Congratulations are in order!

When we hear about folks we've worked with over the years be recognized for their outstanding leadership we can't help but do a little happy dance for them. 

And tell you about it in our newsletter!

Because when great leaders are doing great things, it can be incredibly inspiring for the rest of us. 

Dr. Sam Buenrostro and Melissa Doberstein have been part of the "Diamond6 Family" for many years now and we are proud of their recent achievements!
 

Dr. Sam Buenrostro named Superintendent of the Year by the California Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators

Sam is the superintendent at Corona-Norco Unified School District in California, where he has resided for 32 years. He has served in numerous roles over the past 23 years in CNUSD, including Deputy Superintendent in Human Resources and Instructional Support. Sam has been attending the Gettysburg Workshop with his team every summer for nearly 10 years now! We have watched Sam take on various leadership roles over the years with incredible skill and keen awareness. He and the entire team at CNUSD have been by our side since the beginning! READ MORE HERE.

Melissa Doberstein named a Penn State University Administrative Fellow for the 2023/2024 Academic Year

Melissa is the program director at the Presidential Leadership Academy (PLA) in the Schreyer Honors College at Penn State University. In this program, select students develop leadership fundamentals to thrive in an environment in which multiple dimensions of an issue are explored, and diverse viewpoints are welcomed and heard. Melissa and her students have participated in the Pearl Harbor Leadership Workshop in Hawaii for several years now. Quite an undertaking that she sees through with ease, grace, and fine-tuned leadership. Working with these students has been a highlight for us! READ MORE HERE.

Sam and Melissa show that leaders must be life long learners and that growth is not only possible, but essential. 

We look forward to seeing the positive impact these incredible leaders have on their organizations and students in the coming years!

"I thought I was just a lunch lady."

6 days in Gettysburg.
3 school district.
100 participants.
1 rain day.

Welcome to the Diamond6 summer workshops!

We're only halfway through June and we have already hosted 100 participants from three different school districts for our Gettysburg Leadership Workshops. 

This is truly our favorite time of year. 

Working with educators and school district staff is incredibly rewarding. 

Their energy, commitment, and desire to do right by their students and communities is inspiring, to say the least. 

In every group we hear lightbulb moments and insights that remind us why we do what we do. 

Here is one example....

One of the big messages we try to convey is that EVERYONE is a leader, no matter their title. 

At the end of the first day at Gettysburg last week a participant approached Jeff and said, 

"Until now I always thought of myself as just the lunch lady.....

....but now I realize that I'm a leader, and an important part of this team."

Yes, yes, YES!

If she doesn't lead her team to successfully get lunch prepared and served, thousands of students and staff won't eat lunch. 

For some kids this is their best meal of the day. 

Without a midday meal teachers can't teach, and students can't learn. 

The lunch lady is a leader and absolutely ESSENTIAL!

We have heard many different versions of the "I'm just a lunch lady" statement over the years. 

"I'm just a second grade teacher."
"I'm just a secretary."
"I'm just a new employee."

It's time to nix "just" from our vocabulary - for ourselves and for those we lead. 

The second grade teacher is a leader and role model to their students and fellow teachers. 

The secretary is leading their boss and the face of the office who often carries critical historical knowledge about the organization. 

The new employee leads their peers and brings a fresh perspective into the organization that can inspired important change. 

Do you use JUST to describe yourself sometimes?

I challenge you to drop that word and reframe your description. 

And when someone around you says, "I'm just a ......" stop them right away and tell them they are a leader and they are essential to the team!

By dropping this one little word we are reminded of our intrinsic value and the important role we play in accomplishing our organizations mission. 

Let us know your "just" description and how you're going to reframe it!

Building Trust Within Your Team

We've heard it again and again from our workshop participants.

And, the research supports it. 

Money is not enough to keep good employees working for you AND engaged in their work. 

Leaders are being challenged to get to know their employees needs, and meet them with creative solutions. 

The people who work for you want to be treated like humans, not like robots.

