Neal Anderson

It’s with great excitement I get to announce the opening of CARTO Counseling this fall!

Ash is a licensed professional counselor, returning to her therapist chair after spending a season at home with our young boys.

Since our first coffee shared together on Rush Street in downtown Chicago 20 years ago, we have dreamed of working together.

While our work is distinct from one another in certain ways, CARTO Leadership & Counseling is going to be a beautiful partnership and company.

More to come!

https://carto-leadership.thinkific.com/courses/lead-up

Access is open to Lead UP, a CARTO Leadership mini-course designed to teach you the 5 keys to leading up and building your influence!

Lead UP Learn the 5 keys to leading up.

What is the cure for burnout?

CARTO Leadership contributor J.E. DeGraaf highlights these 12 steps to proactively prevent burnout:

1. Increasing/maintaining job control
2. Increasing/maintaining supervisor social support
3. Increasing/maintaining coworker social support
4. Seeking feedback
5. Seeking/performing tasks that energize
6. Reducing hindering job demands
7. Increasing/maintaining home autonomy
8. Increasing/maintaining home social support
9. Reducing work-home conflict
10. Improving/maintaining physical health
11. Improving/maintaining psychological wellbeing
12. Engaging in relaxing activities

Check out the whole article in the January edition of the Guidepost 👊

CARTO Leadership Navigate your potential.

Beyond excited to welcome Joe DeGraaf to CARTO Leadership! Joe will be offering his leadership insights and experience as a CARTO Contributor.

Joe is a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, university instructor, and professional certified Life Coach. His work and passions revolve around developing purpose and meaningful productivity in his students and clients. He holds a Master’s in Executive Development for Public Service and Adult & Community Education as well as a Graduate Certificate in Business from Ball State University.

He lives in Marion, IN with his wife, Kelsey, and their two children, Sadie and James.

CARTO contributors are industry leaders passionate about using their skills and experience to contribute to the mission of CARTO Leadership.

A year ago today, I launched CARTO Leadership!

I love the opportunity I’ve had to see leaders grow, thrive, and flourish.

My vision for CARTO is growing, and I can’t wait to share with you what’s coming in year 2.

Thank you to…

- The incredible clients I’ve worked with across so many diverse industries

- My launch team (The First 50)

- All my fellow leadership development professionals working to serve and improve how leaders grow

To another year with CARTO! Navigate your potential.

Ps. Join me over on LinkedIn where all the daily action with CARTO happens 👊🏼

Work to rest, or rest to work?

Since I believe we were made to work and that work is a privilege, resting becomes essential. It’s not a reward, it’s the necessary prerequisite. Rest to work.

Off to the desert to rest and spend time with my favorite humans 🌵🌴

Unplugging for a week ✌🏼

Proud dad brag- my preschooler, Merritt, got the Leader of the Month award today 🤩

The monthly award is given to a student in the class who exemplifies one of the 7 habits of the Leader in Me program.

I decided to interview Merritt to learn a little bit more about this experience.
--
Me: What’s your favorite habit?

Merritt: Synergize!

Me: Why?

Merritt: Because you get to work and play with other people :)

Me: What’s the hardest habit?

Merritt: None of them are hard.

Me: What habit do you need to work on?

Merritt: Put first things first.
--
I love seeing how even a 5 year old can benefit from the basic leadership principles of the 7 habits.

Can you name all 7 habits? What’s your favorite?

I have to work late.

I have to check my email at night.

I have to mow the lawn.

I’ve said all these “I have to” statements and many others.

Do you have to, or do you choose to? Our language choice is powerful. There’s almost nothing you have to do. Usually, we choose to do things because the alternative is worse.

However, when we say we “have to” when we really “choose to,” we subtly shift responsibility.

I’ll be working this week to catalog and inventory my “have to’s,” trying to change them to “choose to’s.”

Got a great question from a friend the other day. He asked, "How do you filter all of the content you take in?"

With an endless amount of information available to scroll, download, and listen to, I can often feel the overwhelm of information.

Here's my approach.

1) I boundary my intake time.

2) I boundary my podcast library to just a few shows that curate quality content (my favorites: EntreLeadership, Faith Driven Entrepreneur, and The Table Group).

3) I only read recommendations from people I trust.

4) I read for comprehension not comprehensively.

5) I engage with content that genuinely interests me and delete or pass on all the great stuff that falls short.

6) I accept informational FOMO can't be conquered.

What's your approach?

Hard conversation butterflies? Yesterday was one of those days. I had to have several hard conversations.

I woke up with that feeling in my stomach, anxious about what was coming.

I used to think that feeling revealed a weakness or insecurity in my leadership, an inability to handle the tough conversation. Over the years, I've learned, if I'm operating out of health, the feeling is an indicator of the weight of the conversation.

Feeling the weight is a good thing, not something to shed.

If you have a hard conversation coming up, here are a few things I try to keep in mind during mine:

1) Get to it. Don't waste time upfront with weather chit-chat and sports recaps. State the main purpose of the conversation clearly, within the first 30-45 seconds.

2) As Brene Brown says, "Clarity is kind." Say it in a way a 2nd grader could understand.

3) Don't over-talk. This is usually an indicator that I'm over-managing possible reactions or feelings. I've been down this road, and it's the fastest way to an uncomfortable and weird conversation.

4) Be human. Feel. Connect. Engage. Stoicism is not a virtue. Gentleness, patience, and kindness are.

I have lots to learn still. What would you add?