Innovating Leadership: Co-Creating Our Future

Featured Guest: Terri O'Fallon, Ph.D. & Kim Barta MA Although our bodies stop growing, our minds continue to develop throughout adulthood. But seeing the world differently can be confusing as your old brain emerges into the new. That confusion can be doubly difficult for leaders navigating their own growth (or Vertical Development) with that of their teams. At each successive level, leaders expand their capacity – yet face new shadows: areas of confusion and challenge. By understanding those areas, you will be able to identify and move through them more quickly, bringing light and opportunity where shadows once fell. Terri O’Fallon and Kim Barta of STAGES International join Maureen to discuss different areas of confusion and, more importantly, how to recognize and overcome them…and continue growing in the process.

Featured Guest: Rachael Kelly Every business has its ups and downs. But when trauma hits, the worst thing to do is ignore it. The best: tend to your people! Rachael Kelly watched the effects of COVID quarantine rapidly cascade through the restaurant industry…including at her organization: Smokey Bones. As a restaurant chain, the quarantine hit Smokey Bones hard -- and almost instantly. That, in turn, created serious issues for servers and other restaurant staff. Rachael joins host Maureen Metcalf to reveal how they dealt with the cascading trauma…and, more importantly, how they turned it into an opportunity to improve their team environment and emerge even stronger. In fact, Smokey Bones holds multi-year certifications as a Great Place to Work.

Featured Guest: Raj Subrameyer Raj Subrameyer knows about toxic leadership first-hand: HE was a toxic leader. Fortunately, Raj learned before it was too late that the toxins affect the leaders just as much as their teams. Anxiety, depression, anger, sleeplessness, illness...they all mount up. In this episode, Raj talks about his former leadership style, and his subsequent journey to a better work life. In the process, he reveals lessons on personal branding. It's not unrelated -- the more comfortable you are with yourself, the more comfortable your team becomes in working with you.

Featured Guest: Ruchira Chaudhary Something was wrong with the company. Working for a large corporation in Singapore, Ruchira Chaudhary realized there were too many issues blocking a thriving work environment…and it all stemmed from poor leadership. Now an international executive coach and author of Coaching: The Secret Code to Uncommon Leadership, Ruchira joins us to reveal how coaching is more than a nice skill for leaders – it’s the secret sauce of truly extraordinary leadership. Coaching is more important today than ever before: our turbulent times require leaders that empower, elevate and enable. They must build trust, resilience, and admit mistakes. And they must recognize that each team member requires different coaching: understanding this could actually help close the workplace gap between men and women, for example. Ruchira points out that coaching is no longer a "nice to have'' aspect of leadership - it is absolutely essential, and you simply cannot be a good leader without being a good coach! For daily wisdom from Ruchira and our other guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/innovativeleadershipinsitute/ . We’re on Mastodon, Facebook, and Twitter, too! ---------------------- Other Episodes You'll Enjoy: - Facing Uncertainty: It's VUCA with Chris Nolan - Growing Up Biden: Family Lessons on Leadership with Valerie Biden Owens - Leading in Circles: The Inevitable Circular Economy with Christoph Hinske --------------------- Resources: Ruchira's book is Coaching: The Secret Code to Uncommon Leadership (you can buy it here) Visit Ruchira's website at RuchiraChaudhary.com See her on YouTube at https://bit.ly/Ruchira-YT --------------------- OUR PODCAST TEAM: Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf Editor & Producer: Dan Mushalko Video & Graphics Editor: Devon Mushalko Podbean Guru: Luigi Morelli CONNECT WITH US: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Innovativeleadership YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership Twitter: @InnoLeader Mastodon: @InnoLeader LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/innovativeleadershipinsitute/ Website: InnovativeLeadership.com Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating!

Featured Guest: David DeRam David DeRam is a 30-year veteran of the software and start-up world. But it wasn’t until he co-founded Greenlight Gurus that he fully realized the power of mindset training in boosting performance, morale, innovation, and outlook for every member of his team. Giving his team every edge possible is quite literally a matter of life and death: Greenlight Gurus develops quality management software for medical device makers. David joins host Maureen Metcalf to provide insights on his unconventional approaches and implementation of mindset training. Unconventional should hardly be unexpected from a CEO who believes his core duty is to ensure every employee goes to bed Sunday night excited and eager to get to work Monday morning!

