At ConantLeadership, we\u2019re committed to\u00a0<\/span>lifelong learning and continuous improvement.\u00a0<\/span>In\u00a0<\/span>service to your leadership growth<\/span>, in each month\u2019s \u2018Leadership That Works\u2019<\/em>\u00a0 newsletter we curate a digest of resources from around the web to<\/span>:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n You can subscribe to our newsletter here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Want to work with us to lift your or your team\u2019s leadership to new heights?<\/span>\u00a0Drop us a line<\/span><\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0<\/span>talk to Emma Anthony, our Director of Leadership Programs<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n In this edition of the <\/strong>Leadership That Works<\/em> Newsletter:<\/strong> Offer yourself to the world;\u00a0seek truth, not persuasion; how to make a product people actually care about; create small moments of recognition; pressure test your leadership message, and more.<\/span><\/p>\n In\u00a0this new recap of a\u00a0<\/a><\/span>conversation between Doug Conant and Cynthia Covey Haller<\/span><\/a>, the two experts discuss how you can reframe your thinking, achieve actual success in a noisy world, and hit all the high notes as a leader. The way to do it, is to remember, \u201cyour most important work is always ahead of you,\u201d which is a positive outlook that Haller calls living life \u201cin crescendo.\u201d\u00a0The concept of living in crescendo comes from musical compositions. In sheet music, the crescendo symbol indicates where a song builds in volume and vigor. \u201cIf you\u2019ve been to a concert and heard a crescendo, it\u2019s powerful,\u201d Haller says. Living in crescendo is similar. It\u2019s the notion that life is dynamic and expansive, an ever-growing tapestry of successes, lessons, experiences, and influences.<\/span><\/p>\n One simple way to start living in crescendo is to, \u201cbegin with the end in mind.\u201d\u00a0E<\/span>nvision the life you want and choose small habits to support that vision. The options are limitless: Wake up with the sun, take a walk outside, check in on a loved one, read inspiring literature, listen to music and podcasts that move you, jot down a few things you\u2019re grateful for each day. Whatever you do, develop incremental actions that support your dreams.\u00a0Get the full story\u00a0here<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A snapshot of resources that our Founder & CEO,\u00a0Doug Conant<\/a>, has recently found insightful and\/or\u00a0inspiring.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n ARTICLE:\u00a0Living from the Inside-Out<\/a>\u00a0by Parker Palmer<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n From Doug:\u00a0Here is a collection of thoughts from Parker Palmer that he shared as part of a commencement address at Naropa University in 2015. On a personal level, these thoughts speak to me. And I find them nicely aligned with our belief at ConantLeadership that, \u201cthe only way out is in.\u201d Find the first of his six thoughts below and then\u00a0click through to read the full post<\/a>.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Excerpt<\/strong>:\u00a0\u201c<\/span>My first suggestion is simple: Be reckless when it comes to affairs of the heart.<\/span> Now, before someone thinks I\u2019m trying to corrupt America\u2019s youth, what I mean is fall madly in love with life! Be passionate about some part of the natural and\/or human worlds, and take risks on its behalf, no matter how vulnerable they make you. No one ever died saying, \u2018I\u2019m so glad for the self-centered, self-serving, and self-protective life I lived.\u2019\u00a0Offer yourself to the world<\/span>\u2014your energies, your gifts, your visions, your spirit\u2014with open-hearted generosity.<\/span><\/p>\n In\u00a0a thought-provoking\u00a0Harvard Business Review<\/em>\u00a0piece entitled, \u201cDon\u2019t Let AI Make Bad Analytics Worse<\/a>,\u201d writer Steven Tadelis imparts several tips for building \u201cdecision discipline\u201d as a bulwark against letting AI amplify \u201cflawed reasoning.\u201d At the end of his list of tips for building decision discipline, he closes with the advice to, \u201cReward truth-seeking, not persuasion.\u201d Tadelis explains, \u201c<\/span>The biggest barrier to better analytics is often not technical. It\u2019s organizational.\u00a0<\/span>If teams are rewarded for proving that their initiatives worked, they\u2019ll find evidence that they worked. If leaders punish bad news, analysts will learn to soften it.\u201d To avoid the all-too-common scourge of people abusing technology tools in order to provide faulty evidence of what higher-ups most want to hear, \u201cleaders need to create incentives for honest measurement.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Tadelis says, \u201cThe cultural message should be clear: We do not run analysis to win arguments. We run analysis to make better decisions.\u201d And he warns, \u201cAI will give leaders more answers than ever before. Some will be valuable. Some will be wrong. Some will be technically accurate but useless for the decision at hand. . . AI will transform analytics by making answers abundant. But answers are not the same as evidence, and evidence is not the same as a better decision.\u201d In this landscape of both more answers\u00a0and<\/em>\u00a0simultaneously less clarity, \u201cthe managerial task\u201d becomes, \u201cnot to slow AI down everywhere,\u201d but \u201cto add friction where the cost of being wrong is high, while letting low-risk analysis move faster.\u201d Ultimately, Tadelis predicts that the companies who win will not be the ones \u201cthat ask the most questions,\u201d but rather, \u201cthe companies that know which answers are good enough to act on.