you expect.
If you make a mistake, say so. Admit when you are wrong. People appreciate vulnerability in leadership. Don't let pride control you or waste energy trying to pass yourself off as perfect. If you have made a mistake, apologize sincerely and move on. The words "I was wrong" will always serve you and can help to reset any relationships.
Be willing to change your mind. A byproduct of learning new information is the ability to adapt and change your mind. Many people think of strong leaders as being decisive and unwavering when there are decisions to be made. They may view changing your mind as a sign weakness. It's not. It's actually a sign that you can learn and grow in real time. Have the courage to course correct when new information reveals itself.
Never run from conflict. As leaders, we have to be able to handle conflict or we're not doing our job. When leaders perpetually avoid conflict, communication breakdowns occur, important decisions are delayed or not made at all, high performers leave, and people begin to see you as a weak leader. Commit to handling conflict in a productive and healthy manner.
Yes, it's uncomfortable...but don't be afraid to disrupt yourself. Regularly reevaluate your department or organization. Put it on the schedule and make sure it really happens. Often, doing this helps you learn that what you believe is happening inside the company is not actually occurring. This is a great opportunity to disrupt yourself and make needed changes to keep your organization performing at its best. Push through any discomfort you feel throughout this process—remember, discomfort is normal and leaders need to get used to it. You also need to help employees get used to taking action that makes them feel unsettled.
"None of us can ever reach perfection, but great leaders commit to being their best each day," concludes Studer. "We can keep getting better and better. It's tough, but we really owe it to our employees. It's how we inspire them to become their best selves as well, which is really what love looks like in action."
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About the Author:
Quint Studer is the author of Wall Street Journal bestseller The Busy Leader's Handbook and a lifelong businessman, entrepreneur, and student of leadership. He not only teaches it; he has done it. He has worked with individuals at all levels and across a variety of industries to help them become better leaders and create high-performing organizations. He seeks always to simplify high-impact leader behaviors and tactics for others.
Quint has a great love for teaching his insights in books and has authored nine of them in addition to The Busy Leader's Handbook. His book Results That Last also made the Wall Street Journal bestseller list. Building a Vibrant Community, published in 2018, is a blueprint for communities seeking to revitalize themselves.
Quint is the founder of Vibrant Community Partners and Pensacola's Studer Community Institute. He currently serves as Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the University of West Florida, Executive-in-Residence at George Washington University, and Lecturer at Cornell University.
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Press Release
USDA Invests $15.5 Million in Broadband for Rural Louisiana Communities
Access to High-Speed Internet will Expand Economic Development, Innovation, Technology, Workforce, and Improve Quality of Life
ALEXANDRIA, La., Jan. 28, 2020 – Today, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Louisiana State Director Roy Holleman announced USDA has invested $15.5 million in a high-speed broadband infrastructure project that will create or improve rural e-Connectivity for 2,609 rural households, 12 pre-subscribed businesses and 16 pre-subscribed farms in Iberville, Pointe Coupee and St. Landry parishes. This is one of many funding announcements in the final round of USDA’s ReConnect Pilot Program investments.
“Through USDA’s ReConnect Program, thousands of Louisianans living in rural communities will get access to the latest broadband technology that will connect them to opportunities in education, health care and economic development,” Holleman said. “Under the leadership of President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Perdue, USDA is committed to being a strong partner to rural communities to deploy this critical infrastructure, because we know when rural America thrives, all of America thrives.”
Star Telephone Company Inc. will use a $7.7 million ReConnect Program grant and a $7.7 million ReConnect Program loan to deploy 154 miles of optical fiber and 95 miles of drop optical fiber cable to the premises. The project will cover 136 square miles in Iberville, Pointe Coupee and St. Landry parishes.
Background:
In March 2018, Congress provided $600 million to USDA to expand broadband infrastructure and services in rural America. On Dec. 13, 2018, Secretary Perdue announced the rules of the program, called “ReConnect,” including how the loans and grants will be awarded to help build broadband infrastructure in rural America. USDA received 146 applications between May 31, 2019, and July 12, 2019, requesting $1.4 billion in funding across all three ReConnect Program funding products: 100 percent loan, 100 percent grant, and loan-grant combinations. USDA is reviewing applications and announcing approved projects on a rolling basis. Additional investments in all three categories will be made in the coming weeks.
These grants, loans and combination funds enable the federal government to partner with the private sector and rural communities to build modern broadband infrastructure in areas with insufficient internet service. Insufficient service is defined as connection speeds of less than 10 megabits per second (Mbps) download and 1 Mbps upload.
In December 2019, Agriculture Secretary Perdue announced USDA will be making available an additional $550 million in ReConnect funding in 2020. USDA will make available up to $200 million for grants, up to $200 million for 50/50 grant/loan combinations, and up to $200 million for low-interest loans. The application window for this round of funding will open Jan. 31, 2020. Applications for all funding products will be accepted in the same application window, which will close no later than March 16, 2020.
A full description of 2020 ReConnect Pilot Program funding is available on page 67913 of the Dec. 12, 2019, Federal Register (PDF, 336 KB). To learn more about eligibility, technical assistance and recent announcements, visit www.usda.gov/reconnect.
