Leaders embrace change because they know opportunity resides within every change. Without change, there would be no prospect for growth, development or advancement. Leaders help others accept change and grow through it. ─Deb Miller─ Ken Chapman & Associates, Inc.

A self-confidant leader inspires confidence in others. Be confident about what you know, but humble about what you don’t. Leaders don’t have all the answers; there is almost always something unknown. Employees are more comfortable when working for a confident leader, but appreciate the humility of someone who can say, “I don’t know.” ─ Deb Miller─ Ken Chapman & Associates, Inc.

Saying what needs to be said, when it needs to said, in the manner in which it needs to be said, makes a leader vulnerable ── vulnerable to the assertion of not caring about employees. Leaders know the best caring is saying what needs to be said, when it needs to be said, in the manner in which it needs to be said. ─Ken Chapman ─ Ken Chapman & Associates, Inc.

The More Things Change… Part III by Whitney Tate Listen to an audio version of this article by clicking here: Ken Chapman and Associates, Inc. · Generations Series Part 3: The More Things Change… Part One of The More Things Change, focused on what all human beings share in common and how we are more alike than we are different. All human beings share a need to be valued, to make sense out of the world around them, and to discover a sense of purpose. The article ended with a recommendation to consider three questions: Are you treated with dignity and respect by everyone? Are you given the resources to make a contribution to your company that gives meaning to your life? Do you receive recognition for work which is well done? In Part Two, we turned our attention to real (fact-based) differences between Boomers and just about everybody else…

Leaders know you create opportunities by performing, not complaining—though complaining is the easier path and the one complainers applaud. ─ Ken Chapman, Ph.D.

During the Great Depression of the 1930’s, the US. Soil Conservation Service paid Southern farmers to plant a little known Japanese vine called kudzu. It was intended for erosion control. It does control erosion; it, in fact, controls everything it grows over. The runaway vine now dominates over 7 million acres of former farmland that is no longer useable for row crops or forestland. A wise leader makes decisions conscious of likely impacts, knowing effects matter far more than good intentions alone. ─ Derek Conrad Brown ─ Ken Chapman & Associates, Inc

“Dear George- Remember no man is a failure who has friends. Thanks for the wings. – Clarence.” That was the note written to the main character in the classic movie Its A Wonderful Life. Often developing lasting friendships, most of us spend at least as much or more time with our co-workers as with our family members. Leaders recognize how important friendships in the workplace are to each person’s overall well-being and even to their level of performance. Leaders know that workplace lunches and social opportunities have a great deal more meaning than just the meal itself. ─ Derek Conrad Brown ─ Ken Chapman & Associates, Inc.

We are, through the pattern of our behavior, either giving others permission to keep us safe or, warning them to tread carefully when alerting us to a safety concern. Leaders know, the more grateful we are for someone’s concern, the more likely they are to continue “having our backs.” ─ Christy Beem ─ Ken Chapman & Associates, Inc.

How Do People behave in A Safety Ownership Culture? Part II By: Tony Orlowski Co-Author of Safety Beyond The Numbers Copyright © 2023 In Part I, Ken Chapman answers the most common question leaders ask about our approach to safety: “What does a safety ownership culture looks like?” In this second part, I will discuss how a leader can lead the team to an ownership culture.   It will come as no surprise to readers of Safety Beyond the Numbers, that successfully leading a team to an ownership culture starts with the leader, and not the team. In the book, we describe how the way a leader thinks about their people determines how they see them, how they then treat them, and ultimately how their people respond. This is the “thought, talk, walk” paradigm of human behavior.   Part I describes specific behaviors you can expect to see in an…

What If Your Employees Gave You A Performance Review by Ken Chapman, Ph.D.   Listen to an audio version of this article by clicking here: Ken Chapman and Associates, Inc. · What If Your Employees Gave You a Performance Review?   From all appearances, performance reviews are a one-way street. The leader always appraises the employee. Even so, it is a beneficial procedure in which both leader and team member benefit. If you are among the fortunate leaders, you get an occasional appraisal from your leader, the person you report to. But what if the people you lead could reverse procedures and give you a performance review? What if they could measure for themselves how you measure up as a leader? I suppose there would be some surprises for many of us. But the truth is that employees are already measuring you and I. Not formally with a grade when…