Sean Glaze - Team Building & Leadership Speaker

Your most "difficult" teammate might be your most valuable one. I was facilitating a session when a VP pulled me aside and said, "We have someone who questions everything. Every initiative. Every deadline. It's exhausting." I asked her one question: "How many costly mistakes has your team made in the last two years?" She paused. "Almost none, actually." That's the Beaver's curse. When they do their job well, nothing bad happens - and nobody notices. Before you try to "fix" the detail-oriented person on your team, ask yourself what would happen if they stopped doing what they do. If the answer makes you uncomfortable, that's your sign. I just published a blog on exactly this… and how to give your Beaver a framework that makes them MORE effective instead of more frustrating. greatresultsteambuilding.net/why-the-most-v… The person that few teammates appreciate is often the one you cannot can afford to lose.

Here's one of my favorite questions from the Staying Coachable playbook: "Who in your life is currently telling you things you don't want to hear - and are you actually listening?" Most leaders go quiet when they read that one. Because the honest answer is usually no. Not because they don't want to grow. But because feedback that challenges our assumptions is uncomfortable, and busy leaders get very good at staying busy enough to avoid it. Research from Harvard Business Review suggests that deliberate reflection increases learning effectiveness by nearly 23%. But most teams skip reflection entirely because nobody hands them the right questions. That's what these playbooks do. They give leaders and their teams the questions that actually matter… built around the lessons that are shared in each of my four leadership parables. Full collection digital download at stickycultures.com What question do YOU wish someone had asked you earlier in your leadership journey?

Most conference sessions are forgotten before the attendees drive home. I've spent 20 years building experiences that actually change that. Fall calendar dates are starting to fill up… So, if you're planning a conference or leadership event and you want your people to leave with more than a good time, maybe it’s worth a conversation. I work with event planners and association leaders who want more than a motivational speaker. They want their people to walk away with something they'll still be using three months later. Here are the messages I deliver that do exactly that: - How to Build a G.R.E.A.T. Workplace Culture - What Winning Teammates Do Differently - Staying Coachable for Relentless Improvement - What Effective Leaders Do to Grow Their Impact Each one is interactive, content-rich, and tailored to what your people are actually dealing with. If your team has a fall event on the calendar, I'd love to learn more about the challenges they are facing - and tailor one of my messages to make it a memorable experience for your attendees. Visit StickyCultures.com to learn more or check my availability

Question for anyone who plans leadership development programs: When was the last time your team read something and had a structured conversation about it afterward? Not just 'what did you think?' But real discussion. Around specific questions. With time actually blocked on the calendar. Most teams skip that part. Not because they don't want the growth, but because nobody gave them a guide. The implementation playbooks I just released this week are built for exactly that moment. Pick a book. Your team reads it. Then use the playbook to run a debrief that connects the lessons to your actual challenges: your culture, your communication gaps, your real friction points. It's the difference between a team that gets inspired... and a team that actually changes. If you've brought me in to speak or facilitate before, this is the follow-through resource that makes that investment compound. And if you haven't, maybe this is a first step that will lead there. Full guide at: stickycultures.com

Something I've been working on is finally live! I've released implementation playbooks for all four of my books, and they're now available at stickycultures.com Here's why I built them: Most teams that read a leadership book together get one good debrief conversation. Maybe. Then life takes over. And the lessons stay in the book instead of showing up in daily interactions. These playbooks are designed to close that gap. Each one includes: → Reflection questions that force honest self-assessment → Team discussion prompts you can use in your next meeting → Application challenges to move insight into action This is a meaningful application guide for ALL FOUR books that my keynotes and programs are built around:What Effective Leaders DO , Rapid Teamwork, The 10 Commandments of Winning Teammates, and Staying Coachable Grab the free comprehensive digital download at stickycultures.com Or individual playbooks on each book page at greatresultsteambuilding.net If you've read any of my books… this is what comes next.

Your team doesn’t have a talent problem. You just keep adding people into a broken system. And feel surprised when they struggle. At some point… it’s not the people. It’s: •unclear expectations •poor communication •or a system designed for “heroes” instead of teammates Most leaders only focus on the person. Great leaders know that collaboration and accountability are affected by the CULTURE their people operate in. seanglaze.substack.com/p/your-teams-r… If you’ve ever said, “We just need better talent…” this might be an helpful read

What if your most powerful development tool…is sitting right next to you? New research continues to reinforce a simple but often overlooked truth: peer interactions shape performance, growth, and team success more than we think. From informal “overheard” insights to everyday collaboration, the people around us are constantly influencing how we learn and lead. That’s why building winning teammates (not just individual high performers) should be a top priority for leaders in government and beyond. In my latest contribution to the @careersingov blog, I share how organizations can intentionally harness peer influence to strengthen culture, and drive better results. Read the full article: careersingovernment.com/tools/gov-talk… Worth 3 quick minutes!

Is Your Bookshelf a Graveyard of Good Intentions? Most leadership books end up in one of two places. On a shelf. Or on a nightstand with a bookmark stuck on page 87. That's not because leaders don't care about growth. It's because reading a good book and actually implementing what it teaches are two completely different challenges. Research shows people forget roughly 70% of new information within 24 hours. A week later, most of it is gone. I've seen this happen after many conferences. Leaders walk out fired up and ready to change things. Two weeks later, nothing has shifted. That gap between insight and implementation is the most expensive gap in leadership development. And it's almost never talked about. (I built something to close that gap - and I'll be sharing details soon) But if you've ever finished a leadership book and then watched the momentum fade: you're not alone. That's the norm. The question is what we can do to fix that.

