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763: Leading with Poise When the Stakes are High, with Eileen Collins

15 december 2025 · 39 min
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Eileen Collins: Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars
Colonel Eileen M. Collins, USAF (retired), earned a place in history as the first American woman to pilot, and later to command, a space mission. She flew on the space shuttle four times, twice as commander – including the 2005 “return to flight” mission after the tragic Columbia accident. She is the subject of the documentary movie Spacewoman and author of the book Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars: The Story of the First American Woman to Command a Space Mission (Amazon, Bookshop)*. Lees meer

We all have times in our careers where all eyes are on us. In this conversation, Eileen and I explore the critical moments of her career and how she stayed grounded while soaring among the stars.
Key Points

Until we are tested, we don’t know what we are capable of.
Nerves creep in at times for all of us. When they do, it’s helpful to think about representing your role instead of representing yourself.
When decisions become difficult, always come back to, “What’s the mission?”
Train for the skill, not for the task.
During high-stakes times, remember your family and personal life. They will help you stay grounded.

Resources Mentioned

Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars: The Story of the First American Woman to Command a Space Mission by Eileen Collins (Amazon, Bookshop)*
Spacewoman documentary, featuring Eileen Collins

Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes

How to Lead and Retain High Performers, with Ruth Gotian (episode 567)
The Way to Handle Q&A, with Matt Abrahams (episode 681)
How to Start the Top Job, with Scott Keller (episode 752)

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Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.
762: Show Up Better, Faster, with Claude Silver

8 december 2025 · 37 min
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Claude Silver: Be Yourself at Work
Claude Silver is on a mission to revolutionize leadership, talent, and workplace culture. She is Chief Heart Officer at VaynerX and partners with CEO Gary Vaynerchuk to drive their success. Claude has earned Campaign US's Female Frontier Award, and AdWeek's Changing the Game Award and she’s the author of Be Yourself at Work: The Groundbreaking Power of Showing Up, Standing Out, and Leading from the Heart (Amazon, Bookshop)*. Lees meer

We’ve all heard the advice to be ourselves at work. It’s easier said than done. In this conversation, Claude and I explore how we can actually move past some of the unhelpful self-talk so that we can show up better, faster.
Key Points

We all have songs that play in our heads. When the song isn’t working, it’s time to change it.
Labels are for soup cans, not people. Stop treating negative self-talk as gospel.
Begin by identifying the label you’ve put on yourself that’s harming you. When it’s hard to see a harmful label, use times of either reflection or agitation to help surface it.
Find the internal evidence for this label and record what confirms this belief and also what challenges it. If that’s hard, invite someone else (a partner, friend, or therapist) to help you see it more objectively.
Evolve by creating a new mantra for who you are becoming. If it doesn’t seem doable today, ask yourself if you can envision it being true in the future.

Resources Mentioned

Be Yourself at Work: The Groundbreaking Power of Showing Up, Standing Out, and Leading from the Heart by Claude Silver (Amazon, Bookshop)*.

Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes

How to Tame Your Inner Critic, with Tara Mohr (episode 232)
How to Stand Up for Yourself, with Sunita Sah (episode 715)
When It Feels Like You Don’t Belong, with Muriel Wilkins (episode 756)

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Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchabl…
Listener Survey Results

4 december 2025 · 25 min
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Dave shares the results of the 2025 listener survey and previews what’s next for Coaching for Leaders. If you’re not already getting the weekly update and wish to receive Dave’s forthcoming FocusFive messages, join the free membership for access.
761: Notice Disruption and Innovate Through It, with Steve Blank

1 december 2025 · 35 min
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Steve Blank: Blind to Disruption
Steve Blank is an Adjunct Professor at Stanford and co-founder of the Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation. Credited with launching the Lean Startup movement and the curriculums for the National Science Foundation Innovation Corps and Hacking for Defense and Diplomacy, he’s changed how startups are built, how entrepreneurship is taught, how science is commercialized, and how companies and the government innovate. Steve is the author of The Four Steps to the Epiphany and The Startup Owner’s Manual and is the author of his recent article at steveblank.com: Blind to Disruption: The CEOs Who Missed the Future. Lees meer

Leaders may see the future coming, but we aren’t always incentivized to act on it. In this conversation, Steve and I discuss what we can learn from the common patterns of disruption so we don’t miss what’s next.
Key Points

In the 1890s, there were approximately 4,000 carriage and wagon makers in the United States. Only one company made the transition to automobiles.
In each of the three companies that survived, it was the founders, not hired CEOs, that drove the transition.
Studebaker recognized that it wasn’t in the business of carriages; it was in the business of mobility.
Clayton Christensen taught us that disruption begins with inferior products that incumbents don’t take seriously.
The real problem isn’t that companies can’t see the future. It’s that they are structurally disincentivized to act on it.
Parsing innovation theatre vs. innovation means paying attention to what’s actually shipping. If nothing is and you want to innovate, look elsewhere.
Bubbles in the market are normal. Timing may be off, but that doesn’t mean disruption isn’t happening.

Resources Mentioned

Blind to Disruption: The CEOs Who Missed the Future by Steve Blank

Related Episodes

How to Start Seeing Around Corners, with Rita McGrath (episode 430)
How to Build an Invincible Company, with Alex Osterwalder (episode 470)
How to Pivot Qu…
760: The Kind of Curiosity Leaders Often Miss, with Shannon Minifie

24 november 2025 · 40 min
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Shannon Minifie: Box of Crayons
Shannon Minifie is the CEO of Box of Crayons, a learning and development company that helps unleash the power of curiosity to create connected and engaged company cultures. They are the organization behind the bestselling book The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier. Shannon and her team recently released a report along with the Harris Poll titled Navigating a Fractured Workplace: How Relational Curiosity increases engagement, trust, and productivity. Lees meer

Of course, you’ve heard that being curious and coach-like will help in leadership. But sometimes the very thing we think we’re doing well is actually getting in the way. In this conversation, Shannon and I explore the kind of curiosity that leaders often miss.
Key Points

5-6 hours of the average workweek is lost to the fear of making mistakes.
A strong majority of leaders say employees are expressing a desire for more feedback, and a majority also say that people are unable to receive hard feedback.
Relationships are the core of these conflicting messages. Without a relationship of trust, helpful feedback often doesn’t land that way.
Intellectual curiosity helps us learn what we don’t know. Relationship curiosity helps the other person learn what they don’t know.
Ask yourself: what is my goal in asking this question?
Rather than asking a question that starts with a “why,” consider asking a question that starts with a “what.”

The 7 Essential Questions:

What’s on your mind?
And what else?
What’s the real challenge here for you?
What do you want?
How can I help?
If you’re saying yes to this, what are you saying no to?
What was most useful for you?

Resources Mentioned

Navigating a Fractured Workplace: How Relational Curiosity Increases Engagement, Trust, and Productivity.
Interactive Learning Preview: Invest in the Power of Curiosity
The Coaching Habit* by Michael Bungay Stanier

Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episode…
759: The Way to Build Collective Power, with Ruchika T. Malhotra

17 november 2025 · 38 min
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Ruchika T. Malhotra: Uncompete
Ruchika T. Malhotra is the founder of Candour, a global inclusion strategy firm that has worked with some of the world’s biggest organizations. She’s been recognized multiple times by Thinkers50 and co-wrote one of Harvard Business Review’s top 100 most-read articles in history: Stop Telling Women They Have Imposter Syndrome. She is the author of Inclusion on Purpose, MIT Press’s top-selling book of 2022 and now her newest book, Uncompete: Rejecting Competition to Unlock Success (Amazon, Bookshop)*. Lees meer

A lot of people think about work as a competition for resources. But what if, by inviting others to the table, you created more for everyone? In this conversation, Ruchika and I explore the opportunity for all of us to uncompete.
Key Points

Many of us are so socialized to compete that we don’t realize the benefits of collective collaboration.
Reach out to someone who inspires you. Praising someone for something awesome about them, without an accompanying ask, is so rare.
Display genuine curiosity. Don’t confuse “nice” small talk for depth. Ask bigger questions that get to the heart of who people are.
As you build trust, talk numbers. In the professional context, real relationships of trust demand this kind of transparency.
Take regular stock of relationships. Take people at their word and also watch how their actions line up – or don’t.
Invite others to the table. The bigger your circle, the more you create for everybody.

Resources Mentioned

Uncompete: Rejecting Competition to Unlock Success by Ruchika T. Malhotra (Amazon, Bookshop)*

Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes

End Imposter Syndrome in Your Organization, with Jodi-Ann Burey (episode 556)
How to Create Inclusive Hiring Practices, with Ruchika Tulshyan (episode 589)
Doing Better Than Zero-Sum Thinking, with Renée Mauborgne (episode 641)

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758: How to See What Others Miss, with Kirstin Ferguson

10 november 2025 · 39 min
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Kirstin Ferguson: Blindspotting
Kirstin Ferguson has been recognized globally by Thinkers50 as one of the top 50 management thinkers in the world and is the recipient of the 2023 Distinguished Leadership Award. She was an officer in the Royal Australian Air Force, and then went on to lead an international consulting firm as CEO, before serving on the boards of major publicly listed, private, and non-profit organizations. She is the author of Women Kind, Head & Heart, and her newest book Blindspotting: How to See What Others Miss (Amazon, Bookshop)*. Lees meer

If we stop to think about it, almost all of us recognize that we have blind spots. Given that reality, anything we can do that helps us see what others might miss will help us lead better. In this conversation, Kirsten and I explore the mindsets and practices that will help us uncover more of our blind spots.
Key Points

Experts are better at knowing when they are right, but also less likely to show appropriate doubt when they could be wrong.
There’s a time to be a seeker and a time to be a knower. Both are important in different situations, but leaders in many situations would benefit from more seeking.
Blindspotting is about calibration, not hesitation.
Accept your intellectual limitations. A key way to do this is saying these four words more: “I don’t know yet.”
Disentangling your ego will help your blind spot better. Shift away from your pride a bit by separating yourself from your knowledge and expertise.
Hunt down your biases. Admitting they exist is step one. Model vulnerability by talking about your past mistakes both with yourself and with others.

Resources Mentioned

Blindspotting: How to See What Others Miss by Kirstin Ferguson (Amazon, Bookshop)*.

Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes

Getting Better at Reading the Room, with Kirstin Ferguson (episode 651)
How to Find What’s Missing, with Jeff Wetzler (episode 732)
How to Teach Your Expertis…
757: The Key Elements of a Powerful Personal Brand, with Goldie Chan

3 november 2025 · 40 min
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Goldie Chan: Personal Branding for Introverts
Goldie Chan is the founder of Warm Robots, a social media strategy and creative agency, and she is herself a creative, keynote speaker, author, and cancer survivor. She was named the “Oprah of LinkedIn” by Huffington Post, and her creative video channel won LinkedIn Top Voice for Social Media. She is the author of Personal Branding for Introverts (Amazon, Bookshop)*. Lees meer

Many of us aspire to have a powerful personal brand, but it’s not always clear where to start. In this conversation, Goldie and I zero in on the five elements that matter most – and what you can do to get started.
Key Points
Five C’s of personal branding:

Clarity: Surface it by determining three words you want to be associated with.
Consistency: The internet is for introverts. Find the medium where you can show up often and that plays to your strengths.
Competency: Rather than promoting yourself, promote the ideas and practices you stand for through your experience.
Confidence: Ego is when you shout who you are to a room, and confidence is when you know who you are in a room.
Community: Join in on conversations with people discussing what you care about. Find these communities or build your own.

Resources Mentioned

Personal Branding for Introverts by Goldie Chan (Amazon, Bookshop)*.

Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes

The Four Critical Stories Leaders Need For Influence, with David Hutchens (episode 148)
The Way to Get Noticed by Key Stakeholders, with Daphne E. Jones (episode 614)
Your Reputation is Your Currency, with Maha Abouelenein (episode 703)

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756: When It Feels Like You Don’t Belong, with Muriel Wilkins

27 oktober 2025 · 40 min
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Muriel Wilkins: Leadership Unblocked
Muriel Wilkins is the founder and CEO of Paravis Partners and a sought-after C-suite adviser and executive coach with a twenty-year track record of helping senior leaders take their performance to the next level. She is the coauthor of Own the Room and the host of the Harvard Business Review podcast Coaching Real Leaders. She’s just released her newest book, Leadership Unblocked: Break Through the Beliefs That Limit Your Potential (Amazon, Bookshop)*. Lees meer

You may have spent years aiming for the leadership role you now have. But now, once you’re in the job, it can be really disorienting to feel like you don’t belong. In this conversation, Muriel and I explore this reality that a lot of leaders face and what do when you run into it.
Key Points

Feeling like you don’t belong is a normal and common reality at inflection points in your career.
A vicious cycle can emerge: you’re waiting to be included while others are waiting for you to engage.
While you can’t control others, you can break the part of the pattern you have control of.
Define your value proposition. What gets missed when you don’t show up?
Remind yourself of shared goals or values with the group. This prevents the small stuff from distracting you as much.
Identify a few supportive people and build relationships with them.

Resources Mentioned

Leadership Unblocked: Break Through the Beliefs That Limit Your Potential by Muriel Wilkins (Amazon, Bookshop)*

Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes

How to Start a Big Leadership Role, with Carol Kauffman (episode 617)
How to Start Better With Peers, with Michael Bungay Stanier (episode 635)
The Habits That Hold Leaders Back, with Marshall Goldsmith (episode 696)

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Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.
755: How to Lead a Meaningful Cultural Shift, with David Hutchens

20 oktober 2025 · 39 min
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David Hutchens: Story Dash
David Hutchens works with leaders around the world to find, craft, and tell their most urgent stories for the purpose of creating shared meaning, preserving culture, disseminating learning, and speeding change in organizations. He has taught the Storytelling Leader program at some of the most influential organizations, including NASA, Paypal, Loreal Paris, Cisco, Walmart, Google, and FedEx. He’s written many books, including the Circle of the 9 Muses, Story Dash, and The Leadership Story Deck. Lees meer

When organizational change is happening, leaders need to be intentional about lining up with culture, especially if it’s the time to shift that culture just a bit. We often do the logistics well, but we miss the power of both the human and emotional connections. In this episode, David and I discuss how story can help us make a meaningful shift.
Key Points

The organizations that are being intentional about culture are also being intentional about story.
Getting beyond the logistics of changes and leaning first into humanity and emotion help people frame cultural shifts.
Leaders go first. Embodied stories from leaders are surprising, counter-cultural, and repeatable.
Asking for stories is rarely sufficient. Instead, invite stories through intentional prompts like, “Tell me about a time you felt more engaged, alive, and happiest in your work here.”
Received stories are the ones told by employees. Adding an emotion word to an invitation such as, “What’s a time you were proud?” often surfaces more genuine stories.

David is now a Coaching for Leaders expert partner. Connect with him to discover how he might support your organization in making a meaningful cultural shift via our partners page or email him directly at david@davidhutchens.com.
Resources Mentioned

Circle of the 9 Muses: A Storytelling Field Guide for Innovators and Meaning Makers by David Hutchens (Amazon, Bookshop)*
Story Dash: Find, Develop, and Activate Your Most Valuable Business Stor…
754: Five Steps to Solve a Problem, with Monica Chartier

18 oktober 2025 · 32 min
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Monica Chartier: Coaching for Leaders Fellow
Monica Chartier is a group product manager in the technology industry. Her work has centered on supporting a global product experience, getting a million visitors a day. In addition to her e-commerce and technical experience, she indexes heavily on coach-like leadership with her team and also inside our community as one of our Coaching for Leaders Fellows. Lees meer

In this conversation, Monica and I explore a need inside the Coaching for Leaders membership community and how we used the design thinking process to approach it. We outline the five key steps we followed and how you might do the same to address a problem inside your own organization.
Key Points
Five steps to solve a problem using design thinking:

Empathy: Start with Intentional Listening and Observation.
Define: Clarify the Real Problem to Solve.
Ideate: Co-Create Ideas and Form Testable Hypotheses.
Prototype: Start Small, Learn Fast.
Test, Learn, and Adapt: Make Iteration a Leadership Habit.

Access Monica’s detailed guide (PDF download)
Resources Mentioned

Monica Chartier on LinkedIn

Related Episodes

The Way to Make Struggles More Productive, with Sarah Stein Greenberg (episode 569)
How to Prevent a Team From Repeating Mistakes, with Robert “Cujo” Teschner (episode 660)
How to Lead Engaging Meetings, with Jess Britt (episode 721)

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Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.
753: The Key Norm of a High-Performing Team, with Vanessa Druskat

13 oktober 2025 · 40 min
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Vanessa Druskat: The Emotionally Intelligent Team
Vanessa Druskat is an associate professor at the Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics at the University of New Hampshire. She advises leaders and teams at over a dozen Fortune 500 and Fortune Global 500 companies and wrote the best-selling Harvard Business Review article (with S. Wolff) on emotionally intelligent teams that has been chosen many times for inclusion in HBR’s most valued articles. She is the author of The Emotionally Intelligent Team: Building Collaborative Groups that Outperform the Rest (Amazon, Bookshop)*. Lees meer

It’s easy to assume that a good start for a great team is getting the smartest people together. That does help, but it’s not the critical factor in whether a team performs. In this conversation, Vanessa and I discuss why the word belonging makes such a difference.
Key Points

Raw talent of the individual and their own interpersonal skills don’t predict team performance.
Belonging is critical for team performance. Leaders often miss this because they already feel like they belong.
Team members understanding each other is the first and most critical norm.
Beginning meetings with check-ins or gallery walks helps people understand each other, even if it’s not discussed extensively.
Inviting people to bring everyday objects to illustrate a more complex point helps make understanding accessible.
The leader sets the tone, but it’s the interaction between team members that makes the difference.

Resources Mentioned

The Emotionally Intelligent Team: Building Collaborative Groups that Outperform the Rest (Amazon, Bookshop)* by Vanessa Druskat

Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes

How to Engage Remote Teams, with Tsedal Neeley (episode 537)
Team Collaboration Supports Growth Mindset, with Mary Murphy (episode 695)
How to Help People Connect at Work, with Wes Adams (episode 735)

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Activate your free membership for ful…
752: How to Start the Top Job, with Scott Keller

6 oktober 2025 · 40 min
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Scott Keller: A CEO For All Seasons
Scott Keller is a senior partner at McKinsey, where he coleads the firm’s global CEO Excellence work within the Strategy & Corporate Finance Practice and serves as a global leader in the Organization Practice. He’s a New York Times bestselling author and trusted advisor to boards, CEOs, and senior leadership teams, with whom he guides multiyear, enterprise-wide transformations that shape the future of institutions. His colleagues and he are the authors of the new book, A CEO For All Seasons: Mastering the Cycles of Leadership (Amazon, Bookshop)*. Lees meer

One of the most critical phases of taking on the top job is what you do at the start. Whether it’s stepping into the role as president, general manager, executive director, owner, or CEO, starting well can make all the difference. In this conversation, Scott and I explore how to begin in the best way possible.
Key Points

One-third to one-half of new CEOs are considered to be failing within eighteen months of taking the role. Many wish they’d handled the transition differently.
New CEOs enter a reality distortion field of many bosses (the board), no peers, and ultimate accountability for everything. The best CEOs guard against this by not making it about them.
Ask questions that aren’t about you, but the organization. Instead of, “How will I know if I’m successful?” ask, “How will we know if we’re winning?”
Beginning with a listening tour is essential. People will tell you things when you’re new that they’ll never say two or three years later.
Create a fact-based, one version of the truth. Once you know it, keep to a single narrative for everyone.
Err towards complete candor in the toughest realities. Prepare intensely for moments of truth, when they need to happen.
Set clear boundaries and stay extremely disciplined. Your narrative and first moves should guide how you frame these.