Featured Guest: Rebecca Ryan All of us took history classes, but who’s taken future classes? Studying the future is a discipline that stretches back decades. Strategic foresight is the established and proven process of looking at future probabilities, yet many business and NPO leaders either don’t know about it, or don’t understand it. It’s used by Fortune 200 companies, the U.S. military, the World Bank, and others. As futurist Rebecca Ryan explains to host Maureen Metcalf, strategic foresight helps those organizations decrease risk and maximize opportunity. That, in turn, provides them with a competitive advantage. So much so that Disney requires learning it before candidates can enter the C-Suite. Listen to this episode – and get a glimpse of your future! For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on Twitter: @IL_Institute .

Featured Guest: Chris Nolan One look at the headlines on any given day makes it clear: the world is UNclear. How can an organization navigate through the volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity to survive – much less succeed? By understanding VUCA, a concept developed by the Pentagon in 1987 to give our military an edge in chaos. Filmmaker Chris Nolan joins Maureen Metcalf to share how this military technique directly applies to businesses and non-profits – information drawn from his new documentary and book: It’s VUCA! For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on Twitter: @IL_Institute.

Featured Guest: Gregory Milano A leader’s lust for short-term profit often means pulling tomorrow’s results into today’s reports. Those intentions may be well-meaning, intending to please shareholders and the board. But they can result in bankrupting the future. After all, if you’re crediting next quarter’s returns into this quarter, how will you make next quarter look as appealing? It’s unsustainable. In his new book, Curing Corporate Short-Termism, Gregory Milano guides senior managers who want to encourage more investment in the future of their companies. Many corporate practices are counterproductive, creating stiff headwinds for managers trying to grow their business. The solution: a culture of ownership. When you see yourself as the owner of the company, your decisions change; the long-term becomes more important. Gregory discusses the dangers of short-termism and the tools to overcome it with host Maureen Metcalf – and how these principles produce long-term value that benefits not just the organization's shareholders, but all of its many stakeholders…including society at large. Other episodes you'll enjoy: Do No Harm: Ethics for Leaders with Terri O’Fallon Facing Uncertainty: It’s VUCA with Christopher Nolan Expecting the Unexpected: VUCA in Action at Red Roof with George Limbert For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/innovativeleadershipinsitute/ . We're on Mastodon, Facebook, and Twitter, too! ---------------------- RESOURCES: Learn more about Greg's company at fortuna-advisors.com . You can purchase his book, Curing Corporate Short-Termism at https://amzn.to/3WRIQpj . Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can follow her there at https://www.linkedin.com/in/maureenmetcalf/ . She’s also written several award-winning books on leadership development. Your can peruse and purchase them here: https://amzn.to/3C4eSX0 . ----------------------- OUR PODCAST TEAM: Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf Editor & Producer: Dan Mushalko Video & Graphics Editor: Devon Mushalko Podbean Guru: Luigi Morelli CONNECT WITH US: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Innovativeleadership YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership Twitter: @IL_Institute Mastodon: @InnoLeader LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/innovativeleadershipinsitute/ Website: InnovativeLeadership.com Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating!

Featured Guest: Ben Marcovitz Most often, when employees are labeled as underperforming, leaders write them off. When such an employee inevitably leaves (or is forced out), you’re potentially giving your competition top talent…because with the right approach, those employees can become motivated high-performers. Ben Marcovitz, CEO of the Rise Institute, believes expecting radical growth from struggling staff should be the norm. It’s far less costly than staff churn and training, and can reveal untapped potential. From the classroom to the corporation, Ben has seen this work consistently in practice. He shares the details with host Maureen Metcalf. Join us, and radically grow your in-house pool of talent! For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on Twitter: @IL_Institute .

Featured Guest: Jonathan Reitz Communication is key to effective leadership. You may have the best vision in the history of humankind – but if you can’t communicate it to others, you’ll never come close to achieving your goals. Good leaders know this; that’s why Googling leadership communication skills results in literally billions of results! Sorting through those hits could take a lifetime. Fortunately, Jonathan Reitz has spent his life in professional communications, and he’s distilled it down to the four most essential communication skills every good leader needs. They’re not what you’d expect. Jonathan joins host Maureen Metcalf in this episode to share those four skills. He’s ready to communicate them to you now!

