The Leadership Podcast

Ram Charan is a world-renowned business consultant, author and speaker who has spent the past 40 years working with many top companies, CEOs, and boards of our time. In his work with companies including Toyota, Bank of America, Novartis, Humana, etc., Ram is known for cutting through the complexity of running a business in today's fast changing environment to uncover the core business problem. Ram's real-world solutions, shared with millions through his books and articles in top business publications, have been praised for being practical, relevant and highly actionable — the kind of advice you can use Monday morning–in areas such as growth, talent development, corporate governance, and money-making models for the digital age. Ram is out with a new book, Rethinking Competitive Advantage: New Rules for the Digital Age. On The Leadership Podcast, Ram shares ​​how the end-to-end individual consumer experience will separate winners from losers in our new digital age, and six new critical rules for leaders. Sponsored by... Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Get The Importance of Journaling We help YOU enjoy the success we've already enjoyed. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more. Key Takeaways [2:25] Ram makes an active effort to learn something new every day. [3:35] Ram credits a lot of his luck and success with having a mentor early in his career. [4:15] This morning Ram learned something new about batteries! [6:45] All the major tech giants today didn't exist in the '80s. In less than 20 years, they've amassed a big fortune and following. The key has been through personalization. [12:25] There are six rules to achieving a competitive advantage in the digital age: Rule 1: Must connect digitally to customers. Rule 2: Data is essential. Rule 3: Build an ecosystem. Rule 4: Measure the cash. Rule 5: Innovation is driven by the people and culture. Rule 6: Every good leader continuously learns. [18:10] Remember, the person is the product. You have to work with your customer on their pain points and find a solution to their problem. The way most companies do this is backward. [22:35] Ram talks about how tech companies and old school companies use scale to their advantage. [26:25] Despite how big some of these tech companies get, the consumers are still in charge. [29:45] Without enough data, you cannot make empowered decisions. Also, most companies have 12 layers to work through and this blocks leadership empowerment. [31:50] The problem is often not the people wanting responsibility. It's often the bosses. They have a hard time giving up control. [36:10] Ram shares an example of how great leaders and companies show up. It all comes down to the "best fit." [40:15] You know if you have a best fit when you experience a "bend in the road." Ram dives into what this looks like, but it often comes in a form of new and uncomfortable innovation. [44:10] Listener challenge: Invest your time in external change. Find it and explore it. Don't shun it. Quotable Quotes "Good leaders listen and build other people's ideas." "You need to explore with your customer what the pain point is, and that person may have a distorted view of the pain point." "When you have 10 layers, [leadership] empowerment doesn't apply. And very large companies have 12 layers. We need to bring them down to 2‒4 layers." Real empowerment comes from secure bosses. Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Darley.com. Connect with Ram: Ram-charan.com, and Ram on LinkedIn Ram's books: Ram-charan.com/books & Latest book: Rethinking Competitive Advantage: New Rules for the Digital Age, by Ram Charan

Peter Economy is a Wall Street Journal best-selling business author, ghostwriter, developmental editor, and publishing consultant with more than 100 books to his credit (and more than three million copies sold). Peter's latest book, Wait, I'm Working With Who?!?, dives into how to work with anyone in your office and manage both the difficult and toxic relationships that are within that environment. In this week's episode, Peter shares what he's learned over the years, how the leadership tides are changing for the better, and the best ways to navigate a toxic work environment. Sponsored by... Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Get The Importance of Journaling We help YOU enjoy the success we've already enjoyed. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more. Key Takeaways [3:15] Over the years, Peter has seen a shift to a much more empowered workforce. [5:35] Peter has also seen a shift in his Inc. readers. More people want to become leaders. [6:40] Peter has learned over time that anybody can be a leader and that there are a variety of leadership styles out there that are effective. There isn't a "one size" style to leadership. [8:25] Two-thirds of American employees have worked in at least one toxic environment. [9:00] If there's a toxic person in the workplace, they're poisoning the well. [12:00] There are three things to do if you're in a toxic environment: Suck it up, change it, or leave. [15:30] Peter's management style is always looking for the good in people and assuming good intent. [17:50] If people feel like they can take a risk, they will. If they're punished for it, then the whole culture changes. [19:50] Corporations are taking a stance on social and political issues. Peter shares his thoughts on this changing landscape. [23:10] The bigger the organization, the harder it is for them to remain neutral on certain topics. [28:30] Feedback is important, but how it's delivered can really break empathy and make it difficult for the person receiving the feedback to see the bigger picture. [30:25] Peter shares a leadership challenge he experienced in his career when he went from leading 10 people to 400 people. [34:30] Peter shares his predictions on what will happen to the workplace when COVID-19 is gone. He doesn't believe we'll be going back to "normal." [38:30] Peter lists some of the warning signs that you have a toxic person in your organization. Quotable Quotes "I don't think there's a recipe for being a great leader. I think great leaders can be all kinds of people." "A toxic workplace, you just can't ignore it. My advice is to always deal with it. Take it on." "It's hard and it's difficult, but we should always assume the best in our people until proven otherwise." "A lot of people are afraid to give feedback, especially to their boss. Gallup has found the number one reason people quit their jobs is because of their boss." Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Darley.com. Connect with Peter: Petereconomy.com, Inc.com/author/peter-economy, and Peter on LinkedIn Peter's newest book: Wait, I'm Working With Who?!?: The Essential Guide to Dealing with Difficult Coworkers, Annoying Managers, and Other Toxic Personalities

Cristina Killingsworth was the Senior Advisor to the CEO at Millennium Challenge Corporate, advising on strategies to deliver smarter foreign assistance. She was also the Director of Strategic Planning & Director for African Affairs for the White House National Security Council Staff during the Obama Administration. Today, Cristina is the Vice President of WestExec Advisors. Cristina Killingsworth most recently served as Senior Advisor to the CEO of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, advising on strategies to deliver smarter foreign assistance. Prior, Cristina was Director for Strategic Planning at the White House National Security Council where she developed a policy process to optimize resource allocation across the national security budget. She then served as Director for African Affairs at the NSC and managed President Obama's historic trip to Kenya and Ethiopia. Previously, she was in the International Affairs Division of the White House Office of Management and Budget where she ensured the President's policy priorities were appropriately resourced in areas related to trade, global health, the war in Afghanistan, and global poverty reduction. On The Leadership Podcast, Cristina discusses the complex challenges Africa is facing today, her political experiences regarding high-level decision-making. Sponsored by... Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Get The Importance of Journaling We help YOU enjoy the success we've already enjoyed. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more. Key Takeaways [3:50] Cristina shares some of the complex challenges she faced as the Senior Advisor to the CEO at the Millennium Challenge Corporation. [9:15] The name of the game is to get buy-in from different stakeholder groups to advance the company's main mission. [9:30] In order to succeed in doing this, you have to give people the opportunity to feel heard. [12:55] Unfortunately, the scandal is more interesting than the success story. [14:10] Cristina notes the tough, but similar, challenges both Africa and the Western world are facing today. [19:40] Cristina doesn't believe the U.S. can come into a different culture and "make it better." However, there are always opportunities to kickstart an economy in the right direction. [20:25] When the Chinese came in to "help," the locals knew that it was because they really just wanted something. [24:05] Cristina was faced with uncertain times when she was at MCC. She didn't know if the organization would continue to be funded. As a leader, she had to remain calm and collected. [27:50] Cristina shares what's next for her in her career. She's not done with public service just yet! [31:30] Ageism is very real in the corporate world and very few organizations have been able to adjust against this bias. [31:50] WestExec hosts a mentorship program to help diversify the national security field and it's been rewarding to see that new learnings are going in both directions and it does not just benefit the mentees. [33:35] Cristina shares an impactful leadership story she witnessed in the Obama administration. [35:15] Leadership is a constant deliberate decision that you have to make. [36:50] As people, we all have shortcomings, but a good leader knows how important it is to trust yourself and to trust your team. [39:25] Listener challenge: Trust yourself. Quotable Quotes "If you give the people an opportunity to be heard, and importantly, listen to what it is that they have to say, you have a lot better chance of driving progress." "It's really, really hard. A lot of the issues Africa is facing are institutional. Maybe an outside entity can change a sector or incentivize reforms in one place, but it's very difficult to do that across an entire government or economy." "It's systems thinking. You can't fix something over here and not think about the side effects." "Obama was not afraid to pull punches no matter who it was he was talking to, but also wasn't afraid to listen no matter who it was he was talking to, and he surrounded himself with a team of rivals." Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Darley.com. Connect with Cristina: Westexec.com and Cristina on LinkedIn Earhustlesq.com Mcc.gov

Hubert Joly is the former Chairman and CEO of Best Buy. He has been recognized as one of the one hundred "Best-Performing CEOs in the World" by Harvard Business Review, one of the top thirty CEOs in the world by Barron's, and one of the top ten CEOs in the United States in Glassdoor's annual Employees' Choice Awards. Hubert discusses his latest book, The Heart of Business, which dives into breaking old leadership paradigms, leading with purpose and humanity, and how we can use this to reinvent capitalism so that it contributes to a more sustainable future. Sponsored by... Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Get The Importance of Journaling We help YOU enjoy the success we've already enjoyed. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more. Key Takeaways [3:40] The model of the leader is a superhero, who seems to know it all. However, no one wants to follow these guys anymore. [5:20] The most important decision we make in business is who we put in power. [7:00] Before you begin to lead others, you first need to define your purpose and what you're hoping to achieve. [8:15] If a leader doesn't know, then it's okay to admit that. That's how you begin to connect with your team. [9:10] In times of crisis, leaders can still show authenticity and regulate their emotions. Hubert shares an example of a crisis he faced at Best Buy. [12:50] Reflecting back, Hubert can identify some key mistakes he has made throughout his career. One of these being with hyper-growth. [14:35] When it came to reopening certain stores during COVID-19, Best Buy's current CEO, Corie Barry, decided to create a list of principles. [15:10] These principles allowed for critical teams to be empowered and to take action without waiting for permission. [17:25] In Hubert's latest book, the heart of the business needs to be more than a revenue machine, it needs to pursue a noble purpose. [20:00] Leaders are very focused on being in the weeds of the business when they actually need to focus on the center of the business: the people. [21:35] Best Buy was able to align its people on a noble purpose. Hubert shares a story of how he was able to connect selling electronics to a bigger mission. [25:35] Don't just use your brain. Use your heart, your soul, and your guts. [28:45] Hubert was trained to create a plan, define the KPIs, measure it, and then put incentives in place. Guess what, people don't like that too much! People do not like being told what to do. [35:10] A lesson Hubert has learned in life is: A decision gets made by the decision-makers. You have to focus on what you can control. The good news is, there's a lot you can control! [38:50] Good leadership journey starts with reflection and the type of legacy we want to leave behind. [41:55] When it comes to bringing more women to the table, if a leader says she's not ready for the next big leap, we need to help change that outcome and bring more support to her. [43:45] In Hubert's book he has a call to action: It's our job to create a better future. We each have a part to play. Quotable Quotes "Our role is to create an environment in which others can be successful." "The first principle is we are going to care about the safety of our employees and customers." "Instead of talking about the what, we talked about the why." "We are a company that focuses on enriching lives through technology by addressing key human needs." Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Pass-life.com. Coupon Code: Duty Connect with Michael: Hubertjoly.org and Hubert on LinkedIn Hubert's book: The Heart of Business: Leadership Principles for the Next Era of Capitalism Aligned: Connecting Your True Self with the Leader You're Meant to Be, by Hortense le Gentil

Michael Heller is one of the world's leading authorities on ownership. He is the Lawrence A. Wien Professor of Real Estate Law at Columbia Law School where he has served as the Vice Dean for Intellectual Life. Michael's latest book, Mine!: How the Hidden Rules of Ownership Control Our Lives, shows how people navigate, dispute, and resolve ownership issues. Listen in as Michael discusses airplane seating, custody of children, and the astounding South Dakota laws. Sponsored by... Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Get The Importance of Journaling We help YOU enjoy the success we've already enjoyed. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more. Key Takeaways [4:40] Michael dives right in and shares a common story about ownership a lot can relate to: when someone pushes their seat back on an airplane. [5:30] "I had it first." There are six story arcs we tell ourselves when it comes to ownership. [7:10] As it relates to the airplane example and as people get more territorial about their space, there's actually more conflict happening than there was 20 years ago on airplanes. [8:10] If you want to resolve interpersonal conflict with your seatmate, buy him or her a snack. [9:50] Michael discusses the difference between need vs. ownership. [11:20] As kids, we know right away what possession means. [12:55] Online retailers understand human psychology. They understand we have a deep desire for physical possessions. [15:00] The United States actually has two legal systems. One for the people and one for the ultra-rich. [16:20] South Dakota has been a tax haven for the ultra, ultra-rich. [20:55] As a professor, Michael really wants to teach his students what it means to be a grownup. [22:50] Any decision you make reveals your deepest values. [29:15] Children's lives have been torn apart by badly crafted or non-existent estate plans. Parents can ease this burden by being specific. [30:45] The news thinks that we're going to have an end to ownership, especially when it comes to cars, houses, and other possessions. Michael disagrees. [37:00] Business leaders tend to overestimate the importance of law, especially intellectual property law. [42:10] Michael shares how ownership might differ in different countries. [44:35] Listener challenge: Take time to understand the six simple stories of ownership. Quotable Quotes "The feeling of community is very effective at resolving interpersonal conflict." "The law is overrated." "South Dakota was creating the conditions for an aristocracy of inherited wealth." "The bottom line: Possession + time, more or less, = ownership. Is that right? Is it just? In many cases, the answer is no." Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Pass-life.com. Coupon Code: Duty Connect with Michael: Law.columbia.edu and Michael on LinkedIn Michael's book: Mine!: How the Hidden Rules of Ownership Control Our Lives Disunited Nations: The Scramble for Power in an Ungoverned World, by Peter Zeihan

Ed Schein and Peter Schein, father and son duo, are well-known in the organizational development space and co-founders of the Organizational Culture and Leadership Institute. They've written several books together, including two in the Humble Leadership series. In this discussion, Ed and Peter share their thoughts on what leaders need to prepare for in order to build a more resilient culture, future, and organization. The truth is, your organization is always vulnerable, but you can build a more resilient culture. Sponsored by... Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Get The Importance of Journaling We help YOU enjoy the success we've already enjoyed. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more. Key Takeaways [5:40] The "I alone" leadership model is obsolete. [8:15] When there's market disruption, the "I alone" static leadership will fail you. [8:55] Organizations today need to look more like a human organism and not like a well-oiled machine. [13:00] Leadership has become a moving target. Leaders used to be well-defined in projects. Now, as you bring in different departments to collaborate, it's not as clear. [14:15] Back in the day, Jim had different work, family, and life personas. Now, people realize that you can't truly be "one persona." [17:50] When discovering what exactly you have to do as a leader in an organization, it almost always means you have to talk to your direct reports, gather information, and act accordingly. [22:50] You can't redesign culture. You need to use your culture to aid a new change, but it does not work the other way around. [24:50] In a young company, leadership creates culture. In an old company, culture creates leadership. [25:45] Culture is a pattern of shared assumptions. You have culture from the type of history you've built. [30:55] When it comes to culture, you have to break it down to see where the disconnects are. [33:45] Ed expands on his statement that questions are a gentle art of asking, instead of telling. [38:15] Peter shares how you can create a humble inquiry within your team. [41:15] The truth is, your organization is always vulnerable. However, you can embrace this and turn it into a power. [45:30] Peter shares an example of what humble inquiry looks like. [47:45] The leader of the future needs to have a much broader perspective of cultures and the world. Quotable Quotes "I suddenly could look at culture and leadership from an inner generational point of view, which was all new to me." "The heroic leader model, the 'I alone' model, might have worked when scaling industrial corporations and the product was simpler." "You can design within the boundaries of your culture or you can destroy the whole organization and start anew, but you can't redesign culture." "What's really going on with the people I work with? Context over content." Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Pass-life.com. Coupon Code: Duty Connect with Ed and Peter: Scheinocli.org, Ed on LinkedIn & Peter on LinkedIn Ed's books: Humble Leadership, Organizational Culture and Leadership, and Humble Inquiry