\u201d Get the full story\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIf\u00a0<\/span><\/span>you want to make something that people actually care about, you have to care about it yourself,\u201d writes Joan Westenberg in\u00a0this treatise<\/span><\/a>\u00a0on how to make products people want to engage with and purchase. Their paramount piece of advice may be obvious but it is too often overlooked: You must care deeply about what you\u2019re making, \u201cbecause if you don\u2019t, then try as you might, it\u2019ll come out in the final product.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Westenberg observes that this need to pour care into your work, \u201chas never been more pronounced. AI seems to be making everything from software to the written word all but disposable; and the temptation that comes with it is to make as much work as possible, while caring as little as possible, and doing it at scale.\u201d This is a deeply flawed approach because customers are becoming more discerning as the marketplace is flooded with products that have been thoughtlessly spewed out using technology tools. Therefore, it becomes more important to be thoughtful. And Westenberg adds that whether or not people can always<\/em> tell AI-generated content from human-generated content, \u201cmost folks have an almost supernatural ability to sense whether a creator actually gives a damn. We know when someone doesn\u2019t care. We know when someone\u2019s phoning it in.\u201d And why should the customer care about your product if you don\u2019t? Fortunately, \u201cthe good news is this: being deeply invested in the things you make, say, and do is a moat that few will bother to build.\u201d Caring can be your greatest competitive advantage. Get the full story\u00a0here.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n \u201cEmployees want to feel valued, appreciated, and connected to the people they work with. While compensation and benefits remain important, recognition plays a critical role in creating an environment where individuals feel motivated to contribute their best work,\u201d explains\u00a0this piece in\u00a0People Development Magazine<\/em>.<\/a>\u00a0Recognition is widely understood as an important factor in employee engagement and retention but its benefits extend further: \u201cA<\/span>ppreciation helps build trust between leaders and employees, creating stronger workplace relationships and fostering a more collaborative environment.\u201d It also helps with teamwork: \u201c<\/span>Recognition can strengthen connections across teams. When employees feel acknowledged for their efforts, they are more likely to support colleagues and contribute to a positive workplace atmosphere.\u201d The key is to remove moments of recognition from the realm of special occasions, \u201cannual awards or major achievements,\u201d and make it commonplace. Instead of meting out praise sporadically, \u201ccreate a culture of everyday recognition,\u201d and encourage leaders to engage in frequent acknowledgements of \u201ceffort and contribution.\u201d Over time, \u201cthese interactions contribute to a culture where people feel respected and valued, which can strengthen both individual performance and team dynamics.\u201d Get the full story\u00a0here<\/a>. \u201cNo messages carry more weight inside an organization than those that come from top leadership . . . that\u2019s why pressure testing is so critical,\u201d writes Sean Devlin in\u00a0this\u00a0Ragan<\/em>\u00a0piece<\/a>\u00a0on how to ensure your leadership message hits its mark. A review process for leadership messaging is essential because, \u201cleaders will often lean on jargon or phrases they\u2019ve been using for years,\u201d which can sometimes fall flat with new audiences. There are two keys to an effective process for pressure testing.<\/span><\/p>\n 1.Test your message beyond the comms team.\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cThe people who are closest to a message might find it tough to spot what employees find confusing. They\u2019re aware of the strategy and shorthand behind it. But employees who are reading or hearing a given message from their leaders for the first time don\u2019t have that advantage.\u201d This is where it\u2019s helpful to share the message \u201cwith colleagues in other departments to get unbiased feedback\u201d about which spots may be \u201cweak or confusing.\u201d<\/p>\n 2. Show leaders what employees are hearing<\/strong>.\u00a0\u201cPressure testing only helps if communicators bring the findings back to the leader. Rather than simply replacing a phrase and moving on, they should show what confused employees and explain what people thought the leader meant. . .\u00a0Most leaders are receptive to data-driven message testing because they want to succeed and they want their messages to be effective. When they can see how people are responding, it\u2019s easier to understand why an adjustment is needed.\u201d<\/p>\n A final note is that, \u201cthe learning doesn\u2019t stop after messages go out . . . questions and feedback from the general employee audience can give a wider sample size to communicators as to what wording and language is hitting home and what needs to be further explained in follow-ups.