Mike Robbins is an expert in leadership, emotional intelligence, team performance, company culture and more. The core principles he teaches in his five books, including We’re All in This Together and Bring Your Whole Self to Work, and that he has been researching, writing, and speaking about over the past 20 years, are ones that benefit people, leaders, teams, and organizations of all kinds. Below are some story or segment ideas for your show, publication, or platform. Mike can speak to or write about any of these, and others, and would be happy to be interviewed about any of these ideas, a combination of them, or different ones.
- How to come together right now in the midst of challenging times – This pandemic is like nothing we’ve ever seen or experienced in our lifetime, and it is impacting every aspect of how we work, communicate, and live. Mike’s new book, We’re All in This Together, and his work are all about inspiring people, leaders, and teams to create cultures of high performance, trust, and belonging. That is more important than ever now, and there are some specific things that Mike teaches which speak directly to this moment…and help teams navigate this time of challenge.
- What it truly means when when we say “We’re all in this together” – The phrase of the moment seems to be “We’re all in this together.” And while Mike didn’t write his new book with this title knowing that it would come out in the midst of a global pandemic, there’s a reason why everyone is using this important phrase right now. We know intuitively that when we’re facing a big challenge, we need to lean on each other and come together for the common good. So there is an understandable timeliness of this. And, at the same time, we also know that for us to create or accomplish anything great, we also have to lean on one another and have each other’s backs. So there is a timeless nature of this as well.
- Four pillars of high performing teams – Mike played baseball from the age of 7 until he was 25, and was part of many championship teams. For over 20 years he has worked with, spoken to, and coached hundreds of high performing teams, and reached the psychology of peak performance. There are certain things that teams who know how to win do and these are the four pillars of Mike’s new book, We’re All in This Together:
- Create psychological safety
- Focus on inclusion and belonging
- Embrace sweaty-palmed conversations
- Care about and challenge each other
- How to lead with authenticity – Authenticity is fundamental to building trust and connection, and being able to coach and lead people in a real way. Mike’s work has focused on authenticity for over a decade. He defines authenticity as “honesty, without self-righteousness, and with vulnerability.” This authenticity equation (Honesty – Self-Righteousness + Vulnerability = Authenticity) is essential for leaders in today’s business world to understand and embody if they are going to impact the people around them in the way they truly want.
- Three tips for giving effective feedback – Giving and receiving feedback are essential aspects of life, work, and growth. However, most of us aren’t very good at either of these things – because they can be scary and uncomfortable. Mike gives the three tip technique of feedback (Start, Stop, Continue) that can help anyone be more effective when needing to have those important “sweaty palmed conversations” with the people around them and those with whom they work.
- How men can empower women at work and support female leadership – In today’s environment, issues of gender equality and empowerment are front and center. Bringing our whole selves to work means paying attention to these things in a real and responsible way. Men play a critical role in the success of women. Mike is a strong advocate for female leadership and for men to be positive allies in the journey for greater gender equality and the empowerment of women at work.
- The future of work – With clients like Google, Schwab, eBay, Wells Fargo, Gap, Twitter, and others, Mike has seen a big change in the corporate world in the past decade. Three things the many top companies are focusing on these days with their employees are: Appreciation, Authenticity, and Mindfulness.
- How to transform your relationship with your boss – As the saying goes, “people don’t quit their job, they quit their boss.” As Stuart Crabb, former head of the Learning and Development at Facebook told Mike when he interviewed him on his podcast, “Manager trumps brand.” The boss/employee relationship is one of the more important relationships in most companies and one of the more challenging, yet critical ones to our career success. Understanding how to navigate this essential relationship and make it as strong as possible is vital for any of us who report to someone. Mike offers specific tips and techniques for how to have a positive relationship with your boss – whether or not you like them.
- Grief and Work – Through the loss of both of his parents, his mentor Richard Carlson (best-selling author of Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff), and his sister Lori, Mike has learned a great deal about loss and grief. As a culture we don’t deal with death and grief all that well. While it can be very painful to experience, it also teaches us a great deal. And, as we move through our lives and careers, it is inevitable that we will experience loss, as will the people with whom we work. Understanding how to deal with this, talk about it, and support others is an important aspect of working, leading, and being a strong team.