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813 afleveringen, van nieuw naar oud
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664: The Reason People Make Buying Decisions, with Marcus Collins
29 januari 2024 · 38 min
Marcus Collins: For the Culture
Marcus Collins is an award-winning marketer and cultural translator. He is a recipient of Advertising Age’s 40 Under 40 award and Crain’s Business 40 Under 40 award and a recent inductee to the American Advertising Federation’s Hall of Achievement. He has worked for several top advertising agencies, and his strategies and creative contributions have led to the success of Budweiser’s Made in America music festival, the launch of the Brooklyn Nets (“Hello Brooklyn!”), and State Farm’s “Cliff Paul” campaign, among others. Prior to his advertising tenure, Marcus worked on iTunes + Nike sport music initiatives at Apple and ran digital strategy for Beyoncé. Lees meerHe is a marketing professor at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, and faculty director for the school’s executive education partnership with Google. Marcus delivers keynote talks across the globe for companies and conferences such as the Cannes Lions International Festival for Creativity, SXSW, Social Media Week, Adcolor, Hyper Island, TEDx, and Talks at Google. He is the author of For the Culture: The Power Behind What We Buy, What We Do, and Who We Want to Be*.
Whether you’re in a sales and marketing role or not, every leader needs to appreciate the psychology of why people buy. Often we assume people buy because of what the product or service provides. But as Marcus and I discuss in this episode, people often buy because of who they are.
Key PointsFor getting people to move, nothing is more powerful than aligning with culture.
Anaïs Nin said, “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.”
Audiences buy because of what the product is, but congregations buy because of who they are.
Many leaders assume people love their brand -- but it's not really about the brand, it's about how people view themselves.
Begin with examining your own thinking and language regarding customer relationships and transactions. How you view these influences the actions of other… -
663: How to Grow From Your Errors, with Amy Edmondson
22 januari 2024 · 40 min
Amy Edmondson: Right Kind of Wrong
Amy Edmondson is the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School, where she studies people and organizations seeking to make a positive difference in the world through the work they do. She has pioneered the concept of psychological safety for over twenty years and is recognized as number one on the Thinkers50 global ranking of management thinkers. She also received that organization’s Breakthrough Idea Award in 2019 and Talent Award in 2017. In 2019 she was first on HR Magazine’s list of the 20 Most Influential International Thinkers in Human Resources. Lees meerHer prior book, The Fearless Organization, explains psychological safety and has been translated into fifteen languages. In addition to publishing several books and numerous articles in top academic outlets, Amy has written for, or her work has been covered by, media such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Financial Times, and many others. Her TED Talk on teaming has been viewed more than 3 million times. She is the author of Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well*.
Many leaders espouse the value of talking about our failures. Yet, failure is a threat to our ego, so it turns out we’re better at learning from the failures of others than we are from our own. In this conversation, Amy and I explore how to do a better job of growing when we’re in the wrong.
Key PointsFailure is a threat to our ego. As a result, we’re more likely to learn from the failures of others than from our own failures.
It’s hard to learn if you already know. If you can frame situations more helpfully, it can substantially influence your ability to grow from being wrong.
Disrupt the inevitable emotional response to being wrong by asking this: how was I feeling before this happened?
Challenge yourself by considering if the content of your thoughts are useful for your goal. A key question: what other interpretation of the situation … -
662: How an Executive Aligns with a Board, with Joan Garry
15 januari 2024 · 39 min
Joan Garry: Guide to Nonprofit Leadership
Joan Garry is an internationally recognized champion for the nonprofit sector and a highly sought after executive coach for CEOs at some of the largest organizations. Joan’s firm offers high-end strategic advisory services with a unique combination of coaching and management consulting. She is the founder of the Nonprofit Leadership Lab, a worldclass online educational membership organization for board and staff leaders of small nonprofits. Lees meerAs a columnist for the Chronicle of Philanthropy, contributor to Harvard Business Review and to Forbes, Joan is a preeminent media spokesperson and thought leader on the role of the nonprofit sector in our society and is a sought after voice on issues facing the sector today. Joan was previously executive director of GLAAD, one of the largest gay rights organizations in the United States. She is the author of Joan Garry's Guide to Nonprofit Leadership: Because the World is Counting on You*.
When thinking about executives interacting with boards, the first thought I used to have was that an executive’s job is keep the board happy. In contrast, the most effective executives are intentional about creating a for framework for shared leadership. In this episode, Joan and I discuss key lessons from the non-profit world to help align better with your board.
Key PointsThe relationship between an executive director and board chair in one of the most critical ones for an organization. Shared leadership provides more opportunity today than hierarchy.
