Leadership by Design: 24 Intentional Actions to Inspire Great Leadership

By Annie Frisoli

Explore the art of inspiring growth by designing a culture of belonging. Whether you're a seasoned leader or an aspiring one, this book empowers you to unlock the full potential of your team, fostering motivation, creativity, and connection.

To me, the phrase "inspiring growth by designing belonging" encapsulates the root of what I believe leadership should be. It means that by remaining intentional in our choices to foster connection across individuals and teams, we can stimulate happy, healthy, thriving organizations.

As you work through each section, keep in mind that my advice, guidance, and insights are just one perspective into the world around us. What's most important is that you take what serves you and leave what doesn't. There isn't a one-size-fits-all approach to becoming a great leader, but I do believe that through small increments we can make a big impact on those around us.
Here's what each component of this golden phrase means to me:
Growth is the result of healthy inspiration and allows us to solidify skills that drive results. When we grow in the workplace, we're able to prioritize efficiency, success, our mission, and our goals, innovating along the way.

Designing is an act done intentionally. Through careful consideration and mindfulness, we're able to use our influence to lead authentically by finding harmonious solutions to conflict and prioritizing balance across teams.

Belonging makes us feel seen and heard, and results in healthier, happier people both at work and home. Of the many factors that contribute to a sense of belonging, Frisoli believes there are a few that can be prioritized to achieve better connectivity and a more meaningful purpose.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: May 9, 2024
• ISBN: 9798350940213

Annie Frisoli

Annie Frisoli, Founder & CEO of Creating Community LLC is an international speaker, facilitator and consultant on topics related to leadership, team development, culture, and communication. Annie is a former university faculty member of nearly 20 years and now finds great passion working alongside agencies across the U.S. and beyond to ultimately inspire organizational growth by designing belonging. In addition to her passion to collaborate with organizations across the globe, some of Annie's additional and most prized titles include wife, daughter, sibling, best friend, mentor, hiker, biker, and 1st International Ambassador of the Canadian Hi-5 run.

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Leadership by Design

24 Intentional Actions to Inspire Great Leadership

© 2024, Annie Frisoli.

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Print ISBN: 979-8-35094-020-6

eBook ISBN: 979-8-35094-021-3

Contents

INTRODUCTION

INSPIRING GROWTH BY DESIGNING BELONGING

PART ONE: INSPIRING

1. THE POWER OF AUTHENTICITY IN LEADERSHIP

2. INSPIRING OTHERS TO EXCEL

3. TURNING OBSTACLES INTO OPPORTUNITIES

4. LEADING WITH CLARITY THROUGH EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

5. EMBRACING THE UNKNOWN: NAVIGATING UNCERTAINTY WITH CONFIDENCE

6. MOTIVATING STUCK TEAMS

PART TWO: GROWTH

7. THE POWER OF CURIOSITY: CULTIVATING A CULTURE OF CONTINUOUS LEARNING

8. EMPOWERING AND ENABLING GROWTH AND RESILIENCY

9. LEVERAGING THE DIGITAL AGE TO INSTILL GROWTH

10. INCENTIVIZING EXCELLENCE AND CELEBRATING SUCCESS

11. GOOD LEADERS CREATE GREAT LEADERS

12. PRIORITIZING CHANGE MANAGEMENT

PART THREE: DESIGNING

13. THE IMPORTANCE OF CREATING AND IMPLEMENTING A SHARED VISION

14. BACK TO THE BASICS: UNDERSTANDING YOUR WHO

15. HOW TO BE A SOCIAL ENGINEER

16. INNOVATING WITH INTENTION

17. AVOIDING SILOS WITHIN YOUR ORGANIZATION

18. REFRAMING FAILURE AND EMBRACING RISK

PART FOUR: BELONGING

19. BUILD, MAINTAIN, OR BREAK DOWN

20. THERE’S UNITY IN VARIETY

21. CREATING BELONGING FROM THE START

22. CURATING SAFE COMMUNITY SPACES

23. MEASURING AND IMPROVING BELONGING

24. LET THEM SPEAK

GO FORTH AND INSPIRE

AUTHOR’S NOTE

THANK YOU TO MY NETWORK

SOURCES AND CITATIONS

INTRODUCTION

I believe people are our superpower.

So much so that I felt compelled to write a book about it. I believe that when we dig deeper into what it means to be human, we can make positive, lasting contributions to our organizations, across our teams, within ourselves, and even to the world around us.

In an effort to help you invest in change by investing in yourself and your people, I’ve compiled some of my most valuable insights and impactful findings related to leadership, designing strong teams, inspiring our biggest assets (our people), and fostering a sense of belonging.

Driven by a desire to serve those who serve others, I’ve leveraged my experience as both a lifelong learner and multi-passionate leader to create this book. You might find it serves as a guide to help you prioritize mindfulness as a leader, cultivate greatness among your people, or look inward to strengthen your own values.

As you read on, you’ll find helpful stories (both from myself and experts I trust), guidance to help you achieve harmony across teams, and thought-provoking topics to help you grow intentionally as a leader and person. My hope is that you’ll walk away from this book with the confidence and mindset to implement a few of the insights that follow within your own organization, ultimately leading to healthier, happier, more effective teams.