Unpopular take: Recognition programs don’t fix broken appreciation cultures. Seneca wasn’t talking about awards He was talking about character. In Rapid Teamwork, appreciation is one of five cultural forces that either build trust… or quietly destroy it. If your praise feels transactional, your culture will too. Agree?

Most leaders write off team building after one bad experience. I did too. For years. What I didn't realize is that I'd been confusing two completely different things - and that confusion was costing my team more than I knew. There's a version of team building that deserves the reputation it gets. But there's also a version that actually changes things. This 55-second video shares what took me years of losing to figure out. You can read the free guide I created that explains more. It's called Profitable Fluff. Learn about it at greatresultsteambuilding.net/profitable-flu…

The difference has a name. Grab the free 12-page guide greatresultsteambuilding.net/profitable-flu…

Quick question: When you book team building… what are you actually hoping will change? If that answer isn’t crystal clear, you might be setting yourself up for disappointment. This is a simple, practical read to help you get it right. seanglaze.substack.com/p/what-to-ask-… Worth a 3 minute read?

Whatcha reading this weekend? If you lead people, consider grabbing a copy of What Effective Leaders DO... Quick read. Big takeaways Actually usable on Monday. Because leadership isn’t about having all the answers… It’s about asking better questions and solving the right problems.

Summer and fall team retreats are already getting booked. Budgets are being approved. Calendars are filling up. Expectations are high. But here’s the uncomfortable truth… Many of these experiences will be fun—and still fail to create any lasting impact. Not because the activity was bad. Not because people didn’t engage. But because the wrong questions were asked before the decision was made. If you’re responsible for planning a team retreat this year, it’s worth pausing for a moment and asking a few questions: - What do we actually need to be different after this experience? - How will this improve how our team communicates, collaborates, or performs? - What happens when everyone goes back to work on Monday? A great retreat shouldn’t just be something your team enjoys… It should be something your team uses. seanglaze.substack.com/p/what-to-ask-… If you want to avoid the “that was fun, but now what?” outcome, this short article will help you make a smarter investment!

Most team building or speaking events are forgotten by Monday. Two years ago, I worked with Ray's team on becoming winning teammates. The session landed — three weeks later, his people were still using the language from our time together in everyday conversations. Last year, they invited me back. We focused on Staying Coachable. That's the thing nobody talks about when they book a speaker or facilitator. The goal isn't a good day. It's a team that's still growing 12 months later... and knows exactly what they need to work on next. Shared purpose and vocabulary often inspire accountability without a manager having to say a word. A connected culture starts to self-enforce. One event gives people a great experience. A committed organization gives people a new way to lead themselves. That's the difference between a one-time program and a real culture shift. When you bring in outside speakers or facilitators, are you thinking one session or building something that affects culture longer-term?

Ever notice how some teams stay stuck in blame… while others move forward quickly? The difference isn’t talent. It’s leadership focus. Average leaders look back to analyze what went wrong. They focus on the rearview mirror. Effective Leaders ask: “What needs to happen next?” This shift in mindset matters more than any strategy. It can eliminate recurring frustrations and build real accountability across your team. greatresultsteambuilding.net/effective-lead… If you lead people, this is worth a quick read.

Planning a team offsite? This is the most important question you're probably NOT asking. Instead of focusing on "what will we do?" Shift to "what do we want our people to believe about each other when the day is over?" That single shift in planning intention is the difference between a team building day that fades by Thursday - and one that actually changes how your people show up the following Monday. I've seen it play out at organizations like Midtown Neurology. Their employees were dreading the event - and ended up calling it one of the best experiences they'd ever had. Employees who'd never gotten along made a real commitment to work differently together… That doesn't happen from axe throwing. It happens from intention. If you're an HR leader or event planner finalizing offsite plans, read this before you book anything: 🔗 seanglaze.substack.com/p/the-one-thin…

Still ignoring your company culture? The data is undeniable. Culture is no longer just a "nice-to-have" HR initiative; it's a critical operational asset. 👉 MIT Sloan reports that culture is 10X more important than compensation in predicting employee turnover. 👉 Gallup found that 77% of workers assess a company’s culture before they even hit "apply." Culture neglect isn't just a risk - it's the leading cause of toxic environments, communication breakdowns, and employee turnover. If you are planning your next leadership or team retreat, don't just settle for a fun day out... Use the opportunity to intentionally address the silos, friction points, and "culture gaps" that are slowing down your productivity. As a professional team building facilitator with hundreds of positive reviews, I help teams develop empathy, awareness, and trust. Let’s make your next retreat a strategic investment that has real impact. Ready to move beyond empty entertainment? Let’s talk.

Grateful to be part of the April 2026 Leadership Development Digest hosted by Diana Peterson-More Actionable insights from 18 thoughtful leadership voices… Read the full collection here: dianapetersonmore.com/2026/04/07/apr… #LeadershipDevelopmentDigest

full article here: greatresultsteambuilding.net/what-most-atla…

If some of your employees say they hate “team building events” that's not a people problem. That's a program quality problem. Most team building experiences fall flat because they are designed to be recreational fun, not to really change anything. People sit through activities that have nothing to do with their actual work, smile politely, and come back Monday the exact same way they left Friday. No wonder they roll their eyes when they that on the calendar. But here's what I've seen happen when a program is built around intentional facilitation instead of entertainment: people who have never gotten along make public commitments to work together. Staff members notice a real shift in how their teammates treat them. Leaders stop dreading the conversation about team culture because the team is already having it. I wrote about one of those moments… a medical office in Atlanta where the skeptics became the biggest believers. If your team has ever dreaded a team building event, this one's for you. (Find link in comments)