The Impact of Leadership

Authority is not a prerequisite for leadership. Clay Scroggins explains how you can cultivate influence in your current responsibilities by creating an "oasis of excellence." Learn how to lead right where you are.

Healthy organizations and teams should include a diverse group of skill sets and personalities. Those differences can feed success but can also cause misunderstandings and conflict. Find out how personality assessments like DiSC can have a powerful influence on company culture.

Are you waiting for inspiration to strike before taking action in your work or home life? If so, you’re not going to get anywhere. In this episode, Steve shares how to find ways to take action when you don’t feel motivated – it is possible.

As the labor force shrinks, Terry explains the need for leaders to be both self-aware and socially aware of generational differences. He shares practical business scenarios to help us understand what that looks like and how it can have an impact on an organization’s ability to attract and retain good talent.

From the Silent Generation to Gen Z – never before have five generations been a part of the workforce – each with their own beliefs, norms and behaviors. In this episode, Dr. Terry McGovern will help us understand why and how each generation developed their belief system, and most importantly, how leaders can use that knowledge to overcome stereotypes affecting their working relationships.

What does it take to stand out among peers? It’s not about being the loudest or most competitive. Steve shares nine humble ways to differentiate yourself from others.

COVID-19 is bringing extreme disruption, confusion, and concern to every aspect of life. Even seasoned leaders can find the decision making overwhelming. Patrick shares the tactics CCB is using to help employees succeed while maintaining company culture.

At the heart of every healthy team lies a foundation of trust. Steve explores two key attributes of trust: honesty and humility, and deep-dives into how they can cause relationships to either falter or flourish.

Do employees know what your mission is? Do you have a foundation of trust needed for them to commit to the mission? Mission is a critical aspect for leading your team through crisis and change.

In a fascinating comparison to Lewis and Clark's expedition, Tod Bolsinger, author of Canoeing the Mountains, depicts leadership as an unpredictable journey that takes you off the map into uncharted territories. As a leader, you have the choice to fail fast, adapt to a new path, or give up.

Humor and laughter are proven to be therapeutic and morale-boosting, especially at work. Steve shares examples and tips for embracing humor in your leadership and using it to connect with people to find common ground.

Do you consider yourself an optimistic person? In this episode, Jess Ekstrom reshapes our understanding of optimism in a way that fuels us to persevere through obstacles to get to the bright side.

Resistance takes many shapes to deceive you and keep you from reaching your goals. Steve shares an excerpt from War of Art by Steven Pressfield that exposes the tactics of resistance and encourages you to keep going.

While there can be generational misunderstandings and expectations among those he leads, the president of Carthage College chooses to be a non-anxious presence, which leads to a healthier, more trusting community. Find out how.

If we’re not intentional about growing as leaders, the busyness of life will consume all of our time. The resources and lessons Steve shares in this episode will help you set your vision for this year both professionally and personally.

What needs to be true for you to accomplish your goals in the new year? This episode will help you get on track for success in 2020.

This four-month-old nonprofit is not doing anything monumental – but they are impacting lives in a profound way. Founder Jessica Greb shares how she challenged herself as a leader to do more to make a difference and how to orchestrate good in your own community and in the lives of those around you.

How do you know if you had a successful year if you didn’t set a vision for it? Steve shares a simple way to establish your focus for the next 365 days – and it starts with just one word.

After 15 years of television reporting, Kimberly Kane did something she never expected to do – she started her own communications business. Kane Communications is redefining the role of an employee by giving them the freedom, tools, and support to take their career to the next level.

TV personalities are larger than life characters playing a role to entertain, right? Not so with FOX6 Anchor Carl Deffenbaugh. He found his spot on the WakeUp show by being himself and having fun along the way.

What leadership characteristics are the most important in your life? What’s significant to you personally and what do you look for in others? I share my top five with you to get you thinking about yours.

Using examples from his own life, Steve Scherer shares how living with intention and discipline, and taking small steps can lead you to great things.

