The Innovate to Motivate® Conference prides itself on investing in expert faculty to connect you to nationally-known thought leaders. One of our outside experts is Kay Cannon, the “Leadership Whisperer.” Kay is an award winning executive coach who helps “Type A” people get things done without collateral damage. You can read more about Kay’s story here: http://www.leadershipwhisperer.com/kay_story.html.

She will be delivering our keynote address as well as a breakout session at our 2010 conference. I asked Kay about Type A’s and the challenges they face.

Q: Why should Type A’s care about what others think if they are getting results for their organization? Especially in today’s economy, don’t results matter the most?

A: Given today’s economy, it’s imperative that you focus on achieving results without creating collateral damage. Why? Organizations simply no longer have the financial luxury of ignoring friction that wastes valuable time, energy and talent. Smart people pay as much attention to building positive social capital as they do to getting results. They know that social capital is the secret to influencing and persuading others to get big things done…time after time.

Q: What is one characteristic of Type A’s that can backfire on them?

A: Type A’s have a tendency to set the bar very high for themselves and for others. While it’s good to challenge yourself and others to reach for stretch goals, when expectations are set too high, things go haywire. Unrealistic expectations give way to exhaustion, frustration and unhappiness.

Q: Isn’t it impossible to change one’s communications style?

A: Good news! You can change your communication style as easily as you change your shoes. Think about it like this. Some situations call for a pair of running shoes while others are best served with a pair of purple pumps. The key is matching your communication style to the people and the situation.