Featured Guest: Rod Lacey simPRO’s approach to the Great Resignation is simple: empower employees. And learning how to direct that empowerment is simple, too: listen to staff. Employees will tell you what they need, and want! This employee empowerment prepares simPRo for the future of work. In this episode, simPRO’s Chief People Operations Officer, Rod Lacey, shares insights into how the employer/employee relationship has evolved; what that means for company culture and leadership strategy; how decisions are shaped by employee listening strategies; and how this all manifests as in the employee value proposition. You’ll learn that, for simPRO, simple solutions mean success! For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on Twitter: @IL_Institute .

Featured Guest: Dr. Maryanna Klatt It’s no secret that the well-being of your workforce directly affects the well-being of your entire organization. Prior to the pandemic, most corporate wellness programs focused on physical fitness. The stresses of COVID quarantining, though, showed that mental health is every bit as important. Integrative medicine ties both physical and mental health together, revealing many ways in which they influence each other. In this episode, Dr. Maryanna Klatt discusses the role of integrative medicine, how it affects our well-being, and why this is so important for leaders. Her own research focuses on mindfulness, but the Center works with and researches acupuncture, Ayurvedic medicine, yoga, massage, and more. There’s a clear ROI for leaders: reducing stress and burnout is a mighty tool in keeping the Great Resignation away! For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on Twitter: @IL_Institute .

Featured Guest: Gary Bolles Work isn’t what it used to be. Even before COVID and the Great Resignation, a seismic shift began shaking in the workplace: not just how we work, but why we work. Prior generations worked mainly for money; today’s younger generations work mainly for mission (and hope the pay will follow). How can a leader lead a workforce that’s so varied in why, where, and how they work? First, understand – and help forge – the new rules of work. Second, adapt your “sets”: mindset, skillset, and toolset. That’s simply stated, but not always easy to do. Gary Bolles, author of the new book, The Next Rules of Work, joins host Maureen Metcalf to uncover the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the workplaces succeeding in this new world…and the mindset that will help you embrace them for your own team.

Featured Guest: Neil Sahota Many people fear the Artificial Intelligence revolution that’s underway. But like every other major societal revolution in human history, you can play it to your favor. The key? Innovative thinking. In reality, these upheavals create newer, better jobs for people – though, from the sabot to the Luddite, people who don’t think differently, innovatively, even disruptively miss the opportunities these advancements create. IBM Master Inventor Neil Sahota joins host Maureen Metcalf to detail the key strategies for thriving through the AI revolution. Other episodes you'll enjoy: - The Future Is Yours to Create with Rebecca Ryan - Uncharted: How to Map the Future Together with Margaret Heffernan - Stewarding the Future of the Planet: Views from the Boardroom with Helle Bank Jorgensen For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/innovativeleadershipinsitute. We're on Mastodon, Facebook, and Twitter, too! ---------------------- RESOURCES: Neil's book, Own the A.I. Revolution: Unlock Your Artificial Intelligence Strategy to Disrupt Your Competition, can be purchased here. Learn more about Neil on his website at NeilSahota.com. Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can follow her there at https://www.linkedin.com/in/maureenmetcalf. She’s also written several award-winning books on leadership development. You can peruse and purchase them here. ----------------------- OUR PODCAST TEAM: Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf Editor & Producer: Dan Mushalko Video & Graphics Editor: Devon Mushalko Podbean Guru: Luigi Morelli (This is his favorite interview from 2022!) CONNECT WITH US: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Innovativeleadership YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership Twitter: @IL_Institute Mastodon: @InnoLeader LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/innovativeleadershipinsitute/ Website: InnovativeLeadership.com Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating! ----------------------- About Our Guest: Neil Sahota (萨冠军) is an IBM Master Inventor, United Nations (UN) Artificial Intelligence (AI) Advisor, author of the best-seller Own the AI Revolution, and a sought-after speaker. With 20+ years of business experience, he works to inspire clients and business partners to foster innovation and develop next generation products/solutions powered by AI.

Featured Guest: Nell Derick Debevoise If you don’t know your own purpose, can you really get behind your organization’s purpose? Nell Derick Debevoise found that a critical component of success is knowing how your personal purpose intersects with your organization’s purpose. That holds true for the individual members of your team, too: if you understand what their personal or professional purpose has in common with the company’s purpose, you’ll foster a happier and more productive team. With purpose in mind, you can then look at decisions through the Me/We/World dimensions: how does this affect me and the individual members of my team; how does this affect my organization; and how will it affect the world? Nell draws from her years of experience in both the non-profit and private sectors to reveal the commonalities of good, purpose-driven leadership in both, highlighting the techniques within her new book, Going First: Find the Courage to Lead Purposefully and Inspire Action.

