We explore the dynamics of change within communities, framing stakeholders into three distinct roles: Change Champions, the Toxic Few (Resistors), and Bystanders. We use the Change Bell Curve to emphasize the importance of focusing energy on engaging Change Champions and winning over Bystanders, while not wasting efforts on the entrenched resistance of the Toxic Few. By understanding these dynamics and leveraging effective communication strategies, communities and organizations can navigate change more successfully and foster a culture of growth and adaptation.

As we continue to journey through the Change Formula, we need to be able to craft a compelling Case for Change within the Change Formula, focusing on dissatisfaction (D). Through communication, leadership support, and a culture of improvement, we address why change is necessary and its implications. Articulating the Case effectively across platforms to build support and counter resistance is crucial.

The Change Formula, a tool introduced recently, emphasizes the necessity of Dissatisfaction (D) with the status quo for meaningful change to occur. Dissatisfaction stems from various sources within communities or organizations, such as performance gaps, external pressures, cultural misalignment, and leadership issues. Addressing dissatisfaction is crucial as it can lead to resistance, decreased morale, missed opportunities, and hindrance to organizational growth. Real-life examples illustrate the importance of recognizing dissatisfaction and driving change, whether it's transitioning to a team-based organization, expanding regionally for impact, or adapting to evolving EMS models.

Have you ever found yourself wanting to implement some kind of change either in your community or at your place of business and realized you didn’t have the support to make it happen? Over the course of the next 3-4 weeks, we will explore each element of the Change Formula creating a pragmatic, directly applicable model you and your team can now start to follow when implementing change.

Navigating the dynamics of change with insights into different change styles—Conserver, Pragmatist, and Originator. Discover how understanding these styles can empower leaders to navigate change effectively and foster a culture of innovation and growth in their communities.

When we are called to provide hope, humanity, humility and helpfulness through LEADing. We must first Look around and pay attention finding moments and opportunities to empathize. Empathize by perspective taking, being non judgemental, recognizing emotion, communicating and practicing mindfulness. Acknowledge the truth of the current situation. Decide what actions need to be taken (if any).

The Upside-Down Community Leadership concept envisions leaders at the bottom, serving and uplifting the community members. This inversion reflects a shift from self-centered leadership to a more altruistic and community-centric approach. The core principles of the Upside-Down Community concept align with virtues such as humility, compassion, and service to others. By adopting a servant-leadership mindset, community leaders prioritize the well-being of the community over personal gain. This model encourages leaders to lead by example, demonstrating that true greatness arises from selfless service and a commitment to the collective good.

As communities (both at work and in life) grapple with shifting values and ethics, steering away from a shared sense of humanity, the perilous path of individualism and vested interests looms. This phenomenon of individualism finds its roots in a focus on personal feelings and self-actualization, championed by great minds like Emerson and Thoreau. However, I would argue that in order to find ourselves, we have lost each other. The antidote to strict individualism lies in the love of humanity, a force that transcends self-interest and places communal well-being at its core.

Hope can be a faint glimmer on the distant horizon. It can keep us moving on the journey of community, belonging and love. Hope is a way of thinking - a cognitive process - or as C. R. Snyder called it a trilogy of: goals, pathways and agency.

Yes, hope is also based in emotions and can greatly inspire us to reach the highest heights, however its core is in ‘function.’  We experience hope when we can set realistic goals, when we can stay flexible and develop alternative pathways, and when we believe in ourselves or “agency.”

Community, a term encompassing our town halls, spiritual centers, workplaces, and backyards, holds diverse meanings for different people. It can signify gathering, progress, workplace teams, civic justice, or merely the coming together of a people. Amid these various perspectives, one often overlooked concept stands out as a powerful force capable of transforming communities from the inside out: hospitality.

Relationships matters when creating a vision for your organizations because you cannot create a vision without being innovative, creative and ready for change. Brene Brown once wrote about vulnerability saying, “Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change.” Vulnerability is the ability to handle uncertainty, to take risks and most importantly embrace emotional exposure. This makes sense. Are you more likely to risk sounding “in left field” if you trust the team you’re with and can be vulnerable around them? Would you mention the “unmentionable” at a board retreat if you trusted that the board members have your best intentions at heart? How can we ask people to tell us their best, perhaps wackiest ideas if they can’t be vulnerable around us?

When it comes to remote work or some variation of it (hybrid work), the only negotiable is the speed at which we are willing to change our workplaces, not the change itself. Hopefully these 4 elements will give you a head start in adapting your workplace. Don’t wait to go completely remote, these tools work well with traditional workplaces too!

Do you ever feel like you’re in a team or on a board where you’re mixing water and oil? Some people go hard right, while others go hard left? Even their approach to a topic or challenge is, well, different! Did you know your board or team members have four distinct personality profiles? Using the Lens of Understanding we can identify the Get It Done, Get It Right, Get Along and Get Appreciation personalities on our teams.

As a New Year is upon us yet again, here are a few ways over the last decade and half that I have both seen and practiced becoming indispensable in career, professional life and in organizations. These are immediate, real-time, start today ways that can transform you as a leader and any organization, business or side-hustle attached to you!