Many “type A” people are in leadership roles. Getting clear on who decides what is critical because “type A” people don’t tend to operate well with ambiguity.
Focus on getting clarity and aligned on one thing at a time to avoid overwhelming the decision-making progress. Use a recent example as a catalyst to begin this process.
Executive directors should encourage boards to think and work at altitude so they get beyond only doing risk management.
It… -
661: How to Tell a Story About Yourself, with David Hutchens
8 januari 2024 · 40 min
David Hutchens: Leadership Story Deck
David Hutchens helps leaders find and tell their stories. He 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. Lees meerHe has taught the Storytelling Leader program at some of the most influential organizations, including NASA, Paypal, Loreal Paris, Cisco, Walmart, Google, FedEx — and he’s written many books, including the Circle of the 9 Muses*, Story Dash*, and The Leadership Story Deck*. He is the co-creator with longtime friend of the show Susan Gerke of the GO Team program.
Many of us have heard that we should be vulnerable and, at least occasionally, share a story about ourselves. But how do you tell a story about yourself without making the entire interaction about you? In this episode, David and I explore how to best utilize a personal story to help the organization move forward.
Key PointsWhile leaders more often tell stories about others, a personal story can be very powerful for relationship building.
An effective, personal story is 2-3 minutes.
Telling a story about yourself needs to have a leadership point. Be clear on the “so what?” once the story concludes.
Even if you don’t quite capture all the emotion, say the word out loud that describes the emotion you want to convey.
Share your stories with others to get objective insight to tighten your message.Resources Mentioned
Leadership Story Deck by David Hutchens (use code CFL24 for a limited-time discount)
To receive a free copy of the Story Canvas, David invites listeners to reach out to him directly via david@davidhutchens.comRelated Episodes
Ignite Change Through Storytelling, with Nancy Duarte and Patti Sanchez (episode 268)
How to Start Better With Peers, with Michael Bungay Stanier (episode 635)
What Vulnerable Leadership Sounds Like, with Jacob Morgan (episode 648)Discover More
Activate your fr… -
660: How to Prevent a Team from Repeating Mistakes, with Robert “Cujo” Teschner
18 december 2023 · 39 min
Robert “Cujo” Teschner: Debrief to Win
Robert “Cujo” Teschner is a retired F-15 / F-22 fighter pilot. He is also a former F-15 Weapons School Instructor, F-22 Squadron Commander, senior Joint Staff officer, and combat veteran. He holds advanced degrees in Operational Art and Science and National Security Strategy and has extensive experience in tactical planning and execution, and organizational leadership. From 2004 to 2006, he served as the US Air Force’s expert in post-mission debriefing, the methodology used by high-performing military teams to self-correct and improve continuously. Lees meerCujo retired immediately after his promotion to full Colonel due to complications from cancer-related care and started an international business consulting practice based in St. Louis, MO. His company is called VMax Group. VMax Group’s mission is to teach, inspire, and nurture teams on how to really “team”, making work more fulfilling, and making teams much more effective. He is the author of Debrief to Win: How America's Top Guns Practice Accountable Leadership...and How You Can, Too!*
Many of us recognize we could get better at reflecting on our team’s work, but we rarely get beyond what went well and what didn’t. One of the best ways to stop making the same mistakes is to look at the truth of what’s already happened, and learn from it. In this conversation, Cujo and I look at the value of a debrief and how to bring that practice into your organization.
Key PointsSaying, “We learned a lot of important lessons today,” doesn’t actually prove that any learning has happened.
The context of military and civilian debriefs are both different, but the stakes are still high in both venues.
A debrief is not about blame or shame. Instead, it’s an affirming, positive experience that builds future leaders.
A key benefit of regular debriefs is to institutionalize the process of challenging conversations. Psychological safety is critical for this to happen well.
Objectives should be measurab… -
659: Ways to Thrive When the Ground Keeps Shifting Under You, with Jen Byyny
16 december 2023 · 36 min
Jen Byyny
Jen Byyny is a senior director of product design in health-tech and a graduate of the Coaching for Leaders Academy. In this conversation, Jen and I discuss how to handle change in your career when things keep shifting around you.
Key Points Lees meerIt’s about people, not product. When lots of change is happening, come back to relationships and communication.
Pay attention to the people who support you and the ones you look forward to working with. They will be your champions through whatever happens.
Provide space for grace during times of change. Others need it as much as you do.