Meet Annie (that’s me)

If we haven’t had the pleasure of meeting yet, hi, I’m Annie. You might be wondering where my insights and expertise come from, and the truth is, my background is a vibrant patchwork of unique experiences, energizing roles, and chance encounters with inspiring individuals.

To summarize my qualifications and experience here would be a challenge. If you ask me what makes me exceptionally qualified to help others grow into better leaders, I’d say it’s my history of saying ‘yes’ to new opportunities, new people, and new experiences along my path. This trend has allowed me to collect uniquely valuable perspectives and insights over time.

Through it all, I’ve maintained a profound interest in developing a deeper understanding of the people around me. I’ve collected a network of insightful friends, family, and loved ones, and their incredible stories, which has enabled me to develop into the person I am today.

Aside from my experience as a partner, daughter, sister, best friend, adventurer, coach, and self-proclaimed baking strategist, here are some of the more formal highlights along my path:

Bachelor’s degree from The University of Toledo in Thera-peutic Recreation

Master’s degree from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro in Recreation Management

Certified Festivals & Events Executive (CFEE)

IFEA/NRPA Event Management School Instructor

Certified in Foundations of Design Thinking

Certified in Experience Innovation

Certified Facilitator of Better Conversations Every Day™

Certified Facilitator of the Center for Creative Leadership’s Benchmarks® 360° Suite

Certified Virtual Facilitator

Multi-Award-Winning University Faculty Member

Master Facilitator of Strategic Plans

Master Facilitator of Designing THE Standard: Building Culture Within Your Organization

Curriculum Designer for a Fortune 500 Company

International-Level Conference Speaker and Trainer

More than 15,000 hours of facilitation

Now that we’ve met, let’s dive in.

INSPIRING GROWTH BY DESIGNING BELONGING

This combination of words is what sparked the flame inside me that led to this book. If you’re reading this, know that it means so much to me that you’ve chosen this book to help you dig a little deeper into what it means to be a leader.

To me, the phrase inspiring growth by designing belonging encapsulates the root of what I believe leadership should be. It means that by remaining intentional in our choices to foster connection across individuals and teams, we can stimulate happy, healthy, thriving organizations.

Putting this phrase into action requires a deeper understanding of each piece of the puzzle, which is why I’ve divided my insights into four sections. By cozying up to each individual component of this phrase, you can begin to make small adjustments that result in big changes - both in yourself and in others.

As you work through each section, keep in mind that my advice, guidance, and insights are just one perspective into the world around us. What’s most important is that you take what serves you, and leave what doesn’t. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to becoming a great leader, but I do believe that through small increments we can make a big impact on those around us.

Here’s what each component of this golden phrase means to me:

Inspiring others is our duty as leaders and people. To me, being inspiring is synonymous with being a facilitator of joy, motivation, drive, and development. As leaders, we have a responsibility to inspire good in others and set an example of what it means to thrive.

Growth is the result of healthy inspiration and allows us to solidify skills that drive results. When we grow in the workplace, we’re able to prioritize efficiency, success, our mission, and our goals, innovating along the way.

Designing is an act done intentionally. Through careful consideration and mindfulness, we’re able to use our influence to lead authentically by finding harmonious solutions to conflict and prioritizing balance across teams.

Belonging makes us feel seen and heard, and results in healthier, happier people both at work and home. Of the many factors that contribute to a sense of belonging, I believe there are a few that can be prioritized to achieve better connectivity and a more meaningful purpose.

PART ONE:

INSPIRING

There’s nothing quite as impactful as being told you’ve inspired someone else to take a leap, reach for more, or try something new. Maybe that’s because we all know how critical it is to feel inspired along our paths to happiness and success. These points of inspiration often launch us into new, exciting chapters or the ‘next big thing’ in our journey, and when it strikes, we learn more about ourselves and what we’re capable of.

The unique sense of euphoria that accompanies feeling inspired can be described as profoundly powerful. Magical. Kismet. Serendipitous. And to know that we’ve created that for others can feel equally as magnificent. As leaders, we have the opportunity to facilitate fearlessness and drive development in others.

Inspiring others doesn’t (usually) happen by accident, though. And if our goal is to leave those we meet feeling inspired to reach for more, we must be intentional about how we support and motivate them.

In my own journey to become a better, more inspirational leader, I pay close attention to what works, and what doesn’t. I quickly realized that while inspiration sometimes takes shape as electrically charged a-ha! moments (you know, the kind where someone says something that leaves their audience with goosebumps), it can also look like consistency, reliability, and quiet but fierce support.

If inspiring others was easy, we’d start every day with 5-minute inspirational stand-ups that send everybody back to their desks feeling like a million bucks. But since this isn’t a realistic approach, we’ll have to settle for gaining a better understanding of where inspiration comes from, how it works, and how we can harness more of it within our own organizations.

The first section of this book explores ‘inspiration’ as both a tool and an experience and should leave you feeling better equipped to create (and harness) inspiration across your interactions. If at any point you find yourself feeling inspired, give yourself the gift of jotting down a few notes somewhere to increase your chances of success and accountability. Also,