Resources Mentioned

A CEO For All Seasons: Mastering the Cycles of Leadership (Amazon, Bookshop)* by Car…
751: Leadership Through Our Common Humanity, with Neil Ghosh

29 september 2025 · 35 min
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Neil Ghosh: Do More Good
Neil Ghosh is a seasoned executive whose expertise spans the nonprofit, government, philanthropic, and private sectors. With 30+ years of experience, he has successfully launched and scaled both nonprofit and for-profit ventures, building teams, business models, partnerships, and strategies to drive impact and support vulnerable populations in more than 50 countries. His book is Do More Good: Inspiring Lessons from Extraordinary People (Amazon, Bookshop)*. Lees meer

There are many differences in the world today, and those differences influence leaders just like everybody else. That’s why Neil Ghosh has this invitation for us: “Never let age or ideology come between learning and growth.” In this conversation, Neil and I explore how we can lean in on great leadership through our common humanity.
Key Points

In anyone we know, we can always find one positive attribute that we can learn from.
Never let age or ideology come between learning and growth.
The Dalai Lama reminds us to offer compassion and kindness, regardless of whether the recipient is in need.
Give back without expecting fanfare. Help people get what they want through peer mentoring.
Use your platform to promote unity and to be an advocate for others.
Befriend people who have different views. Join or start a book club that intentionally selects books from diverse viewpoints.

Resources Mentioned

Do More Good: Inspiring Lessons from Extraordinary People (Amazon, Bookshop)* by Neil Ghosh

Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes

How to Connect with People Better, with Charles Duhigg (episode 670)
Turning Down the Temperature on Outrage, with Karthik Ramanna (episode 711)
How to Bring Out the Best in People, with Donna Hicks (episode 724)

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Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Le…
750: Six Questions Every Leader Should Ask Themselves, with Margaret Andrews

22 september 2025 · 39 min
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Margaret Andrews: Manage Yourself to Lead Others
Margaret Andrews is a seasoned executive, academic leader, speaker, and instructor. Her course MYLO (Manage Yourself to Lead Others) has become the most popular professional development program at Harvard. She is the author of Manage Yourself to Lead Others: Why Great Leadership Begins with Self-Understanding (Amazon, Bookshop)*. Lees meer

Virtually every book, course, and program on leadership begins with self-understanding. That’s no accident; it’s because managing ourselves helps us lead others more effectively. In this episode, Margaret and I explore the six key questions that will help you manage yourself better.
Key Points

When people are asked to describe the attributes of their best bosses, 85% of the responses highlight interpersonal skills.
Our differences are our features, not our flaws. Knowing yourself well helps you lead others better.

Six Questions for Self-Understanding:

Who, and whose thinking, has shaped you as an individual?
What situations and events have helped shape your perspective?
What does success look like for you?
What are your core values, and how have these values changed throughout your life?
To what extent are you aware of—and allow yourself to feel—your emotions?
What feedback have you received over the years about how your actions and behaviors impact others?

Resources Mentioned

Manage Yourself to Lead Others: Why Great Leadership Begins with Self-Understanding by Margaret Andrews (Amazon, Bookshop)*

Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes

Enhance Your Self-Awareness, with Daniel Goleman (episode 353)
The Way to Be More Self-Aware, with Tasha Eurich (episode 442)
Discover Who You Are, with Hortense le Gentil (episode 459)

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749: How to Balance Positive and Constructive Feedback, with Mark Crowley

15 september 2025 · 37 min
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Mark Crowley: The Power of Employee Well-Being
Mark Crowley is a pioneer in workplace leadership, a speaker, and the bestselling author of Lead from the Heart. He is the host of the Lead from the Heart podcast. His new book is The Power of Employee Well-Being: Move Beyond Engagement to Build Flourishing Teams (Amazon, Bookshop)*. Lees meer

When I talk with leaders, many of them tell me that it’s really hard to decide on how much recognition to give people vs. constructive or critical feedback. In this conversation, Mark and I highlight the ideal ratio to calibrate our communications so that we support people’s well-being while also helping them grow.
Key Points

Despite the focus on employee engagement, actual engagement scores are the same or worse than a decade ago.
Post-COVID, there’s a massive move towards employee well-being. This is good for both the organization and the employee.
An ideal positivity ratio is 4:1 in many relationships. That’s four positive interactions for every constructive or critical interaction.
We react more strongly to negative influence than positive influence, thus the need for a ratio favoring the positive.
Positive interactions include optimism, enthusiasm, solutions orientation, encouragement, kindness, thoughtfulness, approachability, interest, and appreciation.
Leaders still must make unpopular decisions, set expectations, and give critical feedback. Positive interactions are in addition to these, not instead of them.

Resources Mentioned

The Power of Employee Well-Being: Move Beyond Engagement to Build Flourishing Teams (Amazon, Bookshop)* by Mark Crowley

Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes

How to Build Psychological Safety, with Amy Edmondson (episode 404)
Gallup Findings on the Changing Nature of Work, with Jim Harter (episode 409)
The Way to Notice People Better, with Zach Mercurio (episode 733)

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Activate your free membership for full access to the ent…
748: What Really Matters for Team Success, with Colin Fisher

8 september 2025 · 38 min
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Colin Fisher: The Collective Edge
Since his days as a professional jazz trumpet player, Colin Fisher has been fascinated by group dynamics. Today, he is an Associate Professor of Organizations and Innovation at University College London's School of Management, researching the hidden processes of helping groups and teams in situations requiring creativity, improvisation, and complex decision-making. He is the author of The Collective Edge: Unlocking the Secret Power of Groups (Amazon, Bookshop). Lees meer

Most of us assume that the best thing we can do for our teams is to be a great coach as they’re working together. That absolutely helps, but the research says that only 10% of group effectiveness is what we do once the team is underway. In this conversation, Colin and I explore how to get a lot better at the other 90%.
Key Points

The house always wins. If the structure isn’t right for the team to succeed, little else matters in the long run.
Leaders tend to put a majority of their attention on coaching teams in progress instead of the more significant work at the start of structuring and launching teams.
Work on fixing structural problems before you focus on fixing the process.
60% of group effectiveness is determined by structure, 30% by the launch, and 10% by expert coaching.
Critical for structure is the team goal being clear, important, and challenging. Be sure to document it.
Negotiate roles, tasks, and jobs to support structure. Determine early how to articulate progress and highlight small wins.
Ask yourself if the group has the right people to achieve the objective. Deep diversity that supports the goal is essential.
Surface discussions about norms at the start, especially related to communication and storage of information.
At a team launch, articulate why everyone is there, discuss key norms, and schedule a midpoint to reflect and align.

Resources Mentioned

The Collective Edge: Unlocking the Secret Power of Groups (Amazon, Bookshop) by Colin Fisher

Interview N…
747: How to Get Out of a Rut, with Anne-Laure Le Cunff

1 september 2025 · 29 min
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Anne-Laure Le Cunff: Tiny Experiments
Anne-Laure Le Cunff is an award-winning neuroscientist, entrepreneur, and writer. She is the founder of Ness Labs and author of its widely read newsletter, a researcher at the ADHD Research Lab, and an advisor for the Applied Neuroscience Association. She is the author of Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World*. Lees meer

We all get into a rut sometimes. Once we notice we’re in one, our tendency is to work really hard to get out of it. In this conversation, Anne-Laure and I explore how starting with something tiny is often the better bet.
Key Points

SMART goals assume we know exactly where we’re heading. Most of the time, that’s not clear.
A tiny experiment focuses on outputs instead of outcomes.
To build more comfort with uncertainty, find one small place to experiment.
Our brain uses growth loops to constantly adjust our trajectory. We don’t go in circles; we grow in circles.
Improving growth isn’t about knowledge or skill; it’s thinking about your thinking, questioning your responses, and knowing your mind.
A simple, 5-minute tool is Plus Minus Next. It surfaces what’s working, what’s not, and your next steps.

Resources Mentioned

Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World* by Anne-Laure Le Cunff

Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes

How to Become the Person You Want to Be, with James Clear (episode 376)
How to Change Your Behavior, with BJ Fogg (episode 507)
How to Create Space, with Juliet Funt (episode 540)

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746: How to Make Small Talk with Executives, with Lorraine K. Lee

25 augustus 2025 · 39 min
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Lorraine K. Lee: Unforgettable Presence
Lorraine K. Lee is passionate about helping ambitious professionals go from invisible to unforgettable in the modern workplace. She is recognized as a LinkedIn Top Voice in workplace communication and presence and spent over a decade as a founding editor at top tech firms like LinkedIn and Prezi, where she worked on core products including the LinkedIn Daily News module and LinkedIn Newsletters. She is the author of Unforgettable Presence: Get Seen, Gain Influence, and Catapult Your Career. Lees meer

Small talk. We all love to hate it – and we also know that most of us will end up in small talk with someone who’s got a lot of influence. It may be an executive or an external stakeholder. Either way, handling it well can open up doors. In this conversation, Lorraine and I detail how to make small talk go better.
Key Points

Small talk is the starting point before a deeper relationship.
Most opportunities for executive small talk are predictable. Preparation will help you speak well.
Set the tone with positive energy. Rather than dominating the interaction or passively reacting to it, thread your conversations so each party shares equally.
At the office, be ready with a sentence or two about who you work with and what you’re working on. Relationships and outcomes are more memorable than titles.
At social events, share a hobby or interest and ask about theirs. Keep questions open-ended as you would with a friend.
Have a topic ready to go for quick interactions. Sharing a thought about a book or podcast that relates to your organization is a useful resource to have at the ready.
Review your go-to topics regularly so that you always have a relevant conversation topic.

Resources Mentioned

Unforgettable Presence: Get Seen, Gain Influence, and Catapult Your Career by Lorraine K. Lee
Lorraine's weekly newsletter
Lorraine's career tips on LinkedIn Learning

Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
R…
745: How Music Can Help Us Lead, with Mort Sherman

18 augustus 2025 · 39 min
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Mort Sherman: Resonant Minds
Mort Sherman is the retired Senior Associate Executive Director of the American Association of School Administrators, known for his visionary leadership as a superintendent dedicated to elevating academic standards and promoting equitable education. Throughout his career, he championed initiatives that addressed achievement gaps and empowered communities to foster inclusive, impactful learning environments. He is the author, along with his daughter Sara Leila Sherman, of Resonant Minds: The Transformative Power of Music, One Note at a Time. Lees meer

So many of us love music, and it’s often at the core of a lot of our personal lives, celebrations, and emotions. But we don’t often think about how we can leverage its power at work. In this conversation, Mort and I explore how music can help us set the tone for better leadership.
Key Points

One way to nurture our teams and ourselves is a continual call for leaders, and music is an avenue we don’t often consider.
Using music as mindful action, coupled with executive function skills, supports the habits of successful leadership.
Start meetings with music or mindfulness exercises for collective focus, productive discussions, and creative outcomes.
Create team playlists to build community. Combine playlists with meetings to help support trust and respect.
Use music to reinforce a message or theme, tied to the needs of the moment.