It’s helpful to have people in your corner who are pulling for you but who are not tied to the politics or emotion of the situation.Related Episodes
The Power of Weak Connections, with David Burkus (episode 347)
How to Win the Long Game When the Short-Term Seems Bleak, with Dorie Clark (episode 550)
How to Quit Bad Stuff Faster, with Annie Duke (episode 607)Discover More
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658: How to Help Change Happen Faster, with Frances Frei
11 december 2023 · 36 min
Frances Frei: Move Fast & Fix Things
Frances Frei is a professor at Harvard Business School. Her research investigates how leaders create the context for organizations and individuals to thrive by designing for excellence in strategy, operations, and culture. She regularly works with companies embarking on large-scale change and organizational transformation, including embracing diversity and inclusion as a lever for improved performance. In 2017, Frances served as Uber’s first senior vice president of leadership and strategy to help the company navigate its very public crisis in leadership and culture. Lees meerHer partner Anne Morriss and her are the authors of Uncommon Service and The Unapologetic Leader’s Guide to Empowering Everyone Around You. They are also hosts of Fixable, a leadership advice podcast from the TED Audio Collective, and they are recognized by Thinkers50 as among the world’s most influential business thinkers. Their newest book is Move Fast & Fix Things: The Trusted Leader's Guide to Solving Hard Problems*.
A lot of us assume that going fast is reckless. There are certainly times when that’s the case, but it’s also true that leaders going too slow at the wrong time can make things worse. In this conversation, Frances and I discuss how to do a better job of moving quickly when it’s time to address the toughest problems.
Key PointsMany of us believe that going fast is reckless and going slow is righteous. While there are times that is true, there are many examples where it’s not.
The fastest way to speed up your company is to empower more people to make more decisions.
Dare to be bad at something. Deciding what not to address allows you to go faster at what you’re best at.
Two key elements of completing work are work-in-progress and cycle time. Most leaders address cycle time first and miss the more substantial work-in-progress opportunities.
Create a way to fast-track projects that become important and build this into the culture of the organization… -
657: How to Increase Team Performance Through Clarity, with David Burkus
4 december 2023 · 40 min
David Burkus: Best Team Ever!
David Burkus is the bestselling author of four books about business and leadership which have won multiple awards and been translated into dozens of languages. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, USAToday, Fast Company, the Financial Times, and many other media outlets. Lees meerSince 2017, David has been ranked multiple times as one of the world’s top business thought leaders. As a sought-after international speaker, his TED Talk has been viewed over two million times. He has worked with leaders from organizations across all industries, including PepsiCo, Fidelity, Clorox, Adobe, and NASA. He's the author of Best Team Ever!: The Surprising Science of High-Performing Teams*.
There are many things that help teams work well together, but perhaps you haven’t thought of this one: clarity. Knowing what is being done and who’s doing it often helps a team achieve more. In this conversation, David and I discuss the practical steps to surface more clarity and drive better performance.
Key PointsCasting a leadership vision is important, but insufficient. It’s not helpful to expect a team to figure out roles and responsibilities on their own.
Teams work best when they understand how each individual works best. Clarity increased performance.
Hold huddles using these three questions: (1) What did I just complete? (2) What am I focused on next? and (3) What is blocking my progress?
Consider communicating in bursts to allow for people to retreat into less interrupted time for deeper work.
Establish priorities and consistently make those priorities clear so they are obvious and apparent to the team.Resources Mentioned
Best Team Ever!: The Surprising Science of High-Performing Teams* by David Burkus
Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related EpisodesAn Astronaut’s Guide to Life On Earth, with Chris Hadfield (episode 149)
How t… -
656: How to Understand People Better, with Heather Younger
27 november 2023 · 38 min
Heather Younger: The Art of Active Listening
Heather Younger is an experienced international keynote speaker, best-selling author, CEO, and Founder of Employee Fanatix. Known as The Employee Whisperer, Heather harnesses humor, warmth, and an instant relatability to engage and uplift audiences and inspire them into action. Lees meerShe is a Certified Diversity Professional, certified in Emotional and Social Intelligence and DiSC, and is also the author of three books. Her previous best-selling book, The Art of Caring Leadership: How Leading with Heart Uplifts Teams and Organizations, was praised for offering powerful insights for developing authentic, thoughtful, and purposeful leaders and change-makers. She's the author of The Art of Active Listening: How People at Work Feel Heard, Valued, and Understood*.
When you know how to listen, people will share more. We may or may not always be able to resolve every concern, but we can be sure others are heard. In this conversation, Heather and I discuss how we can shift from listening for what we want to hear towards listening for what we need to learn.
Key PointsSome issues can only be resolved through better listening. That alone makes this a critical skill for leaders.
When you know how to listen, people will bring things to you. Listen for not what you want to hear but what you want to learn.
Listening is not just about what’s been said, but also about what is seen. Get beyond simply, “What I hear you saying is…”
Some leaders have a fear about the direction that a response might take a conversation. Remember that often people first and foremost want to be heard, regardless of what happens next.
