Let's Talk: Helping Leaders ACTUALLY Listen w/Stephen Shedletzky

The Speak Up Culture: Why Leaders Should Listen Down If They Want Their People to Step Up

We've all heard someone in charge–a boss, coach, or parent–announce, "listen up!" While this can be appropriate, it is a command.

What Stephen Shedletzky has found is that leaders truly listen down.

Leaders actively create an open environment that encourages people to speak up to share their best ideas, concerns, and even dissent. When their people dare have the courage to speak up, leaders do not ignore or punish them. They respond by listening to them, acknowledging and rewarding them.

Too many cultures directly or indirectly punish people for speaking up. This breaks bonds of trust and squashes discretionary effort, engagement, and innovation.  Instead, leaders cultivate environments where people feel safe to share how they think and what is true to them, especially if that truth is hard. This is important, now more than ever, as we continue to cope and adapt with the stresses, uncertainties, and challenges of today's" world of work and social issues beyond.

This interactive session unpacks the benefits of creating a psychologically safe environment and how leaders at all levels can cultivate a speak-up culture. The result is their people wanting to give it their all, share their best ideas, and step up. 

In an office, remote or hybrid setting, creating work cultures where thoughts, emotions, and feedback are encouraged and rewarded–where trust is truly the foundation of what we can accomplish together–is essential for your team and organization's success.

Join us for our next Let's Talk: Helping Leaders Listen with Stephen Shedletzy

12 pm- 1 pm PST San Francisco, CA

3 pm- 4 pm EST New York, NY

8 pm - 9 pm GMT, London, UK

5 am - 6  am KST, Seoul, South Korea (next day)

Objectives:

•Understand the definition and importance of psychological safety in the workplace and beyond, and why speak up cultures are suitable for people and good for business

•Discoverthe two components of a speak-up culture–openness & responsiveness

•Learn and practice tactical and proven methods to listen to your people and cultivate speak up culture

•Explore the destructive impact of toxic positivity and gaslighting on people, teams, and culture

•Unpack leaders' responsibility and everyone's opportunity to create a speak-up culture

Stephen Shedletzky(Shed-let's-ski) is a Speaker, Thought Leader, Executive Coach & Advisor

Every day, Stephen wakes up to engage with people in meaningful ways to connect with depth and live in a more fulfilled world. He supports humble leaders–those who know they are both a part of the problems they experience and part of the solutions they can create–who intend to put their people and purpose first. 

Feeling stifled on his corporate track,Shedletzkywasintroduced himself to Simon Sinek's work and was immediately inspired by it. He met Simon in 2010 and became the fourth person to join his team. He began answering fan email and became the first person outside of Simon to lead his social media efforts. He moved on to hold the roles of Chief of Staff and head of Brand Experience, Training & Development. 

Leading a global team of speakers and facilitators at SimonSinek, Inc., Stephen ensured the team's culture, products, and communications authentically reflected the organization's most deeply held values and beliefs. He also had the opportunity to narrate the audiobook for Simon Sinek's book, Find Your Why: A Practical Guide for Discovering Purpose for You and your team. 

In addition, Stephen has led hundreds of keynote presentations, workshops and leadership development programs. Though Stephen still works to share Simon's message, helping to create a more inspired, safe, and fulfilled world, he also works to advance his thought leadership on leadership, culture, and psychological safety through keynotes, writing, coaching, and advising. Stephen has worked with leaders and organizations around the world and serves clients in any industry where human beings work. Stephen graduated from the Richard Ivey School of Business focused on leadership, communication, and strategy and received his coaching certification from the Coaches Training Institute. Stephen lives in Toronto with his wife and two young children.

Let's Talk is a bi-weekly conversation with leading executives, thought leaders, and changemakers. There are no presentations or talking heads, just people talking about career, family, and what matters the most to them.

It doesn't have to be lonely at the top.