Meeting someone new for lunch or coffee? Make the most out of it by being ready with these seven networking questions.

Two-time Super Bowl champ Chris Maragos shares how adversity can shape you as a leader if you allow it to and bring success in unforeseen ways.

You might not be on top of your game right now, but with the right attitude and opportunity from leadership, you can get there. This is an encouraging listen for both those in leadership roles and those who aren’t.

What are the toughest questions you face as a leader? From measuring success to successfully failing, Mike offers powerful advice to current and aspiring leaders seeking to be positive influencers.

Are you eroding your credibility by not taking action on your decisions? Steve exposes the pitfalls of human nature in decision-making and the cost it can have for leaders.

Mykel Larrin shares the moment when he lands the first-ever triple downside tailwhip to take bronze at X Games! But then he asks, what’s it all for?

Mykel Larrin dropped out of college to pursue his passion as a BMX rider. He shares how he got past the fear, doubt and challenges to become a pro rider and X Games medalist and how it has brought immense joy and contentment to his life.

In the final episode of bad interview experiences, Steve shares four stories from a listener, including a very important detail about choosing the right location for your phone interview.

Eric Olesen, co-owner and president of O&H Danish Bakery, shares how the 70-year old bakery evolved from a local retail shop to an international success.

This person showed up a day late for their interview – but that’s not the strangest part! Steve shares a listener’s interview experience you won’t believe.

Steve shares his experience interviewing a woman for just 3 minutes and 9 seconds before politely explaining she wasn’t the right fit. Find out what tipped him off so quickly.

Find out the advantages of treating employees as hostage-takers by using tactical empathy, the difference between manipulation and negotiation, and how to overcome the biggest pitfalls of effective leadership.

How does a leader awaken the possibilities in their team? In this episode, Steve shares Dave Ramsey’s 12 steps to making the right hire and how to develop them into a dream team member.

As a leader, you have to weigh the benefits of using IoT for business with the security threats that come with it. If you follow best practices for setup and usage, you don’t have to ban IoT at work.

Success isn’t accidental. Steve shares how millionaire Jesse Itzler, co-founder of Marquis Jet, and billionaire Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx, gained enormous success by following simple and driving principles.

We’re all busy and have important responsibilities requiring our attention, but there is a way to find peace and balance in all things.

Find out how to overcome the self-doubt and fear of the imposter syndrome and have confidence in your decisions and success.

To win in business, you need to play the infinite game which is always changing and has no set rules. Learn how to engage and succeed in the infinite game as Steve unpacks strategies from Simon Sinek that will prepare you for your next move.

Find out how encouraging curiosity creates a culture of innovation, how to use failure as a learning mechanism, and how to unlearn what you already know so you don’t miss the future.

What is a rising tide leader? From the inspiration of Chris Hogan, Steve highlights how community, mission and pouring into people create an unstoppable force.

Find out how to find balance and success in your own position and be a positive influence on those around you from Karla Krehbiel.

Steve unpacks wisdom from Pat Lencioni on building healthy teams, what makes an ideal team player, and conducting interviews that ensure you’re hiring the right people.

The population of military veterans in the U.S. is lower than ever before and has created a divide between the general public and military families. Hear from two veterans how bringing those parties together is a win-win.

Do you as a business leader have a vision that engages others? Steve breaks down Dr. Henry Cloud’s five elements of a desired future with examples of how to get started.

What's the motivating factor behind servant leadership? Jon Nelson discusses what the heart of servant leadership is all about and how it can have a huge impact on the lives of others.

What makes a great company culture? Two leaders at Riley Construction tell how they craft their company’s culture from on-boarding to daily work and life.

Steve shares some of his favorite free leadership resources and some hidden gems he discovered recently.

The Racine Zoo hasn’t been the same since Beth Heidorn took over. Her belief in being a steward in her role as director has made a huge impact – from culture to community.