I always look forward to March. Longer, warmer days. A fresh, hopeful perspective. New growth. And I’ve been especially looking forward to this March as on the 8th, Promotions Are So Yesterday will be released by ATD Press. Since my new book focuses on redefining career development, we’ll start this month’s record-breaking Leadership Development Carnival (with 32 rock-star contributors) with articles addressing this important topic.

If you only have time to read one newsletter this month, make it this one – with highlights related to today’s most pressing leadership topics from some of the most insightful authors, speakers, and consultants in the business

Enjoy reading… and enjoy the fresh perspectives and new growth this Carnival (and spring 2022) offer!

Now is The Time To Invest In Your Employees’ Development – Al Dea of Betterwork Labs

Employees are one of the most critical elements of your business, which is why investing in their development is critical to success. Managers play a critical role in individual employee development, and with the right steps and approach, can help individual employees improve their engagement, growth, and impact. Connect with Al on Twitter @alex_dea.

The Mobility Mindset: Opportunity Abound – Beverly Kaye

Career mobility is essential for individuals at all levels. Today, each one of us needs to exercise the agility and resilience that stable workplaces did not require. No longer is mobility just about physically moving to another building or town. It’s more than getting promoted. It’s sometimes just being willing to continue to learn & grow and stretch. Connect with Beverly on Twitter @BeverlyLKaye.

The (Career) Path Less Taken – Kimberly Carroll of ia-HR

Work continues to move towards dynamic teams. With this shift comes a greater focus on skill sets – and skills can be obtained in a number of ways. More and more people are opting for a “non-traditional” career path. All three of Kimberly Carroll’s children made the choice to join the service before completing college. We sat down to talk about it. Connect with Kimberly on Twitter @kcarroll246.

Three More Tips to Implement Now to Improve Communication on the Job – Diana Peterson-More

Many of us are transitioning back to the workplace, or at least transitioning to a hybrid-working environment. Intentional, clear, and effective communication can always be challenging. However, never more so than in these challenging times. Find three, actionable and easy-to-implement tips to improve workplace communication in this post, and share them with others. Connect with Diana on Twitter @DianaPMAuthor.

Small Leadership Leaks Can Wreck Your Workplace Culture – Sean Glaze of Great Results Team Building

“Some leaks go unnoticed for a while, quietly producing unseen damage. And then, in a disturbing moment of discovery, the damage from that gradual and seemingly insignificant leak suddenly gets discovered. I learned that lesson recently when my wife stepped into our guest bedroom on the main floor of our home… and yelled upstairs “HONEY!” Connect with Sean on Twitter @leadyourteam.

Is It Really That Important That I’m Wearing a Name Tag? – Steve DiGioia

There’s always that one employee who refuses to follow directions. It seems that no matter how many times you talk to him, he continues to “forget” to do what he’s told or at worst, intentionally refuses to do it. So, what do you do with an employee like this? Sure, we can give him a kick in the rear and show him the door, but you never want to lose an otherwise half-decent employee if you can help it. But what happens when they give you a line like this; “Is it really that important that I’m wearing my name tag?” Connect with Steve on Twitter @stevedigioia.

Why Does a Person on Hospice Need a Putter? – Paula Kiger of Big Green Pen

You don’t have to be a CEO to make a difference. Sometimes, leadership can be as simple as encouraging someone to putt. Connect with Paula on Twitter @biggreenpen.

Open Hands – Angela Hummel of Angela Hummel Consulting

Many of us run our own businesses or serve teams and leaders as consultants and coaches. I made an untested and unscientific decision you will not find in any guru’s course, business book, or best practice publication–ever! I opened my hands to receive work, serve others, and be open to opportunities and partnerships. Connect with Angela on Twitter @AngelaJHummel.

Innovate What No One Else Has Done – Neal Burgis of Successful Solutions

Have you ever wondered what other people think about the same project or task you are working on? Can you spot ideas or opportunities no one else thought of and create and generate unique results? Seeing things from a different angle can give you an advantage over others when it comes to innovative ideas. Connect with Neal on Twitter @exec_solutions.