This library is a collection of the many books and years that I have spent studying and enjoying a healthy pursuit of excellence. They range from books on creativity, on conflict, on culture to books on marketing, leadership and to my surprise, a lot on grit and resilience. At the top of the page I wanted a quote that I thought universally said what I think of when I think of books and Harrington Brands; I think Albert Einstein said it best: “I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.” So, please enjoy and of course, if you have a recommendation please let us know! We’re always looking for the next great book to improve.

The One Page Strategy (OPS) has helped many pull together strategic and yearly plans and goals all on one sheet. The idea is that by putting it on one sheet you can look at it throughout the year to make progress on those goals. Not only are all your goals and projects on one sheet, it also holds you and your team accountable as you look at it from time to time throughout the year to measure your effectiveness in achieving your goals.

I find that it’s helpful to know that there are long-studied emotional events going on in each and every one of our followers. I also believe that if we don't understand our people (staff, board, followers, volunteers, etc.), we will never truly create our own successful circumstances for [enter company, organization, relationship, cause]. If we don't understand where our people are emotionally and how to help them out, then all the finances, strategies, x-point plans, and One Page Strategies won't do a lick of good.

With over a decade of studying how humans deal with change, loss and success, here is what I lean on and hope it helps you figure out where your people are at too:

What does it take to be a leader during a crisis. I hope some of these tips around communication, self-reflection, inspiration, change and more are frank, blunt, perhaps contrarian and real during this crisis for you.

One of the most common phrases you’ll hear as a leader in a chamber or association is, “you know what you should do…” or “I’ve got an idea for you…” or if your chamber or association is well-known for throwing events, “here’s an event you should do for the community…” Next time you hear that, try out two of these free templates!

raditionally, corporations have long talked about the leadership ladder - each rung of the proverbial ladder equaling a new role, title, pay, and/or leadership level.  Unfortunately, that’s quite an outdated model and just doesn’t work for the new worker.

When we look at the Leadership Growth Lattice, it functions like the name.  Instead of straight up, its sprawls out like a garden lattice.  It assists in creating a “holistic” employee with multiple dimensions of growth, service and leadership.

Imagine a lattice and the buckets you may want an employee to think about as they grow within your organization.

As leaders there's always one behavior or another we're trying to shape or change in others.  What about the chronic latecomer, the constant complainer and the time management challenged? We attempt to give constructive feedback, help them set goals or focus on teamwork and continuous improvement.  Sometimes it clicks; sometimes it doesn’t. Do you know how much our habits actually impact our behavior choices (which is either what you’re trying to stop in others or grow in others), or how habits can by-pass our decision-making function?

Teaming can be this big word, especially if you’re new at it.  Really, it's just a group of people getting together working a problem, right?  As a new leader you may be called upon to form your next team, perhaps your first one?!  Here is where I would start if I were to build a very adaptable, high level, results-oriented team:

I know I’ve written about this recently, but it's an important topic.  Meetings are the game field. Meetings decide well...decisions! And who wins!  And how the team functions! Did you know: between 35-50% of meeting time is seen as wasted, most meetings start 8-12 minutes late, 75% say agendas are not prepared and distributed in advance, less than 30% of decisions in meetings are recorded, and over 40% of people don’t know the purpose of the meeting they’re attending.

This past week, wearing my other hat as chamber director for southwestern Vermont, I had the pleasure to present at the Vermont Tourism Summit in Burlington, Vermont. My topic was on “Building Your Brand With Local Talent.” Now, because of my job and my background, the presentation was heavy on marketing tactics.  However, I was able to weave in some of my other passion - motivating teams.

Right, makes sense!  With all the strategy and tools to get the marketing job done, we still have the fundamental challenge of human beings leading the charge.  We still need to make sure our staff, teammates or freelancers are happy. This is where I often weaved in our CAMP Method of Motivation.

Right around this time of year, I find that my immune system just gives out.  I had tried my hardest, forced as much sun-soaked vitamin D in our northeast summers, popped the multitude of good-for-you vitamins, washed my hands every time I could, alas I tend to get a cold during March or April.  I think this New England body just runs out of reserves.

Equally, it can seem that way at work, at the gym, working on projects.  We enter the new year with such gusto, however when we get past the first quarter of the year, the tyranny of the urgent can take our eyes off of the goal. We lose focus.

Results of a study conducted by Manchester, Inc. of 100 leaders primarily from Fortune 100 companies found that among the benefits that organizations received from providing coaching to leaders were improvements in productivity (reported by 53% of leaders), quality (48%), and organizational strength (48%).  Among the benefits to leaders who received coaching were improved working relationships with direct reports (reported by 77% of leaders), working relationships with immediate supervisors (71%), teamwork (67%).

How do we find our way out of this tunnel of uncertainty and change, or at the very least, learn how to ride the rollercoaster while still continuing to develop business?  As Drucker points out, albeit simplistically, if you want to predict what’s ahead, your best bet is to create it. How do we go about creating a model that can handle the chaos of today, react when necessary, and attack with precision and purpose?  Here are some thoughts…