Susan McPherson is a serial connector, seasoned communicator and the author of The Lost Art of Connecting: The Gather, Ask, Do Method for Building Meaningful Relationships. Networking is often considered a necessary evil for all working professionals. Even with social media platforms at our disposal, these connections often feel transactional, agenda-driven, and dehumanizing, leaving all of us feeling burnt out and stressed out. Susan shows how we can connect on a human level and build authentic relationships beyond securing a new job or a new investor for your next big idea. To build real and meaningful networking contacts, we need to go back to basics, remembering that technology is just a tool. We need to tap into our humanity and learn to be more intentional and authentic. Sponsored by... Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Get The Importance of Journaling We help YOU enjoy the success we've already enjoyed. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more. Key Takeaways [4:45] Susan had good parental role models who were deeply connected to their communities. [7:50] Susan shares why some people might have a bit of hesitation when it comes to reaching out to other people. [11:50] There's such a lost art to being a better listener. People are notoriously horrible listeners. [13:20] As all of us know deep down, the amount of likes and followers is not an indicator of how connected you are to others. [17:10] Curiosity is a hard thing to teach. Susan shares how you can develop a deeper sense of curiosity in others. [22:25] By having a best friend at work, engagement increases drastically. However, so many people just want to do the work and go home. This is an opportunity for leadership to shine. [25:00] Susan has been incredibly lonely during this pandemic. She shared it with her team, and it allowed for them to share their personal struggles as well. [26:45] Susan shares how she reached out to her community in times of isolation and offers tips on how leaders can do the same. [28:20] When it comes to connecting, people fall apart the most in the follow-up. [31:00] There's nothing worse than receiving a follow-up email after you meet someone, nine months later! [34:20] Leaders are busy! Susan offers advice on how to connect with others when you've got so much going on. [38:10] Susan shares a story behind the power of connecting with others. [42:10] Listener challenge: What's the community you want to build around yourself? Quotable Quotes People are worthy of curiosity. We have become dependent to the clicks and likes and the follows as a means to measure how well we were connecting with others. "Carve out 15 minutes a week to reach out to a few people you haven't talked to in a year." Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Pass-life.com. Coupon Code: Duty Connect with Susan: Mcpstrategies.com & Susan on LinkedIn Susan's book: The Lost Art of Connecting: The Gather, Ask, Do Method for Building Meaningful Business Relationships Julian Treasure on Listening

Carole Robin is a leadership coach with over 35 years of experience. She is the Co-Founder of Leaders in Tech and taught at Stanford Graduate School of Business for 17 years. Out with a new book, Carole is the co-author of Connect: Building Exceptional Relationships with Family, Friends, and Colleagues, which is based on Stanford Business School's legendary Interpersonal Dynamics ("Touchy Feely") Course. Carole discusses how we can build deeper connections in the online world, why communication is the cornerstone for all interpersonal conflict, and how we can repair and strengthen existing relationships. Sponsored by... Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Get The Importance of Journaling We help YOU enjoy the success we've already enjoyed. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more. Key Takeaways [2:25] Carole has had six different careers over her professional life. [7:10] There are a lot of opportunities in relationships. [8:30] Words are powerful, but they can also lose their meeting if we don't back them up with action. [9:45] People can say words, and they have every intention to make them "sound good," but you never truly know how your words have landed on someone else. [13:40] Carole shares how communication differs when you're in a virtual setting. [15:15] The power of starting a meeting off with, "If you really knew me…" [17:00] Carole shares her concerns about the hybrid work model. [19:15] A leader's job is to ensure the best answer is found. There's a lot of talk of trying to make the hybrid work model fair, but few have the solution. This is where a leader can thrive. [21:35] With so much communication on Slack, people are afraid their colleagues are saying things behind their back or being left out in important meetings. [23:25] Set the baseline in your company. When people understand what the standard looks like, there's less fear, uncertainty, and doubt. [25:20] So many people give feedback poorly. Here's how you don't fall into the same trap. [29:00] When done right, feedback is just data! [32:35] Children are conditioned to not express their emotions freely. Now as adults, think about the impact it has when we are trying to give them "feedback." [35:00] Carole shares why she co-founded her company, Leaders in Tech. [39:15] Carole shares how involved a CEO must be if they wish to conduct change within an organization. [41:25] Be prepared to do what you're asking everyone else to do. [43:20] You have to have a learner's mindset if you want to succeed. [44:10] Listener challenge: What worked five years ago, might not work today. Take the time to test it out again. Break it, refine it, grow from it. [45:15] Leaders develop these preconceived notions of what they "should be" long before they've become leaders. Carole had it, she believed she had to leave her emotions at the parking lot. Quotable Quotes "Language creates reality." "It's often a trap for a leader to think they have to come up with the answer." "Feedback is a skill and most people don't know how to do it well." "We socialize the ability to express emotions out of kids." Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Pass-life.com. Coupon Code: Duty Connect with Carole: Leadersintech.org & Carole on LinkedIn Carole's book: Connect: Building Exceptional Relationships with Family, Friends, and Colleagues

Adam Bryant is the Managing Director of Merryck & Co., a senior leadership development and executive mentoring firm. Prior to joining Merryck, Adam worked for 30 years as a journalist, including 18 years as a reporter, editor, and columnist at The New York Times. Adam cites the most common pitfall leaders face. "In terms of leader challenges, the biggest one is the gap between how clear something is in their own head versus how clear it is to everybody else." Sponsored by... Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Get The Importance of Journaling We help YOU enjoy the success we've already enjoyed. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more. Key Takeaways [5:25] Adam shares what inspired him to write his book, The CEO Test. [7:10] This book is not just for CEOs! This is a book for leaders. [9:10] The simplest questions are often the hardest to answer. [10:15] A lot of leaders think they understand strategy, but actually, we each define strategy completely differently and it's not so clear what it really means. [11:35] A leader's job is often to just explain to people where they're headed. Almost like answering questions the way little children have in the backseat of a long car ride. [12:15] Your strategy might seem clear to you, but to your team, it's not. It's important to constantly check in and double-check that everyone understands where we're headed. [13:15] We love simple answers to complex problems, but that rarely works the way we need it to. [15:00] New leaders are confused. They don't know how to be. [17:15] Leadership looks so simple on paper, but the moment you're in the field and practicing it on real people, the results really do vary. [19:40] Leadership has gotten harder. Adam explains why. [24:15] Adam recommends some of the best ways leaders should be thinking about strategy. [25:15] Here's a quick one-page exercise you can do to really narrow your focus and get everyone centered on strategy. [27:35] We're losing the beauty of writing. Everything seems to be so quick and bullet-pointed. [32:00] In Adam's experience, a lot of leadership teams are simply too close to their business and are not able to see their own downfalls because they view themselves as the "expert." [35:45] Leaders really need to take some priority and time off just to think about the big picture. They need to step away from being in the business. [38:25] Adam wonders why CEO tenures are so short. [41:35] Leaders are often good at solving problems, but it doesn't appear that many are rewarded for preventing problems from occurring in the first place. [43:35] Adam talks about "the art of the good dumb question." [46:35] Listener challenge: Who is the best listener you know? Listening well is a lost art and a very underrated leadership skill. Quotable Quotes "There are challenges that all leaders face that are similar regardless of their rank." "We tend to focus on really simple questions, but what I've come to understand about business and leadership, the simplest questions are the hardest." "In terms of the challenges people have, the biggest one for leaders is very often there is a gap between how clear something is in their own head vs. how clear it is to everybody else." "Leadership is so dynamic and this is part of the trap of leadership. In these theoretical frameworks, it makes a lot of sense, but 30 seconds later you encounter human beings." Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Pass-life.com. Coupon Code: Duty. Connect with Adam & his new book, The CEO Test: Master the Challenges that Make or Break All Leaders Adambryantbooks.com & Adam on LinkedIn TV show: Ted Lasso Dinesh Paliwal

Bo Brabo is the Founder of Hail Media Group & The Brabo Center of Excellence. He is a retired U.S. Army Chief of HR Operations and served in the White House as the Presidential Communications Officer under President Bush and President Obama. He shares his thoughts on uphill challenges for leaders, and why it's hard to break through the next phase in one's career. Sponsored by... Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Get The Importance of Journaling We help YOU enjoy the success we've already enjoyed. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more. Key Takeaways [4:55] A lot of HR representatives are not making it to the executive seat. Bo explains why. [8:45] If you're an HR representative, Bo urges you to go into organizational development. You have got to understand what makes your business hum. [9:10] HR professionals have to take their own personal development into their own hands. [10:00] If you can speak the CFO's language, your relationship with the CFO would drastically change. [13:45] Bo talks about his experience as an HR professional at the White House. [17:15] When the President shows up to speak, he needs to be ready to go without fail. The only way you can do this in a timely manner is by empowering your people to make good decisions. [21:35] Bo explains why people come up short when it comes to leading others. [26:50] The best leaders have a battle rhythm to their routine. They keep doing that one thing that will make them successful, no matter how challenging or defeating the day prior was. [29:25] Bo shares some of the common traits of a good battle rhythm. [33:10] It's one thing to have values in your organization. It's another thing to really break down what those behaviors look like. [38:15] Bo discusses the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business and why it's such a great place. [42:10] Bo shares why building his expertise around business, and the multiple ways it works, has helped him excel as a person and a leader. [43:00] Listener challenge: Don't wait for someone to offer you professional development. Quotable Quotes "Yes, you are confident, great. You might have the ability to be a great leader, but you've got to fill in the team behind you to actually support all the things you don't know how to do." The theme that came out of season one of our podcast was battle rhythm. Our guests had, even when they had downtimes and they weren't getting what they wanted to achieve, what brought them out of it was a battle rhythm." "A successful battle rhythm. All the leaders had physical fitness in their life, they're up early, they're getting after it not just five days a week, but seven days a week. They have mentors/coaches that are helping them." "Don't wait for someone to offer you professional development or wait for your company to back you in an endeavor." Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Pass-life.com. Coupon Code: Duty. Connect with Bo: Robertbrado.com & Bo on LinkedIn

Dr. Beverly Kaye is recognized internationally as a professional dedicated to helping leaders understand the practical "how-to" principles of employee development, engagement, and retention. She is the author of five books, all of which have stood the test of time and are applicable to today's leaders. Bev shares her insights into why love is a powerful word for a leader, but how to frame it so that it doesn't get misconstrued as "unconditional" love. Sponsored by... Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Get The Importance of Journaling We help YOU enjoy the success we've already enjoyed. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more. Key Takeaways [3:25] Most issues leaders encounter are actually very common problems! [4:35] Leaders have been missing the boat when it comes to human connection. We need to slow down and really get to know our staff. [5:40] People are sick of meetings. They miss the watercooler chitchat. Well, guess what, you can do that in a virtual meeting too! [7:15] It seems so simple to just ask how someone is doing, on an intentional and conscious level, yet we tend to make things way more complicated than it needs to be. Not everything needs to be a warm-up exercise or procedure! [8:40] For leaders who aren't "raised" in the human resource world, it's a lot harder to take natural human cues and run with them and tune into them. [9:40] Everyone these days has a personal brand, and no one was talking about this 20‒30 years ago. The self-importance of the individual has skyrocketed. [11:00] You have to put your ego aside and say occasionally that you don't know or even extend the question and ask your employees how'd they handle a situation. [11:45] Dr. Bev shares her thoughts on leadership development and whether you should keep this in-house with your staff or extend these trainings to contractors or partners. [14:10] Words like "love" and "family" used in a business setting seem to be a bit disjointed. A business is to make a profit at the end of the day, but there must be a way to incorporate a sense of community in the organization. Dr. Bev breaks down why love is important. [18:35] Every work culture is so different. It can almost feel like a landmine to walk into a diverse organization and call the team a family. [21:10] Perhaps family and love are too strong for your organization, but Dr. Bev offers suggestions on how these can show up in a different way. [24:40] Content is lonely without context. [26:20] Sometimes people cannot concentrate on what you're trying to teach them until they get their griefs aired and out in the open. COVID-19 has hit us all hard; it's important to use empathy and understanding to get the most out of your people. Don't let them bottle up their emotions. [28:15] Practice mentoring in the moment and see how it shows up for your team. Maybe you don't need a full day of training when you can teach key concepts on the fly. [30:40] Dr. Bev is hearing from all of her clients and colleagues right now that they're overwhelmed. This is your opportunity to shine as a leader and help ease the burden. [32:30] Dr. Bev shares an important values exercise to see whether the company culture fits your needs. [33:40] You don't figure out your values by being busy. You have to sit in silence. [33:50] Listener challenge: Look around you; have you complimented your colleagues and/or staff recently? Take this time to practice a bit of appreciation for your people. Don't take them for granted. Quotable Quotes "We have to get off of our pontificating about, 'the things leaders should do' and feed them ideas." "There's this thing called ego that gets in the way so easily, and it gets in the way more and more as people move up that ladder." "What derails leaders? Ego is at the top of the list. Like, 'I don't need anybody else, I know what to do, I know who I am.'" "Before I close the door on an employee, I want to check out where should the love go. 'When I hired you, it looked like a great match, what happened?'" Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Pass-life.com. Coupon Code: Duty. Connect with Dr. Bev: Bevkaye.com & Bev on LinkedIn Dr. Bev's book: Love 'Em or Lose 'Em, Sixth Edition: Getting Good People to Stay

Suzanne Nance is a world-class record holder, professional speaker, and executive coach. Having climbed to the top of the tallest mountain on each of the seven continents, and skiing the Last Degree (100 miles) to both the North and South Poles, Suzanne is the first American woman to accomplish the Explorer's Grand Slam. Suzanne shares her unique experiences and dives into the things she's learned about leadership when summiting some of the toughest mountains in the world. Sponsored by... Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Get The Importance of Journaling We help YOU enjoy the success we've already enjoyed. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more. Key Takeaways [3:15] Suzanne's climbing adventure all got started when she experienced an injury. She had to focus on the small steps that she could do. [5:25] Despite Suzanne being in these very remote mountain tops and locations, she was still parenting her children and telling them to go to the dentist! [8:50] At one point, Suzanne thought she was going to lose her toes. Things were dire. [11:45] When it comes to bringing out your duct tape to save toes, every leader goes through these moments where they've had to plan ahead in case of an emergency. [15:05] It can be maddening trying to tackle small tasks when you're at such a high altitude and have very little oxygen available to you. Leaders are always under pressure, but if you take a step back and just recognize your mental state, that goes a long way in making calculated, and calm, decisions. [17:35] There are three things Suzanne likes to focus on when she's climbing a mountain with a team. [19:25] We all have conflict, but it's important to remember the big picture. You need these people just as much as they need you. [21:55] At one point, Suzanne wanted to turn back, but she didn't because she knew that it meant that it would rob another team member of their opportunity to summit. [23:00] The biggest adversary is often yourself. Suzanne shares how to conquer your mind. [29:45] We are all on our own little journey to get to the top. [32:45] Suzanne doesn't have any regrets. She's made mistakes, but they've been excellent learning opportunities. [34:00] Listener challenge: Take your opportunity to climb your own Everest. Quotable Quotes "Something is going to happen, I am guaranteeing it. So how are you preparing?" "Everyone has an impact on each other on these small teams. We all carry gear." "We all have something to offer and we all support each other, and without one of us, we could be jeopardizing the team." "We are leaders. We can reach the pinnacle of many things, and after climbing, that's what I really took home." Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Pass-life.com. Coupon Code: Duty. Connect with Suzanne: Leadfromthetop.com & Suzanne on LinkedIn

Stephen Bailey is the Founder and CEO of ExecOnline, a leading provider of B2B leadership development solutions through partnerships with the world's top business schools. He brings a passion for helping leaders and their organizations solve their most pressing strategic challenges. Join us as we dive into the topics of diversity and inclusion, and cultivating talent in smarter ways. Sponsored by... Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Get The Importance of Journaling We help YOU enjoy the success we've already enjoyed. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more. Key Takeaways [4:00] Leaders need to be thinking about conscious ways to include a wide range of ethnicities in the conversation so that it's embedded in the DNA of the organization. [5:45] The good news is, companies are stepping up to the challenge and taking on this new level of commitment to ending systemic racism. [8:15] Before, we were living in a world that had a limited number of seats or "opportunities," but because the world has opened up and we are now embracing more online options, the candidate has more power to choose an option that fits them. [11:00] Have a talent gap? The traditional approach is to invest more in talent acquisition. However, that's not the best approach when it comes to cultivating diverse talent. [13:35] Stephen shares the three components of development equity in an organization. [17:05] Corporate America only has a limited amount of seats to fill. Stephen shares some of the best ways to structure incentive programs so that they are inclusive of everyone. [21:55] We all have an unconscious bias. An exercise that leaders can do is to map your decision-making network and see what gaps and perspectives are being left out. [25:45] Stephen defines what he means by "equality" in the context of corporate America. [28:15] Our current way of onboarding talent is a bit backward. We should have a strong emphasis on cultivating internal talent to fill in new roles. [32:45] Women leaders have a different set of challenges in the workforce that they have to overcome. [35:45] Stephen shares how you can use empathy in a virtual setting to still check in with your employees' wellbeing. [39:45] Efficiency is the enemy when it comes to wanting to take on a more collaborative approach. [42:10] In order for organizations to leverage their talent, you need to put the right systems in place. The current model is broken. [44:25] Listener Challenge: Map your decision-making network and see where it leads you. Quotable Quotes "How do we leverage new opportunities to create meaningful change as opposed to making a big splash and then reverting back to the status quo." "Business is changing so rapidly that the best organizations have to constantly update their standards for success." "If a female leader completes a really high-quality project in one of our programs. It is harder for her to get her manager to listen to that project than a male counterpart." "It has to be a systems-level approach. The traditional approach has been purely toward the individual. You identify your unconscious biases. You do something about them." Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Pass-life.com. Coupon Code: Duty. Connect with Stephen: Execonline.com & Stephen on LinkedIn

