Presenter
Marshall Goldsmith
-Keys to effective employee engagement -Active questions for employee conversations -How to engage employees in meaningful conversations -Research on employee engagement
Key Takeaways
- 1.The leader—not the teacher, coach, or book—is the key to effective leadership development.
- 2.The employee—not the program, speech, or recognition system—is the key to effective employee engagement.
- 3.Lasting behavioral change is primarily driven by the leader’s own initiative and accountability.
- 4.Active questions focus employees on their personal contribution to engagement, rather than on external factors.
- 5.Employees who are challenged with active questions show double the rate of engagement increase compared to those asked passive questions.
- 6.True change and commitment originate from the individual, not from external programs or systems.
The Individual as the Locus of Change
Dr. Marshall Goldsmith presents a transformative perspective on leadership and engagement that challenges conventional wisdom. The central thesis is that true, lasting change originates from within the individual, not from external programs, systems, or instructors. This model places the accountability for growth squarely on the leader for their own development and on the employee for their own engagement.
This approach decouples development and engagement from a reliance on environmental factors that individuals often cannot control. Instead, it empowers them to focus on what they can control: their own actions, mindset, and contributions.
Active vs. Passive Questioning: A New Engagement Strategy
A core component of this methodology is the distinction between active and passive questions. Traditional engagement surveys often rely on passive questions that prompt employees to evaluate their environment (e.g., "Does the company provide clear communication?").
Dr. Goldsmith advocates for a shift to active questions that compel individuals to reflect on their own efforts and agency, such as, "What am I doing to create a positive impact?"
The Impact of Active Questions
This shift from passive to active questioning is not merely semantic; it has a measurable impact. Research shared in the webinar indicates that employees challenged with active questions increase their engagement at twice the rate of those who receive the same training but are then posed passive questions. By encouraging employees to focus on their own contributions, organizations can foster a greater sense of ownership and empowerment.
Research-Backed Insights
This approach is not based on opinion but is built upon three independent research studies:
- Leadership Development: A study involving over 250,000 respondents.
- Happiness, Meaning, and Satisfaction: Research with over 3,000 respondents.
- Success: A study involving many of the world's most noted people.
These extensive studies provide the foundation for the conclusion that self-driven initiative is the most critical factor in achieving positive, lasting change.
Practical Applications for Leaders
Leaders can apply these principles by:
- Empowering Self-Development: Encouraging direct reports to take primary responsibility for their own behavioral change and growth.
- Implementing Active Questioning: Shifting team and one-on-one conversations from a focus on organizational shortcomings to a focus on individual contributions.
- Fostering Accountability: Designing development and engagement strategies that emphasize the employee's role in their own success and satisfaction.
- Creating a Culture of Ownership: Cultivating an environment where employees feel responsible for their development and engagement outcomes, which enhances psychological safety through self-reflection rather than blame.
This session delves into a transformative perspective on leadership development and employee engagement, as championed by Marshall Goldsmith. It challenges conventional wisdom by emphasizing that true change and commitment originate from the individual, not external programs or systems. This approach remains highly relevant in today's dynamic work environments, where fostering personal accountability and self-driven growth is crucial for organizational success.
What you'll learn
- Why lasting leadership behavioral change is primarily driven by the leader's own initiative.
- How effective employee engagement stems from the individual employee's mindset and actions, rather than solely organizational programs.
- The distinction between active and passive questions in fostering engagement.
- Insights from extensive research studies on leadership development, happiness, meaning, and success.
- How encouraging employees to focus on their own contributions can double engagement rates compared to focusing on external factors.
Who this webinar is for
This webinar is ideal for:
- HR professionals and organizational development specialists.
- Senior leaders and executives seeking innovative approaches to talent management.
- Managers and team leads aiming to cultivate a more engaged and empowered workforce.
- Coaches and consultants interested in Marshall Goldsmith's methodology.
Why it matters now
In an era of constant change and heightened employee expectations, the principles discussed are more critical than ever. Organizations struggle to maintain high levels of engagement and develop agile leaders. By shifting the focus to individual responsibility and self-directed growth, this approach offers a sustainable path to building robust, resilient leadership and a highly motivated workforce. Leveraging active questioning can empower employees to take ownership of their role in engagement, fostering psychological safety by promoting open dialogue and self-reflection rather than blame or dependence on external factors.
How leaders can apply this
Leaders can integrate these insights by:
- Empowering self-development: Encourage leaders at all levels to take primary responsibility for their own behavioral change and growth.
- Implementing active questioning: Shift from asking passive questions (e.g., "What's the company doing for me?") to active questions (e.g., "What am I doing to contribute to my own engagement?").
- Fostering individual accountability: Design development programs and engagement strategies that underscore the employee's role in their own success and satisfaction.
- Focusing on contribution: Guide discussions to center on individual contributions and internal motivations for improvement and engagement.
- Creating a culture of ownership: Cultivate an environment where employees feel responsible for their own development and engagement outcomes.
About this session
Key takeaways
Watching this webinar gives you grounded, practical perspective on Psychological Safety. Expect ideas you can use in leadership conversations, not abstract theory, drawn from Marshall Goldsmith's direct experience.
Who this is for
CHROs, HR business partners, talent leaders, executive coaches, organizational development practitioners, and senior leaders who are responsible for respect inside their organization.
Why it matters now
Workforce expectations, hybrid work patterns, and AI-driven change keep raising the bar on culture and leadership. Sessions like this help leaders make smarter, more evidence-informed decisions about Psychological Safety.
How to apply it
Use the ideas here to challenge a current assumption on your team, design a single concrete experiment in the next 30 days, and bring one finding back to your leadership group for discussion.
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