Featured Guests: Amiel Handelsman and Jewel Kinch-Thomas America’s racial reckoning is underway, yet continues to be hotly debated. One novel approach comes from leadership consultants Amiel Handelsman and Jewel Kinch-Thomas: frame it as a hero’s or heroine’s journey. The answer is surprising, simple – and makes a great deal of sense in fostering reckoning…then reconciliation. The same core principles also apply to leadership, particularly when combined to the fundamental leadership style required by musicians when performing jazz: the music simply couldn't be performed without a leader who knows how to forge a team, yet preserve the unique perspectives and talents of each member of the team.

Featured Guests: Kevin Cassidy & Christopher Washington Formed in the aftermath of World War I, the International Labour Organization has evolved along with the workforce as part of the League of Nations and the United Nations. The ILO studies the environment for workers from a tripartite perspective: from labor itself, from business, and from government. All three are necessary to create optimal conditions for workers – but for women, minorities, and citizens of developing nations, conditions are far from optimal. Kevin Cassidy, Director for the ILO Office for the United States and Canada, has a uniquely comprehensive view on both the issues and solutions for labor today…as well as glimpses of how artificial intelligence and new tech will affect labor tomorrow. It’s not what you think; CEOs and CFOs, for example, are in the group most easily replaced by AI. Kevin and Franklin University Provost Christopher Washington join host Maureen Metcalf in this wide-ranging discussion of labor’s past, present, and future.

Featured Guest: George Limbert Helping nurses and doctors during the pandemic. Assisting first responders as towns recover from natural disasters. Joining the fight against human trafficking. Red Roof’s evolution as a corporation is more than just another branding story. New president George Limbert firmly believes leaders must guide their organizations into always doing what is right: for customers, of course, but also for employees…and communities. As a new president, we plan on following George quarterly to better learn his vision, observe his evolution and growth as a leader, and study how he incorporates his principles into day-to-day operations. Join us for this first introductory episode as George discusses his history, and the steps he’s already taken in the midst of 2021’s radical viral, social, and economic changes.

Featured Guest: John Kilpatrick Traditional organizations follow a linear economy: everything flows one-way, from resource to product to consumer to trash. It’s often summarized by the mantra “take, make, waste.” That certainly doesn’t mitigate climate change, pollution, and other threats to humanity. Is there a better path that won’t disrupt our consumer-driven culture? John Kilpatrick heartily believes so. Just circle back to the economy of our great-great-grandparents: the circular economy. It’s the old “reduce, reuse, recycle” mantra, with a heavy emphasis on the “reuse.” It was the common sense way of life for most Americans for much of our history. John goes into the details—and reveals the clear benefits to both business and consumers—as he joins host Maureen Metcalf in this episode.

Guest: Christopher Washington, Franklin University Provost The pandemic didn’t destroy the old “normal.” COVID simply accelerated trends that were already underway. The best leaders see that, and are forging new paths to success for their organizations and their people. The tables turn in this episode, as regular host Maureen Metcalf becomes the guest, interviewed by ILI Fellow and Franklin University provost Christopher Washington. Drawing on her own extensive experience as well as the collective knowledge of the leaders she interviewed throughout 2021, Maureen reveals the six major trends for leaders in 2022: from a reduced emphasis on results in favor of growing capacity, to the continuing labor shortage (and the need to retain your current employees by truly valuing them). Whether you’re in a government, non-profit, or business sector, this is a must-listen for leaders worldwide looking for success in the new year. Other episodes you'll enjoy: To Err Is to Innovate with Beryl Tomay Leading with an Eye on AI with Neil Sahota The Rise of Humanness (The Role of People in an AI World) with Chris Nolan & Michael Schindler For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. We’re on TikTok, Threads, and Twitter, too! RESOURCES: Learn more about Franklin University at https://www.franklin.edu/ . Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here. Maureen’s latest book is Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI. You’ll find details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI. Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here. Books we’re reading for fun or personal development right now include: Everyday Ubuntu: Living Better Together, the African Way by Mungi Ngomane. Hardback (https://amzn.to/48Doh6j) and audiobook (https://amzn.to/48YCRF4) Nerve: Lessons on Leadership from Two Women Who Went First by Martha Piper & Indira Samarasekera. Paperback (https://amzn.to/3tOtzg4) and audiobook (https://amzn.to/41OYdT5) Jilly Truit murder mysteries by Beverley McLachlin: Full Disclosure – https://amzn.to/46TxW6Q (paperback) https://amzn.to/46VDL3Q (audiobook) Denial – https://amzn.to/46YCbhs (paperback) https://amzn.to/3GJc0AA (audiobook) Women and Leadership: Journey Toward Equity by Sherylle J. Tan & Lisa DeFrank-Cole NOTE: As an Amazon partner, we may make a small commission from books you buy through these links. ----------------------- OUR PODCAST TEAM: Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko Video & Graphics Editor: Devon Mushalko Assistant Editor & Raconteur: Luigi Morelli Highly Skilled at Being Skilled: Jenna Reik & Mike Morrow-Fox CONNECT WITH US: YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership Threads: @innovativeleaders X/Twitter/Whatever New Name It Has This Week: @IL_Institute LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2 Instagram: @innovativeleader TikTok: @innovativeleadership Website: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating!