In an extraordinary conversation about a world that has moved from complicated to complex, Dr. Margaret Heffernan discusses her latest book - Uncharted - How to Map the Future Together. Margaret produced programmes for the BBC for 13 years. She then moved to the US where she spearheaded multimedia productions for Intuit, The Learning Company and Standard&Poors. She was Chief Executive of InfoMation Corporation, ZineZone Corporation and then iCast Corporation, was named one of the "Top 25" by Streaming Media magazine and one of the "Top 100 Media Executives" by The Hollywood Reporter. The author of six books, Margaret's third book, Willful Blindness : Why We Ignore the Obvious at our Peril was named one of the most important business books of the decade by the Financial Times. In 2015, she was awarded the Transmission Prize for A Bigger Prize: Why Competition isn't Everything and How We Do Better, described as "meticulously researched... engagingly written... universally relevant and hard to fault." Her TED talks have been seen by over twelve million people and in 2015 TED published Beyond Measure: The Big Impact of Small Changes. Her most recent book, Uncharted: How to map the future was published in 2020. She is a Professor of Practice at the University of Bath, Lead Faculty for the Forward Institute's Responsible Leadership Programme and, through Merryck & Co., mentors CEOs and senior executives of major global organizations. She holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Bath and continues to write for the Financial Times and the Huffington Post. Sponsored by... Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Get The Importance of Journaling We help YOU enjoy the success we've already enjoyed. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more. Key Takeaways [3:15] With Margaret's diverse career, the one common theme that connects it all together is her passion for creativity. [5:10] You can't measure a lot of things, and in the business world, what can't be measured gets "thrown out." However, critical skills like creativity are essential and not easily measurable. [7:35] There's such a pride in efficiency in business. It's been this way since the industrial revolution. [12:35] Margaret agrees with Jim and Jan that the leaders she's seen are naturally curious people. [15:10] Margaret shares some of the "soft" characteristics needed to get a team stronger and better than before. [18:00] Successful teams need to invest a lot of time getting to know one another. [21:20] People are more afraid of losing power/control than accountability in a team. [22:35] The more frightened an employee is, the worse they'll perform, and they certainly won't be creative. Organizations are still using these outdated fear tactics. [25:55] Margaret wished someone had told her in her younger days, "to not take it personally," especially at the beginning of her career. [26:55] Something might be personal, but if you respond to it like it isn't, then you're in a much better position. [29:25] Reality TV really skews reality. It's geared to show us the worst ways to team up. [31:50] When you act like a superstar, you end up alienating everyone who could have made you a superstar. [34:25] If you're the person who speaks all the time in meetings. Just keep quiet during one of them and observe what happens. [38:00] Most organizations sit inside a vast ecosystem that you do not have any influence over. That doesn't mean you're absolutely helpless in your career, though. [42:10] We are currently sitting in an inequality crisis and an unemployment crisis. We have to think long-term or else we won't survive. [44:55] You can think about impact and likelihood, but you can't actually put physical numbers or "data" against it because it won't mean anything when the final result comes. [48:35] Listener challenge: Contribute greater than you consume. Quotable Quotes "It's like we can't believe anything unless we've measured it." "Many of the things we need the most are fundamentally immeasurable." "Creativity is immeasurable." "What can you tell me that I don't know?" "We're so keen to control things that we reduce them in our own heads." "I think we have to recognize in a team, part of what you owe to the team is bring something that no one else in the team has. That's how the team gets stronger." "At the beginning of one's career, and when one is young, everything is personal. When you don't take it personally, you're in a position to respond so much better." "Hyper-competitive people generally do very poorly in life. They do poorly because they don't make friends, they don't have allies, and they generally don't fit into networks." Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Pass-life.com. Coupon Code: Duty. Website & Margaret's recent book, Uncharted: Mheffernan.com & @M_H

Joel Goldberg has worked as part of the Royals' broadcast team for FOX Sports Kansas City since 2008, and serves as the television play-by-play voice for the ECHL Kansas City Mavericks. Joel has spent nearly 25 years in television, developing and maintaining relationships with professional athletes, coaches, and team management. He has become a powerful public speaker and presenter, talking with groups about the networking principles he's learned from his experiences of interviewing successful icons. With Joel's new book, Small Ball, Big Results, he shares incredible sports history, and timeless leadership principles that every leader can benefit from. Sponsored by... Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Get The Importance of Journaling We help YOU enjoy the success we've already enjoyed. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more. Key Takeaways [2:30] Joel was a terrible athlete, but he knew how to talk. [3:50] Despite being in sports broadcasting and covering baseball throughout his career, Joel sees himself more as a storyteller than a sports guy. [4:35] The best baseball players are used to dealing with failure 70% of the time. [6:15] Baseball Hall of Famer, George Brett's favorite expression was: Try easier. [7:55] More than any other sport, baseball roots itself in tradition. [12:25] There is no "one thing" that defines all in leadership. It's little things every single day. [13:30] Joel shares his definition of what leadership looked like. [16:25] It's not just good enough to have good leaders. You need a purpose, you need an identity. [19:00] You build a successful culture by passing it on from generation to generation. [21:15] Joel shares why baseball captains are critical to a team's success. [27:40] Joel didn't know what networking was in the beginning. It's so vague and no one gets taught this key life skill. [31:30] You don't go out on a first date with a girl and ask her to marry her right away. Yet we do the equivalent all the time in networking. [32:10] Joel shares why Albert Pujols was his biggest relationship failure. [36:55] Chicago Cubs' Joe Maddon knows a thing or two about trust. Joel shares what he learned from him. [40:00] Small ball actions are not "check the box" kind of things. They are consistent actions over time. [42:00] The world changes rapidly. The world moves on. We've got to be open-minded about the new world ahead. [43:00] Good leaders are listening and they adapt to the times. [45:35] Joel shares some perspectives he's learned over the years about putting too much pressure on himself to succeed and dealing with imposter syndrome. [53:40] You never know who is watching. Always show your best, even when you don't feel like it. Quotable Quotes Sports is a grind every day. "If you're successful as a hitter 30% of the time, you're considered one of the best. This means you have to have the ability to deal with failure 70% of the time." "Small ball to me is the little things that add up to the big things." "Leadership is measured in a lot of ways, not in the numbers." Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Pass-life.com. Coupon Code: Duty. Website & Joel's Book: Joelgoldbergmedia.com & @GoldbergKC on Twitter *** Correction *** The person that introduced Joel and Jim was the super awesome, always kind and generous Dan Horwich of CampIT Conferences.

Steve Smith is the CEO at Association Management Center, where he supports national healthcare association volunteers and staff leaders. He helps them leverage their natural strengths to continue the mission of the non-profit organization. Steve shares a bit of history behind the need for nonprofit medical services, and also provides insight on how healthcare has changed over the years to better support the people and their personalized needs. Sponsored by... Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Get The Importance of Journaling We help YOU enjoy the success we've already enjoyed. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more. Key Takeaways [3:20] Steve shares why he is passionate about non-profit work. [6:40] There's a misconception that non-profit work means no money, but it's run like a business. [7:40] Non-profits do run on thinner margins, which makes this space and the important work people do a lot more challenging. [9:45] The way people want healthcare support has changed over the years. The non-profit space needs to be able to adapt quickly or else it becomes difficult to course-correct later on. [14:35] Steve shares the best ways to work with board members and provide helpful governance training and resources. [17:50] Steve has spent a long time in the healthcare industry and shares some interesting insights about this space. [19:35] Seventy percent of Medicare costs are incurred during the last six to 12 months of life. Steve explains why it's so expensive. [25:15] Steve explains the origins of hospice care and how this is now translating into the nonprofit space. [27:40] A new thread is emerging: The nonprofit space is an excellent way to test out the next big business idea. [32:00] When you're trying to make an impact within your community, you make a bigger contribution when you are a part of an organization than just an individual trying to bootstrap it. People can get burned out easily in the nonprofit space. [34:15] In 2020, a lot of leaders, especially in healthcare, had to adapt their leadership style to better accommodate unknown challenges ahead. We've all grown from this, but there's still a lot to learn. [36:45] Steve always enjoyed being the person behind the curtain, but sometimes you need to trust your skills and make that leap of faith to push yourself and step into a leadership role. [41:35] Nonprofit work does pay less. Steve addresses this as a man who also has a family and bills to pay. [44:25] Listener challenge: Focus on restoration work. Take care of others, ourselves, and our communities. Quotable Quotes "Passion is really powerful. It can really drive us, but it can also blind us." "If organizations don't evolve... they can decline very quickly." "If you're serving on a board, be open to learning; it's a different place to be a leader." "We are a death-denying culture… and we like to not plan for things that are inevitable." Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Pass-life.com. Coupon Code: Duty. Websites: Connect2amc.com & LinkedIn

James Schrager studies the use of strategy by executives and venture investors. Drawn to this research by a fascination with extreme success, and a desire to better understand how it happens. James discusses how to evaluate new ventures and growth opportunities. James doesn't just teach the power of strategy, he also cultivates his executives to look within themselves and conduct a frequent analysis. James shares some of his insights on what expert strategists think about and how to prepare leaders for the future. Sponsored by... Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Get The Importance of Journaling We help YOU enjoy the success we've already enjoyed. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more. Key Takeaways [4:00] James shares how he's adapting his teaching style now that he is teaching remotely. [9:30] Experts look at the same puzzle completely differently than novices. It's important to include all types of expertise levels in the learning process. [10:55] James makes the connection between the importance of expertise and how this can be applied in leadership. [16:15] Expert chess players ask important questions to make sure their core pieces are safe. A business leader needs to do the same. Instead of always playing on offense or defense, look at the bigger picture. [19:15] When solving a puzzle for the first time, James's students have a hard time "getting it," but once they understand the process, they can't believe the solution wasn't obvious to them from the very start. Everyone has to start somewhere. [21:10] Conducting frequent analysis on what went wrong and what went right is critical to improving and getting better than where you were before. [22:50] It can be hard to look at your mistakes, but it can also be empowering because it means you don't have to do it again. [30:35] James shares ways an organization can better develop its unconsciously competent workforce. [36:00] You get through your emotional bias by having other members of your team vet the idea or person. [40:00] Strategists plan and live in the future. They think about the possibilities and disrupt the old way of doing things. [44:45] We have so much data to process in today's world; James discusses how you best sort this extra information to get to the real facts. [47:50] Great leaders all have one thing in common: Profound curiosity. [48:30] Listener challenge: Look at logic puzzles and use them to discover deeper questions within you. Quotable Quotes "In business, we always want to think if we're on offense or defense, and the great problem is we're neither." "There's a secret the (chess) masters have and that secret is insight." "Take a very close look at everything." "Strategists live in the future." "The future is a very scary place to be." Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Pass-life.com. Coupon Code: Duty. Websites: James Schrager & Wikipedia

Donald Robertson is is a Scottish psychotherapist and author, working mainly in the areas of Stoic philosophy, clinical hypnosis, emotional resilience and cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT). He is a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH). Donald specializes in teaching evidence-based psychological skills, and is as an expert on the relationship between modern psychotherapy (CBT) and classical Greek and Roman philosophy. He is one of the Founding Members of The Modern Stoicism, a non-profit that aims to research and publish information on the application of Stoic philosophy. He is also the author of six books, including his latest book, How to Think Like a Roman Emperor. In this episode, Donald discusses Stoicism vs. stoicism, mental health, and the effect of cognitive behavior on leadership. Sponsored by... Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Get The Importance of Journaling We help YOU enjoy the success we've already enjoyed. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more. Key Takeaways [3:20] In addition to being interested in Stoicism, Donald is a huge heavy metal fan. [4:55] Donald became interested in this field and Marcus Aurelius through his father, who was a Freemason. [11:20] When Donald's father passed, he really wanted to find someone he could look up to and give him guidance on life. [13:10] Donald shares the difference between Stoicism and being stoic. [16:00] When it comes to Stoicism and mental health, it's quite fascinating how these ideas have become lost over time. [17:20] We tend to believe that cognitive reason and emotion are two separate things, but actually, they're intertwined. [21:50] Donald breaks down practical ways you can use Stoicism in your life and how you can implement it as a leader, especially if you're someone who might be carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. [27:00] When people are overwhelmed by anger and anxiety, their attention tends to narrow and they engage in threat monitoring. [33:55] Plato used his philosophy like being a soldier. It requires the same courage and the same self-discipline to execute. Life is like a battlefield and your philosophy is your weapon against it. [36:20] If you lack self-discipline, you can be a prey to greed. [42:35] Donald shares why he's currently in Athens and an exciting project he's currently working on. [45:15] Philosophy was invented by a guitarist. [49:10] It's important to slow down and think. Be intentional with your actions. Quotable Quotes Life is like a battlefield and your philosophy is your weapon against it. "Researchers are interested in lower-case stoicism because they've generally found it to be quite toxic, particularly over the longer term." "Repressing or concealing unpleasant emotions might be useful as a short-term strategy in a high-stress situation, but longer-term it tends to backfire." "Emotions, reason, and passions are intertwined." "If I'm anxious, it's typically because I believe something dangerous or threatening is about to happen and I'll be unable to cope with it." "We need strength of character if we are going to live in a cloud of wisdom." Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Pass-life.com. Coupon Code: Duty. Websites: Donaldrobertson.name & Donald on Patreon & Twitter @DonJRobertson Donald's book: How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius Plato — Apology of Socrates

Kara Goldin is the Founder and CEO of Hint, Inc. and the Author of Undaunted: Overcoming Doubts & Doubters. Her book was written to inspire people to move past their fears and defy the doubters. She has been named one of InStyle's Badass 50, Fast Company's Most Creative People in Business, Fortune's Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs and EY's Entrepreneur of the Year 2017 Northern California. Kara is also the host of the podcast Unstoppable, where she interviews founders, entrepreneurs, and other disruptors across various industries. In this episode, Kara shares how to not let anyone crush your dreams! Sponsored by... Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Get The Importance of Journaling We help YOU enjoy the success we've already enjoyed. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more. Key Takeaways [9:50] Kara's first real job was when she was 14. It was a great learning experience because she was able to learn about margins, shipping costs, and more. [13:40] Kara has always been entrepreneurial. She would often test out services and prices to figure out what the market wanted and was willing to pay for. [19:35] As a busy person, Kara is ruthless when it comes to her time management. [25:40] Kara was forced with a tough decision when it came to her business: To Continue or To Quit. [27:00] When Kara got some tough feedback about why her product wouldn't sell, she didn't go on the offensive, instead, she leaned in and asked questions. [30:35] Really watch out for people who believe, "This is just the way it is." Chances are they're not curious. They are stuck in a cycle. [35:20] You really aren't alone in this journey. However, so many Millennials are feeling alone right now. [38:15] Kara shares her definition of what success looks like. [41:15] Kara's dad gave her the best advice: Do not retire. Find something you're passionate about and go do it. [47:15] Kara shares an important moment in her life that made her learn she could trust herself and her abilities. [49:10] When you're alone with your thoughts, it provides a lot of clarity on what it is you truly want vs. what the people in your life want for you. Quotable Quotes "Stay curious." You are always a student looking for answers. "I have to be alone to really understand what's next." Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Pass-life.com. Coupon Code: Duty. Websites: Karagoldin.com & Kara on LinkedIn Kara's book: Undaunted