Resources Mentioned

Why Cooks Cook from The Bear

Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes

The Power of Leadership Through Hospitality, with Will Guidara (episode 688)
How to Better Manage Your Emotions, with Ethan Kross (episode 719)
What Leaders Should Learn from Taylor Swift, with Kevin Evers (episode 739)

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744: Where Being Selfish is Better, with Jenny Wood

11 augustus 2025 · 40 min
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Jenny Wood: Wild Courage
Over an 18-year career at Google, Jenny Wood grew from entry-level to executive, most recently leading a large operations team that helped drive billions of revenue per year. In 2021, she started a passion project within Google called Own Your Career, which grew to one of the largest career development programs in Google’s history. Her work has since been featured in Harvard Business Review, Entrepreneur, and Forbes, and she’s now the author of Wild Courage: Go After What You Want and Get It*. Lees meer

Leadership is about serving others – and it’s also ensuring that we take care of ourselves along the way. Sometimes leaders over-index on helping their organizations and teams, to their own detriment. In this conversation, Jenny and I explore where being a little more selfish might actually be better for everyone.
Key Points

Selfish redefined means having the courage to stand up for what you want.
People want to join a winning team, even if they don’t say that out loud.
Guilt is natural, but always caving to it is self-defeating.
Don’t do work that’s not actually promotable. There’s no prize for an empty inbox.
A belief like “I owe it to them,” may signal an over-commitment to the organization. They will not love you back.
Appreciate truth when you get it, but don’t sign up for a burned-out boss.
It’s inefficient to always be in the lead. Draft in another leader’s wake.

Resources Mentioned

Wild Courage: Go After What You Want and Get It* by Jenny Wood

Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes

Align Your Calendar to What Matters, with Nir Eyal (episode 431)
The Ways Leadership Can Derail Us, with Bill George (episode 596)
The Path to More Joy in Work and Life, with Judith Joseph (episode 734)

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743: How to Teach Your Expertise to Others, with Roger Kneebone

4 augustus 2025 · 37 min
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Roger Kneebone: Expert
Roger Kneebone directs the Imperial College Centre for Engagement and Simulation Science and the Royal College of Music–Imperial College Centre for Performance Science. He researches what experts from different fields can learn from one another, including a creative team of clinicians, computer scientists, musicians, magicians, potters, puppeteers, tailors, and fighter pilots. He is the author of Expert: Understanding the Path to Mastery*. Lees meer

Many leaders get into the roles they have because they are the experts in their work. But once you’re leading, the work is less about being the expert and more about teaching your expertise to others. In this conversation, Roger and I explore how to get better at doing this well.
Key Points

Experts don’t often recognize that they are experts.
A characteristic of many experts is a dissatisfaction with where they are and an awareness that they could do better.
Experts should notice what’s missing and what would be most helpful to the less experienced person.
Effective teachers zero in on one thing at a time, even if they notice many areas for improvement.
Passing along expertise is not just the skills themselves but the perspective of why each skill matters.
Land in the zone of proximal development. The skill should neither be too easy nor too difficult.

Resources Mentioned

Expert: Understanding the Path to Mastery* by Roger Kneebone

Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes

Help People Learn Through Powerful Teaching, with Pooja Agarwal (episode 421)
The Art of Mentoring Well, with Robert Lefkowitz (episode 599)
How to Handle High-Pressure Situations, with Dan Dworkis (episode 701)

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742: The Problem Leaders Have With Authenticity, with Sabina Nawaz

28 juli 2025 · 37 min
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Sabina Nawaz: You’re the Boss
Sabina Nawaz is an executive coach who advises C-level executives and teams at Fortune 500 corporations, government agencies, nonprofits, and academic institutions. During her 14-year tenure at Microsoft, she went from managing software development teams to leading the company’s executive development and succession planning efforts for over 11,000 managers and nearly a thousand executives, advising Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer directly. She’s the author of You're the Boss: Become the Manager You Want to Be (and Others Need)*. Lees meer

Every leader I know intends to be authentic. Unfortunately, we sometimes use authenticity as an excuse not to do the critical work of calibrating our actions. In this conversation, Sabina and I discuss how to avoid that trap so we can show up more genuinely for others.
Key Points

“Yeah, but…” signals justification and holds us back from what we most need to learn.
Your success comes despite unhelpful traits, not because of them.
Pure authenticity is a complete fallacy. Authenticity is not singular.
We sometimes use authenticity as an excuse not to do the important work of calibrating our actions.
Don’t let the smokescreen of past “authenticity” get in the way of growth.
Authenticity is not static. Reading your old past social media posts will remind you of this.
When shifting, start with small experiments to nudge you in a new direction.

Language that may be warning signs of the authenticity trap:

“That’s just how I am.”
“I’m not the kind of person who…”
“I’m not being true to myself if…”
“That’s the way I’ve always done things, and it’s worked for me.”

Resources Mentioned

You're the Boss: Become the Manager You Want to Be (and Others Need)* by Sabina Nawaz

Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes

How to Change Your Behavior, with BJ Fogg (episode 507)
How to Start a Big Leadership Role, with Carol Kauffman (episode 617)
The Habits That Hold Lea…
741: Getting Better at Transparency, with Minda Harts

21 juli 2025 · 38 min
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Minda Harts: Talk to Me Nice
Minda Harts is a bestselling author, workplace consultant, and sought-after keynote speaker who is redefining what it means to build trust in the workplace. As the bestselling author of The Memo, Right Within, and You Are More Than Magic, Minda has empowered thousands to be their own best advocates and navigate workplace challenges with confidence. She has just released her newest book, Talk to Me Nice: The Seven Trust Languages for a Better Workplace. Lees meer

Sometimes we assume that we’re helping by shielding people from difficult news. But as we all know, virtually everyone wants transparency from leaders. In this conversation, Minda shows us how to get better at it.
Key Points

You’re not helping by shielding people from difficult conversations.
Most everyone assumes baseline behaviors of employees. Employees expect reciprocity through transparency.
We often think about transparency with information that’s known. Just as important is clarity about what’s not known.
Even when you can’t share news, you can put time and resources into what will help people handle a new reality when it arrives.
Transparency provides clear, honest, and timely information.
Promote transparency in roles. A job description is a helpful starting point for this.
Good intentions do not mean good impact. When changes happen, communicate them as quickly as practical.

Resources Mentioned

Talk to Me Nice: The Seven Trust Languages for a Better Workplace* by Minda Harts

Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes

The Path Towards Trusting Relationships, with Edgar Schein and Peter Schein (episode 539)
How to Help Difficult Conversations Go Better, with Sheila Heen (episode 655)
Preparing for a Conversation with Someone You Don’t Trust, with Charles Feltman (episode 708)

Expert Partner
Are you a talent development or human resources leader seeking a coach for an internal client? Coaching for Leaders has partne…
740: How to Lead Organizational Change, with Michael Bungay Stanier

30 juni 2025 · 39 min
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Michael Bungay Stanier: Change Signal
Michael Bungay Stanier is best known for The Coaching Habit, the best-selling coaching book of the century and recognized as a classic. He was a Rhodes Scholar, and was recently awarded the coaching prize by Thinkers50. He's now the host of the new Change Signal podcast. Lees meer

If you’re doing change right, it’s going to be messy. In this conversation, Michael Bungay Stanier returns to show us where to start, the key mindsets to have, and the first steps for getting traction.
Key Points

If you’re doing change right, it’s going to be messy.
Before you remove a fence, figure out why it’s there.
Take inspiration from Emily Dickinson: “Tell all the truth but tell it slant.”
Beware giving lip service to the emotional realities of change and then moving forward without really addressing them.
Strategy is a living conversation. Run experiments. Fire bullets before cannonballs.
Motivation is a critical factor in change. Better to be less efficient and have people with you than to force compliance with a “perfect” plan.

Emily Dickinson:
Tell all the truth but tell it slant —
Success in Circuit lies
Too bright for our infirm Delight
The Truth's superb surprise
As Lightning to the Children eased
With explanation kind
The Truth must dazzle gradually
Or every man be blind —
Resources Mentioned

Change Signal podcast hosted by Michael Bungay Stanier
The Coaching Habit* by Michael Bungay Stanier

Related Episodes

Engaging People Through Change, with Cassandra Worthy (episode 571)
How to Approach a Reorg, with Claire Hughes Johnson (episode 621)
How to Prevent a Team From Repeating Mistakes, with Robert “Cujo” Teschner (episode 660)

Expert Partner
Are you a talent development or human resources leader seeking a coach for an internal client? Coaching for Leaders has partnered with some of the top coaches in the world, including a number of past podcast guests. Help us make an introduction by visiting our Expert Partners Page and telling us what y…
739: What Leaders Should Learn from Taylor Swift, with Kevin Evers

23 juni 2025 · 39 min
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Kevin Evers: There’s Nothing Like This
Kevin Evers is a Senior Editor at Harvard Business Review. Passionate about shaping groundbreaking research and amplifying pioneering ideas, he has edited bestselling and award-winning books on high performance, creativity, innovation, digital disruption, marketing, and strategy. He is the author of There’s Nothing Like This: The Strategic Genius of Taylor Swift*. Lees meer

You may love her music. You may not. You may think she’s a business genius…or perhaps no. But one thing is for sure, you cannot ignore Taylor Swift. In this conversation, Kevin and I explore Swift’s strategic approach and what every leader can learn from her success.
Key Points

Swift knows exactly her “job to be done” and delivers on it consistently.
Swift treats her fans’ emotions and experiences with respect, and they respond in kind.
Andy Grove famously said that only the paranoid survive. It’s one of many traits that helps Swift stay successful.
Swift’s transition to pop was promotion-focused rather than prevention-focused. She led the story of her transformation.
Not only is Swift clear on her vision, but she regularly reflects on the difficult steps to get there.
Swift is a remarkable example of antifragility. Not only does she withstand stress and shocks, but they make her stronger.

