Chain of Learning: Leadership Strategies for Continuous Improvement and Transformational Change

Do you e๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ ๐˜„๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ ๐˜„๐—ต๐˜† ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐—ถ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐˜€ ๐—ฑ๐—ผ๐—ปโ€™๐˜ ๐—ด๐—ฒ๐˜ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ฏ๐˜‚๐˜†-๐—ถ๐—ป ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ๐˜† ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ โ€” ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐—ถ๐—ฎ๐—น๐—น๐˜† ๐˜„๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ป ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚ ๐—ธ๐—ป๐—ผ๐˜„ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ๐˜† ๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ ๐—ฏ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐—ณ๐—ถ๐˜? Or have you ever struggled with getting your senior team on board with your vision for change, getting support for a new initiative, or getting leaders to sign on to your services as a coach or consultant?

Good news โ€” mastering the skills of persuasion and influence by leading with curiosity and human connection is the way to get to "yes".

Whether it is a #lean or #agile transformation, #continuousimprovement project, #operationalexcellence program, or selling a product or service, your success hinges on your ability to connect with people and understand how to bring them along with you.

๐™๐™๐™š ๐™ง๐™š๐™–๐™ก๐™ž๐™ฉ๐™ฎ ๐™ž๐™จ: ๐™ฃ๐™ค ๐™ข๐™–๐™ฉ๐™ฉ๐™š๐™ง ๐™ฎ๐™ค๐™ช๐™ง ๐™ง๐™ค๐™ก๐™š, ๐™ฎ๐™ค๐™ช ๐™–๐™ง๐™š ๐™ž๐™ฃ โ€œ๐™จ๐™–๐™ก๐™š๐™จโ€ ๐™ž๐™› ๐™ฎ๐™ค๐™ช ๐™–๐™ง๐™š ๐™ฌ๐™ค๐™ง๐™ ๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™œ ๐™ฌ๐™ž๐™ฉ๐™ ๐™ค๐™ฉ๐™๐™š๐™ง ๐™๐™ช๐™ข๐™–๐™ฃ๐™จ ๐™–๐™ฃ๐™™ ๐™ก๐™š๐™–๐™™๐™ž๐™ฃ๐™œ ๐™˜๐™๐™–๐™ฃ๐™œ๐™š!

In this episode, Derek Roberts and I explore the art and science of persuasion of how to get to "yes" and authentic buy-in in the context of leadership. 

Mastering the power of persuasion โ€” of selling people on your idea, the change initiative you are leading, or your services โ€”  to help others adopt new ways of thinking and working is essential to your success, career growth, and impact.

Derek's expertise highlights how to navigate these interactions effectively, ensuring you're heard, understood, and able to inspire action.

We discuss concepts in his new book, โ€œListen to Sell: How Your Mindset, Skillset, and Human Connections Unlock Sales Performance,โ€ and the essential skills of selling ideas and gaining buy-in, which are crucial for any executive or continuous improvement leader.

If you want to become a more influential change leader who identifies and bridges gaps through strategic communication, this episode is for you.

YOUโ€™LL LEARN: 
  • How asking compelling questions and listening helps you influence decisions and lead change effectively
  • Strategies for coaching executives to engage actively in change initiatives, highlighting the difference between persuasion and manipulation
  • The importance of preparation in getting buy-in includes understanding your audience, conducting thorough research, and developing situational awareness 
  • Techniques to adapt your communication style to match different behavioral types โ€” talkers, controllers, doers, and supporters โ€” to enhance your effectiveness in selling ideas and facilitating organizational change
  • A framework that will help you ensure personal and professional alignment with your purpose, abilities, values, commitments, and beliefs 

Tune in now to enhance your leadership and get buy-in by mastering the power of persuasion through listening.


IMPORTANT LINKS:

TIMESTAMPS:
  • [00:00] An introduction to Derek Roberts 
  • [04:09] Sharing a vision and getting buy-in
  • [08:40]Discussion about Derek's book and the training programs he offers through Integrity Solutions
  • [11:18] The distinction between asking logical vs. emotional questions
  • [17:19] The tension between being persuasive and avoiding manipulation
  • [20:12] The power of truly listening
  • [23:01] Different behavioral styles and their influence on the buying experience
  • [32:15] The five areas of the congruence model relevant to sales and leadership roles
  • [37:50] Derekโ€™s journey in being more engaged and curious 
  • [42:41] The impact of concentrating your energy on preparation 

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What is Chain of Learning: Leadership Strategies for Continuous Improvement and Transformational Change?

Chain of Learningยฎ is the trusted leadership podcast for transformational change leaders, Lean and operational excellence practitioners, and internal change agents who believe that peopleโ€”not toolsโ€”are the foundation of sustainable results.

If youโ€™re committed to continuous improvement and continuous learning, and want to build a culture where teams are capable, confident, and empowered to solve problems, innovate, and lead at every levelโ€”this podcast is for you.

Hosted by Katie Anderson, award-winning author of "Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn" and globally recognized expert in people-centered leadership, Chain of Learning explores how leaders at all levels move from transactional โ€œdoingโ€ to a vibrant, engaged culture of learningโ€”where people and process lead to organizational success.

Each biweekly episode offers practical insights, reflective questions, and real-world examples to help you:

* Build high-performing learning cultures

* Strengthen continuous improvement, influence, and Lean leadership capabilities

* Lead transformational change with intention

* Develop people through problem-solving, coaching, and leadership development

* Improve performance while investing in human potential

Grounded in human-centered leadership and the principles of the Toyota Way, the podcast features conversations with influential thinkers and practitioners shaping the future of organizational learning, operational excellence, and change leadership. Past guests include Carol Dweck, Michael Bungay Stanier, Jim Womack, Gene Kim, and Larry Culp.

Through thoughtful conversations, real-world stories, and practical reflection, youโ€™ll learn how leadership behaviors, learning mindsets, and systems thinking come together to create sustainable impact.

Subscribe and follow Chain of Learningยฎ to deepen your impactโ€”and share this podcast with your friends, fellow change leaders, and colleagues so that we can strengthen our Chain of Learning together.

Podcast website: ChainOfLearning.com
Katie Andersonโ€™s website: KBJAnderson.com
Connect with Katie: linkedin.com/in/kbjanderson
Read Katie's award-winning book: LearningToLeadLeadingToLearn.com
Download the KATALYSTโ„ข Change Leader Assessment: KBJAnderson.com/Katalyst