Life and work are now becoming closely intertwined, for better or worse.

This evolution is bringing even more needed attention to what employees really want, and need, to be successful at work. 

In the last few years flexible work hours and mix of in-person and work from home have become standard questions potential employees ask about. 

Social events are also increasingly important. Employees want to get to know each other and connect on a more personal level. Creating non-work related social events builds camaraderie and is supports team building. 

Creating a challenging work environment and helping employees find meaning and purpose in their work is also key to retention and engagement. 

But, if you don't do this ONE thing, you could lose it all. 

Building trust is a non-negotiable with your team. 

You must ACTIVELY work to earn their trust.

Lost their trust, and it's over. 

Several years ago Jeff referenced writer and theoretician on leadership, Bruce Avolio on this topic to address the question....

"How do I build trust within my team to accomplish our goals?"

In this blog post, outlined these five things that Avolio suggests:

- Deliver on all agreements
- Be clear and explicit about your expectations
- Take responsibility for your mistakes
- Whatever you say to inner circle will reach the outer circle
- Deal with the source of the problem, not the symptom

You can read Jeff's full explanation of these five tenets here. 

A gift from Jeff!

Jeff returned to his old stomping grounds recently. 

Well, almost. 

He presented a keynote address and breakout presentation to the Illinois Agriculture Association in North Utica, Illinois for their 2023 Managers Conference. 

Jeff's hometown of Beardstown is about 2 hours directly north.  

During a break Jeff sat down and signed several copies of his book, Battle Tested for attendees.

Do you want Jeff’s signature?

We've got you covered!

If you can't attend a live event with Jeff you can still get his signature in your copy of Battle Tested.

Our custom bookplate stickers are great way to do this!

Simply send us an email to bookplate@diamondsixleadership.com with the following info:

• Your name (if you're giving the book as a gift, give us that person's name).

• The address the bookplate should be sent to. 

We'll get your bookplate in the mail within 7 business days. 

Where should you get your copy of Battle Tested?

We recommend checking our your local bookseller. If they don't have it in stock, they can mostly likely order it for you. 

Otherwise, large booksellers and of course online, are also options. 

Happy reading!

Jeff, on the road again!

On the road again!

Jeff just returned from a whirlwind trip that took him to Europe and to the midwest, before returning home to Pennsylvania. 

He definitely knows a lot about leadership. But, he's not leading the way in taking selfies. 

So, we took some liberty and added him into a few of the pictures he sent us. 

Here is our version of "Where's Jeff?" 

How did he get on that building in Trafalger Square?

Can you find him leaning on a trashcan or coming out of the water in Lisbon? 

And then, he flew back stateside to Indiana....

Jeff's trip to Indiana was the end of an era!

Our dear friend and incredible client, Dennis Costerison is retiring from his role as Executive Director of the Indiana Association of School Business Officials. 

We have worked with Dennis and his Principals Academy for over 10 years.

He has brought in several of our faculty members to present on leadership topics such as strategic planning, team building, and executive wellness.

Plus, we've brought Gettysburg and Pearl Harbor to Indianapolis through our "on the road" workshops. 

Last week Jeff was the final speaker of Denny's tenure with ASBO. We will be forever grateful to Denny, Indiana ASBO, and all the participants we have worked with over the last decade. 

To celebrate Denny, the current Principals Academy, participants wore t-shirts with Denny's face on them. We can't think of a better way to tell someone how much they are appreciated!

Congrats Denny on your upcoming retirement!

---

What are you doing in 2024?

Do you need a presenter for an upcoming conference?

We have over 30 faculty members located across the country who can speak on a variety of leadership topics.

If you have a topic that needs addressed, we have someone who can speak on it!

Are you looking for a professional development workshop in 2023 or 2024?

In-person, virtual, 1-day, multi-day, at your location, or a retreat somewhere else. We've got you covered with customized content and logistics!

We still have a few dates available for 2023 and are quickly starting to book 2024.

Want to create the most impactful and memorable experience for your team?

You're in the right place!