Nobody is ready to listen at every moment. Taking time to center yourself for a conversation in a few minutes or later in the day can be helpful for both parties.Resources Mentioned
The Art of Active Listening: How People at Work Feel Heard, Valued, and Understood* by Heather Younger
Art of Active Listening CertificationIntervie…
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655: How to Help Difficult Conversations Go Better, with Sheila Heen
20 november 2023 · 39 min
Sheila Heen: Difficult Conversations
Sheila Heen is the Thaddeus R. Beal Professor of Practice at Harvard Law School, a Deputy Director of the Harvard Negotiation Project, and a founder of Triad Consulting Group. She often works with executive teams to engage conflict productively, repair working relationships, and implement change in complex organizations. Lees meerShe has published articles in The New York Times and the Harvard Business Review and appeared on Oprah, CNBC’s Power Lunch, and NPR. She is coauthor along with Douglas Stone of The New York Times bestseller Thanks for the Feedback and also now, in its third edition, co-author with Douglas Stone and Bruce Patton of the iconic bestseller, Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most*.
When our intentions are good, it’s hard to appreciate how we could have had such a negative impact on someone else. It’s equally challenging to navigate a tough conversation when someone else’s words or actions have wronged us, even if that’s not what they intended. In this conversation, Sheila and I discuss how to shift just a bit to help our difficult conversations go better.
Key PointsIntent does not equal impact.
It’s a mistake to assume that we know the other party's intentions.
It’s a mistake to assume that good intentions erase bad impact.
Prevent the first mistake by attempting to separate intent from impact. Use these three questions:Actions: What did the other person actually say or do?
Impact: What was the impact of this on me?
Assumption: Based on this impact, what assumption am I making about what the other person intended?To prevent the second mistake, listen first for feelings before sharing intent. It’s helpful also to reflect on your own intent, which may not always be as pure as initially recognized.
Resources Mentioned
Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most* by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, and Sheila Heen
Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free memb… -
654: How to Help Others Be Seen and Heard, with Scott Shigeoka
13 november 2023 · 39 min
Scott Shigeoka: Seek
Scott Shigeoka is an internationally recognized curiosity expert, speaker, and author. He is known for translating research into strategies that promote positive well-being and connected relationships around the globe, including at the UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center and through his popular courses at the University of Texas at Austin. Lees meerScott implements his curiosity practices with leaders in the public sector, Fortune 500 companies, Hollywood, media organizations, education institutions, and small businesses. He is the author of Seek: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World*.
Often we think about curiosity as a way to get information. And yes, it does do that, but there’s a much bigger opportunity that many leaders miss — taking the next step with curiosity to actually help connect better with others. In this episode, Scott and I highlight four phrases that will help you do that better.
Key PointsIt’s a mistake to limit the purpose of curiosity to only information gathering. Deep curiosity can be one of the best ways to create connection.
Saying, “I don’t know,” may elicit fear in a lot of us, but leaders who can do this are often perceived and more competent in their work.
The invitation to, “Tell me more,” is a way to respond to a bid from someone for attention that opens to door to feeling seen and heard.
Even if you don’t literally say the words, “I understand that you're more than your job,” making that clear in your conversations helps limit work-life conflict and uncovers better ways to support others.
We tend to have a bias in the workplace for the people who traditionally have the “answers.” Asking, “Who else?” opens the door to surfacing the best ideas, regardless of who they originate with.Resources Mentioned
Seek: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World* by Scott Shigeoka
4 Phrases That Build a Culture of Curiosity by Scott ShigeokaInterview Notes
Download my interview notes i… -
653: The Path Towards Your Next Promotion, with Adam Bryant
6 november 2023 · 39 min
Adam Bryant: The Leap to Leader
Adam Bryant is Senior Managing Director and Partner at the ExCo Group, where he works with hundreds of senior leaders and high-potential executives. As the creator and former author of the iconic “Corner Office” column in The New York Times, Adam has mastered the art of distilling real-world lessons from his hundreds of interviews and turning them into practical tools, presentations, and exercises to help companies deepen their leadership benches and strengthen their teams. Lees meerAdam works with executive leadership teams to help drive their transformation strategies, based on a best-practices framework he developed for his widely praised book, The CEO Test. He's also the author of The Leap to Leader: How Ambitious Managers Make the Jump to Leadership*.
Many of us have our career trajectories planned out in our minds. While we know it’s not going to happen exactly the way we’ve planned, it’s still jarring when we find ourselves on a different path — or presented with a different opportunity — than we anticipated. In this episode, Adam and I discuss the mindsets and actions that will help you take the next step in your career.
Key PointsThere can be a large gap between how assertive you are and how people perceive you.