Deborah Lee James served as the 23rd Secretary of the United States Air Force with responsibility for 660,000 military and civilian personnel and a budget of $139 billion. She was the second woman to ever lead a military service in the United States. Deborah is also the author of "Aim High: Chart Your Course and Find Success." Her impressive resume and deep expertise in strategic planning, risk management, public policy, logistics, and innovation, lead to a fascinating conversation with Jim and Jan on the topic of leading during difficult times. Can any of us survive and thrive against such a backdrop of unsettledness and anxiety? Deborah Lee James wants to help us try. "Lead several hundred thousand people, manage a budget over $100 billion, and secure the nuclear enterprise. That's what Secretary James did as the second woman ever to run the U.S. Air Force, and this book feels like having a personal conversation with her. She takes you behind the scenes with rich case studies to share valuable leadership lessons for your career and your life." -- Adam Grant, Professor, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, LinkedIn Top Voices 2017, New York Times bestselling author of ORIGINALS, GIVE AND TAKE, and OPTION B Sponsored by... Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Get The Importance of Journaling We help YOU enjoy the success we've already enjoyed. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more. Key Takeaways [4:55] Debbie explains why she thinks she became the Secretary of the Air Force... by accident. [7:55] Keep your network always active. You never know when you might need it! [9:15] Debbie was uniquely qualified for this position because of all of her past experiences on Capitol Hill, the Pentagon, and the private sector. [11:05] Debbie offers a tip on how to make your presentations engaging. [14:35] In order to be competent and move from the junior to mid-career ranks, you need to know your competency. [16:45] How you get leadership done is important, especially when working in a male-dominated field. [17:35] When you want to lead and inspire a team effectively, you have got to give them the why and you have to listen to their needs. [18:15] People hate to be micromanaged, they want to be coached. [22:35] There was a lot happening under Debbie's watch, she shares the strategies she used to manage it and lead everyone towards a common goal. [30:15] Your team's opinions are important but don't just stop there. Dive deeper. [31:05] Debbie would take to the most senior people in the room all the time, but she would also make a point to talk to more junior airmen. [32:40] No matter what you're doing, keep asking why. [39:35] The adaptability of a high-level leader is more of a requirement than ever before. A lot changes in a three-year span. [41:50] Debbie offers tips on how to lead in a field you might not have 100% understanding in. [44:25] Listener challenge: Part of having a fulfilling career is to have a fulfilling home life, too. Quotable Quotes "Get things done. Ultimately you're not going to be a leader for long; your company or your organizations are going to fire you if you don't create a body of accomplishment." "To go to the next level, you've got to lift yourself out of the details, and now you have to lead a team and make sure you're not doing the team's work." "What makes you successful at one level won't necessarily take you to that next level." "In order to lead and aspire a team effectively, you can't tell people what to do. You've got to give them the why." Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Pass-life.com. Coupon Code: Duty. Websites: Deborahleejames.com & Deborah on LinkedIn Debbie's book: Aim High No Time for Spectators: The Lessons that Mattered Most from West Point to the West Wing, by General Martin Dempsey

Joe Kenner is the President and CEO for Greyston Bakery. For 38 years, Greyston has opened its doors to those who face rejection elsewhere. When people say they want to work, Greyston gives them a chance through Open Hiring® — no resumes, no background checks, no interviews needed. Understanding that a job is just the first step toward self-sufficiency, Greyston offers workforce development and community wellness services to help their neighbors pave paths to professional and personal success. By replacing scrutiny with trust, Greyston is transforming lives and communities, and breaking the cycle of poverty in the process. On this episode, Joe shares why he moved from rales at Lehman Brothers and Pepsico to Greysto, and how that has shaped his perspective on how any organization can have a positive social impact and achieve financial goals as well. Sponsored by... Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Get The Importance of Journaling We help YOU enjoy the success we've already enjoyed. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more. Key Takeaways [4:05] In life, you don't have bad experiences, you have learning experiences. [6:10] Greyston Bakery is solving social problems. [11:45] So many people end up being excluded in the job market because of past mistakes (addiction, crime, and social stigma). [15:00] Joe explains how open their "open hiring" process really is. You put your name on a list, and when a job opens up, you get hired. No questions asked. [21:15] Joe shares a unique perspective on retention and how many of their open hire employees stay in the job. [22:00] You must look at the social impact, not just at retention. [23:50] Greyston is NY's first Benefit Corporation. That's a lot of responsibility on Joe's plate to make sure the company operates within that vision. [27:15] Nearly a third of Joe's open hires are female. [28:40] In a lot of ways, it is not HR's responsibility to deal with housing issues, recovery, or child support, but these are issues that are important to Greyston's staff, and therefore it's important to the company. [33:00] Everyone needs personalized coaching and training, not just those who are coming from the open hiring policy. This is embedded in the culture. [35:25] Joe really takes it hard when he has to let someone go from the open hiring program. [38:45] Joe shares advice on how other CEOs and leaders can incorporate a social impact piece into their companies. [40:15] There are a lot of smart people out there who are just down on their luck. They're grateful for opportunities and are willing to work hard to show their worth. [42:35] Listener challenge: Do something, anything, about addressing the inequities our community faces every day. Quotable Quotes "It's about people coming to us looking for hope, looking for an opportunity, they're looking for somebody that will trust them to do a good job." "We want to invest in your future success and not judge you." "When it comes to retention. It's not so much whether people stay or leave, it's what would happen if we weren't here?" "We firmly believe if we can help you address your personal issues, that helps us as a business." Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Pass-life.com. Coupon Code: Duty. Websites: Greystonbakery.com, Greyston on Facebook & Joe on LinkedIn Additional resources: Hiring Processes & Hire Workers Deemed Unemployable

Carlos Valdes Dapena is the author of "Virtual Teams: Holding the Center When You Can't Meet Face-to-Face, " and "Lessons from Mars: How One Global Company Cracked the Code on High Performance Collaboration and Teamwork." Both his books are based on original research into collaboration he conducted during his 17 years as an internal consultant at Mars where he worked with teams responsible for iconic global brands like M&Ms, Snickers, Wrigley's Gum, and Iams. In this episode, you'll hear Carlos' ideas on how to make the workplace more engaging, more human, and more productive.. Sponsored by... Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Get The Importance of Journaling We help YOU enjoy the success we've already enjoyed. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more. Key Takeaways [2:05] In addition to being an author, Carlos also spent 15 years teaching yoga. [6:25] Carlos was familiar with the literature on how to build better team collaboration, but nothing seemed to really be moving the needle and having an impact. [7:15] Carlos went back to the drawing board and conducted his own research on what really makes a high-performing team click. [9:25] What most leaders miss is understanding each individual's core motivational needs and fueling that to collaborate with others. [11:55] Carlos shares where he and fellow author Patrick Lencioni differ when it comes to building trust within teams. [13:25] We can no longer do typical "trust-building" exercises in this digital world. Leaders aren't sure how to build trust now. [16:25] Leaders believe we can enhance collaboration and trust by doing more meetings, but people are fatigued out. [17:25] Collaborate better by collaborating less on what matters the most. Carlos shares what he means by this. [19:25] Leaders need to get good at recognizing when tasks require collaboration, and what tasks can be done solo. [22:10] Carlos shares his definition of what a good meeting is, and when to use a meeting effectively. [23:45] Organizations waste a lot of money on team-building exercises. [28:55] We think when people don't like one another on a team, we think of it as an interpersonal problem. Actually, it's a problem of personal responsibility. [32:05] We're such an action-orientation culture that we focus solely on what you do, and not on what we did. [35:35] Kings, leaders, and more, throughout time have always had a "right-hand man" who complemented the leaders' strengths and weaknesses. We seem to have lost it in today's modern age. [39:55] Carlos shares the three criteria needed for an individual to find meaningful work. [42:35] The best salespeople Carlos knows are lone wolves. It's very difficult to get a good salesman to collaborate with the team. [45:05] Listener challenge: If you want a good relationship, assume 100% responsibility for that relationship. Quotable Quotes "The paradoxical key to successful collaboration is individual motivation." "We learn to trust by learning how to rely on each other. Trust cannot artificially be created." "Not all work is teamwork.." "Meetings must be engaging for everyone who is participating. Do not use meetings for straight-up information sharing." Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Pass-life.com. Coupon Code: Duty. Websites: Carlosvdapena.com, Corporatecollaboration.com & Carlos on LinkedIn Carlos's books: Lessons from Mars: How One Global Company Cracked the Code on High Performance Collaboration and Teamwork & Resilience: Virtual Teams: Holding the Center When You Can't Meet Face-to-Face Forming Storming Norming Performing: Successful Communication in Groups and Teams, by Donald B. Egolf The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable, by Patrick Lencioni Project Aristotle Inside Bill's Brain: Decoding Bill Gates Teamwork is an Individual Skill: Getting Your Work Done When Sharing Responsibility, by Christopher Avery, Erin O'Toole Murphy, and Meri Aaron Walker

Jim Hemerling is a leader in Boston Consulting Group's People & Organization and Transformation practices. He has co-authored numerous publications on transformation, organization effectiveness, and culture including, TRANSFORMATION: Delivering and Sustaining Breakthrough Performance, and Globality: Competing with Everyone from Everywhere for Everything. Jim is also a coauthor of BCG's book, "Beyond Great," which describes how the world has been transformed due to social tension, economic nationalism, and technological revolution. Business leaders are encouraged to go beyond great and "adopt a radical new playbook—one that helps their companies become resilient in the face of even the most volatile situations." On this episode, Jim discusses 9 Strategies for Thriving in an Era of Social Tension, Economic Nationalism, and Technological Revolution. Sponsored by... Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Get The Importance of Journaling We help YOU enjoy the success we've already enjoyed. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more. Key Takeaways [2:55] Leaders are well-intentioned, but these intentions can get squeezed out by metrics, the need for profit, and more. [5:40] With a lot of disruption happening in our lives, people need purpose; people need to feel like they're working towards a fulfilling future. [8:05] It's true that during hard times, there have to be layoffs, which sounds contradictory when you "put people first." Jim explains how people-focused companies think about letting people go. [12:15] There are three forces that are disrupting the world. The force of social tension. Economic nationalism. Technological revolution. [17:20] Great is no longer good enough. [19:25] Investors are going to demand more than just returns from the companies they invest in. [23:25] Consumers want to put their money where their mouth is and support companies that are environmentally conscious. [27:45] Capitalism is still a force for good, but it has to be directed properly. [30:35] Companies are going beyond just the "superficial purpose." They're walking the walk, and proving it. [34:15] It's a tough balance for a leader to stretch people's talents without breaking them. Jim shares what leaders need to be thinking about when managing this fine balance. [40:45] Leaders need to commit to really understanding the day-to-day lived experiences of their employees. [42:40] Transformation is no longer an one-off event. In today's world, it's "always on." [44:45] Listener challenge: Celebrate your wins today and then think about action steps on how you can go beyond great. Quotable Quotes "If you think about putting people first, you're going to think about not just that employee showing up at work, but what does their full life look like and how do we help them cope with the full-life experience." "The very fundamental thing that businesses thrive on is the basis of capitalism, but what we're seeing over the last few years are major forces against that." "The term 'globalist' now in many circles is actually viewed as a negative term." "Employees are increasingly saying, 'It's not enough. I'm not going to work for a company that isn't delivering on a real, tangible purpose.'" "We used to think of transformation as a one-off event. Those days are gone. Companies need to embrace 'always-on' transformation." Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Pass-life.com. Coupon Code: Duty. Websites: Bcg.com & Jim on LinkedIn Jim's TED Talk Jim's book: Beyond Great: Nine Strategies for Thriving in an Era of Social Tension, Economic Nationalism, and Technological Revolution, by Arindam Bhattacharya, Nikolaus Lang, and Jim Hemerling

Americans today don't trust each other and their institutions as much as they once did. The collapse of social and political trust has arguably fueled our increasingly ferocious ideological conflicts and hardened partisanship. But is today's decline in trust inevitable or avoidable? Jim and Jan speak with political philosopher Kevin Vallier about his new book, "Trust in a Polarized Age," and how we can collectively restore trust through our shared social institutions. Kevin has faith in our power to reduce polarization and rebuild social and political trust by recognizing and respecting our basic human rights. Sponsored by... Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Get The Importance of Journaling We help YOU enjoy the success we've already enjoyed. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more. Key Takeaways [4:15] Kevin lists the different types of trust that people use and relate to. [6:00] We might not trust our political leaders, but the bigger worry here is that we don't trust each other. [7:35] Political trust can be regained. However, the trickier problem is how do you regain social trust. The decline in social trust is a lot less clear. [10:35] Lack of diversity is a threat. [11:40] Kevin shares his thoughts on how you practice forgiveness and reconciliation in a world where "cancel culture" is abundant. [15:25] As people, we have two responsibilities when it comes to trust: Try to trust people when the evidence is ambiguous and be trustworthy ourselves. [18:45] It's in everyone's best interest to build trust because it helps us be more open to differences. When there's less trust, people are more prone to isolation and extremism. [21:25] Kevin discusses the differences between people on the left and right political spectrum and how that impacts trust. [27:00] Communism destroys social trust. Kevin shares a historical example about Germany and its neighboring countries. [28:00] We don't really know why Millennials have so little social trust. [31:15] In today's digital age where there is so much information, we need to hone in on being a good information consumer. We need to detect and snuff out the bad sources. The problem is, everyone thinks they have all the answers. [35:10] If we want to be good leaders, we have to work out our inner hypocrisies. [37:20] The key to sustaining trust in any institution is to discover, and live up to, people's expectations of you. [44:35] Listener challenge: Do you want to trust the people on the other side of the aisle? Is this something you care about? And, if the answer is no, what will it take for you to trust them anyway? Quotable Quotes "Around the '50s and '60s, 70-80% of people thought the government in Washington could be trusted. Now, it's about 20%. A staggering decline." "The bigger worry isn't so much we don't trust Congress, it is that we don't trust each other. There are a lot of social costs to this." "It seems social trust is mostly a cause of other things, not a consequence of them." "You just don't listen to people you don't trust. When there's less trust, people isolate themselves and views become more extreme." "My hypothesis is that when institutions are really, really unstable, like when you have wars, people come to trust each other less because they don't know what to expect." Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Pass-life.com. Coupon Code: Duty. Websites: Kevinvallier.com & @Kvallier on Twitter Kevin's book: Trust in a Polarized Age

Christopher Marquis is the author of Better Business: How the B Corp Movement Is Remaking Capitalism, which is the topic of today's discussion. He offers a compelling look into the B Corp Movement and why it's in everyone's best interest to be a socially and environmentally responsible company. A compelling look at the B Corp movement and why socially and environmentally responsible companies are vital for everyone's future—"a valuable guide to an important force" (Financial Times) "An important blueprint for how businesses can and should be both successful and a force for good."—Rose Marcario, President and CEO, Patagonia "Better Business is the book to read if you want to put values and purpose at the center of your company. It's an inspiring book with great insights to share."—Jerry Greenfield, co-founder, Ben & Jerry's Sponsored by... Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Get The Importance of Journaling We help YOU enjoy the success we've already enjoyed. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more. Key Takeaways [3:15] Better Business, was an idea that was originally born from his students. [5:15] Christopher explains what a B Corp is. [6:15] Patagonia is an excellent example of a B Corp. [10:15] Capitalism is a good thing, but its core message has shifted in the United States. [11:45] Christopher shares what some of the drawbacks are that make it difficult for people to register as a B Corp. [15:25] Christopher dives further into the legal components of a B Corp and why it's better to have this extra layer of protection. [16:50] More and more younger people want to be part of an organization where the values line up and companies with B Corp status highlight this purpose-driven message. [17:40] Retention and attraction of talent just go through the roof when you have a B Corp. [19:00] Jan once heard a CEO apologize that their company was "too profitable." The CEO was basically apologizing for being a capitalist. [19:40] Christopher highlights a French company that he respects a lot where they did something a little bit differently when COVID-19 hit. [23:20] Christopher is curious to see where the B Corp movement will go in the next couple of years, but from what he's seeing so far, things look very promising. [24:40] Some of the downsides of going down this path is that the certification is very, very hard. [29:15] Christopher shares what employees of a B Corp need to be aware of. [35:15] Christopher talks about Greyston Bakery and how they have an open hiring approach. This bypasses a lot of discrimination in their company. [38:10] There is a new job position out in the world now: The Social Engineer. Christopher explains why this role helps companies succeed. [42:05] Because B Corps are seen as having more of a "soul" and purpose, Jan wonders if this makes it difficult to find qualified buyers who can buy into the vision for when founders are ready to exit. Christopher thought the same at first, but the environment is changing. [45:50] Listener challenge: For leaders, take a look at the B Impact Assessment. For individuals, buy from companies with social missions. Quotable Quotes "Capitalism brings us amazing things. You see the amount of people who have been lifted out of poverty and it's because of markets and capitalism at its core." "The type of capitalism we've been practicing, particularly in the United States, has been focused on meeting shareholder needs... in the short term." "When people ask me about the main financial benefits of becoming a B Corp, it is on the HR side." "There's been so much research that has shown companies that are focused on environmental sustainability and delivering good employee benefits are much more sustainable over the long run." Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Pass-life.com. Coupon Code: Duty. Websites: Chrismarquis.com & Christopher on LinkedIn Christopher's latest book: Better Business: How the B Corp Movement Is Remaking Capitalism The Responsible Company: What We've Learned from Patagonia's First 40 Years, by Vincent Stanley and Yvon Chouinard Danone Greyston.org Bimpactassessment.net

