When the stakes are high, Dr. Alonzo Kelly has advice on how to navigate through, and succeed at, crucial conversations. As president and founder of the Kelly Leadership Group, Kelly recently was named a recipient of a 2022 Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award for Service and shares his expertise on purpose, growth and evolution.
Kelly lifts the three elements of a crucial conversation – high stakes, strong emotions and opposing opinions – but reminds listeners that just because a conversation is crucial to one person doesn’t mean it’s crucial to the other.
Finally, Kelly gives us a short lesson on why animals can be helpful metaphors for understanding human behavior. You won’t want to miss this lively episode!
Episode Highlights:
01:48 - Language is important to me. I believe in my experience, the more explicit I can be in my communication, in the words that I use, is likely … to predict behavior or expected outcome. And something I mean by that is, since we are in a learning space, I do find it to be important to acknowledge that there are six modalities of learning: Read, write, listen, speak, think, and role-play.
07:35 - It requires me to let go of me, look at the other person and be clear and check in. Here's what I'm understanding is happening. Here's my understanding of the resources you need to complete that task. Here's what I'm upset about. Here's what I want. These are the resources I need in order to get my goal accomplished. And then the most beautiful part. Here's what it sounds like we both want. Here's what it sounds like we're both upset about. Here's what it sounds like we both need to accomplish a goal. Let's have that conversation.
14:29 - These conversations require mental, physical, psychological, emotional – for some, spiritual stamina and endurance. And we are not all in game shape for crucial conversations. This is a stamina and endurance conversation.
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Guest Bio:
A dynamic executive coach, professor, three-time best-selling author and radio host, Alonzo Kelly has gained international and global attention as a premier consultant and strategist. Alonzo is recognized as one of the nation’s leading experts on leadership development, strategic thinking, planning and acting, which results in individual and organizational goal achievement. He has appeared on America’s Premier Experts, which airs on major networks across the country, including ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX.
Kelly has served over 1,000 individuals through personal and professional development, delivered training to multiple Fortune 500 companies, college and universities, institutions of higher learning, foreign countries (Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Guam), and nonprofit organizations. He is consistently retained as a keynote speaker at large and small events across the country.
Kelly holds a bachelor’s in Accounting and three master’s degrees (Public Administration, Human Resource & Labor Relations, and Business Administration) and is nearing completion of a Ph.D. in Multidisciplinary Human Services. He is also in the process of obtaining his Doctorate in Business Administration.
Kelly currently serves on the State Board of Directors for the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union), National Board of Directors for SENG (Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted), and the Fire and Police Commission for the City of Howard.