Our workshops have been described as "the best leadership development experience of my career" by participants. 

Simply send an email to info@diamondsixleadership.com to set up a call, and learn how we can help!

Is change always about DOING something?

Some content in today's newsletter was published April, 2019.

Want to rent a movie tonight?

If you happen to live in Bend, Oregon put down that remote and head to your local Blockbuster. 

That's right! The Last Blockbuster is still open for business and it is, in fact, the very last one of its kind in the world. 

Jeff wrote an article about the demise of Blockbuster and visited the store in Oregon back in 2019. 

We decided to go back (virtually) to see if the store is still there. And, it is!

The Last Blockbuster (as it has been coined) survived the COVID pandemic without laying off any of its employees. 

This store’s epic survival was depicted by a cockroach in a Super Bowl ad earlier this year. We can't think of a better compliment!

At this point you might be wondering, "what's the point?"

Change.

And how, in a world of constant change, our businesses and organizations can survive and thrive. 

Consider the fact that in 2004 there were 9,000 Blockbuster stores worldwide, and in 2011 Dish Network bought Blockbuster for a “bargain price” of $320 million.

By then Blockbuster had shrunk to 300 stores and filed for bankruptcy in 2010.

But beyond being an iconic pop culture curiosity, what does this mean for contemporary leaders?

All organizations whether corporate, non-profit, public service, governmental, etc. want to be “innovative”, and their leadership seek to create a climate that encourages this.

Peter Drucker, a renowned leadership consultant, educator, and author, observed that innovation is “change that brings on a new level of performance”.

How do you bring on a new level of performance in your organizations?

Check out Jeff's article AND video about fixed vs. free energy to learn more!

He breaks down how change can ruin an organization and how understanding fixed vs. free energy can help you keep up with inevitable change. 

Dealing with a "bad boss?"

In October 2022, about 4 millions Americans, left their jobs. A trend that started back in 2021. 

Workers have cited low pay, no advancement opportunities or feeling disrespected as the reasons for quitting. 

So you don’t like your boss, or maybe your boss doesn’t like you.

Either way, you two aren’t getting along and communication is breaking down. You’re starting to feel like the odd man or woman out on all the work that you once found fulfilling.

Before you start heading toward the exit, perhaps you ought to reconsider.

Having a bad boss can be an excellent opportunity to sharpen your leadership skills, so that you can lead everyone — even your boss — in the workplace.

All that this requires from you is a proactive spirit and a desire to make the best office space possible.

One of the most common reasons for leaving a job is an incompetent or haughty supervisor, so let's flip that proposition on it's head and refuse the easy surrender. 

The most gratifying jobs can sometimes force us to interact with difficult people, so consider this an opportunity to get some practice in. 

This article addresses four things to consider before leaving that bad boss behind. 

1. Figure out if they're really a bad boss. 
2. Identify their motivations. 
3. Don't back down from your ideals. 
4. Take the high road. 
5. Avoid future bad bosses.

CLICK HERE to read more!

This is the biggest call for help we could make.

Jeff recently helped us make the biggest call for help we could have hoped for. 

If you have participated in any of our workshops in the last 10+ years, read our newsletter, or follow us on Facebook you know the news. 

Our dear friend and colleague, Lily Woo, is still in search of a living kidney donor. 

She is currently on dialysis for 10 hours every single day. 

The average lifespan of someone on dialysis is five to ten years. Lily has been on dialysis for nearly 5 years. 

We have been at a loss of what else we could do to spread the word about Lily. 

And then Jeff had an idea! 

Jeff reached out to his contacts at WCBS in NYC and they recently did an interview with Lily. 

This is where having media connections is invaluable!

We hope and pray that many people were inspired by Lily's story and have decided to start the donor screening process. 

This first step can help Lily or one of thousands of others in need of a kidney find a life-saving match. 

Lily has shared her 9/11 story of protecting the children of her school with hundreds of our workshop participants. Her story of love, leadership, professional challenges and successes have inspired so many of us. 