Are You Ready to Do the Hard Work? – Bill Treasurer of Giant Leap Consulting

Leadership is hard. All leaders will eventually confront this reality. The truth is, being (or becoming) a good leader takes hard work, persistent effort, and grappling with all shades of your human nature. Connect with Bill on Twitter @btreasurer.

If You Want to WOW Someone, Do Something Unexpected – Frank Sonnenberg

If you want to cut through the clutter, make a big splash, or leave a lasting impression, you can’t just do something humdrum, routine, or one-size-fits-all — your deed must be unique, unanticipated, and noteworthy. After all, you’ll never excite someone by doing something unexciting. Connect with Frank on Twitter @FSonnenberg.

Accountability and the Role of Leadership: Are You Sharing the Power? – Jim Taggart of Changing Winds

Accountability is intertwined with the components that form the basis for the creation of learning cultures. Of importance is that we must constantly remind ourselves that accountability is not a thing; rather, it’s about people. Connect with Jim on Twitter @JlcTaggart.

Net Positive Organizations Give More Than They Take – Marcella Bremer of Positive Culture

Is the world better off because your business is in it? Read Net Positive, a book that shows how organizations can give more than they take and thrive! Solving global issues is a major business opportunity and the right thing to do. Paul Polman, Unilever’s ex-CEO shares what he learned. Here’s a journey for positive organizations. Connect with Marcella on Twitter @MarcellaBremer.

Check for Understanding: A Leadership Best Practice – Karin Hurt of Let’s Grow Leaders

“All communication involves a send and a receive. A check for understanding is a simple confirmation that the message you intended to send is what the receiver heard. In other words, is your team picking up what you’re putting down?” Connect with Karin on Twitter @letsgrowleaders.

Culture Leadership Charge: Learning from a Chiropractor – Chris Edmonds of The Purposeful Culture Group

Just as muscles can become inflexible, organizations can become inflexible. Systems that made sense in the ’70s may not serve well today. Policies and procedures drafted decades ago may not enable the nimbleness needed to wow your customers now. Connect with Chris on Twitter @scedmonds.

How to Manage a Friend at Work – David Dye of Let’s Grow Leaders

Your first leadership role can be challenging when you manage a friend and people who, until yesterday, were your colleagues. When you understand the cause of these challenges, you can take the lead and create a positive experience for yourself and your friends. Connect with David on Twitter @davidmdye.

Servant Leadership for Women and Other Historically Under-Represented Leaders – Dana Theus of InPower Coaching

There is no question that servant leadership for women and other historically under-represented leaders is an effective way to manage teams and organizations. Servant leaders achieve results, not by using their own positional power (e.g., telling people what to do), but by supporting and investing in their teams’ abilities to make things happen. Many leaders, especially those who are from historically under-represented backgrounds, are drawn to this “employee-first” approach to getting results. Connect with Dana on Twitter @DanaTheus.

Workplace Hybrid Configuration or Culture? –  Jennifer V Miller of People Equation

Does your workplace have a hybrid configuration or culture? How to tell the difference, plus 9 questions to ask for hybrid success. Connect with Jennifer on Twitter @JenniferVMiller.

Building the Bridge Between Survive and Thrive in the Workplace – Mary Ila Ward of Horizon Point Consulting

We need connection – pun intended – to build the bridge to meet our survival needs that are evolutionary and adaptive, as well as to help us meet our full potential and thrive-to produce meaningful, creative, and purpose-driven work. Connect with Mary on Twitter @maryilaward.

How to Get Along With the Person Who Drives You Crazy – Lisa Kohn of Chatsworth Consulting

Learn important tips for finding a way to get along and work with “that person” who drives you crazy. Connect with Lisa on Twitter @ThoughtfulLdrs.