Think about your career like a pyramid — building a strong foundation across many areas of practice. Bloom where you are planted.
Don’t just solve the problem your manager tells you to solve. Find (and start solving) the bigger problem that isn’t even on the radar screen of senior leadership.
Use these words: “I need your help.” When seeking advice in the context of someone that might mentor you, make your ask specific and then loop back to share what you did with their advice.
When someone asks how you are, instead of just saying “fine,” tell a story about what you’re working on.
Peer relationships are a common blind spot. Early promotions may come from your manager, but higher level promotions comes moreso from the rela… -
652: How to Encourage Team Feedback, with Bonni Stachowiak
30 oktober 2023 · 39 min
Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed
Bonni is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, Dean of Teaching and Learning and Professor of Business and Management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, she was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. Bonni is the author of The Productive Online and Offline Professor: A Practical Guide*.
Listener Questions Lees meerTony asked our opinion on his plan to have the team provide feedback to each other directly.
Lean wondered about alternatives to the nine box talent mapping framework that some organizations use.
Qasim noted that leadership can sometimes feel thankless and asked if we had any rituals to help minimize this.Resources Mentioned
FeedForward: Coaching for Behavioral Change by Marshall Goldsmith
What Is the 9-Box Model? by Brian Anderson
Warning: This Is Not Your Grandfather’s Talent Planning featuring Kim ScottRelated Episodes
How to Get Way Better at Accepting Feedback, with Sheila Heen (episode 143)
How to Process Your 360 Feedback, with Tom Henschel (episode 341)
Your Leadership Motive, with Patrick Lencioni (episode 505)Discover More
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. -
651: Getting Better at Reading the Room, with Kirstin Ferguson
23 oktober 2023 · 40 min
Kirstin Ferguson: Head & Heart
Kirstin Ferguson is a company director, columnist, keynote speaker, and executive coach. Beginning her career as an officer in the Royal Australian Air Force, Kirstin has held roles that have included chief executive officer of an international consulting firm, and acting chair and deputy chair of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. She has sat on boards of both publicly-listed and privately-listed companies for more than a decade. Lees meerKirstin has a PhD in leadership and in 2021 was named one of Thinkers50’s top thinkers to watch. In 2023, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for her significant service to business and gender equality. She writes a weekly column on leadership and work in the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, and is also a contributor to the Australian Financial Review and to Forbes. She is the author of Head & Heart: The Art of Modern Leadership*.
It’s often apparent when someone else doesn’t a read a room, but much harder to see it in ourselves. In this conversation, Kirstin and I discuss how we can do a better job of either literally or figuratively reading the room. Plus, we explore several of the actions leaders can take to do a better job at being more proactive at moving beyond their own perspective.
Key PointsMemory is different than perception. A study by Adrian de Groot shows that chess grandmasters reply more on the former for reading things quickly.
Perception is an ongoing process vs. something any of us arrive at.
A study of medical residents shows four ways we tend to approach situations: stalled, fixated, adaptive, or vagabonds. Vagabonds in particular look at a wide range of possibilities, but don’t fully explore or rule out paths forward.
Zoom out to seek broad input. That’s especially important when the stakes are high. Also important is to get perspective outside of your industry. Reading books from different disciplines is one starting point.
Leaders needs to also recognize th… -
650: Where Senior Leaders Can Better Support Middle Managers, with Emily Field
16 oktober 2023 · 39 min
Emily Field: Power to the Middle
Emily Field is a partner at McKinsey & Company. She works with leaders to shape data-driven organizational strategies designed to achieve business objectives, establish talent management as a distinctive advantage, and secure the human resources function as a driver of business value. Lees meerEmily has worked with companies across industries, leading initiatives to transform the way organizations work. She puts particular emphasis on helping to establish a talent-first approach, instilling a high-performance culture, and adopting effective people-analytics approaches. She is the co-author along with Bill Schaninger and Bryan Hancock of Power to the Middle: Why Managers Hold the Keys to the Future of Work*.
As anybody who’s worked in middle management can attest, it’s one of the hardest jobs you’ll ever have. Too often we take middle management for granted, but organizations that learn how to better support middle managers can leverage their power and expertise to do a lot of good. In this conversation, Emily and I highlight the challenges of middle management, the unique value the middle managers bring to organizations, and the steps senior leaders can take to better support middle managers.
Key PointsMiddle managers often have less power and control than the people who report to them. This results in them not feeling like they are set up for success.
The “player-coach” model of managers doing individual contributor work can be useful, but it’s critical for organizations to be mindful that the work is uniquely suited for a manager to do.
Rather than promoting the best middle managers out of their roles, promote from within. Reward top middle managers who decide to make their positions a destination, not just a waypoint.