\u201d Get the full story\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Introducing the Higher Ground Leadership Success System\u2122<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n ConantLeadership Founder, Doug Conant, has turned everything he learned running Fortune 500 companies, across decades,\u00a0into one leadership system<\/a>, organized around two pillars of DEPTH and REACH. The system is now yours to explore\u00a0in a new article in\u00a0<\/a>Leader to Leader<\/a>\u00a0and in\u00a0our free four-week email mini-course<\/a>. Read an excerpt from the article below or\u00a0click through to get the full story<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Excerpt:\u00a0\u201cIn 1976, on my first day of work at General Mills, I was completely out of my depth. Oblivious to the culture of the corporate world, I roamed the halls in my tan suit, brushing my overgrown curly hair out of my eyes. I didn\u2019t look the part of a product marketing manager, and I didn\u2019t feel the part either. I\u2019d moved to Minneapolis to take the job, uprooting my whole life, and I didn\u2019t know a soul. Untethered, I was a fish out of water. As I tried to find my way through the labyrinth of office doors, a friendly older man stopped me and asked if I was lost. \u201cYes,\u201d I answered, and I meant it in every sense of the word. Thankfully, he pointed me in the right direction, and that small act of kindness changed the trajectory of my entire career.\u201d Get the full story\u00a0here<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The Latest from our Golden Anniversary Collection<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n An excerpt:<\/span><\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Throughout my stay in the hospital, there was an around-the-clock army of nurses, doctors, and support staff caring for me. They would check on me, ask about my pain, diligently tend to my wellness, listen to my responses, and course-correct my treatment. In\u00a0this conversation<\/span><\/a>, host Darren Gold and guest Doug Conant explore what it really means to be tough minded on standards and kind-hearted with people, and what 50 years in the arena has taught Doug about the inner work that great leadership demands.<\/p>\n In\u00a0this conversation,<\/span><\/a>\u00a0host Adam Mendler and guest Doug Conant discuss how leadership starts within. Learn why when you\u2019re rock-solid in your convictions, and you communicate them clearly, and then consistently behave in ways that support those convictions, you are able to build the trust necessary to lead people to\u00a0Higher Ground<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n In this follow-up to our first LinkedIn Learning course,\u00a0<\/span>Finding Your Leadership Purpose with Doug Conant<\/span><\/a>,<\/i>\u00a0(which has reached over 90,000 learners), join Doug in this learning pathway as he guides you through the important work of articulating your leadership beliefs and crystallizing them into a Leadership Vocabulary that you can use to influence others more effectively. Check out the course\u00a0<\/span>here<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n In\u00a0<\/span>last month\u2019s newsletter<\/span><\/a><\/span>:\u00a0The power of the pause, how to build \u2018Superteams,\u2019 don\u2019t forget to celebrate wins, why leaders should think like philosophers, and more.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n (Header Photo by Sasun<\/a> Bughdaryan<\/a> on Unsplash)<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n \n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n
New from ConantLeadership<\/span><\/em><\/h3>\n
Your Most Important Work Is Always Ahead of You<\/a><\/h3>\n
![\"Doug](\"https:\/\/conantleadership.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/team-doug-conant.webp\")
<\/a>Founder\u2019s Corner: What\u2019s Doug Enjoying?<\/span><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\nAnalytics Are for Truth-Seeking, Not Persuasion<\/span><\/a><\/h3>\n
How to\u00a0<\/span>Make a Product People Care about<\/span><\/a><\/h3>\n
Small Moments of Recognition Have Big Impact<\/span><\/a><\/h3>\n
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**For more on this,\u00a0learn how Doug Conant used handwritten thank-you notes to create world-class employee engagement<\/a>\u00a0as CEO of Campbell Soup Company.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\nP<\/span>ressure Test Your Leadership Message<\/span><\/a><\/h3>\n
More from ConantLeadership<\/em><\/h3>\n
50 Years of Leadership \u2192<\/a>One System for Success<\/a><\/span><\/h3>\n
Leadership Lessons from a Near-Fatal Car Accident<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n
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What\u2019s fascinating is that I could always tell the most adept and experienced personnel apart from the others because of one important differentiator: Every time the most engaged caretakers would visit my room, they would always approach me with an unmistakable, sleeves rolled-up spirit of, \u201cHow can I help?\u201d
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The best helpers were fully present in their interactions with me\u2014not nervous, hesitant, or withholding. They were self-assured, compassionate, and generous with their time, attention, and knowledge. In a nutshell, I came to understand that\u00a0the best professionals are often the\u00a0kindest<\/em>\u00a0professionals<\/a>. Get the full story\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nListen: Doug Conant on the \u2018One of One\u2019 Podcast<\/span><\/a><\/h3>\n
Listen: Doug Conant on \u2018<\/span>30 Minute Mentors\u2019 Podcast<\/span><\/a><\/h3>\n
Find Your Leadership Vocabulary with Doug Conant<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/h3>\n
June\u2019s\u00a0Leadership That Works\u00a0Newsletter<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"Amy](\"https:\/\/conantleadership.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/1512_Conant_Amy_009-200x300-1.jpg\")
About the Author:\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>Amy Federman<\/a>\u00a0is ConantLeadership\u2019s Director of Content and Editor in Chief, and co-author with Doug Conant of the WSJ bestseller, The Blueprint<\/a>.<\/p>\n