Irvine Nugent specializes in helping leaders expand their emotional and nonverbal intelligence to better connect, influence, and assess credibility. He understands that leaders are most effective when they are able to read the emotions of themselves and others in any given situation as well as assess the credibility of people in high stakes scenarios. Growing up in Northern Ireland, Irvine witnessed a society torn apart by division and violence, and the damage done when communication breaks down and people fail to listen and understand. On this episode, he shares the tools to build trust, make deeper connections, and communicate more effectively. Sponsored by... Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Get The Importance of Journaling We help YOU enjoy the success we've already enjoyed. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more. Key Takeaways [3:35] Our one prime objective as a human species is survival and our emotions evolved to help us through that process. [5:45] Irvine studied under Paul Ekman's and his research helped Irvine on learning more about hidden emotions. [8:50] Most people who are trying to detect lies are only 48–52% accurate. [9:40] There is no "one method" to detect a lie. It is a complex process to decipher a lie. [10:15] Lying serves a purpose and it helps us gain an advantage. However, very few people are actually good at lying. [12:10] When you learn to look for micro-expressions, it's very difficult to turn off. [14:45] As a good leader, you need to have your hand on the pulse of what you're going through emotionally. [17:30] Irvine grew up in Northern Ireland and shares what it was like to grow up in a war zone. [19:05] People forgot how to communicate and were so convinced of their own truth. [20:15] Good stories have the power to transport us to another reality. [23:40] Irvine grew up in a pub and tells stories of how his father would let both Protestants and Catholics drink at his bar, which caused problems. [27:10] The leader sets the tone. Irvine's father was determined to create an atmosphere of belonging and inclusion. [29:55] People confess their sins not at the church, but at the pub. This is because pubs have created a space for psychological safety. [33:45] There's a lot of fear in business and leaders are afraid that they're not allowed to show fear. [37:45] Listener challenge: Define what mood you are trying to portray in your meetings. Quotable Quotes "When we try to conceal our emotions, we can train ourselves to discover this leakage with micro-expressions." The truth always leaks out. If you are looking for the right leaks, you can uncover the lie. "Just because you have an emotion, doesn't mean you have to act in a certain way." "Great leaders are able to expand the space between the reaction and the behavior." Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Pass-life.com. Coupon Code: Duty. Websites: Irvinenugent.com & Irvine on LinkedIn Paulekman.com

John Rossman was an executive at Amazon.com where he launched the Marketplace business and third-party selling platform and ran the merchant services. He's an expert at digital and ecommerce business models and operations, and has led engagements on ecommerce, Internet of Things strategies, and API driven platform business models. He is the author of three books: - Think Like Amazon: 50 1/2 Ideas to Become a Digital Leader - The Amazon Way: 14 Leadership Principles of the World's Most Disruptive Company - The Amazon Way on IoT: 10 Principles for Every Leader from the World's Leading Internet of Things Strategies. In this episode, John shares his ideas on becoming a digital leader. Sponsored by... Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Get The Importance of Journaling We help YOU enjoy the success we've already enjoyed. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more. Key Takeaways [4:05] A lot of organizations are hyper-focused on profitability and growth, but they're not investing enough in new ideas, new people, and new capabilities. [7:20] It's everybody's job in an organization to understand how the business operates, not just the chief executive. [11:40] Amazon got a lot of things right, but they also got a lot of things wrong. In business, you tend to remember the successes rather than the failures. [12:10] John shares an example of what Amazon didn't get right. [17:00] Jim has found that it's very hard to find people who are good writers and can write paragraphs with fully fleshed-out ideas. Jeff Bezos also found the same issue. [19:10] Writing is hard. It takes practice to do it correctly, and it takes patience. [20:00] John defines what culture is and how to best manage the complex decision-making process in a remote setting. [21:55] When it comes to having fun at work, happy hours don't really work in a digital setting. [23:10] Amazon is one of the companies that's committed to going back to the office because they want in-person collaboration. [25:10] Good culture attracts the right talent and deliberately repels the wrong talent. [28:35] There's a lot of talent out there that does not want to go back to a physical office. John shares his thoughts on how organizations will be managing this divide. [35:10] John shares how Amazon didn't just create a culture, they created a super-culture. [41:05] Listener challenge: We want successful teams. In order to achieve that, we have to do something different. Instead of optimizing for this quarter's results. Invest in the future. Quotable Quotes Truly digital organizations are curious. "One or two really big successes pays for hundreds of failures." "Writing things out really helps people work remotely to do things more asynchronously" "You really have to think about culture serving a purpose that's inherent to the function of the work that has to be done." Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Pass-life.com. Coupon Code: Duty. Websites: The-amazon-way.com & John on LinkedIn John's Book: Think Like Amazon: 50 1/2 Ideas to Become a Digital Leader

Martin Lindstrom is the Founder and Chairman of Lindstrom Company, the world's leading brand & culture transformation group, operating across five continents and more than 30 countries. For three years running, Thinkers50, the world's premier ranking resource of business icons, has selected Lindstrom to be among the world's top 50 business thinkers. Lindstrom is also a high-profile speaker and author of seven New York Times best-selling books. His most recent book, The Ministry of Common Sense, dives into how to eliminate the bureaucratic process in business, which is the topic of this enlightening episode! Sponsored by... Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Click to get The Importance of Journaling We help YOU enjoy the success we've already enjoyed. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more. Key Takeaways [1:50] When Martin was 12 years old, he created his own Legoland and convinced a local print shop to sponsor him. The next day, roughly 130ish people attended his theme park, including Lego's lawyers. They offered him a job. [4:25] Due to the rise of technology, our children are losing some very key motor skills. [6:15] We often talk about B2B or B2C interactions, but what we really need to focus on is human to human interactions. [7:00] Whether we like it or not, all of what we do is irrational. [7:20] Martin shares some key insights he's learned by not owning a phone for the last two years. [8:10] By having a phone to distract us all the time, we never get bored. This is a problem because a lot of beautiful things get created out of boredom. [10:15] The first thing Martin had to learn when he gave up his phone was to learn how to be on time again. [11:00] On average, we receive 350 emails a day! Technology is wonderful, but it's also killing our time. [12:30] When it comes to time management, there are a lot of cool hacks out there, but executives are still not getting it right. [13:35] Martin shares what we're getting wrong about meetings in our new digital environment. No one thinks short meetings are a good thing. [16:10] We have "chicken cage" syndrome. After being stuck in a cage for so long, when the doors are finally open to greener pastures, we don't know what to do. We go back into our cage because it's safer. [18:35] People are afraid of change; they are afraid of the unknown, so you have to think a bit creatively to help people feel comfortable enough to adapt to a new environment. [21:15] There are some legitimate fears organizations need to think through, like legal and HR, and the red tape behind this can stop innovation and progress. [24:10] The problem with a lot of compliance departments is that they don't actually interact with the consumers. Martin wanted to try something different. [26:40] A good practice when creating new rules in a company is to also remove an old rule in the process. [27:55] Martin cultivated a campfire environment within an organization. This facilitated a new way for people in different departments to talk about the inefficiencies in the company. [32:00] The first thing you have to do when you're in a crisis is to realize you're in a crisis. Sounds simple, but people don't do this. [32:55] We might be aware there is a crisis going on, but we still believe we can recover 50% or 75%. The reality is, your business is gone and you need to stop lying to yourself. [36:00] People are resigning positions because they're frustrated by the lack of common sense in the organization. However, there is a way to change this. [39:15] If done correctly, the ministry of common sense should be earning you money. [41:45] Martin shares an example of what Hyundai did differently during an economic crisis. [43:30] If you define fear, some of it is due to lack of control, the unknown outcome, and uncertainty of how long the crisis will last. [46:10] Don't ask the usual suspect to solve the problem. Use the entire organization to solve your big problems. [46:50] Listener challenge: Take a blank piece of paper and write down all the frustrations you have every day at work. Ask your co-workers to do the same. Quotable Quotes "Around 85% of our behavior every day is subconscious. It really is irrational behavior. Yet, we believe we are always deeply rational in everything we do." "By having a phone, we never get bored anymore. And boredom is the foundation for creativity." "Technology is wonderful, but we've also gotten to a point now where it's killing us more than it's actually enhancing our lives." "We need to cross-functionalize an organization. Compliance can't just be something in a corner. Involve them and make them feel a sense of empathy. That's when you break down all this red tape." "[If you want to pivot.] You have to wake up now and realize your business is gone. That's it. You can't continue what you're doing right now with your company." "The ministry of common sense is really looking at every aspect in the organization and mapping

Paul Darley is the Chairman, President, and CEO of W.S. Darley & Co. Under his leadership, sales have grown over 2,000%. Paul's firm was founded in 1908, and he is the third generation in his family to run the business. Paul highlights the important principles needed to sustain a multi-generational business, leadership lessons he's learned, and how to empower employees with family in play. Sponsored by... Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Click to get the The Importance of Journaling We help YOU enjoy the success we've already enjoyed. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more. Key Takeaways [3:15] Paul shares how his grandfather built the flagship family business. [7:10] Paul took over the family business in 1997 and now has six children (fourth-generation) actively involved in the business. [8:30] Paul understood he could not fill his father's shoes, a man who had been in the business for over 50 years, but he had to develop his own leadership style as his father transitioned out of the business. [10:15] The third generation is generally known as the cursed generation, and often businesses fail during this period. However, Paul prevailed and managed to grow it by 2,000%. [13:10] Paul regularly engages the younger members of the family. [14:00] Despite it being a family-run business, Paul makes sure everyone within the company has a fair chance to advance in their careers. [18:15] When you want to keep a legacy business alive, you have to think bigger, and adapt to the changing times. [18:50] Innovation is one of the company's core values. [21:15] Paul has a military veteran program in place at his company and explains how they actively seek out diversity. [27:50] Paul highlights the importance of giving feedback to his staff. [30:25] It's important to showcase to every employee that you can 'skip' the chain of command and talk to Paul and his executive leadership. This is something veterans aren't always used to. [38:40] Good salespeople have a high level of emotional intelligence. [40:30] When Paul studied successful CEOs, he observed that a large number of them had a solid family home life. They put others first. [41:40] Early in Paul's journey, he did not have balance as a leader. Over time, he's learned to prioritize business and family on even ground. It takes time to get it down right. [43:40] Listener challenge: When you get home from work, take 90 seconds to be fully present with your family first before moving on to tasks. Quotable Quotes "Complacency is the enemy. We, as a business, take nothing for granted." "I try to earn everybody's respect, try to listen and learn from anybody I can." "As part of our third generation family, there's a sense of obligation to the family, obligation to all of our employees and shareholders, and collectively we got through it." "If you are treating family members differently or special, it's one of the easiest ways to have good people leave an organization." "We never say, 'Here's what you should do.' The whole purpose is to talk things out and let that person come to their own conclusion on the best direction to take." "People who came up from sales vs. operations or accounting, etc., were actually more profitable than CEOs without selling backgrounds." Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Pass-life.com. Coupon Code: Duty. Websites: Darley.com & Paul on LinkedIn Sold! The Art of Relationship Sales by Paul Darley

Dr. Alexandra Rengel is the managing partner of the firm Mercado & Rengel, LLP and an Associate Professor at IE Business School. Dr. Rengel has broad experience as a litigator in the United States at the trial and appellate levels in both State and Federal Courts. A frequent guest lecturer on Privacy, Business Law, and Leadership, she is the author of Privacy in the 21st Century. Dr. Rengel shares her thoughts on leadership in Latinx communities, and the types of biases this diverse ethnic group has to overcome in the Western world. Key Takeaways [3:35] There are many preconceived notions of what define a "good leader." When different ethnic groups were asked to draw an effective leader, they all drew a similar image. A character, often a white man, middle-aged, wearing a suit and looking powerful. It leaves a lot of people out. [4:55] Some of the wealthiest people in the world are of Latinx descent but they're relatively unknown to the western world. [9:05] Truth is, we all have biases, but the key is being actively aware of them and working towards breaking them. [10:00] Machismo in the Latino community is still a problem. Latin/Hispanic women are still being questioned if they're too aggressive, or too masculine when they take on leadership roles. The criticism is coming from both genders. [13:00] It's critical that you be yourself and not be someone you "think you should" be. [14:40] There is so much ambiguity within the Latinx community because it's so diverse. Dr. Rengel explains a bit more about the differences between Latinx, Latino/Latina, and Hispanic communities. [19:50] Don't spin your wheels and fight with people over definitions. Prove your worth by achieving your goals. Lead your life on your terms and create positive change. [20:15] Dr. Rengel shares a story of the types of biases she's faced because of her accent. [23:25] When we look to others for leadership guidance, we can often make it even harder for ourselves to just start because the standard has been set so high. [25:55] Instead of trying to tackle the whole mountain and achieve a lofty goal, sometimes it's the little steps, the ripple effects, that make the biggest of changes in the lives of others. [27:05] Dr. Rengel shares a few leadership lessons that she's learned from both her children and her peers. [35:05] Listener challenge: Make an effort to give a diverse set of people a seat at the table. We need all perspectives. Quotable Quotes "We just don't recognize what we're not used to seeing." "Latin/Hispanic women who have positions of leadership, we worry about whether they're too aggressive or correctly dressing for the part. The criticism is not only coming from the men, but also from women." "So many men don't really know what the rules are. They don't know how they're supposed to act, what they're supposed to say/not say." "If a leader is someone who effects positive change, then make that positive change. Do that first. Work on achieving those goals that you set for yourself." "You can't spend your energy fighting biases that other people have." "You look at yourself in the mirror and say, 'How can I even begin to compete?' But, find something you're passionate about and just change one thing." "There are things you cannot control. The preparation is actually the one thing you can somewhat control, so always be prepared." "Often, we learn a lot as mentors from the people we mentor." "Sometimes we're not telling what we feel; we're telling what we think we should be saying. The advice we're giving is not so much what we feel in our heart, but what we think in our heads." Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Pass-life.com. Coupon Code: Duty. Websites: Mercadorengel.com & Alexandra on LinkedIn Ana Botín Amancio Ortega The Leadership Podcast is Sponsored by: Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Click HERE to learn more. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more.

Pablo Fernandez, Chief Learning Officer at Baker Hughes, discusses how to transform a traditional organization into one that is on the forefront of technology, social issues, and innovation through educational development and an active belief in employees. Pablo comes from a diverse cultural perspective, having been born in Mexico and lived in five different countries. He is passionate about disrupting the education system and using learning as a tool to empower employees. Key Takeaways [2:45] Pablo had to reflect recently on what he wants his legacy to be. As the world evolves and changes, Pablo's role as a learning officer also changes regularly. [4:25] We need to make learning a part of work. [6:55] We train people on compliance and integrity without actually telling them why it matters. [10:15] We want people to fail and embrace a learning culture, but we also grade them on performance and other metrics. It's a tough balance and it creates competing priorities. [13:05] We throw training at a lot of perceived problems instead of developing a system/environment that helps facilitate new learnings. [15:00] Baker Hughes knows they need to embrace clean energy, but when the team has been working on oil and gas for 40-plus years, there are some thinking obstacles in the way that a leader must navigate. [19:05] Baker Hughes wants to transform from a traditional company. Pablo understands where they're starting from and because of that, he knows it's important to bring in new talent that helps revolutionize the status quo culture. [20:25] Whenever a new idea gets presented, it's very quick to ask how much it costs and if the company has the bandwidth to incorporate it, but those are the wrong questions to be asking! They are innovation killers. [24:40] As an intentional citizen, Pablo shares how his different cultural exposure has made him a better leader today. [27:35] Pablo explores whether our society's worldwide exposure and influence through social media put more or less pressure on an organization's need for innovation. [32:50] Pablo loves what he does, but like anything, there are good days and there are bad days. Those bad days are a lot easier when they're connected to a purpose. [38:55] As a young and aspiring leader, it's important to be aware of what you want. [42:15] Patience is a critical component to changing the world in a dynamic way. [44:25] Listener challenge: Be yourself. Quotable Quotes "Learning without context is not learning, it's just knowledge. It's just information." "The truth hurts. The truth is not something that's easy to digest." "We have created systems within companies that are ready to kill innovation and ready to kill bright ideas." "We need to think about it differently. Innovation comes from leveraging each other. How do you break those frontiers that we have today and collaborate with one another." "As an organization, you're forced to take a position to stand up for your principles and for your values." "The number one competence today for management is the ability to manage emotionally-charged conversations." "At Baker Hughes, we do meditation sessions to make people aware of the today, not tomorrow." "I told my colleague the truth. I was struggling. What I got in exchange was kindness. What this taught me was to ask for help." Resources Mentioned Websites: Bakerhughes.com & Pablo on LinkedIn The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization, by Peter M. Senge The Social Dilemma The Leadership Podcast is Sponsored by: Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Click HERE to learn more. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more.