As technology and AI changed the nature of work, middle managers are uniquely qualified to know how to best rebundle jobs and redistribute talent.
A key question for senior leadership to answer: What do we want middle ma… -
649: How to Begin Leading Through Continuous Change, with David Rogers
9 oktober 2023 · 39 min
David Rogers: The Digital Transformation Roadmap
David Rogers is the world’s leading expert on digital transformation, a member of the faculty at Columbia Business School, and the author of five books. His previous landmark bestseller, The Digital Transformation Playbook, was the first book on digital transformation and put the topic on the map. Lees meerDavid has helped companies around the world transform their business for the digital age, working with senior leaders at many of the largest corporations and he's been featured in The New York Times, The Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Economist. In his newest book, The Digital Transformation Roadmap*, David tackles the barriers behind the 70% of businesses that fail in their own digital efforts and offers a five-step roadmap to rebuild any organization for continuous digital change.
Most of us have heard that leading change requires highlighting a problem, deciding on a clear vision, and then cascading that vision down. In this conversation, David and I discuss how those actions alone often result failed outcomes. Instead, we highlight what a shared vision really is and how we can do a better job of helping the entire organization respond better to change.
Key PointsMost digital transformations fail because they focus too much on technology and not enough on the actual organizational challenges.
Selling a problem is negative urgency. It’s important as a component of change, but insufficient alone. Successful change leaders also embrace positive urgency.
A north star helps leaders and their organizations get clear on the “why” instead of simply the “what.” Once defined, thoughtful debate on measurement brings alignment and empowerment.
It’s a mistake for vision to only come from the top. Vision should exist at every level.
Avoid thinking about vision as cascading down. If anything, vision should be cascade up. How conversation happens at each juncture will define how well this works — or doesn’t.Reso…
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648: What Vulnerable Leadership Sounds Like, with Jacob Morgan
2 oktober 2023 · 39 min
Jacob Morgan: Leading With Vulnerability
Jacob Morgan is a trained futurist and one of the world’s leading authorities on leadership, the future of work, and employee experience. He speaks in front of tens of thousands of people each year and his content is seen over a million times annually. He is the best-selling author of five books: The Future Leader, The Employee Experience Advantage, The Future of Work, and The Collaborative Organization. He speaks at over 50 conferences a year including TED Academy which is one of the largest TED events in the world. Lees meerJacob provides advisory and thought leadership services to organizations around the world. He has created tons of educational videos and articles found at Great Leadership With Jacob Morgan and host of the Great Leadership with Jacob Morgan podcast. He’s the author of the new book, Leading With Vulnerability: How to Unlock Your Greatest Superpower to Transform Yourself, Your Team, and Your Organization.
Most of us have heard that we should show vulnerability, but we don’t necessary know how to do this in the workplace. In addition, many leaders mistakenly show vulnerability without connecting it back to leadership. In this episode, Jacob and I explore where leaders go wrong, discuss how to do better, and demonstrate exactly what real vulnerability sounds like.
Key PointsVulnerability + Leadership = Vulnerable Leadership. While this equation may seem obvious, many leaders mistakingly lean into vulnerability without also articulating leadership.
Vulnerability without leadership can land awkwardly and potentially calls to question your credibility as a leader.
Go beyond just admitting a mistake; share what was learned from that mistake. In the same way, talk about personal challenges for the purpose of connecting, creating trust, and relating to others.
Ask yourself this question as a starting point for ensuring you are also leading: “What’s my reason for sharing what I’m about to share?”
Vulnerability for lead… -
647: Holding People Accountable Without Authority, with Bonni Stachowiak
25 september 2023 · 36 min
Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed
Bonni is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, Dean of Teaching and Learning and Professor of Business and Management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, she was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. Bonni is the author of The Productive Online and Offline Professor: A Practical Guide*.
Listener Questions Lees meerLisa asks about the best ways to hold others accountable when you don’t have positional authority.
John wonders about our perspective on dealing with narcissists in the workplace.
Patrick is curious how we might (or might not) mediate a conflict between two employees.
