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You know too much stress decreases your productivity and your ability to effectively solve problems. Yes, you can focus on stress management to help curb its effect, but what do you do about all the things on your plate? Afterall, it's that increased workload that's contributing to your stress problem. In this episode, you'll learn about a tool that can help you better prioritize, achieve goals, manage your energy, and focus on the right habits, so you can use up to 80% less effort to get even better outcomes.  If you’re listening to this podcast, you take your role as a leader seriously. You want to be more effective. You want to lead your team to greater success. And you probably want less stress. This podcast has great information and tips to get you started. But if you’re ready for the next step – one that will give you the guidance and structure to take you to the next level of success – Strengths University has you covered. We just started the spring cohort of the Supervisor Strengths Institute, but if you’re ready to upgrade your supervisor skills, you can register for the DIY Edition. You’ll get immediate access to the same powerful content that you can move through at your own pace. Get the link to more information and to register HERE - https://learn.strengthsuniversity.org/DIYInstitute Have questions? Email Anne at [email protected] or set up a meeting with her HERE. Want more information about Strengths University? Check out our website at https://www.strengthsuniversity.org/

When I left you in 2025, I challenged you to do a quick wrap up of the year. Now, I know some of you had zero energy to do any such thing, but in that wrap up, my last question for you to ponder was, "What’s the ONE thing you could upgrade in 2026 that would give you the biggest return on your investment?" In this episode, we’re going to focus on that ONE thing and how you can effectively put that thing into action.  If you’re listening to this podcast, you take your role as a leader seriously. You want to be more effective. You want to lead your team to greater success. And you probably want less stress. This podcast has great information and tips to get you started. But if you’re ready for the next step – one that will give you the guidance and structure to take you to the next level of success – Strengths University has you covered. We just started the spring cohort of the Supervisor Strengths Institute, but if you’re ready to upgrade your supervisor skills, you can register for the DIY Edition. You’ll get immediate access to the same powerful content that you can move through at your own pace. Get the link to more information and to register HERE - https://learn.strengthsuniversity.org/DIYInstitute Have questions? Email Anne at [email protected] or set up a meeting with her HERE. Want more information about Strengths University? Check out our website at https://www.strengthsuniversity.org/

As we wrap up 2025, it’s a good idea to take the time to reflect on the year. And if you’re already thinking, nope! I have neither the time nor energy for such pursuits, just hold on to your horses. I’m going to make this as quick and painless for you as possible. The benefit of doing this is a better 2026. The cost of skipping it means 2026 might just be a rerun of 2025. And I don’t think anyone can afford that, so be sure to check out this episode.  If you’re listening to this podcast, you take your role as a leader seriously. You want to be more effective. You want to lead your team to greater success. And you probably want less stress. This podcast has great information and tips to get you started. But if you’re ready for the next step – one that will give you the guidance and structure to take you to the next level of success – Strengths University has you covered. We just started the spring cohort of the Supervisor Strengths Institute, but if you’re ready to upgrade your supervisor skills, you can register for the DIY Edition. You’ll get immediate access to the same powerful content that you can move through at your own pace. Get the link to more information and to register HERE - https://learn.strengthsuniversity.org/DIYInstitute Have questions? Email Anne at [email protected] or set up a meeting with her HERE. Want more information about Strengths University? Check out our website at https://www.strengthsuniversity.org/

It’s a stressful time of year. If you’re in Higher Ed, you’re wrapping up the fall term and planning for the spring. Plus, you’re smack dab in the middle of the holiday season. That's a ton of expectations and stress for you and your team, so it's perhaps the perfect season to discuss boundaries. In this episode, you'll learn the difference between boundaries and rules. And you'll discover how you can set both around your unique Talent Themes. If you’d like to be more productive and less stressed during the end of the year, you'll want to check out this episode.    If you’re listening to this podcast, you take your role as a leader seriously. You want to be more effective. You want to lead your team to greater success. And you probably want less stress. This podcast has great information and tips to get you started. But if you’re ready for the next step – one that will give you the guidance and structure to take you to the next level of success – Strengths University has you covered. We just started the spring cohort of the Supervisor Strengths Institute, but if you’re ready to upgrade your supervisor skills, you can register for the DIY Edition. You’ll get immediate access to the same powerful content that you can move through at your own pace. Get the link to more information and to register HERE - https://learn.strengthsuniversity.org/DIYInstitute Have questions? Email Anne at [email protected] or set up a meeting with her HERE. Want more information about Strengths University? Check out our website at https://www.strengthsuniversity.org/