Harris III ("the third") began his career at a young age, traveling the world as an award-winning, professional illusionist. He has performed for and spoken live to more than two million people in more than 30 countries on five continents. His performances have been televised to millions more on the Travel Channel and ABC Family. After traveling the globe and making a million dollars by the age of 21, only to go bankrupt a year later, Harris kick-started a decade-long journey to understand the stories we tell ourselves and how they drive all human behavior. Armed with a unique perspective, his career re-exploded as a world-renowned speaker, storyteller and entrepreneur. He is the author of the book, The Wonder Switch. Tapping into his background as a professional magician and understanding the intersection of storytelling and wonder, Harris developed a structured process that can dramatically change a team's culture, or rapidly accelerate an individual's transformation, from the story they feel stuck in, to the life they want to live. Key Takeaways [2:35] Harris III is not a fan of coffee. Jan agrees! Jim is horrified. [3:35] We lose our wonder when we come across beliefs and stories that don't match the narrative we have in our head. [6:55] When Harris III got bullied for the first time as a kid, his wonder switch got turned off and left him in a state of complacency. [8:35] No matter how smart you are, it doesn't take much to prove that what you see is not always what you get. [13:05] The difference between deception and persuasion comes down to the motive behind it. [14:00] The phrase 'what if' can both work for you and against you. [19:25] Martin Luther King would probably call himself an activist, public speaker, or a reverend, but what he really was was a storyteller. [20:55] Magic tricks prove we can't rely on our senses. We get tricked (by the outside world) into believing something we're not. We get tricked into believing we will never be good leaders, when you have every potential to be a great one. [25:45] If you want people to achieve the impossible, you first have to make them believe it is possible. You have to tap into their wonder. [29:40] We are storytelling beings and a lot of what drives our motivation and beliefs is the language we use. [30:45] You need to combine the right forces together. You need your wow people to be connected to the how people so that these dreams can be big, but also can come true at the same time. [36:10] When we go through a transition, it's often messy and not as seamless as we'd like it to be. [42:00] Harris III shares some of his favorite client stories. [47:00] Harris III almost missed a special moment with his kid because he was so cynical. Quotable Quotes "My brain and your brain run off an operating system called narrative. When that narrative gets broken, the wonder switch gets turned off." "Neuroscientists have partnered with magicians to study how our brains process information based on our five senses; what we discover is humans are not that great at figuring out what is true." "Seeing isn't believing. Science supports the fact that believing is seeing. People misunderstand that concept." "The human imagination doesn't become less active as adults, we just change how we use it." "Wonder gives people the permission to believe." "It's our job as leaders to give people permission to believe in what seems so impossible to believe in." "All change in the transformation process is moving from an old story to a new story. It's all rooted in narrative." "We need leaders more than ever before to step up and give people permission to believe in the possibility of a new story." Resources Mentioned Website: Harrisiii.com & Book: The Wonder Switch: The Difference Between Limiting Your Life and Living Your Dream, by Harris III Harris on Facebook Harris on Twitter Harris on YouTube Harris on Instagram Loonshots, by Safi Bahcall The Leadership Podcast is Sponsored by: Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Click HERE to learn more. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more.

Barry Schwartz is an American psychologist. He frequently publishes editorials in The New York Times applying his research in psychology to current events. Schwartz's research addresses morality, decision-making and the inter-relationships between science and society. His books illuminate the underlying psychological plagues of our time. Why We Work The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less The Battle for Human Nature: Science, Morality and Modern Life Practical Wisdom Key Takeaways [2:25] It's Barry's secret desire is to play in Bruce Springsteen's band, or to play center field for the Yankees. [4:25] Wise people have good judgment and they use that judgment in the service of good goals. [9:25] There is an infinite number of ways people can screw up. Putting more rules in place doesn't stop that from happening. [10:30] As a leader, you want to instill good judgment in your people so that you can relax the rules. [13:00] Most management systems are designed to avoid developing wise employees. [15:00] Barry shares a story of how doctors learn to deliver bad news. [18:00] Instead of stumbling through your careers, mentors can help you find shortcuts and prevent a lot of mistakes. [21:20] Rules are okay if you are seeking mediocre results. They do not work well when extraordinary circumstances arise, which happens every day. [21:55] Employee incentives can also be a double-edged sword because it can move focus away from the people you're trying to serve. [31:20] When you plan on using your judgment, there will be times you get it wrong. This means you also have to be prepared for failure. [33:50] Empathy is good, but too much of a good thing can hurt others unintentionally. [34:10] Organizations have to be willing to tolerate imperfect outcomes and failures if they're trying to nurture people. [39:00] In highly competitive environments, leaders are afraid to relax because they don't want to fall behind, but people need that from time to time to produce innovative results. [41:15] If you're trying to build a workforce that lasts generations, setting up quarterly metrics and goals only forces people to think short term. [42:00] Companies are making critical mistakes. They're hiring 'plug and play' people that they can use today and not thinking about the resources and talent pool they'll be needing for the future. [42:15] Hire people on character and things you can't teach, and then teach your people the skills they need to know to get the job done. [45:30] We have a narrow understanding of what self-reliance truly means. [48:55] Unfortunately, it often takes trauma to get people willing to take a chance and to think boldly about different ways to do things. [51:35] As we navigate a new world, be open to changing yourself. Quotable Quotes "You want people to use their judgment, but if you don't trust the people you're overseeing to have good judgment, then, of course, you have to give them rules." "Better to come up with a rule that will keep people mediocre than say, 'Use your judgment.'" "A lot of the stuff we learn to be wise, we learn the hard way, you learn by making mistakes, but if you have a mentor, the mentor can make sure the mistakes aren't catastrophes." "Courage is the mean between cowardice and recklessness. If you've got too little, you're a coward. If you got too much, you're reckless. You want just the right amount." "If you focus on rules, you'll have rule followers. Rule followers are okay if you are seeking mediocre results." "Most companies hire on the basis of abilities that can be immediately put to use. They want plug-and-play employees. This is a colossal mistake." Resources Mentioned Bio: Barry Schwartz Barry's Four books: The Battle for Human Nature: Science, Morality and Modern Life The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less Practical Wisdom: The Right Way to Do the Right Thing Why We Work "Dying Words," by Jerome Groopman The Leadership Podcast is Sponsored by: Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Click HERE to learn more. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more.

Chris McChesney is a Wall Street Journal #1 National Best-Selling Author – The 4 Disciplines of Execution. In his current role of Global Practice Leader of Execution for FranklinCovey, Chris is one of the primary developers of The 4 Disciplines of Execution. Chris shares his thoughts on what it takes to focus, why you shouldn't wait to innovate, and how to effectively lead in the midst of ambiguity. Key Takeaways [3:25] Chris discusses whether focus is the key to execution or if there are other factors at play here. [4:35] "Be very deliberate about what is the area of focus and everything else the organization needs to sustain." [8:00] The four disciplines of execution are: Get clear on the critical target. Leverage your metrics on a team level. Boost employee engagement by showing them the score. Hold people accountable. [14:20] When it comes to defining your target, there needs to be a combination of what's most important and what's most at risk. [16:25] If you want innovation, then you have to allow people to experiment, which means taking on a certain amount of team failure. [17:45] It can be so easy to lose focus when you're trying to experiment on the latest flavor of the month. [22:25] People aren't afraid of change. They're afraid of ambiguity. In every major disaster, there is a spike in divorce rates as well as marriage rates, because people don't like being in limbo. They need certainty. [24:15] Because of the circumstance we're in, every industry is being forced to change and switch things up. People are tapped out and being drained from all sides. [29:05] When the status quo is good, it can be hard to push yourself out of your comfort zone to innovate. It comes down to having a weekly discipline. [33:55] Emotion alone will not sustain you in achieving those non-urgent tasks. [37:55] Chris shares the story of his creative and slightly sneaky way of getting to work alongside Stephen Covey when he was a recent college grad. [42:15] Listener challenge: Do the people who work for you feel like they can win? Quotable Quotes "It's better to fall in love with the problem than to fall in love with the solution." "The best strategies, the most vital strategies, don't stand up to the day-to-day urgency of maintaining the operation." "You can chase your tail all day long on what's most important. Everyone's got a good argument for that." "If you're going to have a breakthrough, it's going to require innovation. And innovation requires trial and error." "People don't fear change. They will initiate change all the time. They fear uncertainty — there's a difference — and uncertainty is really akin to ambiguity." "When you need a hero, it means something went really wrong." "The accountability that we're talking about is the kind of accountability that happens after the expectations have been set." "Energy against non-urgent priorities really does require a system because emotion alone, it'll last a couple of weeks and it wears out." Resources Mentioned Website: Chrismcchesney4dx.com The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals, by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey, and Jim Huling Franklincovey.com Chris on LinkedIn Chris on Twitter Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, by Greg McKeown Nonsense: The Power of Not Knowing, by Jamie Holmes The Leadership Podcast is Sponsored by: Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Click HERE to learn more. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more.

Kristen Hadeed is the founder of Student Maid, a successful cleaning company that has employed thousands of students over the last decade and that is known for building the next generation of leaders. In 2017, she published her first book, "Permission To Screw Up", in which she offers an unapologetic account of her biggest mistakes in leadership. She hopes that her vulnerability will give others the courage to open up about their own "perfectly imperfect" moments and proudly embrace them as the tremendous learning opportunities they are. Kristen has been featured in news outlets including PBS, FOX, Inc., NBC, TIME, and Forbes. Her first TED Talk has more than three million views on YouTube. Key Takeaways [4:10] In college, Kristen got a cleaning contract and within 3 days, 45 of the 60 people she hired walked off the job. She had no idea she was such a bad leader, but it was a defining moment for her to change. [6:25] Instead of blaming others, Kristen took an introspective approach. That's because she grew up in a household where failure is learning. [9:55] People don't trust people who are perfect. [11:25] When Kristen was writing her book, she realized she had a fear of failure as well as a fear of success. [14:20] If you keep people in bubble wrap to prevent them from making mistakes, the business will not be able to grow. [14:50] Kristen defines "empowering" as trusting in someone before they've proven it. It's about believing in someone's potential. [17:50] Kristen puts the responsibility on her staff to own their own performance plan and to take accountability for their actions. [22:05] Kristen focuses on building leaders not simply hiring people to join a cleaning company. [25:20] Companies are hesitant to invest in their low-level employees if they know they're just going to move on. Kristen invests in her employees because she cares about the people. [25:50] People do so much for our organizations, so it's only natural we give back and. [26:50] Kristen used to be so focused on retention, but has since shifted her focus to investing in people. [28:25] Empathy is really about hearing people, seeing them, and validating their feelings. [30:35] The pandemic has been an excellent time for Kristen to reflect on her priorities as she now feels like she was on autopilot before. [34:00] Kristen always ends her day on a daily reflection, so that she can both learn from the good and the bad that happened throughout her day. [38:30] Listener challenge: When we look back on this time, what do you want to say about it? Live a proud life. Quotable Quotes "If you're always trying to be perfect, you're never going to take risks." "In our effort to appear perfect, we lose a lot of trust." "When human beings are in the equation, there's probably some screwing up that's going to happen." Resources Mentioned Website: Kristenhadeed.com & book resources Permission to Screw Up: How I Learned to Lead by Doing (Almost) Everything Wrong, by Kristen Hadeed Kristen on LinkedIn Kristen on Facebook Kristen on Instagram Kristen on Twitter The Now Habit, by Neil Fiore Why is Everyone Smiling? The Secret Behind Passion, Productivity, and Profit, by Paul Spiegelman The Dream Manager: Achieve Results Beyond Your Dreams by Helping Your Employees Fulfill Theirs, by Matthew Kelly The Leadership Podcast is Sponsored by: Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Click HERE to learn more. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more.

Tina Chang is the Founder and CEO of Pioneering Collective, a personal PR firm. Tina's passion is to amplify leaders' voices, and she shares how leaders can build genuine connections internally and externally. There isn't one right way to be authentic, so it comes down to a process of experimenting and adapting to what feels best for you. Key Takeaways [3:40] Tina encourages leaders to lean out as opposed to leaning in. The customers and growth are all outside of the organization. [5:10] Most executives are trying to talk about company performance. That's hard to relate to. Tina encourages them to tell a story that resonates instead. [7:40] When leaders come together in a genuine way, that's when beautiful partnerships start to form. [9:15] Tina's personal mission and company mission are quite intertwined. She wants to help leaders open up possibilities and make a deeper impact on the world they're serving. [12:40] Do not let others define you. You get to define your future. [17:15] In order for us to connect as humans, we have to be vulnerable; we have to be ourselves. [17:40] Organizations are moving away from a hierarchical model. Leadership is much more distributed. [19:45] There isn't one right way to be more authentic. Everyone is learning and adapting as we go. [23:15] Tina shares how she went from a medical background to what she does now. [27:15] Mentorship is critical for leaders to help them not feel like they're alone on this journey. [33:45] Most of the leaders Tina really admires have a child-like curiosity. [34:55] Listener challenge: Create ambassadors out of all of your executives. Quotable Quotes "Relationships and genuine relationships have always been a very important part of your life." "There are a lot of possibilities that can happen when it's genuine human-to-human connection." "If others don't see themselves in you or have that common bond, it's hard to continue to build a relationship." "I quickly realized people don't connect with things. They don't connect with a logo or a product or a building; it's the people." "It's a time in society where we need to center ourselves and really be much more present and connect to trends that are happening." Resources Mentioned Website: Pioneeringcollective.com Tina on LinkedIn Patientslikeme.com The Leadership Podcast is Sponsored by: Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Click HERE to learn more. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more.

Roger Connors is a four-time NY Times Bestselling Author and Top 10 Organizational Culture Expert. He is also the Chairman and Cofounder of Zero to Ten, a leadership training company. Roger is out with a new book, Get a Coach, Be a Coach, where he discusses how leaders, often overwhelmed, must learn to become better coaches. Roger discusses why and how we need to train leaders at every level to seek support facing tough challenges. Key Takeaways [3:00] Executive coaching is often only accessible to C-suite executives, but there is a way to make coaching accessible to everyone, even at the frontlines. [4:00] The key to create a non-hierarchical culture is to reach out from within the organization to get advice in real-time. [6:00] You don't need to find a master in their field to receive great coaching. Tiger Woods is a master in his craft, but he's not the best coach out there. [8:15] The average leader has 14 direct reports, which is too many to be present for each person. [12:00] There are five distinct coaching conditions we need to develop so that we can seek help before problem compounds. [16:25] Knowledge-hoarding is a natural human tendency when there is competition within an organization and people feel like they need every edge they can get to get ahead. Leaders need to change the culture to a knowledge-sharing environment. [22:05] The vast majority of coaching happens in under 15 minutes. [29:25] Don't wait for your team leader to give you the coaching you need. Take responsibility and seek it out! [33:25] The problem with accountability is that the conversations are often happening after the fact rather than before the event. [38:10] Millennials don't want a boss, they want a coach. They want support from their leaders. [41:00] Be surrounded by people who can help solve your problem. Quotable Quotes "We found that recency can often be more powerful than expertise." Coaching needs to be an organic, self-directed process. Transition from a knowledge-hoarding environment to a knowledge-sharing environment. where people get from leaders, "'You win by asking for help when you need it." "You need to teach team members how to get the coaching they need and how to empower themselves to get what they need when they need it." Resources Mentioned Website & Book: Zerototen.com Roger Connors on Wikipedia Roger on LinkedIn The Leadership Podcast is Sponsored by: Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Click HERE to learn more. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more.

