How to Build a Leadership Bridge

How can leaders strengthen connections in the workplace and beyond? Host Meny Hoffman interviews leadership consultant Patrick Veroneau about his research-backed CABLES model which provides a metaphorical bridge reinforced by positive interactions. Patrick shares the six relationship CABLES—consistency, appreciation, belongingness, (high-level) listening, empathy, and specifics. Practicing these behaviors adds cables that strengthen trust and engagement. They discuss common leadership pitfalls and how modeling desired behaviors shapes organizational culture more than stated values. Patrick also provides personal development advice on driving happiness in leaders that positively impacts teams.

Transcript

[00:01 – 14:58] The CABLES Model for Leadership

Patrick shares his CABLES model for building strong relationships
The 6 key behaviors: consistency, appreciation, belongingness, listening, empathy, specifics
Common leadership struggles: listening to respond rather than understand, failing to set clear expectations and hold people accountable

[14:59 – 25:35] Personal Development & Company Culture

Leaders need to know themselves before they can be there for others
You cannot grow your business without personal growth
Company culture starts with leaders modeling desired behaviors
Culture = how people behave, not values on the website
Values allow you to align decisions and behaviors

[25:36 – 30:03] Practical Personal Development

The “POWER” model: Praise, Others, Writing, Exercise, Relaxation
Based on the 21-day happiness challenge research
Writing down 3 things you’re grateful for – powerful impact on wellbeing
People approach challenges differently when starting from gratitude

[30:04 – 34:19] Closing Segment

Just as a physical bridge is built with cables, a leadership bridge is built with six cables
Patrick on the rapid four questions

Practical Pointers

Just as a physical bridge is built with cables, a leadership bridge is built with the six cables of consistency, appreciation, belonging, listening, empathy, and specifics. By implementing each of these ideas properly and effectively, you will change your relationship with your employees, and become a leader whom your employees will want to follow.

Leaders should give their employees autonomy, because people need to feel in control of their destiny. On the other hand, autonomy must be balanced with making sure that the work gets done; it won’t do for employees to work on whatever they want, when your company obviously has specific needs. A good way to balance this is to make your expectations clear, but give your employees the freedom of determining how they’re going to accomplish a given task. By saying that you need a project completed by the end of the week, but asking your employee how he expects to accomplish it, you demonstrate leadership by simultaneously setting expectations while offering autonomy within those expectations.

Feedback from your employees on the front lines is extremely important. While employers often assume that they need to give feedback to their employees, the employer can get crucial information by asking employees what they think. The older mentality that all serious thinking takes place at the executive level is anachronistic; in reality, your employees may have the solutions that you need - and all you need to do is be up front and ask them.

A company culture of excellence is not created by what you say, but by the way that your people behave - and that always starts at the top. If you want to create a culture that embodies certain values, such as respect, collaboration, or trust, you as the leader must demonstrate these values or you will completely undermine and undo the environment of excellence that you’re trying to cultivate.

Show notes

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Guest Bio

Patrick Veroneau

Patrick Veroneau is a leadership consultant who founded Emery Leadership Group in 2008. With a Master's in Organizational Leadership, he brings over 15 years of experience across various industries. Author of "The Leadership Bridge" and a TEDx speaker, Patrick champions leadership fueled by emotional intelligence and psychological safety. He developed the CABLES model, promoting self-awareness and humanistic behaviors, to steer away from traditional command-and-control approaches. His work includes facilitating workshops and coaching, aiming to enhance engagement and excellence in leadership through the principles outlined in his book.

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