Resources Mentioned

There’s Nothing Like This: The Strategic Genius of Taylor Swift* by Kevin Evers

Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes

Doing Better Than Zero Sum-Thinking, with Renée Mauborgne (episode 641)
The Reason People Make Buying Decisions, with Marcus Collins (episode 664)
How to Keep Improving, with Maurice Ashley (episode 697)

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738: How to Partner Well with AI, with Faisal Hoque

16 juni 2025 · 40 min
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Faisal Hoque: Transcend
Faisal Hoque is an award-winning entrepreneur and innovator and founder of SHADOKA and NextChapter. He is a three-time Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the books: Reinvent, Everything Connects, and Lift. He has just released his newest book: Transcend: Unlocking Humanity in the Age of AI*. Lees meer

The most compelling use cases for AI aren’t people OR AI – it’s both. Leaders who learn how to partner with AI will almost certainly open doors that many others don’t. In this episode, Faisal and I explore (a few steps on) how to get started.
Key Points

While we think about working with AI as very different than working with people, similar mindsets and skill sets help us with both.
Partnering well with AI means asking better questions and being genuinely interested in the answers.
Experts are limited by their perspective. Beginners are open to possibilities. We should approach AI with a beginner’s mindset.
Using AI well means getting more comfortable with uncertainty. We need to own our ignorance.
Playful discovery helps with our intrinsic motivation to keep going. When using AI, find the fun that keeps you engaged.
This technology will do the logical work far better than any human. To partner well, work to increase your emotional intelligence.

Resources Mentioned

Transcend: Unlocking Humanity in the Age of AI by Faisal Hoque

Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes

The Way to Be More Self-Aware, with Tasha Eurich (episode 442)
Principles for Using AI at Work, with Ethan Mollick (episode 674)
Becoming an AI-Savvy Leader, with David De Cremer (episode 710)

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737: How to Fundraise for Leaders Who Never Wanted to Fundraise, with Alice Ferris

9 juni 2025 · 40 min
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Alice Ferris: GoalBusters
Alice Ferris is the Founding Partner of GoalBusters, a firm working to help small and mighty fundraising teams achieve big impact by planning practical strategies, teaching essential fundraising skills, and doing the hands-on work to turn vision into reality. She has more than 30 years of professional fundraising experience, specializing in strategic and development planning, campaign readiness and development program assessments, board and organizational training, executive leadership coaching, individual giving, and grant proposal evaluation. She’s also a graduate of the Coaching for Leaders Academy. Lees meer

Fundraising is not a word that sparks joy for most leaders. In fact, many people who do fundraising never planned to have that be part of their career. And yet, almost every leader has an aspect of fundraising in their professional or personal lives. In this conversation, Alice and I explore how to get better at it.
Key Points

Almost every leader is involved with fundraising in some capacity, either personally or professionally.
It’s a myth that fundraising is just asking for money. Most fundraising activities happen outside of the ask.
Consider fundraising goals for must-do activities, maintaining the current state, and aspirational growth.
Most people share health issues with their immediate family and close friends. When your organization is facing headwinds, tell your donors how they can help.
Dedicated attention to fundraising is key for both prioritization and relationship continuity.
Connectors, experts, and closers are all essential roles in the fundraising process. Play to the strengths of both staff and volunteers to fill these roles well.

Resources Mentioned

Connect with Alice on LinkedIn
GoalBusters

Related Episodes

How to Lead Top-Line Growth, with Tim Sanders (episode 299)
How an Executive Aligns with a Board, with Joan Garry (episode 662)
The Reason People Make Buying Decisions, with Marcus Collins (episode 664)

Expert …
736: How High Performers Land New Business, with Matt Dixon

2 juni 2025 · 39 min
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Matt Dixon: The Activator Advantage
Matt Dixon is Founding Partner of DCM Insights, a global training and advisory firm, and a leading expert in business development and client experience. His first book The Challenger Sale was a #1 Amazon and Wall Street Journal bestseller, and translated in a dozen languages. His newest book with colleagues Rory Channer, Karen Freeman, and Ted McKenna is The Activator Advantage: What Today’s Rainmakers Do Differently*. Lees meer

At lot of us know the traits of the kind of person who’s successful at attracting new business. What many of us don’t know, is that what’s working today is actually different than what we traditionally think. In this conversation, Matt and I a take a detailed look at the professionals who are landing the most new business – and what they’re doing that works.
Key Points

The loyalty that once existed between professionals and their clients has changed substantially in recent years.
A type of professional called an activator represents the highest performance in business development.
Activators assume their best clients will leave at some point and are consistently working to build a pipeline of opportunities.
Many professionals tend to protect client relationships. In contrast, activators actively bring colleagues into these relationships.
Activators don’t wait for inquiries. They make opportunities happen by building relationships before paid work begins.
Activators go way past birthdays and factual knowledge about others. They discover what’s important to their clients as individuals.
Activators go way past “as is” content and work hard to thoughtfully connect it to a prospect or client’s situation.

Resources Mentioned

The Activator Advantage: What Today’s Rainmakers Do Differently* by Matt Dixon, Rory Channer, Karen Freeman, and Ted McKenna

Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
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735: How to Help People Connect at Work, with Wes Adams

26 mei 2025 · 40 min
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Wes Adams: Meaningful Work
Wes Adams is the CEO of SV Consulting Group, a firm partnering with Fortune 500s and scaling companies to develop high-impact leaders and support high-performing teams. He is also a positive psychology researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, where he studies the leadership practices and organizational structures that help employees thrive. He’s the author, along with Tamara Myles, of Meaningful Work: How to Ignite Passion and Performance in Every Employee*. Lees meer

A generation ago, work was just work for a lot of folks. Today, we expect more out of our careers than past generations ever did. That means leaders need to be better at helping people find meaning at work. In this conversation, Wes and I discuss how leaders can do better at being catalysts for connection.
Key Points

We expect so much more from work than we did a generation ago. Work is increasingly a place where people seek belonging, purpose, and meaning.
Supporting community in the workplace is a combination of building trust and designing shared experiences.
Just like a balanced investment portfolio, community is a combination of diverse avenues that build a strong foundation.
Consider a simple structure for synchronized breaks to help people connect more intentionally during work.
Invite team members to share a story of them at their best or reflect on a photo/story that has meaning for them at the start of team meetings.
When responding to a joy that a colleague shares, ask a follow-up question that engages and elevates.
Higher difficulty (yet strongly meaningful) activities include shared volunteer work and funding or support for community activities.
By occasionally sharing personal plans, stories, reading lists, or other activities, the leader sets the tone for others feeling safe to connect in this way.

Resources Mentioned

Meaningful Work: How to Ignite Passion and Performance in Every Employee* by Wes Adams and Tamara Myles

Interview Notes
Download my interview no…
734: The Path to More Joy in Work and Life, with Judith Joseph

19 mei 2025 · 40 min
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Judith Joseph: High Functioning
Judith Joseph is a Columbia-trained psychiatrist and the founder of and chief investigator at Manhattan Behavioral Medicine, New York City’s premier clinical research site. She’s also a clinical assistant professor in child and adolescent psychiatry at NYU Langone Medical Center in Manhattan, and chairwoman of the Women in Medicine Board at Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. She is the author of High Functioning: Overcome Your Hidden Depression and Reclaim Your Joy*. Lees meer

When we think about successful leaders, we often admire those who are loving towards others, can tolerate painful times, and know how to delay gratification. Those are all such important traits – and when we overindex on them, can become counter-productive. In this conversation, Judith and I explore when it’s no longer working and how to find the joy again.
Key Points

Many people who are experiencing high-functioning depression don’t realize it.
High-functioning depression is often triggered by trauma. That can be major trauma, but it can also be more common forms of trauma like divorce, workplace conflict, legal issues, and many more.
Anhedonia is one of the most common ways high-functioning depression reveals itself. It looks like not seeking out joyful activities and also not experiencing joy in activities that used to bring joy.
Masochism is the other common way high-functioning depression shows up. It manifests as a pattern of self-defeating, people-pleasing behavior.
The “superpowers” that come with high-functioning depression are viewed by others and society as strengths. However, over-indexing on being loving, tolerating pain, and delayed gratification are counter-productive over time.
Validation is a starting point for healing. Each person is unique and sometimes it’s helpful to begin with movies or other creative works that help you recognize yourself.

Resources Mentioned

High Functioning: Overcome Your Hidden Depression and R…
733: The Way to Notice People Better, with Zach Mercurio

12 mei 2025 · 39 min
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Zach Mercurio: The Power of Mattering
Zach Mercurio is an author, researcher, and speaker specializing in purposeful leadership, mattering, meaningful work, and positive organizational psychology. He teaches a course with past guest Simon Sinek on how leaders can show everyone how they matter. He is the author of The Power of Mattering: How Leaders Can Create a Culture of Significance*. Lees meer

When you ask people what mattered in their careers, few cite the bonus, or the stock options, or the employee of the month award. What they do talk about are the times they were remembered, supported, thanked, and seen. In this conversation, Zach and I discuss how to do that better.
Key Points

When people are asked about when they mattered, they recall small moments of being remembered, helped, thanked, or seen.
The behavior of a leader accounts for half of the increased feelings of mattering and meaningfulness at work.
Rather than identifying with a person’s behavior, identify first with the person.
Look for the positive traits in a person or identify something that you love.
Music is the space between the notes. In our informal interactions, we have the choice to turn against, turn away, or turn towards.
Leaders who notice people well consistently follow three steps: observe, note, and share.

Resources Mentioned

The Power of Mattering: How Leaders Can Create a Culture of Significance* by Zach Mercurio

Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes

Start With Why, with Simon Sinek (episode 223)
How to Shift Behavior for Better Results, with Mitch Warner (episode 690)
How to Bring Out the Best in People, with Donna Hicks (episode 724)

Expert Partner
Are you noticing people communicating in such a way that feels boring or robotic to stakeholders – or perhaps just losing them in the data? David Hutchens, one of our expert partners, helps leaders and organizations develop a more human, engaging voice through the power of st…
732: How to Find What’s Missing, with Jeff Wetzler

5 mei 2025 · 39 min
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Jeff Wetzler: Ask
Jeff Wetzler is co-Founder of Transcend, a nationally recognized innovation organization, and an expert in learning and human potential. His experience spans 25+ years in business and education, as a management consultant to top corporations, a learning facilitator for leaders, and as Chief Learning Officer at Teach For America. He's the author of Ask: Tap Into the Hidden Wisdom of People Around You for Unexpected Breakthroughs in Leadership and Life*. Lees meer

We place our organizations at risk when we miss stuff. Often, the things we miss aren’t what we don’t know. Instead, they are the assumptions we don’t even question. In this conversation, Jeff and I explore the practices that work to find what’s missing.
Key Points
Hidden feedback cues:

Repeated questions or suggestions about seemingly small details.
Increased involvement in tactical decisions.
Unexpected decreases in engagement.