What a Health Scare Can Teach About Eq and Social Awareness – John Stoker of DialogueWORKS

Sometimes it is easy to forget how important empathy can be. Improving your empathy skills is important in order to connect with others. Connect with John on Twitter @JohnRStoker.

Holy Shift: Lead with Heart to Engage and Retain Employees During The Great Resignation – David Grossman

Get practical, actionable guidance on how to reverse the disturbing trend often referred to as “The Great Resignation,” and retain your organization’s greatest asset – its people. Connect with David on Twitter @ThoughtPartner.

Debunking the Myths of Self-Service – Mary Faulkner of ia HR

As organizations struggle to optimize their work, one area is often overlooked – self-service. It’s a missed opportunity to free up leaders and HR from some of the more administrative tasks in their workload. Mary debunks the myths about using this tool. Connect with Mary on Twitter @mfaulkner43.

Cultivate Resiliency BEFORE You Need It – Eileen McDargh

Whether pushed by pain or pulled by possibilities, resiliency is now a required ongoing life skill. This raises the question: why wait to develop resiliency skills? There are skills and actions that can be cultivated, developed, and taken BEFORE necessity strikes. Connect with Eileen on Twitter @macdarling.

Focus – Brenda Yoho of Be the Solution Daily

Staying focused on what you want to accomplish takes focus! Learning to focus takes intentional steps and having good habits of time management. Connect with Brenda on Twitter @BrendaYoho.

Deming Profound Podcast – John Hunter of Curious Cat

In this podcast, I discussed a bit of my history with management improvement. The discussed covered topics including management improvement, Design of Experiments, W. Edwards Deming, Peter Scholtes, PDSA improvement cycle, and six sigma. Connect with John on Twitter @ajohnhunter.

Things Happen When You Make Them Happen – Henry Mukuti of Insakanet

One of the biggest reasons things do not happen in your life is that you are doing nothing about them. If you want things to move, move them and things happen. Connect with Henry on Twitter @HenryMukuti.

It’s Game Day, Who’s Your Kicker? – Priscilla Archangel of Archangel & Associates

This is a unique skill set or strategy that will significantly improve your business and help you to achieve your goals. Sometimes leaders fail to recognize the potential of someone with a skill set that doesn’t fit the norm, or whose approach isn’t politically correct. When this person or their skill set doesn’t look like the rest of the organization, you may not know how to best leverage it. Connect with Priscilla on Twitter @PrisArchangel.

Leading Winning Teams: 5 Leadership Lessons from Mushers – Ken Downer of Rapid Start Leadership

Leading winning teams is something any good leader aspires to. In their own words, here are five secrets to achieving that goal from a surprising source. Connect with Ken on Twitter @RapidStartLdr.

4 Tips for Being a Trusted Servant Leader in a Toxic Culture – Randy Conley of Leading with Trust

Despite the overwhelming evidence of the benefits of high-trust and servant leader-led cultures, many still view it as being a “soft” management style or “letting the inmates run the prison.” In “4 Tips for Being a Trusted Servant Leader in a Toxic Culture,” Randy Conley shares practical advice for how you can create a servant leadership culture in the face of resistance. Connect with Randy on Twitter @RandyConley.

The Mater Man Rules – Wally Bock of Three Star Leadership

Sometimes the best business principles show up in the most unlikely places, like a farmer’s market. Connect with Wally on Twitter @WallyBock.

Leaders: How Hard Are You Thinking About These Two BIG Issues? – Art Petty

There are two issues every person in a leadership role must constantly focus on and work on: (1) who they aspire to be as leaders and (2) how hard they are working at developing their skills as strategists. Anything less than daily work on these issues is a problem. Connect with Art on Twitter @artpetty.

Photos by Leon on Unsplash, Thought Catalog on Unsplash, Christina Morillo from Pexels, Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels, Fauxels from Pexels, Christina Morillo from Pexels, Rodeo Project Management Software on Unsplash.