Have you been wondering how to effectively establish a Strengths-based culture with your team or organization? It's a fantastic way to increase your overall productivity, engagement, and wellbeing. But there are challenges. In this episode, I share the three key components you'll need to implement to ensure you have an effective and sustainable transformation.  If you’re listening to this podcast, you take your role as a leader seriously. You want to be more effective. You want to lead your team to greater success. And you probably want less stress. This podcast has great information and tips to get you started. But if you’re ready for the next step – one that will give you the guidance and structure to take you to the next level of success – Strengths University has you covered. We just started the spring cohort of the Supervisor Strengths Institute, but if you’re ready to upgrade your supervisor skills, you can register for the DIY Edition. You’ll get immediate access to the same powerful content that you can move through at your own pace. Get the link to more information and to register HERE - https://learn.strengthsuniversity.org/DIYInstitute Have questions? Email Anne at [email protected] or set up a meeting with her HERE. Want more information about Strengths University? Check out our website at https://www.strengthsuniversity.org/

Going to conferences can be a fantastic experience. But with so much going on in such a short amount of time, how can you make sure you're getting the most out of your time and money? In this episode, I'll talk about three main goals of attending a conference and five hacks that will ensure you make the most of your conference experience. If you’re listening to this podcast, you take your role as a leader seriously. You want to be more effective. You want to lead your team to greater success. And you probably want less stress. This podcast has great information and tips to get you started. But if you’re ready for the next step – one that will give you the guidance and structure to take you to the next level of success – Strengths University has you covered. We just started the spring cohort of the Supervisor Strengths Institute, but if you’re ready to upgrade your supervisor skills, you can register for the DIY Edition. You’ll get immediate access to the same powerful content that you can move through at your own pace. Get the link to more information and to register HERE - https://learn.strengthsuniversity.org/DIYInstitute Have questions? Email Anne at [email protected] or set up a meeting with her HERE. Want more information about Strengths University? Check out our website at https://www.strengthsuniversity.org/

CUPA-HR has released the results of another Higher Education Employee Retention Survey. The 2025 results found that supervisors are facing even more stress and responsibilities. But surprisingly, supervisors are now less likely to leave their positions. In this episode, I outline the changes for supervisors in the last two years and discuss two of the recommendations by CUPA-HR to retain supervisors. Whether you’re supervising non-managerial staff or leading a team of supervisors, this episode will show you what areas you need to assess and upgrade if you want to retain your supervisors on campus, including increasing your own job satisfaction so you want to stay. If you’re listening to this podcast, you take your role as a leader seriously. You want to be more effective. You want to lead your team to greater success. And you probably want less stress. This podcast has great information and tips to get you started. But if you’re ready for the next step – one that will give you the guidance and structure to take you to the next level of success – Strengths University has you covered. We just started the spring cohort of the Supervisor Strengths Institute, but if you’re ready to upgrade your supervisor skills, you can register for the DIY Edition. You’ll get immediate access to the same powerful content that you can move through at your own pace. Get the link to more information and to register HERE - https://learn.strengthsuniversity.org/DIYInstitute Have questions? Email Anne at [email protected] or set up a meeting with her HERE. Want more information about Strengths University? Check out our website at https://www.strengthsuniversity.org/