In April 2017, President Donald J. Trump established the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity to identify legislative, regulatory and policy changes that could promote agriculture and prosperity in rural communities. In January 2018, Secretary Perdue presented the Task Force’s findings to President Trump. These findings included 31 recommendations to align the federal government with state, local and tribal governments to take advantage of opportunities that exist in rural America. Increasing investments in rural infrastructure is a key recommendation of the task force. To view the report in its entirety, please view the Report to the President of the United States from the Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity (PDF, 5.4 MB). In addition, to view the categories of the recommendations, please view the Rural Prosperity infographic (PDF, 190 KB).
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.
Salt Lake City, UT (1/28/2020) — The possibility of a cyberattack by a foreign country has gone from being the stuff of science fiction to a common threat in the news media almost daily.
With today being Data Privacy Day, the Better Business Bureau and the National Cyber Security Alliance offer the following tips to keep your information secure.
Share with care. What you post can last a lifetime, so think about who will see your posts and photos, how they will be perceived, and what information they reveal about you.
Own your online presence. Set the privacy and security settings on web services and devices to your comfort level for information sharing. It’s OK to limit how and with whom you share information.
Value your personal information. Think of your personal information like money: value and protect it. Be careful what sites you visit and be sure you are on a legitimate site before entering personal information. Be especially wary of communications that implore you to act immediately, offer something that sounds too good to be true, or ask for personal information.
Make your passwords long and strong. Use long passwords with a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols—eight characters for most accounts, twelve characters for email and financial accounts. Don’t use the same password for multiple accounts, especially email and financial. Keep a paper list of your passwords in a safe place, not on or near your computer. Consider using a password vault application.
Lock down your login. For your online accounts, use the strongest authentication tools available. Your usernames and passwords are not enough; consider two-factor authentication for key accounts like email, banking, and social media, especially for access on mobile devices.
Don’t click on unfamiliar links. Whether at home or at work, don’t click on links from unfamiliar sources or unexpected correspondence. One false click can infect a whole computer… or a whole business.
Pay attention to your Internet-connected devices. Smart thermostats, voice control systems, cars, even refrigerators are just the beginning of the growing list of devices that watch our homes and track our location. Read the privacy policy and understand what data is being collected and how it will be used.
Charitable organizations also need to be aware of data privacy. Donors and others communicate online with charities via their websites, emails and other online means and need to be informed about what policies are in place to address privacy concerns. BBB Wise Giving Alliance published a blog article containing advice for charities and donors regarding data privacy concerns.
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ABOUT BBB: For more than 100 years, the Better Business Bureau has been helping people find businesses, brands, and charities they can trust. In 2018, people turned to BBB more than 173 million times for BBB Business Profiles on nearly 5.4 million businesses and Charity Reports on 11,000 charities, all available for free at BBB.org. Today, BBB serving Northern Nevada and Utah is supported by just over 4,300 Accredited Businesses that have voluntarily committed to adhere to BBB’s Standards of Trust.
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Secretary Perdue to hold media call during trip to Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy
(Washington, D.C., January 28, 2020) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has been travelling Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy to engage with his counterparts on important issues facing agriculture at home and abroad. The Secretary is joined by Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, Ted McKinney, and has been participating in events with government officials and agricultural leaders. TOMORROW, Wednesday, January 29th, Secretary Perdue will hold a press call to discuss the trip.
Secretary Perdue to Hold Media Call Regarding trip to Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy
TOMORROW, Wednesday, January 29th, Secretary Perdue will hold an off-camera, on-the-record media briefing regarding details of his trip to Europe. The briefing will be conducted via conference call beginning at 10:00am ET, and the information will be embargoed until the conclusion of the call. The number of lines are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis, so please limit to one per outlet.
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American Lung Association 2020 ‘State of Tobacco Control’ Report To Be Released Tomorrow, January 29, 2020
Report Shows Progress in Utah, But Youth Vaping Epidemic Is Taking Its Toll
SALT LAKE CITY (January 28, 2020) –
WHAT: The American Lung Association is releasing its 18th annual “State of Tobacco Control” report. The report tracks progress on key tobacco control policies at the federal and state levels, assigning grades based on efforts in 2019 to reduce and prevent tobacco use and tobacco-caused death and disease. As a result of its failure adequately address the youth e-cigarette epidemic in 2019, the federal government received as many F’s as A’s in the report, which also identified opportunities for both the federal government and states to improve grades in 2020.
WHERE: Lung.org/sotc “State of Tobacco Control” 2020 report will be updated with new data at 12:00 a.m. ET on January 29, 2020
WHEN: Prior to the public release on January 29, 2020, at 12:00 a.m. ET, embargoed interviews may be requested.
WHO: Print and broadcast interviews are available upon request with:
HOW: To request more information or an embargoed interview, contact Bo Smith at Bo.Smith@Lung.org or 310-359-6386.