Benefits of curiosity:

When We’re Curious About People, They Like Us More
Curiosity begets curiosity.
Curiosity creates empathy.
Curiosity makes us more resilient.

Curiosity sparks:

What might I be missing?
How else might someone interpret the situation?
How might I be impacting them?
What can I learn from this person?

Resources Mentioned

Ask: Tap Into the Hidden Wisdom of People Around You for Unexpected Breakthroughs in Leadership and Life* by Jeff Wetzler
Ask Approach
How to Recognize “Hidden Feedback” (Harvard Business Review) by Jeff Wetzler
The Curiosity Coach In Your Pocket (Psychology Today) by Jeff Wetzler

Related Episodes

How to Inspire More Curiosity, with Shannon Minifie (episode 520)
How to Help Others Be Seen and Heard, with Scott Shigeoka (episode 654)
Make it Easier to Discuss Hard Things, with Jeff Wetzler (episode 679)

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731: What to Do After a Layoff, with Scott Anthony Barlow

28 april 2025 · 39 min
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Scott Anthony Barlow: Happen to Your Career
Scott Anthony Barlow is CEO of Happen To Your Career and host of the Happen to Your Career podcast. His team and him are focused on helping people find the work they love. He’s also the author of the book, Happen to Your Career: An Unconventional Approach to Career Change and Meaningful Work*. Lees meer

You’ve been laid off, or someone close to you is navigating that reality right now. A lot of the first things we think to do after a layoff are wrong. In this episode, Scott and I explore what to avoid…and more importantly, where to begin anew.
Key Points

Most people underestimate the time it takes to make a transition to the next, right position.
Submitting tons of applications, networking everywhere, and telling everyone that you’re looking feels productive, but is often either incomplete or a waste of time.
Give yourself the space to grieve. Spend time with the people who care about you.
This didn’t happen to you, it happened for you. Whether objectively true or not, this mindset will help you be intentional about next actions.
Hyperfocus your targeting by creating a master resume and also considering backdoors to opportunities.
Decide when to hire help by using math – how much will expertise help speed up the process and/or help you land a higher salary?

Resources Mentioned

Happen to Your Career: An Unconventional Approach to Career Change and Meaningful Work* by Scott Anthony Barlow

Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes

Craft a Career to Fit Your Strengths, with Scott Anthony Barlow (episode 424)
How to Nail a Job Transition, with Sukhinder Singh Cassidy (episode 555)
How to Respond When You Get Triggered, with Sally Helgesen (episode 620)

Expert Partner
In this midst of a layoff? Feeling stagnant in your current role? Scott Barlow and his team may be able to help as official partners of Coaching for Leaders. To discover more about how his team can support …
730: How to Take Initiative, with Tom Henschel

21 april 2025 · 36 min
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Tom Henschel: The Look & Sound of Leadership
Tom Henschel of Essential Communications supports senior leaders and executive teams. An internationally recognized expert in the field of workplace communications and self-presentation, he has helped thousands of leaders achieve excellence through his work as an executive coach and his top-rated podcast, The Look & Sound of Leadership. Lees meer

Have you been told you should take more initiative? Or, perhaps you’ve been telling that to someone else? Either way, this conversation with Tom Henschel will outline three key steps to help you get started.
Key Points
Three steps to taking more initiative:

Think and talk about your work. Ideas come through conversation.
Execute on your idea. Feel the fear and do it anyway.
Communicate what you’ve done.

Initiative is often in the eye of the beholder.
Imagine a scale that goes from bold to cautious. There’s probably room for you to be at least 5% bolder.
Feeling like you are waiting on others may be an indicator to take initiative.
To calibrate where you land, ask yourself: “What’s my typical pattern?”
In correspondence, consider asking fewer questions and making more statements.
Place yourself in situations where you’ll need to show initiative.

Resources Mentioned

The Look & Sound of Leadership podcast by Tom Henschel
Feel the Fear…and Do It Anyway* by Susan Jeffers

Related Episodes

Leadership vs. Management (The Look & Sound of Leadership, episode 166)
5 Strategies for Dealing with Narcissists (The Look & Sound of Leadership, episode 239)
How to Answer “Tell Us About Yourself” (The Look & Sound of Leadership, episode 250)
How to Talk So People Understand You (The Look & Sound of Leadership, episode 254)

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729: How to Raise Kids Without Raising Your Voice, with Jon Fogel

14 april 2025 · 39 min
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Jon Fogel: Punishment-Free Parenting
Jon Fogel is a husband, a father of four, and a parenting educator. His goal is to teach how to parent more effectively, with less stress and more success by combining modern neuroscience, developmental psychology, counseling, and positive, gentle parenting wisdom. He is the author of Punishment-Free Parenting: The Brain-Based Way to Raise Kids Without Raising Your Voice*. Lees meer

Most of us aspire to lead well in every area of our lives, not just in the workplace. A key place for leadership with many of us is with our kids and the other young people in our lives. In this conversation, Jon and I discuss how to raise kids without raising your voice.
Key Points

Consequences and punishment are not the same thing, even if the words are used interchangeably.
Our kids want us to like them. They are not giving you a hard time; they’re having a hard time.
Punishment doesn’t “teach kids a lesson.” More often, it crowds out higher-level thinking, and children are unable to remember what they were being punished for.
Rather than imposing retribution, help children surface the natural and logistical consequences of their behaviors.
Get curious, not furious. Often, there’s a perfectly rational reason that children are acting the way they are.
Children are great imitators. So give them something great to imitate.

Resources Mentioned

Punishment-Free Parenting: The Brain-Based Way to Raise Kids Without Raising Your Voice* by Jon Fogel
Jon Fogel on Instagram

Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes

How to Reduce Drama With Kids, with Tina Payne Bryson (episode 310)
The Way Into Better Conversations About Wealth, with Kristin Keffeler (episode 606)
Supporting Return to Work After Maternity Leave, with Danna Greenberg (episode 639)

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728: Lower Your Risk of Being Hacked, with Qasim Ijaz

7 april 2025 · 39 min
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Qasim Ijaz
Qasim Ijaz is the director of cybersecurity at a leading healthcare organization, overseeing detection, incident response, vulnerability management, purple teaming, and cybersecurity engineering. With a strong background in offensive security and risk management, he has helped organizations strengthen their defenses against evolving threats. He is also a dedicated educator, mentoring professionals and sharing his expertise at conferences such as BSides and Black Hat. Lees meer

You don’t need to go far in the news these days to find out that another organization was hacked. Data breeches are a nightmare scenario for both leaders and the people they support. In this episode, Qasim and I explore what your team and you can do to be a bit more prepared.
Key Points

Use multi-factor authentication, passphrases, and a password manager.
Freeze your personal credit reports. Do this for free directly with Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.
Leaders in bigger roles (executives, CEOs, board members) are larger targets for hackers due to their access and also their ability to occasionally side-step organizational guidelines.
It’s the non-technical pieces of a cyber response that organizations are least prepared for.
Conduct incident response and disaster recovery tabletop exercises to uncover vulnerabilities before an attack.
Regardless of organizational policy, employees will use AI. The best prevention assumes the inevitability of human behavior and works with it to improve systems.

Resources Mentioned

Recommended password managers: 1Password, Apple password app, Proton Pass
Critical Security Controls by the Center for Internet Security
Resources for Small and Medium Businesses by the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency
2024 Data Breach Investigations Report by Verizon Business

Related Episodes

Dumb Things Smart People Do With Money, with Jill Schlesinger (episode 396)
Where to Start When Inheriting a Team in Crisis, with Lynn Perry Wooten (episode 603)
How to…
727: How to Show Up Authentically in Tough Situations, with Andrew Brodsky

31 maart 2025 · 38 min
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Andrew Brodsky: Ping
Andrew Brodsky is an award-winning professor, management consultant, and virtual communications expert at the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin. He is an expert in workplace technology, communication, and productivity, and serves as the CEO of Ping Group. He is the author of Ping: The Secrets of Successful Virtual Communication*. Lees meer

We’ve all heard the well intended advice that having interactions in person is always best. And that being as close to perfect as possible is ideal. Turns out, not always. In this conversation, Andrew and I explore how adapting to the context of tough situations can help you show up in a way that’s helpful for the other party and for you.
Key Points

In virtual interactions, what feels authentic to you may not seem authentic to the person you’re interacting with.
While video is best for being present, it may not be best when your underlying emotions could leak into a situation.
Surface acting helps us all land with the other party more authentically. Audio only can help this land better.
If using a less rich medium to communicate (i.e. email instead of a conversation) it’s helpful to explain why you made that choice.
People who appear perfectly competent may not be as likable. Consider surfacing blunders that aren’t central to the core expertise of your work.
We often default to the medium that works best for us. Consider what will land best with the other party.

Resources Mentioned

Ping: The Secrets of Successful Virtual Communication* by Andrew Brodsky

Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes

How to Genuinely Show Up for Others, with Marshall Goldsmith (episode 590)
How to Make a Better Impression on Camera, with Mark Bowden (episode 643)
How to Grow From Feedback, with Jennifer Garvey Berger (episode 713)

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726: Make Work Better Through Simplicity, with Paul Akers

24 maart 2025 · 37 min
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Paul Akers: 2 Second Lean
Paul Akers is the founder and president of FastCap, a product development company specializing in woodworking tools and hardware for the professional builder. Through a series of twists and turns he discovered Lean and the Toyota Production System (TPS) which was instrumental in propelling FastCap as an example of Lean manufacturing and culture, now followed by thousands of companies around the world. He is the author of 2 Second Lean: How to Grow People and Build a Fun Lean Culture at Work & at Home*. Lees meer

We often add more in order to make a system better. The opposite tactic is often more useful: making things simpler. In this conversation, Paul and I explore how to make worker better by starting small.
Key Points

Your pride will blind you to what you most need to learn.
Begin by addressing the things that bug you. Lean is about making things simpler.
Instead of batching, consider one-piece flow. This helps you improve as you go.
Set the standard at 2 seconds to try something new. Anybody can achieve that.
Start in the bathroom. Showing respect in the place everybody visits sets a standard for the rest of the organization.
To make something stick, (1) set the expectation, (2) inspect the expectation, (3) reinforce the expectation.