Featured Guest: Dr. Gleb Tsipursky We all want positive, productive, and genuine relationships—whether it’s with our family, friends, peers, coworkers, or romantic partners. And yet, time and time again, we all seem to make the same thinking errors that threaten or sabotage these relationships. These errors are called cognitive bias, and they happen when our brain attempts to simplify information by making assumptions. Gleb joins Maureen to discuss his book The Blindspots Between Us: How to Overcome Unconscious Cognitive Bias and Build Better Relationships and the skills to help you debias—to stop, pause, and objectively observe situations before jumping to conclusions about others’ motives.

Featured Guest: Ron Carucci Honesty is more than a character trait: it’s a muscle that has to be built to stay strong; honesty can be learned. Truth, justice, and purpose are “three sides of the same coin." Together, they mean honesty - to have honesty, you need all three; honesty means you have to say the right thing, do the right thing, and say and do them for the right reason...even when it’s hard. Based on a 15-year longitudinal study of more than 3,200 leaders, we can now prove under what conditions people will tell the truth, behave fairly, and serve a greater good...and under what conditions they will lie, cheat, and serve their own interests. Ron Carrucci joins the show to discuss his book, To Be Honest. It is a book about heroes – the honest leaders and thinkers we should all want to emulate. Honest organizations out-perform, out-compete, and out-attract top talent by substantial multipliers.

Featured Guest: Pete Martin If you're a leader of a business or non-profit, how you spend your time has a direct impact on the success of your organization. Focusing on just one big idea instead of scattershot-ting your attention keeps that impact positive. What you, as a leader, work on minute-by-minute, hour-by-hour, day-by-day matters—and either moves the needle and propels growth or constricts it. For instance, consistently and strategically choosing one “big idea” per month will move a business forward faster than any one particular tactic. Working on one big idea across each pillar of your business - team, customers, capital and strategic execution (and personal mindset) - will lead to exponential growth over time. Pete Martin joins Maureen to share reasons why companies get stuck and stop growing, and what leaders can do to change that.

Featured Guest: Kim Campbell, First Female Prime Minister of Canada "The future will spit on our graves." Former Canadian Prime Minister Kim Campbell doesn't mince words when she muses on the big issues facing the world today...and, particularly, what happens if we don't work to fix them now. From climate change to sexual harassment, host Maureen Metcalf draws remarkably candid perspectives from the only female to have served in Canada's top spot.

Featured Guest: Darren Chait There's one simple truth most working adults realize in their first job: meetings stink. Darren Chait is no exception. While he was an attorney, he recoiled at how inefficient and archaic lawyers' meetings are...then he had sticker shock when he saw the invoices and realized clients pay for that slow-paced inefficiency! That put him on the path to finding a better way for meeting. The result: Hugo, an online app that changes the way we think about meetings. On the way, Darren learned that leadership in a fast-growth startup is very different than what the textbooks say. He joins Maureen to share what he's learned on the journey about leadership, how collaboration is changing, modern team dynamics, shared consciousness, direction versus support, and when to make leader problems team problems.