If you're like me, you have a tendency to over think. And that tendency often steals a lot of my energy and makes me feel like BLEEP. I've talked about how our stories and beliefs can get in our way in previous episodes. I recently came across a book by Joseph Nguyen, "Don't Believe Everything You Think" that really resonated with me and I believe adds another layer of understanding to this concept. Even better, it offers practical ways to curb your thinking AND increase your sense of wellbeing. In this episode, I talk about the pieces of Nguyen's book that most resonated with me and how his techniques can help you make a positive difference to everyone around you, including your team and students.  If you’re listening to this podcast, you take your role as a leader seriously. You want to be more effective. You want to lead your team to greater success. And you probably want less stress. This podcast has great information and tips to get you started. But if you’re ready for the next step – one that will give you the guidance and structure to take you to the next level of success – Strengths University has you covered. We just started the spring cohort of the Supervisor Strengths Institute, but if you’re ready to upgrade your supervisor skills, you can register for the DIY Edition. You’ll get immediate access to the same powerful content that you can move through at your own pace. Get the link to more information and to register HERE - https://learn.strengthsuniversity.org/DIYInstitute Have questions? Email Anne at [email protected] or set up a meeting with her HERE. Want more information about Strengths University? Check out our website at https://www.strengthsuniversity.org/

In our last episode, I discussed a big picture perspective of how to navigate the all too common experience in Higher Ed of being down a staff member. In this week's episode, I continue the conversation but with more tangible to-do items. Learn how to focus on the most important aspects of what you do so you and your team have a reasonable workload and students get the most important things they need. If you’re listening to this podcast, you take your role as a leader seriously. You want to be more effective. You want to lead your team to greater success. And you probably want less stress. This podcast has great information and tips to get you started. But if you’re ready for the next step – one that will give you the guidance and structure to take you to the next level of success – Strengths University has you covered. We just started the spring cohort of the Supervisor Strengths Institute, but if you’re ready to upgrade your supervisor skills, you can register for the DIY Edition. You’ll get immediate access to the same powerful content that you can move through at your own pace. Get the link to more information and to register HERE - https://learn.strengthsuniversity.org/DIYInstitute Have questions? Email Anne at [email protected] or set up a meeting with her HERE. Want more information about Strengths University? Check out our website at https://www.strengthsuniversity.org/

What happens to you and your team when you're suddenly down a staff member? Many of you are knowingly dealing with this right now. And for some of you, it isn’t even knowingly because someone left long before you got there and your position absorbed their work. Either way, it means you and the folks around you are most likely doing more work, often without any additional compensation. So, in honor of Labor Day, let’s talk about how you can best navigate these situations, as well as the cost on you, your team, and your students when there’s not enough labor to do all the expected work. If you’re listening to this podcast, you take your role as a leader seriously. You want to be more effective. You want to lead your team to greater success. And you probably want less stress. This podcast has great information and tips to get you started. But if you’re ready for the next step – one that will give you the guidance and structure to take you to the next level of success – Strengths University has you covered. We just started the spring cohort of the Supervisor Strengths Institute, but if you’re ready to upgrade your supervisor skills, you can register for the DIY Edition. You’ll get immediate access to the same powerful content that you can move through at your own pace. Get the link to more information and to register HERE - https://learn.strengthsuniversity.org/DIYInstitute Have questions? Email Anne at [email protected] or set up a meeting with her HERE. Want more information about Strengths University? Check out our website at https://www.strengthsuniversity.org/

Do you have a coworker or team member who frustrates you? More specifically, does the way they operate conflict with your strengths so much that it drives you crazy? Well in this episode we’re going to talk about what you can do to work better with those folks to decrease your frustration or anger and be more productive. If you’re listening to this podcast, you take your role as a leader seriously. You want to be more effective. You want to lead your team to greater success. And you probably want less stress. This podcast has great information and tips to get you started. But if you’re ready for the next step – one that will give you the guidance and structure to take you to the next level of success – Strengths University has you covered. We just started the spring cohort of the Supervisor Strengths Institute, but if you’re ready to upgrade your supervisor skills, you can register for the DIY Edition. You’ll get immediate access to the same powerful content that you can move through at your own pace. Get the link to more information and to register HERE - https://learn.strengthsuniversity.org/DIYInstitute Have questions? Email Anne at [email protected] or set up a meeting with her HERE. Want more information about Strengths University? Check out our website at https://www.strengthsuniversity.org/