You can learn more about Lily, her story, and how to start the donor screening process here. 

Thank you for all the love and support you've shown Lily thus far. Let's keep it up!

A journey to the edge of war and peace

We recently learned about an article and story directly from Ukraine. We knew immediately that we must share it with you. 

The article is by a daughter. The story comes from her mother. 

Mariana Budjeryn a senior research associate at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center, Project on Managing the Atom, and the author of “Inheriting the Bomb: The Collapse of the USSR and the Nuclear Disarmament of Ukraine.”

At the end of 2022 Mariana traveled to Ukraine to visit her mother and friends. Her article details her travel from the U.S. to her mother's kitchen via plane, car, and by foot. 

What caught our attention was the stark contrast Mariana describes between life in Lviv where residents are living relatively "normal" lives while in other parts of the country men are fighting for their lives. 

As Mariana puts it; 

"They promise not to let us down?! They, who are knee-deep in trench mud, a Russian bullet, mine, grenade, missile away from death, promise not to let us, who are sipping flat whites and getting shot by cameras, down?! How is this logical construction even possible, I wonder?"

We highly recommend you read Mariana's article, Bri. 

It provides a human insight and perspective into this war that no tv report or newspaper article can. 

And then there's boxer shorts....

At the beginning of the war Mariana's 76 year old mother was looking for a way to help. 

She started sewing underwear for soldiers at the front. It's what she could do, and her work has been received with such gratitude as we can see in the image above. 

Such an important reminder that when something feels insurmountable, doing just one small thing can make a big difference. 

Her mothers sewing can be seen as support for her country's soldiers and as resistance to the war. 

Mariana write; 
 

"....the whole Ukrainian society, its every member, regardless of age, region, and wealth, has been affected by the war and is engaged in the resistance of some kind, whether that will make the return of these soldiers home different. Whether the people who make varenyky by the hundreds, donate for long johns and generators, open doors to refugees, repair damaged electricity lines, or just work to keep the Ukrainian economy and culture alive despite missile strikes and power outages, and those mud- and blood-covered soldiers at Bakhmut, Soledar, and Kreminna, are connected by invisible bonds of solidarity and common purpose, the bonds that will persist long after the war is over."

CLICK HERE to read Mariana's full article.

About Inkstick

Mariana's article is published on Inkstick Media, a website with reporting, commentary, stories, and a podcast focused on foreign policy. As they put it, Inkstick "breaks down the news you want and need to know without droning on. When it matters, it also dives deeper to show you the people behind the policy and the stories they have to tell." Check them out!

What a mentor is, and is not.

(This article was originally published in 2015). 

I lost two people who were very, very important to me last fall. They had both been my mentors.

The first was my mom who has been my personal mentor throughout my life. She guided me from birth and sacrificed enormously on my behalf.

There is absolutely no doubt I would have never accomplished the things I have done without her wise counsel and assistance.

The second was a senior officer who took me “under his wing” when I was a young cadet at West Point.

Don was a professional mentor I could always turn to for guidance and counsel specifically about my military career. He also provided critical advice and analysis for many of the national security issues that I became involved in while working in the Pentagon, National Security Council Staff in the White House, and other efforts that I have been involved in since retiring from the military.

I always knew that he was only a phone call away despite the fact that we were not frequently assigned to the same location and might not see each other for several years.

I could always call him day-or-night to seek his advice and assistance.

But what exactly is “mentoring” and why is it important?

Mentoring has been described as a dynamic relationship in which a more experienced person (the mentor) acts as a guide, role model, teacher, and sponsor of a less experienced person (the mentee). It is based on several distinct elements including:

• Reciprocity, collegiality, authenticity, and mutuality.

• Intentional role modeling

• A “safe harbor” for self-exploration (disclosure)

• Transformation particularly of the mentee’s professional identity

• A connection that endures

CLICK HERE to read the full article!

In it Jeff share....

• What makes a mentor effective

• The transition from mentee to mentor

• Creating a mentoring culture