Featured Guest: AnneMarie Hayek Older generations view Gen Z as having their eyes glued to their smartphones. While those phones are a window on the world no other generation has encountered, it means they’re more likely to see the world for what it is, warts and all. And that exposure to the world and its diverse cultures makes Gen Z more ardent in resolving life-threatening issues like climate change and racism…driving them to make real life better. AnneMarie Hayek is returning to the show to continue our conversation about her research of GenZ. In her book, Generation We, she joins forces with thousands of Zs to tell their powerful story—a story that impacts all generations. In her return visit, we discuss how leaders we can attract and lead Gen Z, how Gen Z’s unparalleled exposure to diversity shapes their priorities, and how this generation will impact the arc of humanity for generations to come.

Featured Guest: Colonel Deb Lewis Women (and men) face unhealthy stress and anxiety on a daily basis - it’s a wonder we’re still standing. Too few of us have stress tools powerful enough to put stress to work for us so we can enjoy the journey. Once you’ve learned how to be mentally tough, you will use stress to your advantage. It becomes your superpower! Colonel Deb Lewis learned the importance of mental toughness as part of the very first class of women to graduate from West Point. The lessons learned there, and in her subsequent Army career, inspired her to develop her unique Mentally Tough Women program to teach people how to handle stress, not simply de-stress. She joins the show to share her experiences, and how you can learn to effectively use stress to your advantage, too.

Featured Guests: William Bonvillian & Sanjay Sarma Technological advances are putting quality jobs out of reach for workers who lack the proper skills and training. From pre-K through college and on-the-job ""professional development,"" the United States' old-school education system simply isn't up to the task. Universities, for example, can no longer be havens of academic theory and football; enrollment will begin to trickle over the next decade as college grads become too unprepared for the modern workplace. We need a roadmap for a new workforce education system to rebuild America's working class, tackling inequality by equipping our workers for twenty-first-century jobs. The post-pandemic workplace requires us to train more workers more quickly, using innovative methods. William Bonvillian and Sanjay Sarma -- both of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - join host Maureen Metcalf to share various ideas on the new roles community colleges, employers, governments, and universities need in workforce education, as well as new education technologies that may be adopted to deliver such training.

Featured Guest: Mark Herschberg Networking, negotiating, communicating, leading, career planning—all skills critical to your career success. But did anyone ever teach you these skills? Mark Herschberg is on the show to discuss his book The Career Toolkit: Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You. He shares practical ideas from his book and his thoughts on leadership that will help you master these vital skills.

Featured Guest: Howard Tiersky Digital is at the center of most adults' lifestyles worldwide—and it's here to stay. (In fact, roughly 1/3 of people surveyed said they'd give up sex instead of their smartphone!) That has disrupted and changed the customer relationship. Customers today expect the brands they deal with to deliver outstanding and seamless digital experiences. If your brand is failing to thrive, odds are you're ignoring the marketplace changes digital has wrought. You must take what is core to your value proposition and adapt it, perhaps significantly, for a world filled with digital customers. That will require flexible and innovative leaders whose companies can turn on a dime. Howard Tiersky joins Maureen to discuss the methods for accomplishing this outlined in his new book, Winning Digital Customers: The Antidote to Irrelevance, as well as his experiences assisting large organizations grow from their analog past.

Featured Guest: AnneMarie Hayek AnneMarie Hayek joins the show to share insights from her new book, Generation We. In this book, she joins forces with thousands of Generation Zs to tell their powerful story—one that impacts all of us. From new ideas on capitalism, politics, and climate change to education, gender, race, and work, AnneMarie explains how Gen Z thinks, what they envision, and why we should be hopeful. Zs are not naïve idealists. They’re hardened realists with a bold vision for how we can transition, re-create, and progress. Generation We is your invitation to see the future they will create as it’s unfolding.

Featured Guest: Dr. Jim Ritchie-Dunham We all have agreements. Some are overt, such as agreeing to make monthly payments when you get a mortgage to buy a house. And some are unconscious, like the agreement in sports that everyone on your team will work toward winning against the other team. We all have two ways of responding to those agreements. You have a Yes! response that aligns your purpose and unique contributions with the impact you can generate and the experience you can have. It's yours to choose. Your Yes! always generates net-positive value and your No! always generates net-negative value—your choice. Jim Ritchie-Dunham joins Maureen to explain the science behind our Yes!