It's that time of year again. You and your team are swamped prepping for the fall semester. But you don't have to let things get overwhelming because you and your team can use your superpowers to slay the stress and chaos. In this episode, we discuss how you and your team can harness your collective Talent Themes to be more productive over the next month. That includes better planning and hitting more of your goals with less energy and effort. We also walk you through a team activity you can do now to make sure you're not wasting time and energy. You can download the worksheets mentioned in the episode HERE. If you’re listening to this podcast, you take your role as a leader seriously. You want to be more effective. You want to lead your team to greater success. And you probably want less stress. This podcast has great information and tips to get you started. But if you’re ready for the next step – one that will give you the guidance and structure to take you to the next level of success – Strengths University has you covered. We just started the spring cohort of the Supervisor Strengths Institute, but if you’re ready to upgrade your supervisor skills, you can register for the DIY Edition. You’ll get immediate access to the same powerful content that you can move through at your own pace. Get the link to more information and to register HERE - https://learn.strengthsuniversity.org/DIYInstitute Have questions? Email Anne at [email protected] or set up a meeting with her HERE. Want more information about Strengths University? Check out our website at https://www.strengthsuniversity.org/

In 2017, Alicia and I founded Strengths University to help supervisors feel more confident, empowered, and less stressed. Alicia joins me on today's episode to talk about what we wish we would have known about supervising before we started Strengths University and really researching how to be an effective supervisor.  Please enjoy this replay of episode 111 while the host, Anne Brackett, recovers from a recent car accident. Even if you've heard it before, it's a great time to think about how you might want to upgrade how you supervise your team for the upcoming year.  If you’re listening to this podcast, you take your role as a leader seriously. You want to be more effective. You want to lead your team to greater success. And you probably want less stress. This podcast has great information and tips to get you started. But if you’re ready for the next step – one that will give you the guidance and structure to take you to the next level of success – Strengths University has you covered. We just started the spring cohort of the Supervisor Strengths Institute, but if you’re ready to upgrade your supervisor skills, you can register for the DIY Edition. You’ll get immediate access to the same powerful content that you can move through at your own pace. Get the link to more information and to register HERE - https://learn.strengthsuniversity.org/DIYInstitute Have questions? Email Anne at [email protected] or set up a meeting with her HERE. Want more information about Strengths University? Check out our website at https://www.strengthsuniversity.org/

If you’ve ever had conflicts on your team, encountered problems you need to solve, or need to accomplish the right things to help you students succeed, you'll want to listen to this short episode. We'll dig into one of the Guiding Principles of using CliftonStrengths, Differences Are an Advantage. This principle is key to getting the best outcomes for yourself, your team, and your students.  If you’re listening to this podcast, you take your role as a leader seriously. You want to be more effective. You want to lead your team to greater success. And you probably want less stress. This podcast has great information and tips to get you started. But if you’re ready for the next step – one that will give you the guidance and structure to take you to the next level of success – Strengths University has you covered. We just started the spring cohort of the Supervisor Strengths Institute, but if you’re ready to upgrade your supervisor skills, you can register for the DIY Edition. You’ll get immediate access to the same powerful content that you can move through at your own pace. Get the link to more information and to register HERE - https://learn.strengthsuniversity.org/DIYInstitute Have questions? Email Anne at [email protected] or set up a meeting with her HERE. Want more information about Strengths University? Check out our website at https://www.strengthsuniversity.org/

One of the great things about using a Strengths-based approach, is leaning into the unique differences each one of us offers. In this episode, we dive further into that idea by honoring the neurodiversity of those who might be on your team, including perhaps you. Join me as I speak with Dr. Carolyn O'Laughlin about how to better support neurodiversity in the workplace. If you’re listening to this podcast, you take your role as a leader seriously. You want to be more effective. You want to lead your team to greater success. And you probably want less stress. This podcast has great information and tips to get you started. But if you’re ready for the next step – one that will give you the guidance and structure to take you to the next level of success – Strengths University has you covered. We just started the spring cohort of the Supervisor Strengths Institute, but if you’re ready to upgrade your supervisor skills, you can register for the DIY Edition. You’ll get immediate access to the same powerful content that you can move through at your own pace. Get the link to more information and to register HERE - https://learn.strengthsuniversity.org/DIYInstitute Have questions? Email Anne at [email protected] or set up a meeting with her HERE. Want more information about Strengths University? Check out our website at https://www.strengthsuniversity.org/