Resources Mentioned

2 Second Lean: How to Grow People and Build a Fun Lean Culture at Work & at Home* by Paul Akers
Example of 2 second lean in practice

Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes

How To Create Joy At Work, with Richard Sheridan (episode 122)
Engaging People Through Change, with Cassandra Worthy (episode 571)
How to Change the Way You Think, with Ari Weinzweig (episode 592)

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725: Leading with Humility: Three Shifts that Empower Others, with Joel Pérez

17 maart 2025 · 39 min
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Joel Pérez: Dear White Leader
Joel Pérez is an executive and leadership coach, speaker, and consultant who is passionate about helping leaders and organizations achieve their goals and develop a posture of cultural humility. He has over twenty years of experience in higher education, serving in various key leadership roles. He is the author of Dear White Leader: How to Achieve Organizational Excellence through Cultural Humility*. Lees meer

We could all get a bit better at bringing a dose of humility into our work. Inside organizations, cultural humility starts with how leaders show up each day. In this episode, Joel and I examine three shifts that will help us better empower others.
Key Points

While humility starts with an individual, it must move beyond them to improve the organization.
Maintain high standards while avoiding perfectionism by discussing how mistakes get handled in advance.
To prevent a sense of urgency from rushing a bad decision, consider who’s missing from the conversation.
Listen, ask curious questions, and say thank you when receiving criticism.
Criticism doesn’t need to be addressed in the moment. Consider reflection, other data points, and responding more in a future interaction.

Resources Mentioned

Dear White Leader: How to Achieve Organizational Excellence through Cultural Humility* by Joel Pérez
Dear White Leader website

Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes

The Starting Point for Inclusive Leadership, with Susan MacKenty Brady (episode 584)
How to Use Power Responsibly, with Vanessa Bohns (episode 551)
How to Discover What People Want, with Tiziana Casciaro (episode 565)

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724: How to Bring Out the Best in People, with Donna Hicks

10 maart 2025 · 34 min
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Donna Hicks: Leading with Dignity
Donna Hicks is an Associate at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University and the former Deputy Director of the Program on International Conflict Analysis and Resolution (PICAR). She has facilitated dialogues in numerous unofficial diplomatic efforts and was a consultant to the BBC in Northern Ireland, where she co-facilitated a television series, Facing the Truth, with Archbishop Desmond Tutu. She is the author of Dignity: Its Essential Role in Resolving Conflict and Leading with Dignity: How to Create a Culture That Brings Out the Best in People*. Lees meer

Everyone wants to be treated in a way that shows they matter. We may differ in status, but we are all equal in dignity. In this episode, Donna and I explore how appreciating dignity can help us bring out the best in people.
Key Points

Everyone wants to be treated in a way that shows they matter.
Dignity is different from respect. Everyone has dignity, but not everyone deserves respect.
A major misconception of dignity is that we receive our worth from external sources.
We’re at our best when connected to our own dignity, connected to the dignity of others, and connected to the dignity of something bigger.
Start with vulnerability and empathy. These open the doors to connecting with your own dignity and the dignity of others.
We may differ in status, but we are all equal in dignity.

Resources Mentioned

Dignity: It’s Essential Role in Resolving Conflict* by Donna Hicks
Leading with Dignity: How to Create a Culture That Brings Out the Best in People* by Donna Hicks

Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes

How to Get Way Better at Accepting Feedback, with Sheila Heen (episode 143)
Use Power for Good and Not Evil, with Dacher Keltner (episode 254)
Help People Show Up as Themselves, with Frederic Laloux (episode 580)

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723: Create Visibility for Your Work, with Melody Wilding

3 maart 2025 · 40 min
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Melody Wilding: Managing Up
Melody Wilding is an executive and leadership coach for smart, sensitive high-achievers who are tired of getting in their own way. She teaches human behavior at Hunter College and is a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and Business Insider, who named her one of the “most innovative coaches.” She is the author of Managing Up: How to Get What You Need from the People in Charge*. Lees meer

Good work speaks for itself. It’s a lie many of us have wished was true, but found that there’s actually much more work involved. In this conversation, Melody and I discuss what really helps in creating more visibility.
Key Points

Good work does not speak for itself.
Our fear of appearing self-promotional can hinder the visibility conversations that our leaders and team need from us.
A story will be told about your work. By having stories that you are ready to tell, you get to shape the narrative.
Instead of listing what you’ve done, highlight what you want to be known for.
Give visibility to work that is important to your team, puts you in contact with stakeholders, and impacts that bottom line.
Always have a 3-step pocket update at the ready. Share a (1) project, (2) detail, and (3) result.
Capitalize on casual conversation. Say yes to the right invitations and be the person that keeps the relationship going.

Resources Mentioned

Managing Up: How to Get What You Need from the People in Charge* by Melody Wilding

Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes

Get Noticed Without Selling Out, with Laura Huang (episode 480)
How to Start Finding Useful Stories, with David Hutchens (episode 593)
Getting Better at Internal Communication, with Roy Schwartz (episode 687)

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722: Where to Start in Survival Mode, with Rebecca Homkes

24 februari 2025 · 35 min
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Rebecca Homkes: Survive, Reset, Thrive
Rebecca Homkes is a high-growth strategy specialist and CEO and executive advisor. She is a Lecturer at the London Business School, Faculty at Duke Corporate Executive Education, and Advisor and Faculty at the Boston Consulting Group focused on AI and Climate and Sustainability. She is the author of Survive, Reset, Thrive: Leading Breakthrough Growth Strategy in Volatile Times*. Lees meer

Uncertainty seems to be more and more the norm. Sometimes, that leads an organization into survival mode. If that’s where you are now, this conversation is the roadmap for what to do next.
Key Points

We default to the assumption that uncertainty is unequivocally bad.
Executives are often overconfident in their ability to predict the future and get tied into patterns that reward following the plan.
We tend to adopt the first explanation we hear that makes sense instead of examining our beliefs.
Make good decisions even when you cannot make good predictions.
Avoid attempting to predict the end state. Stop planning and start preparing.
People are often most honest when in survival mode, opening up opportunity for learning and growth.
Ask these two questions: What could break us? What could make us?

Resources Mentioned

Survive, Reset, Thrive: Leading Breakthrough Growth Strategy in Volatile Times* by Rebecca Homkes

Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes

The Way to Make Better Decisions, with Annie Duke (episode 499)
Help Your Team Embrace Growth Mindset, with Eduardo Briceño (episode 644)
How to Handle High-Pressure Situations, with Dan Dworkis (episode 701)

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721: How to Lead Engaging Meetings, with Jess Britt

22 februari 2025 · 38 min
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Jess Britt
Jess Britt is an experienced executive and nonprofit board chair. Today as a coach and consultant, she uses a facilitative leadership approach to empower leaders and teams to build collaborative, high-performing, data-driven workplace cultures. She’s an alum of our Academy and for the past two years, has taken a leadership role inside our community as a Coaching for Leaders fellow, providing coaching and facilitation to our members. Lees meer

While some leaders love to hate meetings, a well-designed meeting can open huge opportunities to connect, engage, and build culture on a team. In this conversation, Jess and I zero in on simple tactics that will help you engage attendees and lead meetings that people actually enjoy. We explore how objectives, facilitation tactics, and adult learning principles can help and invite you to start with one.
Key Points

Identifying both shared and non-shared objectives helps you design meetings, informs how you show up, makes meetings less frustrating, and helps you pivot.
Invite discussion and engagement at the start with a warm-up question. If possible, connect the question to an objective of the meeting.
Check-out questions are a quick indicator of what worked and what didn’t. Use emojis, voting, or a quick question to assess, and follow up if something didn’t land.
Adults learn best by drawing on past experiences and taking action. Bring in role plays, think-pair-share, and gallery walks to help engage people.
Simple debrief questions will open up insights. Consider prompts like: “What came out of this?” “What did you hear?” and “I heard you discussing an idea. Tell us more.”

Reach out to Jess at jess@jessbritt.com and tell her one thing you tried from this conversation and what happened. She’ll respond by sharing her full guide of meeting facilitation ideas we weren’t able to entirely cover in this episode.
Resources Mentioned

Jess Britt’s website
Coaching for Leaders Academy

Related Episodes

How to Lead Meetings That Get…
720: The Way Towards a Bit More Bravery, with Margie Warrell

17 februari 2025 · 38 min
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Margie Warrell: The Courage Gap
Margie Warrell is a best-selling author, keynote speaker, leadership coach, and Forbes columnist. With twenty-five years of experience living and working around the world, she has dedicated her life to helping others overcome fear and unlock their potential. She is the author of The Courage Gap: 5 Steps to Braver Action*. Lees meer

Whether it’s painting a vision of the future or giving feedback on something that didn’t work yesterday, courage is a necessity for leaders. In this episode, Margie and I highlight the way towards just a bit more of it.
Key Points

Leaders may rise in the ranks because of what they do, but cap themselves because of who they are.
The smarter we are, the more our fears work in the background.
Beware discounting the future. Fear causes us to value the future less than the present.
Reel in fearcasting worst-case scenarios. These can prevent us from seeing the benefits of action.
Stop rationalizing inaction and excess caution. An excuse is always there to prevent you from doing what’s right and true.
Avoid betraying yourself to secure status with others.

