On this episode of The LeadUp Podcast Mike is joined by special guest Jim Kouzes. 

Jim is a best-selling author of The Leadership Challenge. 

They waste no time diving into the gaps in leadership today. According to Jim, the biggest gap is between frontlines and the senior executives.  The farther you get from the leader the lower the scores. 

All the ZOOM meetings and technology that we use now to communicate with our teams can take out some personalized conversations. Jim suggests making some time at the beginning of the meetings to get better acquainted with the team.

Jim also shared the importance of meeting with each individual during the workweek. This could be a 10-minute face-to-face or a phone call. 

Research shows most leaders do not get their first leadership training until 10 years after being in a leadership role. Can you imagine being on a plane and the pilot not telling you they had been flying but without any training? 

Leadership training is so important - leadership is about relationships.

The more you set a good example and make the values of the organization clear the more engagement you will have with the team. Studies show when employees feel like they are making an impact and that they matter the longer they will stay with their company. 

Jim says they are finding in research that employees are needing more compassion and support from their leaders more than ever.

We should ask ourselves as leaders -What are the skills and abilities that I need to have, in order for them to perform at their highest level? After all, what's the job of a leader anyway to make people better, worse, or stay the same?

Listen to the entire interview for more great insight from Jim. 

Learn more about Jim on his website.

You can find Jim on LinkedIn, Twitter, and FB