WHY: Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the United States, killing 480,000 people each year. The United States is also facing a youth e-cigarette epidemic, with e-cigarette use increased by a staggering 132% among high school students from 2017 to 2019, with more than 1 in 4 kids vaping (27.5%). Effective strategies to prevent and reduce tobacco, including e-cigarette use, have been identified, and the annual “State of Tobacco Control” report serves as a roadmap to save lives, and grades states and the federal government on efforts to reduce and prevent tobacco use and tobacco-related death and disease.
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Press Release
USDA Invests $61 Million to Bring Broadband to Rural Missourians
Access to High-Speed Internet will Expand Economic Development, Innovation, Technology, Workforce, and Improve Quality of Life
TRENTON, Mo., Jan. 28, 2020 – Today, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Donald “DJ” LaVoy announced USDA has invested $60.9 million in high-speed broadband infrastructure that will create or improve e-Connectivity for more than 11,000 rural households, 81 farms, 73 businesses, 16 educational facilities, 12 critical community facilities and two health care facilities in rural Missouri. This is one of many funding announcements in the first round of USDA’s ReConnect Pilot Program investments.
“High-speed broadband internet connectivity, or e-Connectivity, is essential today to run a successful business or agricultural operation, access specialized health care or education, and connect with loved ones living far away,” LaVoy said. “Under the leadership of President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Perdue, USDA has made the deployment of this critical infrastructure in rural America a top priority, because we know that when rural America thrives, all of America thrives.”
LaVoy announced the following five projects throughout the state:
Background:
In March 2018, Congress provided $600 million to USDA to expand broadband infrastructure and services in rural America. On Dec. 13, 2018, Secretary Perdue announced the rules of the program, called “ReConnect,” including how the loans and grants will be awarded to help build broadband infrastructure in rural America. USDA received 146 applications between May 31, 2019, and July 12, 2019, requesting $1.4 billion in funding across all three ReConnect Program funding products: 100 percent loan, 100 percent grant, and loan-grant combinations. USDA is reviewing applications and announcing approved projects on a rolling basis. Additional investments in all three categories will be made in the coming weeks.
These grants, loans and combination funds enable the federal government to partner with the private sector and rural communities to build modern broadband infrastructure in areas with insufficient internet service. Insufficient service is defined as connection speeds of less than 10 megabits per second (Mbps) download and 1 Mbps upload.
In April 2017, President Donald J. Trump established the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity to identify legislative, regulatory and policy changes that could promote agriculture and prosperity in rural communities. In January 2018, Secretary Perdue presented the Task Force’s findings to President Trump. These findings included 31 recommendations to align the federal government with state, local and tribal governments to take advantage of opportunities that exist in rural America. Increasing investments in rural infrastructure is a key recommendation of the task force. To view the report in its entirety, please view the Report to the President of the United States from the Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity (PDF, 5.4 MB). In addition, to view the categories of the recommendations, please view the Rural Prosperity infographic (PDF, 190 KB).
USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas.
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For Immediate Release
January 27, 2020
Contacts:
Aundrea Peterson
Communications Director | Utah Senate
801-791-3365| aundreapeterson@le.utah.gov
Ross Chambless
Communications Specialist | Utah House Minority
801-326-1568 | rosschambless@le.utah.gov
Unveiling of Dr. Martha Hughes Cannon Bronze Statue
First look at the 25-inch bronze replica of a 7.5-foot tall statue that will be placed in National Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol the summer of 2020
What:
The co-chairs of the Martha Hughes Cannon Statue Oversight Committee, Sen. Deidre Henderson and Rep. Karen Kwan, will give Utah legislators and citizens the first glimpse of a bronze statue depicting former Utah State Senator Martha Hughes Cannon.
The bronze statue is a 25-inch replica of a 7-foot-6-inch statue of Cannon. The larger statue will be one of two representing the state of Utah. It will take its place this August in National Statuary Hall in Washington D.C. during a celebration commemorating the 19th Amendment’s 100th anniversary.
During Utah’s 2018 legislative session, lawmakers voted to send a statue of Martha Hughes Cannon, who served as the country’s first female state senator, to represent Utah in the U.S. Capitol. Each state is allowed two statues in the National Statuary Hall to honor notable figures in state history.
Cannon was a wife, mother, doctor and leader in the Utah Women’s Suffrage Organization. She was the first physician in residence at Deseret Hospital (later LDS Hospital) and a founder and member of Utah's first State Board of Health. In 1896, Cannon was elected the first female state senator in Utah and U.S. history, defeating her own husband, Angus Cannon, who was also a candidate. Of the 100 statues currently displayed in National Statuary Hall, nine depict women.
Following a national search, the Martha Hughes Cannon Oversight Committee selected Utah sculptor Ben Hammond to design the statue.
Who:
Sen. Deidre Henderson, District 7
Rep. Karen Kwan, District 34
Members of the Martha Hughes Cannon Statue Oversight Committee
Artist Ben Hammond
When:
Senate Chambers – Tuesday, January 28, 2020, at 11:15 a.m.
House Floor – Tuesday, January 28, 2020, at 11:30 a.m.
Where:
Utah State Capitol
350 State Street
Salt Lake City, Utah 84114