Featured Guest: Dr. Jeff Hull In the past, to move up the corporate ladder and succeed at the top, you simply had to set goals, motivate the troops, delegate to underlings, and groom a successor. Now, if you are leading a team you must manage a kaleidoscope of people from a variety of cultures, across a range of ages, all of whom are wired together 24/7. These changing demographics and structures have led to a seismic shift in terms of the tools needed to successfully manage and grow within a company: charisma and strategic thinking abilities now matter less than qualities such as vulnerability and relatability. Jeff Hull joins Maureen to discuss the research he has done on the art and science of leadership in a changing world that is featured in his book, Flex.

Featured Guest: Mike Zani Moneyball was just the tip of the iceberg. In that movie, a baseball team relies on performance data instead of scouts' intuition to build a winning club. The very same concept can forge a dream team in your own NPO or business. Sophisticated assessments, data, and software give CEOs and managers in any industry detailed insights into human behavior -- and, more critically, their team members' behavior. As CEO of The Predictive Index, Mike Zani has witnessed firsthand how the application of data and science can impact, and completely change, the way we function in our professional lives. In his new book, THE SCIENCE OF DREAM TEAMS: How Talent Optimization Can Drive Engagement, Productivity, and Happiness, Zani details a data-driven approach to talent strategy that makes hiring, motivating, and managing people more efficient and effective than ever. From coaching a U.S. Olympic team to founding an investment firm, he knows first hand how assessments can build a dream team.

Featured Guest: Paul Gibbons Conversations about meaning and purpose at work are very old and very new. Spirituality provides a lens for those discussions—a lens that is effective regardless of your team's religious preferences. From evangelical to atheist, a sense of mission and meaning are critical to well-being. Workplace spirituality helps us understand the issues underlying personal meaning in the workplace: fulfillment, engagement, purpose, leadership, and more. However, it also increases worries about values conflicts and how well organizations handle that. There are many ways to help the process go smoothly. 40-year career veteran Paul Gibbons joins host Maureen Metcalf to discuss the spirituality of work and leadership for leaders and organizations.

Featured Guest: Dr. JJ Walcutt The power of mind over body goes back at least 2,000 years with the Stoics—but what about the power of the brain over both mind and body? To be competitive over the next decade, all organizations—non-profits, businesses, and especially the military—must not only help staff optimize their bodies for physical and mental health purposes; they also need to ensure that cognitive optimization is a major focus of staff development. Despite our hubris, the human brain is not equipped to handle the deluge of data that is coming, much less the constant upskilling requirements that are emerging already. Dr. JJ Walcutt joins host Maureen Metcalf to discuss Accelerate, a program that helps organizations get on the right track toward building a culture of brain health, growth, and effectiveness. The military is paying attention; should your organization, too?

Featured Guest: Jake Jacobs Change is now a constant in all organizations. Is there a way to make it easier? Jake Jacobs joins host Maureen Metcalf to discuss his new book Leverage Change, and how leaders can use the concept of leverage to achieve faster, easier, better results related to all change work they are doing in their organizations—at the individual, team or organizational levels. He shares practical actions leaders can take to achieve the much sought-after, but seldom accomplished, goals of successful change management.

Featured Guests: Ricky Robinson & Keith Powell Rising up the corporate ladder is fraught with challenges. Those challenges -- both visible and invisible -- multiply for people of color, women, and others underrepresented in the executive suite. Mentors are fine, but an in-house sponsor can truly make the path smoother. Ricky Robinson and Keith Powell share why...not with theory, but hard-won practical advice from their own 20+ year journeys to C-suite success in some of the world's largest companies.

Featured Guest: Jared Graybeal In The Self Help Book: 6 Practical Ways to Never Stop Growing, author and coach Jared Graybeal outlines six practical ways to live a life of constant growth while avoiding stagnation or burnout: Confidence Competence Clarity Character Connections and Commitment. This short, insightful guide is filled with inspiration and encouragement, and is designed to give you the perspective that works for your unique goals, no matter what’s going on in your life. Jared applied these principles to his own life. He joins Maureen to discuss the book, and how listeners can re-energize, so they never stop growing.

Featured Guest: Otto Scharmer Theory U blends systems thinking, innovation and leading change from the viewpoint of an evolved human consciousness. Otto’s first book sold over 100,000 copies and to put that in context, the average self-published book sells 250 copies, and the average traditional book sells 3,000 copies in its lifetime. Otto joins Maureen to discuss his latest book: The Essentials of Theory U: Core Principles and Applications, a book that meets a crucial need during this point in history in helping us bring necessary changes to our foundational systems from a place of deep consciousness and perspective taking from all key stakeholders – including the future as a key stakeholder.