Dr. Frans de Waal is a Dutch/American biologist and primatologist known for his work on the behavior and social intelligence of primates. His work illuminated our understanding of how alpha males actually thrive through acts of generosity, empathy, and conflict resolution. Discover how you can learn from our distant cousins when it comes to peacemaking, bullying, winning, and more. Key Takeaways [3:35] Alpha male is a term coined by Dr. Frans. They are not typically aggressive nor selfish. [5:30] Frans has witnessed chimps comfort an alpha male who was popular because he kept the peace in the group. [7:35] Frans describes effective alpha male primates as empathetic. [12:40] Alpha monkeys will get in the middle of fights to break it up or even punish other high ranking members of the group if they do something wrong. They don't always play favorites but instead act in accordance with the well being of the group as a whole. [15:30] Despite years of research, Frans has a hard time predicting which male will take over when the leader of the pack dies. [16:00] Frans observed leadership qualities with female primates start to develop at four to five years old. [16:35] The male hierarchy is a very "political" process, and is not decided by who is the biggest and strongest male. [22:45] If you have an alpha male who is also a bully, a younger male will usually challenge the leader, and often, the group turns on the alpha male. [23:45] If you remove the bullied victim from the environment, primates will find another scapegoat to fill in that role. [27:20] Males tend to have a peacemaking strategy and the females have a peacekeeping strategy. [30:50] Monkeys learn through observation. Active teaching doesn't exist in the primate world. [33:25] We often think the key to conflict resolution is in the language, but language is trivial compared to the message delivered via body language. [39:40] Effective male primates may steal food, but for the purpose of sharing and displaying generosity to curry favor. Quotable Quotes Bullying is especially common in primate groups that are unstable. "A scapegoat unifies the group because it becomes the common enemy." "Alpha males who are bullies do not last long." Males are good at comforting each other and getting over conflict, while females are good at preventing conflict. Resources Mentioned Dr. Frans de Waal's Books Dr. Frans de Waal on TED Chimpanzee Politics: Power and Sex Among Apes, by Frans de Waal The Leadership Podcast is Sponsored by: Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Click HERE to learn more. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more.

Deanna Mulligan is the former CEO and current Board Chair of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, and the author of Hire Purpose; How Smart Companies Can Close the Skills Gap. Deanna shares why investing in reskilling is the key to success. Employers of all sizes can and should reskill to attract, retain and outperform the competition. One of the ways you build empathy is you earn, and you earn it by doing the hard stuff. Key Takeaways [5:15] One of the things the pandemic has taught Deanna is that we are more innovative than we think. She rushed in and deployed technology that would normally have taken eight months to train and get familiar with, in under two weeks, and it had a very high acceptance rate! [7:00] Now that she has freed up human capital, she can now train her staff in other areas and help them become more specialized. [11:40] The role and the importance of actuaries are going to change as technology makes it easier to calculate complex math problems. [12:30] For example, in the fraud department, AI and machines are much quicker at picking up these bad patterns than humans are. [14:25] So what happens when these skill sets become irrelevant for a human to do? It's time to put your people in a new training program to upskill or reskill them. Deanna developed a program where her actuaries can now become data scientists and they've seen great results from it. [15:20] It's a two-way street. Companies owe it to their employees to reskill them, but employees also need to be proactive and take advantage of learning opportunities. [17:15] You can assist and boost your employee's skill sets up even if you're a small company. There are a lot of free resources out there! [20:40] Yes, it is hard to train your brain to think differently or to learn a foreign tool, but the rewards are far greater. [24:00] No one is immune to the need to reskill. CEO attributes might very well be outdated in two to three years. [32:25] Purpose and profits are intertwined. The more you live the company purpose, the less you have to worry about profits because they will naturally follow. [38:15] We're all in this together, so let's think through what we have to do to get to the end goal. It's the leaders' mission to include that goal and facilitate their frontline employees to use the tools. [40:39] Although it might sound unrealistic, Deanna's two-year sabbatical was much needed. It gave her the chance to step back and really think with intention and purpose about the kind of organization she wanted to lead. [44:50] Listener Challenge: Never Stop Learning. Quotable Quotes "Purpose and profits are intertwined." "Human beings are endlessly adaptable and both our customers and our agents are endlessly adaptable." "When people are in adverse circumstances, they reach down in themselves and they learn how to do things and invent things." "Necessity is the mother of invention." "We can teach adults new things at a very sophisticated level." "Even though it's difficult, investment [in your staff] is the answer." "One of the ways you build empathy is you earn, and you earn it by doing the hard stuff." "If you can't connect what you're doing every day to a higher purpose of some sort, then you're going to have a hard time staying in business." Resources Mentioned Deanna Mulligan's Bio Deanna on LinkedIn Hire Purpose: How Smart Companies Can Close the Skills Gap, by Deanna Mulligan and Greg Shaw The Leadership Podcast is Sponsored by: Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Click HERE to learn more. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more.

General Lori J. Robinson is the former Commander of NORAD and NORTHCOM. Her selection made national news as she appeared on the cover of Time Magazine as the first woman to lead a US Combatant Command. Her 36-year military career is filled with remarkable accomplishments at the highest levels of operations, diplomatic engagement, and political coordination. Today, she dedicates herself as a mentor to those seeking to better balance career demands with personal and family responsibilities. General Robinson shares her perspectives on transitioning from military life to civilian, redefining the definition of servant leadership, and the differences in responsibilities as a leader. Key Takeaways [3:10] Sometimes, people get nervous around General Robinson, but as a leader, it's your job to make the room comfortable. [6:30] General Robinson recommends veterans take some time for themselves to recover. [16:15] When General Robinson came home after work, it would take her an hour and a half just to decompress because of everything that was going on. And when General Robinson officially retired, it took her six months to recover and to reflect on her personal life. [20:15] Whether you're a commander or CEO, everyone has unique thoughts on how to get to the end goal and it's important as a leader just to listen to those views and thoughts. [22:15] When it comes to harmony within the organization vs. healthy conflict, General Robinson sees it differently. It boils down to what is the main goal and objective we're all trying to achieve, and how can we bring healthy conversation into the fold to get there. [26:30] Servant leadership really could be redefined as supportive leadership. It's not always your job to do every task under the sun, but to actually support and empower your team to do it themselves. [31:00] You need to have a conversation with your spouse about whose career comes first. For General Robinson and her husband, it made the most sense for her husband to leave his service after 17 years to join the reserves and the private sector. [33:55] If both of your careers come first, then you need to set boundaries for how long you're willing to live apart. Have the conversation now before it becomes an emotional one. [43:55] Listener challenge: Be true to yourself and say thanks every day. Quotable Quotes "The tone from the CEO about everybody having the same destination in mind, listening to everybody, and bringing it together to make it one company, it's very doable." "It's about being a part of something that's bigger than yourself and it's not about you, it's about the institution." "I'm certainly not the smartest person in the room. No matter what the task at hand is, it's important to listen to what experts have to say, but at the end of the day, a decision has to be made." "I'm so humbled and honored to have done and seen the things I did and I'm grateful to the people who have given me the opportunities that they did over my career." Resources Mentioned General Lori J. Robinson's bio: Lori Robinson Stillness Is the Key, by Ryan Holiday The Leadership Podcast is Sponsored by: Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Click HERE to learn more. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more.

Jeff DeGraff is both an advisor to Fortune 500 companies and a Professor at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. He is the author of several books, including Leading Innovation, The Innovation Code, and his latest book, The Creative Mindset. Jeff talks about why innovation is declining, and how the democratization of innovation can reverse that trend. Key Takeaways [3:25] Jeff grew up in the golden age of America. It was almost un-American to not be innovating new things. [6:15] Our leadership and innovation abilities are declining and Jeff believes it's a cultural thing. [8:35] Jeff so deeply cares about the younger generation that he has become almost unapologetic about his words because they need to know the truth of where they stand, and they need encouragement to be better. [11:00] The problem is there's a big gap of underserved people and if you want innovation, you have to include them. Thirty-two percent of high school graduates are functionally illiterate. [13:05] Americans have never been good at standardized tests on a world scale, but the counterpoint to that is that we are the great innovative culture because of the core belief that we can make things better. [15:45] Instead of focusing on people's deficits, we need to reframe it and see how we can work with these drawbacks. Mindset is key in being able to leverage other people's talents. [18:05] If you want to create innovative work, people have to be different. In fact, consensus and alignment are the death of innovation. [25:45] The one thing that does unite us is when we have a shared vision of where we want to go. To figure out what it is we should be doing; this is where diversity comes in to help fill in the blanks. [32:40] Failure doesn't just happen and then you're able to move on to the next thing. Failure happens, and then you have to clean up the mess. Much like home repairs; it's never-ending. [34:35] In uncertain times, it's not about being tough, it's about using your time productively so that you get to where you want to be. [39:20] Jeff grew up poor and that didn't stop him and his family from being creative and scrappy with the resources they had available to them. [41:05] Listener challenge: Find someone who disagrees with your values and beliefs. Quotable Quotes "It's about innovation. We're retreating from a very American view of the world, which is how we move forward. If we don't move forward, who else in the world will?" "The history of innovation in America is the history of immigration. From 2000–2010, 58% of all patents awarded were to people who weren't born here or are first-generation Americans." "The notion is when you have constructive conflict, you get to the next place." "Consensus and alignment thinking is the death of innovation." "Diversity is necessary, but not sufficient. You have to have a decent tax structure, education structure, etc." "You just have to say, 'I'm going to get through this.'" "Part of being a human being is taking the ordinary and making it extraordinary." Resources Mentioned Jeff's website and latest book: Jeffdegraff.com Jeff on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter. The Leadership Podcast is Sponsored by: Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Click HERE to learn more. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more.

Rachael Robertson is the author of the best-selling book Leading on the Edge, an account of leading a year-long expedition to Antarctica. She is a keynote speaker on the topics of leadership and teamwork and her latest book, Respect Trumps Harmony, is out now. When you're sharing close quarters with a team of diverse people, small issues can boil over and turn into massive problems that can halt a multi-million dollar project. Rachael shares her leadership strategy to develop the self-awareness, the priorities, and the communication skills needed to have an open and transparent culture so that everyone can focus on doing their best work and not on the interpersonal conflicts. Key Takeaways [3:55] Looking through a newspaper one day, a photo of a penguin in the job section caught Rachael's eye. It was a call to lead an Antarctic expedition and they were looking for people with certain characteristics, not skillsets. Rachael already had a job, but she was curious. [7:10] The recruitment process was so different than anything Rachael had ever experienced. It wasn't a job interview, it was a boot camp. She was the only woman who applied and when she was selected, she was the youngest leader in the group. [10:25] There is absolutely no sunlight during winter. In summer, it's 0 degrees celsius. [12:00] The experience taught Rachael that she can overcome anything. Whenever she has a tough challenge in her life, she refers back to this expedition. [14:25] Rachael has applied for jobs before and not gotten them, and nothing bad happened to her! These mini "failures" gave her the resilience to at least try and see what happens. [16:10] Rachael shares a challenging experience she had as a leader that she affectionately calls the "great bacon war." Her team was split: Should bacon be crispy or soft and chewy? Upon further inspection, the problem was actually much deeper than that. [21:10] Rachael faced a crisis when a part of her team was stranded with less than 10 days worth of food. An important leadership lesson there was, be visible to the rest of your team and be transparent about the crisis and how it's unfolding. [24:05] Part of being a leader, you have to also take out the politics. You do that by putting systems and processes in place so that everybody feels like they got a fair shot. [26:50] Rachael had to work with a lot of different dynamics when it comes to how people get along. You're in darkness for half a year and sharing quarters with your workmates 24/7, things can get bitter quite quickly if you don't address the different personality types and styles in the room. [35:00] When you're living so closely and you have no privacy, the smallest things can manifest into big issues. The biggest source of conflict was leaving things around and disrespected common areas. [38:40] After Rachael came back over a year, the biggest feeling she experienced was overwhelm. There was so much to process and take in, in such a busy world. [40:55] Listener challenge: Practice optimism. Quotable Quotes "A really basic rule for me is, resilience is thinking about thinking. It's resting your thoughts before they continue [down a negative path]." "As a leader, if you have self-awareness, you can learn everything else." "I don't expect you all to love each other, but I do expect you to treat each other with respect." "The aim, going in, was to create a culture where people will speak up and deal with things because I was worried about someone spiraling with depression or exploding with anger." "We created a thing called 'no triangles.' If somebody has something to say, you go directly to the person, don't take it to a third party." "We don't know what's around the corner. Just be optimistic. Just keep hope alive." Resources Mentioned Rachael's website: Rachaelrobertson.com.au/ Leading on the Edge: Extraordinary Stories and Leadership Insights from The World's Most Extreme Workplace, by Rachael Robertson Respect Trumps Harmony: Why being liked is overrated and constructive conflict gets results, by Rachael Robertson Rachael on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter. The Leadership Podcast is Sponsored by: Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Click HERE to learn more. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more.

Siobhan McHale led a radical seven-year culture change project that transformed her organization from the lowest-performing bank in Australia to one of the highest-performing and most globally admired banks in the world. This gave Siobhan an insider role and a different perspective on culture change, which led to her book, The Insider's Guide to Culture Change. Siobhan provides an overview of how to best measure change, what to do if you feel powerless in an organization, and how to be an effective catalyst to improve culture. Key Takeaways [3:00] Siobhan noticed that a lot of organizational change and literature was written from an outsider's perspective. She wanted to write a book on how to make a change from within. [4:10] Culture is often framed for employee experience, but culture is much more than that. It's about impact. [5:30] Middle management feels powerless about creating lasting change within an organization, but change can happen at all levels. [7:30] Siobhan shares cultural differences between how leadership is led in North America vs. Australia. [13:40] People are running low on energy, and passion projects can be great ways to revitalize yourself. However, we first need to define ourselves and the various roles we have in our life. [18:30] Siobhan was led down this path of culture when she was fired by an organization for going "too fast." [21:30] Change is not someone else's responsibility, it's yours. Instead of empowering your employees to "change," it's about framing it around a goal and bringing accountability to everyone involved. [25:15] It goes back to: People help support what they create. [29:00] You can measure change by defining key metrics early in the beginning. For example, you can measure employee engagement, customer satisfaction, financials, and sustainability.[31:10] We all have a mental map of our roles, but it's time we update that. You don't want to operate just on a functional basis, you want to keep modifying and improving the culture so that it's healthy, vibrant, and adaptable. [34:40] A sign of a good culture is when, if there is a position available, thousands of people are trying to apply. Quotable Quotes "Culture change is led at all levels." "It doesn't matter where you are, you can start to shape the culture in your organization. You don't have to wait for it to be instigated from the top." "It's not so much about empowering your employees, but about framing the goal and not co-creating the pattern where change is someone else's responsibility." "Can you measure culture? No, you can't measure the patterns of the culture, but you can measure the impact it has." "If you do change right, your part of the business will start to navigate its way through this crisis." "Ultimately, culture is in service. Culture is not in competition with strategy. Culture enables strategy." Resources Mentioned Siobhan's website & book: Siobhanmchale.com The Leadership Podcast is Sponsored by: Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Click HERE to learn more. Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more.

Rich Diviney lives to discover, inspire, and accelerate the potential of human beings. As a Retired Navy SEAL Commander, he completed more than 13 overseas deployments. He also spearheaded the creation of a directorate that fused physical, mental, and emotional disciplines. In January 2021, Rich will release his first book, The Attributes: 25 Hidden Drivers of Optimal Performance. Rich breaks down how your average teams can become high-performing teams, the mental strategies we can use to overcome stressful situations, and why we need to screen for attributes, not necessarily skill sets. Rich also works with Simon Sinek to help leaders and organizations create environments where people feel valued and free to explore their potential. Key Takeaways [4:25] When RIch was tasked with creating resilience among SEAL Teams, he created the "Mind Gym" concept. [6:00] Rich believed that, through resiliency, you could label and reframe PTSD in a new way. [10:15] One of the ways we can take care of ourselves mentally is to slow down and to let our brains rest. Sleep is the #1 way to recover. [11:05] If you're stressed out, turn off the news. It's one of the primary sources of stress because they throw so many unknown variables at you. [14:25] Rich is not always striving for peak performance. Instead, he searches for optimal performance, which he defines as, "How can you do the very best you can in the moment with what you've got." [17:25] Our attributes will tell us how we will perform when things go sideways. The good news is that we can develop our attributes. [21:55] Why does someone want to be in special operations forces? Rich believes that the reason is actually rooted in narcissism. We all want to be the best. We all want to prove we are the best. [24:15] Rich breaks drive down into five attributes: Self-efficacy. Discipline. Open-mindedness. Cunning. Narcissism. [27:15] The smaller the team or the smaller the organization, Rich doesn't see the same "groupthink" traits as he does in larger organizations. He believes this is due to lack of structure and corporate refinement. [32:10] You are not allowed to designate yourself as a leader. Leadership is a behavior that others are drawn to. People choose to follow a leader. [37:55] It is completely possible to recharge our mental and physical wellbeing during a stressful situation. It can be through meditation, through a quick nap, or even a visualization of what makes you happy. [44:00] In high-performing teams, Leadership roles and responsibilities will change to different people based on their expertise or who might be closer to a situation at the time. Rich has seen that leadership is fluid and people, including leaders, will shift power roles to the one who is most capable given the situation. [44:35] Trust is the key element to any high-functioning and high-performing team. They lean on each other. [45:35] Listener challenge: Break some of the preconceived constraints and boundaries that have been built on your current team. Quotable Quotes "Resiliency doesn't describe what high performers do. Resiliency by definition is the ability to get knocked off of baseline and get back to baseline." "One of the ways we can all take care of ourselves mentally is to actively find ways to slow ourselves down and turn off the outside world." "Things that bring you joy. Any time you engage in an activity that you feel more full after doing, you're likely in recovery mode." "What defines optimal performance — can you keep on moving and what are the attributes you bring to the table?" "If teams want to figure out how to manage in uncertainty, they need to look at attributes vs. just skill." "We are biologically designed to want to stand out. Narcissism in small doses, the desire to be special, can be a very, very powerful driver in performance." Resources Mentioned Rich's website & upcoming book: Theattributes.com Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder, by Nassim Nicholas Taleb Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, by Angela Duckworth The Leadership Podcast is Sponsored by: Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Investing in yourself isn't selfish. Click HERE to get gritty! Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more.