Priya notices the focus on underperforms in organizations and asks how this tendency might get shifted a bit.Resources Mentioned
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People* by Stephen R. Covey
The Success Factor* by Ruth Gotian
The 6 Types of Working Genius* by Patrick LencioniRelated Episodes
How to Handle a Boss Who’s a Jerk, with Tom Henschel (episode 164)
How to Influence Many Stakeholders, with Andy Kaufman (episode 240)
How to Benefit From Conflict, with Susan Gerke (episode 263)
How to Lead Meetings That Get Results, with Mamie Kanfer Stewart (episode 358)
How to Lead and Retain High Performers, with Ruth Gotian (episode 567)
How to Help Team Members Find the Right Work, with Patrick Lencioni (episode 610)
How to Start Better With Peers, with Michael Bungay Stanier (episode 635)Discover More
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. -
646: The Questions to Help Figure Out Hybrid and Remote Work, with Jim Harter
18 september 2023 · 40 min
Jim Harter: Culture Shock
Jim Harter is Chief Scientist for the Workplace at Gallup. He has led more than 1,000 studies of workplace effectiveness, including the largest ongoing meta-analysis of human potential and business unit performance. He's the bestselling author of 12: The Elements of Great Managing, Wellbeing: The Five Essential Elements, Wellbeing at Work and the #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller It’s the Manager. Lees meerJim has also published articles in many prominent business and academic journals. He's also the author now of Gallup's book with Jim Clifton titled Culture Shock: An unstoppable force is changing how we work and live. Gallup’s solution to the biggest leadership issue of our time*.
Virtually every professional team is navigating some aspect of return to office and how that works best for their organization. In this conversation, Jim and I highlight the key findings from Gallup that have emerged in the data since the pandemic started. Plus, we explore the questions that managers can ask in order help this transition work better for everyone.
Key Points
Managers should consider these key questions to help employees and teams move towards smart autonomy:Which parts of your job can you do best at home?
Which parts of your job can you do best at the office?
When have you created exceptional value for our customers?
When do you feel most connected to our organization’s culture?In addition:
Less than 5% of people in the United States worked from home in 2019. Today the number is six times larger and nearly seven in 10 full-time employees in the United States prefer some type of remote work arrangement.
Number of days in the office is important, but matters less than other factors. Most associated with high levels of employee engagement is the practice of a work team deciding together (the option companies used the least).
Splitters and blenders represent two different ways of approaching work and the populate tends to divide equally on this prefer… -
645: How to Rehearse Before a Presentation, with Jacqueline Farrington
11 september 2023 · 40 min
Jacqueline Farrington: The Non-Obvious Guide to Better Presentations
Jacqueline Farrington has over 20 years experience as a change maker, empowering leaders and their teams to spark transformation and innovation through communications. Known for her direct, yet supportive and science-backed approach, Jacqueline works with senior and board-level leaders as the founder and president of Farrington Partners. She blends her experience in the performing arts, vocal pedagogy, communications, psychology, and organizational and executive coaching to help her clients find unique communication solutions. Lees meerHer clients include multinationals such as Amazon and Microsoft, as well as startups and nonprofits. She proudly served for many years as TEDxSeattle’s Senior Speaker Coach, where she sourced, vetted, and prepared speakers for yearly sold-out audiences. She was thrilled to see several speakers from that event move on to the global TED stage. In addition to teaching at Yale, she has lectured and taught at the London Business School, Rutgers University, and Imperial College. Jacqueline in the author of The Non-Obvious Guide to Better Presentations: How to Present Like a Pro (Virtually or in Person)*.
We all know we should practice before a big presentation, but how you practice makes a big difference on whether you just feel more prepared…or actually are. In this episode, Jacqueline and I explore how to rehearse so you perform better.
Key PointsA presentation is a performance. Just like any performance, how you rehearse is critical for your success.
Great presenters look relaxed and natural and unrehearsed because they have practiced over and over again.
Internalizing your talk is like driving home. You know the route so well, you can take any turn you want and still arrive at the same house.
Use a memory palace to recall point during your presentation. This also provides and easy path to adjust timing and content when changes inevitably come.
Create controlled stress for … -
644: Help Your Team Embrace Growth Mindset, with Eduardo Briceño
4 september 2023 · 36 min
Eduardo Briceño: The Performance Paradox
Eduardo Briceño is a global keynote speaker and facilitator who guides many of the world’s leading companies in developing cultures of learning and high performance. Earlier in his career, he was the co-founder and CEO of Mindset Works, the first company to offer growth mindset development services. Previously, he was a venture capital investor with the Sprout Group. Lees meerHis TED Talk, How to Get Better at the Things You Care About, and his prior TEDx Talk, The Power of Belief, have been viewed more than nine million times. He is a Pahara-Aspen Fellow, a member of the Aspen Institute’s Global Leadership Network, and an inductee in the Happiness Hall of Fame. He is the author of The Performance Paradox: Turning the Power of Mindset Into Action*.
Many of us have heard the invitation in recent years to have a growth mindset — but how do you establish this for an entire team? In this episode, Eduardo and I explore his research on systemizing the learning zone to help teams perform at the highest levels. Plus, we explore tactical shifts that managers can make in order to align intention with reality.
Key PointsIn order for teams to performance at top levels, they need to spend intentional time in both the performance zone and the learning zone.