Featured Guest: Ty Montague Today’s most successful companies and leaders are StoryDoers, not storytellers. These leaders have clearly defined a higher purpose that frames their ultimate ambition and desired contribution to the world - and they orient every action they take in service of achieving this goal. Ty Montague joins the show to discuss what makes someone a Storydoer, why Storydoers are better leaders and tools leaders can use to become a Storydoer.

Featured Guest: Ron Riggio Great leaders are great learners” is often quoted but how can leaders implement this into their very hectic day? Ron has created a year-long leadership development guidebook that offers day-by-day instruction in short excerpts to provide leaders with knowledge and practical application ideas. Ron joins the show to discuss his new book “Daily Leadership Development,” his lifetime achievement award and his views on the current state of leadership.

Featured Guest: Roger Madison Diversity and inclusion are critical topics in not only the U.S. but the world right now. Roger Madison, Jr., founder and CEO of iZania, a company formed to connect Black entrepreneurs, professionals, and consumers online joins the show. Roger was previously a sales executive with IBM in South Africa and he will share about his experiences in South Africa and what he learned that can further diversity and inclusion in our world today.

Featured Guest: Robert Rosenberg Every entrepreneur dreams of expanding their business from around the corner to around the world. While today those dreams look doubtful, hope can be found from the story of a CEO who managed to do so despite decades of economic downturns, near bankruptcy, and constant change. Robert Rosenberg joins the show today to share insights and lessons learned from his experience taking Dunkin’ Donuts from 100 shops to 6,500 outlets. These lessons are also captured in his new book, Around the Corner to Around the World: A Dozen Lessons I Learned Running Dunkin Donuts.

Featured Guest: Laura Morgan Roberts & Courtney McCluney How can we change the way conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion are progressing towards productive, inquiring, learning experiences -- and ultimately creating a more just and equitable workplace and society? How can we understand the effects outside-of-work events have on people of color within work? Laura Morgan Roberts and Courtney McCluney join the show to share insights from their work, and to encourage leaders to examine and understand racial barriers…and how those barriers can be removed.

Featured Guest: Mark Kvamme Business disruptions are occurring every day for entire business segments. Effective organizations are looking ahead to lead the disruptive efforts to set the new market. If you are not disrupting – you will get disrupted. Mark Kvamme joins Maureen to discuss how he works with organizations to identify opportunities and be the disruptor rather than being disrupted.

Featured Guest: Margaret Heffernan We are addicted to prediction, desperate for certainty about the future. But the complexity of modern life won’t allow that; experts in forecasting are reluctant to look more than 400 days out. History doesn’t necessarily repeat itself, and even genetics won’t tell you everything you want to know. Margaret Heffernan joins us to discuss her new book, Uncharted, How to Navigate the Future, in which she drew on a wide array of people and places to look at long-term projects developed over generations that could never have planned for the way that they have been run.

Featured Guest: Keith Tuffley What is the purpose of business in the 21st century? And what are the values and skills needed by business leaders in this new era of stakeholder value? Keith Tuffley joins Maureen to discuss these emerging topics and share his experience.

Featured Guest: Helle Bank Jorgensen How do you get a corporation to change its views on society and the environment? Start with its board of directors. They determine the heart and soul of an organization. That’s vital now, with companies around the world examining environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues in the wake of 2021’s COP26 summit in Glasgow. It’s quite possible to achieve both profit and environmental sustainability, but that requires deep thinking. A board must ask direct questions on a range of complex issues: climate change, ESG, corruption, cybersecurity, human trafficking, and supply-chain resilience. Helle Bank Jorgensen interviewed over 100 board members, experts, and executives for her new book, Stewards of the Future. Their wisdom – and practical pointers on how corporations can realistically be part of the solution – is shared in the book…and in this episode, as Helle gives host Maureen Metcalf an overview of her guide for a profitable and planet-friendly future.

Featured Guest: Greg Moran Greg Moran joins Maureen to discuss the challenges organizations are facing during the months of working from home and how his organization, Aware, is helping companies track employee engagement and satisfaction without invasion of privacy. They also discuss the seven leadership mindsets and behaviors required to adjust to the disruptions leaders are facing. Leaders need to act more like scientists than experts. They need to change what they expect of themselves (mindset) and how they show up (behavior) to meet the current challenges.