Kwame Christian, ESQ. is an attorney, meditator, and the author of the best selling book, Finding Confidence in Conflict: How to Negotiate Anything and Live Your Best Life. His book is an Amazon Best-Seller and has helped countless individuals overcome the fear, anxiety, and emotion often associated with difficult conversations through a branded framework called Compassionate Curiosity. Kwame walks us through how to leverage emotions to effectively bridge the gap between negotiation and conflict. Kwame is also the host of the world's most popular negotiation podcast, Negotiate Anything. Kwame's TEDx talk, Finding Confidence in Conflict, was the most popular TEDx Talk on the topic of conflict in 2017, and has been viewed over 150,000 times.Kwame also serves as a negotiation and conflict resolution professor at The Ohio State University's Moritz College of Law. The Dispute Resolution Program at Moritz is the top ranked dispute resolution program in the country. He is also a professor in Otterbein University's MBA program. Prior to practicing business law and founding ANI, Kwame worked at the Kirwan Institute doing civil rights work. While at Kirwan, Kwame focused on criminal justice and health equity. Key Takeaways [4:25] When you travel abroad to new and exotic locations, it can really test your negotiation abilities as you haggle for items you want at the market. [8:45] Kwame's book, Finding Confidence in Conflict, can be used in high-level stressful business negotiations as well as trying to communicate effectively with family. [10:05] Whether we like it or not, we are not thinking machines. We are feeling machines that happen to think. Emotions play a big part in everything we do. [11:25] Most times when people fail at negotiation, it's because they didn't address the underlying emotional issues. [14:10] The "natural" human doesn't want to engage in conflict. [16:20] Conflicts break down because there's a developed "me vs. you" narrative. [20:55] When addressing conflict or a difference in opinion, it's important to first recognize the emotions in ourselves as well as the emotions in others. [25:35] Kwame shares his thoughts on diversity and inclusion and what we need to be doing better to bridge the gap. [27:15] Everyone needs time to process their emotions to effectively communicate what they're feeling. However, men often do feel comfortable saying words like 'disappointed' or 'sad.' [29:15] Sometimes you need an outside perspective to help you dig deep within yourself in a way that you can't do by yourself. This can be a trusted friend, coach, or therapist. [29:55] When it comes to the way women negotiate and the literature out there, Kwame recognizes we're asking women to fend for themselves when we should all be advocating for them. [36:45] You're not going to be able to overcome your own biases unless you have a bit of self-awareness, and take the time to create solutions for them. [43:25] Listener challenge: Use the Compassionate Curiosity Framework: Acknowledging and Validating Emotions. Getting Curious with Compassion. Engaging in Joint Problem Solving. Quotable Quotes "The best things in life are on the other side of difficult conversations." "Our emotions are going to get the first shot of interpretation of anything." "We're working against our psychology when we just say, 'I'm going to pretend I don't have any emotions.'" "You can't overcome a problem if you don't know there's a problem." "Strengthen the foundation of your business by ensuring all employees feel heard, supported, and honored." Resources Mentioned Negotiate Anything Podcast Negotiation Guides Kwame's TEDx Talk Finding Confidence in Conflict: How to Negotiate Anything and Live Your Best Life The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion, by Jonathan Haidt The Confidence Code: The Science and Art of Self-Assurance — What Women Should Know, by Katty Kay Women Don't Ask: Negotiation and the Gender Divide, by Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever "It's Not About The Nail" The Leadership Podcast is Sponsored by: Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Investing in yourself isn't selfish. Click HERE to get gritty! Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more.

Jen believes every single person on the planet is capable of tapping into their creativity. She helps people trust their own instincts and find the courage to take action with authenticity and heart. Using her 20+ years of experience in the Broadway community and her background in the arts, Jen encourages creative thinking and imagination, so that others can cultivate new ideas and share them with the world. Jen and Simon Sinek united several years ago when Jen began using the Golden Circle to inspire artists to make a greater impact with their work. Jen and Simon recognized that their combined efforts could help people across many different industries discover their WHY and bring it to life. Jen presents WHY-inspired keynotes and workshops on leadership, communication, and presentation skills so that individuals and organizations can have more impact with their ideas. Key Takeaways [3:40] We all possess the power to be creative. It is a skillset anybody can learn. [9:25] Everyone should take an acting class because the basic principles of acting are the basic principles of living. [12:15] We can all get better at listening to the end of a sentence. [16:45] A lot of Jen's clients have been with her for 15 years, so when COVID-19 hit, it didn't make sense to close down the business for good. Instead, her team decided to pivot virtually. [19:00] When we lose social connection, we end up being in threat mode and all we care about is survival. [23:15] As an optimist on Simon Sinek's team, Jen helps leaders develop their character through values-based ideas. [27:20] People's greatest fear is often public speaking. However, the heart of this fear really is the opinions of others. [33:45] Actors work and develop their "characters." Leaders and professionals can do the same to instill confidence and trust in the people they serve. [42:15] Listener challenge: Bring art into artless spaces. Quotable Quotes "Anything that can be interrupted doesn't actually have a right answer." Get better at listening to the end of a sentence "We talk about social distancing, but what we really need to do is rebrand that. It's physical distancing, but we need to find ways to be socially close to each other." "At the end of the day, it's not about the speaker, it's about the message." "Working on your character is understanding that everything you do has storytelling value. People are creating narratives out of your behaviors all the time." "We can work on our character and it doesn't make us any less authentic. It gives us the opportunity we know we can be." Resources Mentioned Simonsinek.com The Leadership Podcast is Sponsored by: Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Investing in yourself isn't selfish. Click HERE to get gritty! Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more.

Part of your role as a leader is to create an environment where people are performing at their best; and that means creating an environment where risk is mitigated. However, how safe is too safe? Google conducted a study that looked into what defines a high-performing team. When people see each other as humans first, and coworkers second, it builds psychological safety. Jim and Jan discuss how to provide clarity for effective teaming, and the generational perspectives on risk… and reward. Key Takeaways [2:55] Teams that followed the agenda precisely to a 'T' weren't as effective as those who saw each other as people/humans first and coworkers second. [3:40] If you've ever watched elk in the wild, you'll know that they all face outward watching the horizon so that the herd has everyone's back. The same is true in trusted teams. [7:05] Find the good in others. [7:40] It can be a hard pill to swallow, but your opinions might be wrong. [10:15] Jim remembers a time where he and the neighborhood kids would make up new rules when they played sports and adapt to different situations being thrown at them. It seems the younger generation has a harder time working 'off the cuff' and this might be why there is a backlash with safety. [10:40] There are generational differences in how risk and safety are viewed. [11:35] Leaders might be sending two very different messages to people: We're saying we need to hyper-communicate/collaborate with the team, but at the same time you need to work independently and be resourceful. [13:25] Remember, risk is relative. As leaders, we need to be hyper-vigilant of what that looks like to different people. [18:10] Really pay attention to the assumptions you and others make. You break out of this by having difficult conversations. [23:10] Argue as if you're right, but listen as if you are wrong. [25:50] Stoicism is a balancing act. You don't want to completely control your emotions where you feel nothing. It's about recognizing them and responding to them without impulse. [28:45] You own the responsibility to be clear to your team. When you have empathy for the members of your team and the kind of journey they're on, you will have much more success getting alignment and engagement from your people. Quotable Quotes "Argue as if you're right, but listen as if you are wrong." "We have a whole bunch of biases. Check them at the door." "Hold your views lightly." "Do we pick actions that are for the greater good or do individual needs or rights — do they take precedent?" Resources Mentioned Project Aristotle Spitzercenter.org Steve Justice David Cote The Leadership Podcast is Sponsored by: Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Investing in yourself isn't selfish. Click HERE to get gritty! Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more.

Frances Frei is a Professor of Technology and Operations Management at Harvard Business School, and her research involves understanding how leaders create the conditions for organizations and individuals to thrive. Frances discusses her new book, Unleashed: The Unapologetic Leader's Guide to Empowering Everyone Around You. She dives into fixing broken cultures by creating an environment of psychological safety. Key Takeaways [3:50] Trust can be lost in three critical ways: authenticity wobble, logic wobble, or an empathy wobble. [5:50] The logic wobble typically means you have sound logic but you lost the person in communication somewhere. [11:40] When it comes to delegation, it's on the leader to delegate well and to really examine where the process can be improved if tasks aren't being performed as expected. [12:35] Take radical accountability for your team member's success. [13:35] To achieve high-performing teams, they need to have psychological safety. In this climate, it can be hard to navigate this safety because people become guarded by another person's opposite opinion. [18:55] Cultures really like a redemption story. [21:25] It's on your shoulders, it's your obligation, to build trust when there is no trust. [25:35] If you want people within an organization to behave and act differently, you must get them to think differently. [29:15] Cultural values can become weaponized. When this happens, you have to scrap it and create a new one. [35:00] When it comes to diversity and inclusion, Frances wishes those words were reversed. If you are inclusive of difference, more and more difference is going to want to come and flourish. [38:00] We are instinctively tribal and try to find people who are similar to us. This means if we can't think differently, we have to go through our instinctive nature and put in new processes to help us think differently. [41:30] Listener challenge: Seek a room where you're the least smart person in that room. Quotable Quotes "If I can delegate, I will be better off. Now, I have to learn how to delegate well." "Whether or not you trust me, it's my obligation." "Culture can fix good people behaving badly." "Culture exists in our minds and it manifests in our behaviors. Culture can change through education." "It started as diversity and inclusion, I wish we could reverse those words. I can bring in diversity, but if I'm not inclusive of it, it doesn't make anything better." "I don't want to take my difference and learn to be similar. I want to learn how to be different." Resources Mentioned Frances's website & book: Unleashed: The Unapologetic Leader's Guide to Empowering Everyone Around You Frances on LinkedIn "The Coddling of the American Mind," by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt The Leadership Podcast is Sponsored by: Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Investing in yourself isn't selfish. Click HERE to get gritty! Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more.

Joel Peterson is the chairman of JetBlue Airways, and has a long history of successful growth capital investments in a variety of industries. He currently teaches Entrepreneurial Management at Stanford's Graduate School of Business, and serves as a Director of Franklin Covey. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. Joel is the author of Entrepreneurial Leadership: The Art of Launching New Ventures, Inspiring Others, and Running Stuff, and The 10 Laws of Trust: Building the Bonds that Make a Business Great. Key Takeaways [2:10] Joel has 7 kids and 28 grandkids. He had to get good at time management as well as people management! [4:00] It's important to fire people with empathy. Just because they no longer fit your organization's needs doesn't mean they're still not great people. [8:20] Sales is incredibly vital to an organization, but the way people buy today is completely different than 20-plus years ago, and for that, we also need to be adapting and changing our sales strategies. [10:25] Trust is the most powerful currency you have, but in order to have trust, the other person must feel like you have their best interests in mind and you're not just looking out for yourself. [12:20] Love sounds like it shouldn't be part of a business book or dialogue, but truly, if you have love for other people, it is an unlimited resource that will never be exhausted. [17:40] It's more important than ever for people to have a personal brand and to also best balance that with the interests of a company but this is not a new concept. People have always had an interest in protecting their reputations. [20:55] Trust has become a very precious commodity because it's so easy to violate it. [23:45] The best way to build trust is to trust people one event or one promise at a time. [27:30] It's a cop-out to repeat patterns that no longer serve you and blame it on how you were raised. You can change your patterns and rewrite upbringing. [30:30] Embrace the hardship in your life. It will be one of your best lessons. [33:35] Joel believes if you don't have adversity in your life, you end up creating your own trouble. To counter that, Joel believes reading biographies can help center you in a world that's otherwise pretty good, pretty positive, and low in conflict. [38:10] Listener challenge: Be intentional with your life. Quotable Quotes "In a dynamic business, you are going to outgrow people and people are going to change. Like a coach, you want the very best on your field and you need to do that in a good way." "None of us like to be sold, but we do like to buy something. Once you realize that, what you're really doing is becoming a phenomenal listener and solving problems." "The one resource that is never exhausted and can grow without bound is love." "You can actually rewrite your upbringings. You can overwrite what you inherited." "Break it down, get it simple again. If it gets simple again, you can execute. Being intentional and executing, you become a high-trust person." Resources Mentioned Website Joel on LinkedIn & @JoelCPeterson on Twitter Joel's books: Entrepreneurial Leadership: The Art of Launching New Ventures, Inspiring Others, and Running Stuff and The 10 Laws of Trust: Building the Bonds that Make a Business Great The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion, by Jonathan Haidt Churchill: Walking with Destiny, by Andrew Roberts The Churchill Factor: How One Man Made History, by Boris Johnson The Leadership Podcast is Sponsored by: Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Investing in yourself isn't selfish. Click HERE to get gritty! Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more.

Gary Hamel is on the faculty of the London Business School and is a cofounder of the Management Lab, an organization that builds technology and tools to support breakthrough management innovation. Professor Hamel has been hailed by the Wall Street Journal as the world's most influential business thinker, and his landmark books have been translated into more than twenty-five languages. They include The Future of Management, What Matters Now, and Humanocracy: Creating Organizations as Amazing as the People Inside Them. Gary makes a passionate, data-driven argument for excising bureaucracy and replacing it with something better. Drawing on more than a decade of research and packed with practical examples, Gary lays out a detailed blueprint for creating organizations that are as inspired and ingenious as the human beings inside them. Key Takeaways [3:40] Employees feel powerless because they're not the CEO or in a leadership position. Truth is, employees hold a lot of power. [6:15] You don't need to take down the whole system to fix it. Experiment and see what works. [7:50] Most communication in organizations is horizontal, not vertical. [9:10] Gary shares an example of how employees can get the funding they need within their department without going through the lengthy budget planning and permission process. [12:20] In a recent poll, more than 56% of people thought that capitalism was doing more harm than good. [13:45] No matter your political side, people are frustrated by the broken system. [20:45] Being in a physical location does not impact whether an employee feels more connected to the company mission. [22:40] We live in an increasingly complex world, where changes happen rapidly and often. At the same time, bureaucracy is growing. Gary shares his thoughts on why that might be. [30:30] Breakthroughs often come from people who are very young or from outside the system. If you want to succeed, you need an outsider mindset. [33:35] We see human beings as instruments. We need to shift our focus and see them as agents instead. [35:45] Leaders think their people are resistant to change. This is a false narrative. [37:35] There is a reason why employees are so cynical. [42:00] Gary shares his proudest achievements and what he looks forward to in the future. [45:25] If you're a leader, ask yourself how do you increase the power of those around you? Quotable Quotes "If you're really fed up with all of this and you think we need to change, don't wait for the bureaucrats to uninstall bureaucracy." "Every human being wants dignity and opportunity and equity. You want to believe you matter as a human being." "Only one in five employees believe their opinions matter and only one in 10 say they have the freedom to experiment and try new things." "You gotta empower people to make decisions on the frontline, give them the tools, knowledge, and incentives to do the right thing." "We are eager to change, but our organizations give people very few opportunities to be masters of their own destiny and lead change." Resources Mentioned Website Gary on LinkedIn & @Profhamel on Twitter Gary's books: Humanocracy: Creating Organizations as Amazing as the People Inside Them, What Matters Now: How to Win in a World of Relentless Change, Ferocious Competition, and Unstoppable Innovation, The Future of Management Dreams and Details, by Jim Hagemann Snabe and Mikael Trolle The Leadership Podcast is Sponsored by: Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Investing in yourself isn't selfish. Click HERE to get gritty! Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more.