Resources Mentioned

The Courage Gap: 5 Steps to Braver Action* by Margie Warrell

Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes

How to Protect Your Confidence, with Nate Zinsser (episode 573)
How to Help People Engage in Growth, with Whitney Johnson (episode 576)
How to Grow From Feedback, with Jennifer Garvey Berger (episode 713)

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719: How to Better Manage Your Emotions, with Ethan Kross

10 februari 2025 · 38 min
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Ethan Kross: Shift
Ethan Kross is the author of the national bestseller Chatter and one of the world’s leading experts on emotion regulation. An award-winning professor in the University of Michigan’s top-ranked Psychology Department and its Ross School of Business, he is the Director of the Emotion and Self-Control Laboratory. He's the author of the new book, Shift: Managing Your Emotions--So They Don't Manage You*. Lees meer

Being a leader means that our emotions get triggered, often many times a day. While none of us can avoid those triggers, how we respond to them can make all the difference. In this conversation, Ethan and I explore his research on how to better manage our emotions.
Key Points

We often assume that approaching emotions is universally good and avoiding emotions is universally bad. Reality is much more nuanced.
We can strategically use our senses to modulate our feelings.
Music is a simple and powerful way to manage emotions proactively. Use playlists that align with the mood you wish to create.
Using distancing language when talking to yourself (i.e. saying “you” instead of “I”) can help you regulate.
Time shifting may help regulate your emotions. Ask yourself, how will I feel about this in a week? A month? A year?
Different tools work for different people at different times. Experiment to help you determine what works best for you.

Resources Mentioned

Shift: Managing Your Emotions--So They Don't Manage You by Ethan Kross

Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes

How to Find Helpful Advisors, with Ethan Kross (episode 516)
How to Grow From Your Errors, with Amy Edmondson (episode 663)
How to Handle High-Pressure Situations, with Dan Dworkis (episode 701)

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718: How Leaders Can Use the Algorithms for Good, with Sandra Matz

3 februari 2025 · 39 min
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Sandra Matz: Mindmasters
Sandra Matz is a Columbia Business School professor, computational social scientist, and pioneering expert in psychological targeting. Her research uncovers the hidden relationships between our digital lives and our psychology with the goal of helping businesses and individuals make better decisions. She is the author of Mindmasters: The Data-Driven Science of Predicting and Changing Human Behavior*. Lees meer

Algorithms are becoming more influential with each passing day. That’s why leaders must understand their power and then decide how their organizations engage. In this conversation, Sandra and I discuss where psychological targeting is at, where it’s going, and the opportunity you have to make the world a bit better.
Key Points

Everyone knows everything in a small town (for better or worse). In the same way, psychological targeting can be used for both evil and good.
Psychological targeting already is successful at identifying wealth, personality, income level, and sexual orientation – and keeps improving.
None of this is going away. Understanding how the game of targeting is played can help you make it work to your advantage.
Leaders and organizations who use targeting responsibly can do tremendous good, including helping people save money and flag early interventions for health crises.
Be transparent with what data you’re collecting and how you’re using it. Consider newer practices like federated learning that protect privacy and provide permission-based access.
Design systems and practices that anticipate the reality of future leaders with different values.

Resources Mentioned

Mindmasters: The Data-Driven Science of Predicting and Changing Human Behavior by Sandra Matz

Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes

Serve Others Through Marketing, with Seth Godin (episode 381)
The Way to Earn Attention, with Raja Rajamannar (episode 521)
The Reason People Make Buying Decisions, with…
717: A Key Tactic for Way Better Conversations, with Alison Wood Brooks

27 januari 2025 · 39 min
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Alison Wood Brooks: Talk
Alison Wood Brooks is the O’Brien Associate Professor of Business Administration and Hellman Faculty Fellow at the Harvard Business School, where she created and teaches a course called TALK. As a behavioral scientist, she is a leading expert on the science of conversation and her research was referenced in two of the top ten most-viewed TED talks and depicted in Pixar’s Inside Out 2. She is the author of Talk: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves*. Lees meer

Conversations are the venues where leaders do so much of their work. We all know someone who always can keep a conversation interesting and relevant. In this episode, Alison and I discuss how a key tactic can help you towards more meaningful conversations.
Key Points

Healthy relationships are critical for success, and relationships are about talking.
Good conversation is both instinct and deliberate effort. Preparing topics in advance improves conversation immensely.
Topics for conversation can be sourced from almost anywhere and help even if we don’t use those topics.
Good topic management is more important than the right topic. The best conversationalists know when to shift.
Small talk in an essential exploration ground for getting to bigger, more meaningful conversation.

Resources Mentioned

Talk: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves* by Alison Wood Brooks

Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes

The Way Into Difficult Conversations, with Kwame Christian (episode 497)
How to Help Difficult Conversations Go Better, with Sheila Heen (episode 655)
How to Connect with People Better, with Charles Duhigg (episode 670)

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716: How to Share an Inspiring Vision, with Adam Galinsky

20 januari 2025 · 35 min
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Adam Galinsky: Inspire
Adam Galinsky is the Vice Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Paul Calello Professor of Leadership and Ethics at the Columbia Business School. He co-authored the book Friend & Foe and his TED talk, How to Speak Up for Yourself, is one of the most popular of all time with over 7 million views. He's the author of Inspire: The Universal Path for Leading Yourself and Others. Lees meer

Leaders can delegate many things, but vision is not one of them. Most every leader needs to be able to articulate the future. In this conversation, Adam and I explore the building blocks to get better at inspiring others.
Key Points

Every leader has the potential to be inspiring. We can choose to get better.
Whatever a leader says, either positive or negative, will be amplified.
When values are brought front and center, they inspire behavior that creates a better future.
Inspiring leaders offer a big picture, optimistic view of the future.
Make visions simple and vivid. Simplicity is the key to inception. Use strong imagery that brings details to life.
Repetition is essential for a vision to take hold. The more often we hear something, the more likely it becomes our own truth.

Resources Mentioned

Inspire: The Universal Path for Leading Yourself and Others* by Adam Galinsky

Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes

How to Sell Your Vision, with Michael Hyatt (episode 482)
The Beliefs of Inspirational Leaders, with Stephen M. R. Covey (episode 707)
How to Create Your Personal Vision (Audio course)

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715: How to Stand Up for Yourself, with Sunita Sah

13 januari 2025 · 36 min
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Sunita Sah: Defy
Sunita Sah is an award-winning professor at Cornell University and an expert in organizational psychology, leading groundbreaking research on influence, authority, compliance, and defiance. A trained physician, her research and analyses have been widely published in leading academic journals and media entities including The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Harvard Business Review, and Scientific American. She is the author of Defy: The Power of No in a World That Demands Yes*. Lees meer

We often think of defiance as a snap judgement. Yet, it’s so much more nuanced and purposeful than it often appears. In this conversation, Sunita and I explore the common patterns of defiance and how we can all do a better job of standing up for ourselves.
Key Points

We follow bad advice – even when we know it is obviously bad – to avoid appearing unhelpful.
Defiance means acting in accordance with your true values when there is pressure to do otherwise.
True defiance is not a snap judgement; it’s a process.
Acts of defiance are preceded by many moments of conscious compliance, when defiance is deferred.
Five stages of defiance often emerge: (1) Tension, (2) Acknowledgement (to ourselves), (3) Escalation (vocalize to others), (4) Threat of non-compliance, and (5) Act of defiance.
Vocalizing our concern to someone else is a key pivot point on the journey to ultimately saying no.
Respond explicitly to these questions: (1) Who am I? (2) What type of situation is this? and (3) What does a person like me do in a situation such as this?

Resources Mentioned

Defy: The Power of No in a World That Demands Yes* by Sunita Sah

Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes

Find Courage to Speak When It Matters Most, with Allan McDonald (episode 229)
How to Build Psychological Safety, with Amy Edmondson (episode 404)
How to Speak Up, with Connson Locke (episode 546)

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759: The Way to Build Collective Power, with Ruchika T. Malhotra

758: How to See What Others Miss, with Kirstin Ferguson

757: The Key Elements of a Powerful Personal Brand, with Goldie Chan

756: When It Feels Like You Don’t Belong, with Muriel Wilkins

755: How to Lead a Meaningful Cultural Shift, with David Hutchens

754: Five Steps to Solve a Problem, with Monica Chartier

753: The Key Norm of a High-Performing Team, with Vanessa Druskat

752: How to Start the Top Job, with Scott Keller

751: Leadership Through Our Common Humanity, with Neil Ghosh

750: Six Questions Every Leader Should Ask Themselves, with Margaret Andrews

749: How to Balance Positive and Constructive Feedback, with Mark Crowley

748: What Really Matters for Team Success, with Colin Fisher

747: How to Get Out of a Rut, with Anne-Laure Le Cunff

746: How to Make Small Talk with Executives, with Lorraine K. Lee

745: How Music Can Help Us Lead, with Mort Sherman

744: Where Being Selfish is Better, with Jenny Wood

743: How to Teach Your Expertise to Others, with Roger Kneebone

742: The Problem Leaders Have With Authenticity, with Sabina Nawaz

741: Getting Better at Transparency, with Minda Harts

740: How to Lead Organizational Change, with Michael Bungay Stanier

739: What Leaders Should Learn from Taylor Swift, with Kevin Evers

738: How to Partner Well with AI, with Faisal Hoque

737: How to Fundraise for Leaders Who Never Wanted to Fundraise, with Alice Ferris

736: How High Performers Land New Business, with Matt Dixon

735: How to Help People Connect at Work, with Wes Adams

734: The Path to More Joy in Work and Life, with Judith Joseph

733: The Way to Notice People Better, with Zach Mercurio

732: How to Find What’s Missing, with Jeff Wetzler

731: What to Do After a Layoff, with Scott Anthony Barlow

730: How to Take Initiative, with Tom Henschel

729: How to Raise Kids Without Raising Your Voice, with Jon Fogel

728: Lower Your Risk of Being Hacked, with Qasim Ijaz

727: How to Show Up Authentically in Tough Situations, with Andrew Brodsky

726: Make Work Better Through Simplicity, with Paul Akers

725: Leading with Humility: Three Shifts that Empower Others, with Joel Pérez

724: How to Bring Out the Best in People, with Donna Hicks

723: Create Visibility for Your Work, with Melody Wilding

722: Where to Start in Survival Mode, with Rebecca Homkes

721: How to Lead Engaging Meetings, with Jess Britt

720: The Way Towards a Bit More Bravery, with Margie Warrell

719: How to Better Manage Your Emotions, with Ethan Kross

718: How Leaders Can Use the Algorithms for Good, with Sandra Matz

717: A Key Tactic for Way Better Conversations, with Alison Wood Brooks

716: How to Share an Inspiring Vision, with Adam Galinsky

715: How to Stand Up for Yourself, with Sunita Sah