Internal competition can hold back teams from learning — and can over focusing on the present instead of the future.
Systemizing the learning zone helps build a culture where this is expected and normal. Setting expectations for feedback, role plays, and study groups are a few of the many ways organizations can do this.
Eliminate forced ranking systems, as they often over-perpetuate a culture of performance only vs. performance and learning together.
Include learning goals in professional development, not only performance goals. This normalizes and systemizes the learning zone as a critical part of work.Resources Mentioned
The Performance Paradox: Turning the Power of Mindset Into Action…
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643: How to Make a Better Impression on Camera, with Mark Bowden
28 augustus 2023 · 40 min
Mark Bowden: Winning Body Language
Mark Bowden is a world-renowned body language expert, keynote speaker, and bestselling author. Voted three times by Global Gurus’ as the #1 Body Language Professional in the world, Mark’s unique GesturePlane™ system of nonverbal communication helps audiences maximize the power of using their own body language to stand out, win trust, and gain credibility every time they communicate. Lees meerAs the founder of communication training company TRUTHPLANE®, Mark’s live and virtual keynote speeches and training prove invaluable to business leaders and teams from influential companies including Zoom, Shopify, Toyota, KPMG, American Express, the US Army and NATO; and prime ministers of G7 nations. His bestselling books on body language and human behavior are: Winning Body Language*, Winning Body Language for Sales Professionals*, Tame the Primitive Brain*, and Truth & Lies, What People are Really Thinking*. His highly acclaimed TEDx talk The Importance of Being In-Authentic continues to reach millions of people, as does his own YouTube Channel.
Most professionals are on video more these days than they ever thought they would be. As a result, making the best first impression on camera is more essential to our work than ever before. In this conversation, Mark and I explore several of the key principles that will help us start better in virtual interactions.
Key PointsWe make judgment calls very quickly depending on how someone shows up visually.
It's your duty to influence and persuade — and we all do this in some way already to change outcomes.
While we’re used to viewing content on screen (television, movies, YouTube) we aren’t used to interacting and collaborating on screen.
Use video in short, consistent ways. Tools like Loom can help us do on camera what we already know works well in person: regular interaction.
Your smile can set the tone for an interaction and it’s important to use a visual aid to remind you of this if you’re staring at b… -
642: How Generational Learning and Working is Changing, with Mauro Guillén
21 augustus 2023 · 37 min
Mauro Guillén: The Perennials
Mauro Guillén is Professor of Management and Vice Dean at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. An expert on global market trends, he is a sought-after speaker and consultant. He combines his training as a sociologist at Yale and as a business economist in his native Spain to identify and quantify the most promising opportunities at the intersection of demographic, economic, and technological developments. Lees meerHis online classes on Coursera and edX have attracted over 100,000 participants from around the world. He has won multiple teaching awards at Wharton, where his presentation on global market trends has become a permanent feature of over fifty executive education programs annually. His book on 2030: How Today’s Biggest Trends Will Collide and Reshape the Future of Everything was an instant Wall Street Journal bestseller and he's now the author of The Perennials: The Megatrends Creating a Postgenerational Society*.
Many of us grew up in a world where life was divided into three stages: school, work, and retirement. Traditional ways of thinking about credentialing and ways to transition in the workforce are also changing. In this conversation, Mauro and I explore what has changed and how we can shift our thinking and actions to stay relevant in a new world of work.
Key PointsThe sequential model of life is no longer as relevant as it was a generation ago. Life span, health span, and technology are massively affecting how we think about generations.
It’s no longer a correct assumption that entry level positions are going to be only filled people in their twenties coming out of school.
Intergenerational learning is an opportunity that many institutions and organizations still miss. Embracing this will increasingly help us stay relevant.
Traditional credentials will still hold value, but it will be assessed in the context people's ability in learning how to learn.
Intergenerational differences are real, they do not nece… -
641: Doing Better Than Zero-Sum Thinking, with Renée Mauborgne
14 augustus 2023 · 39 min
Renée Mauborgne: Beyond Disruption
Renée Mauborgne is the INSEAD Distinguished Fellow and a professor of strategy at the global business school INSEAD. She is the co-author of the 4 million copy global bestseller Blue Ocean Strategy, which is recognized as one of the most iconic and impactful strategy books ever written, and is also co-author of the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Los Angeles Times bestseller Blue Ocean Shift. Lees meerTo date, the Blue Ocean Strategy and Blue Ocean Shift teaching materials have been adopted by over 2,800 universities across the globe. In 2022, Harvard Business Review selected Blue Ocean Strategy as one of the most influential and innovative articles published in HBR over the last 100 years. Along with her colleague W. Chan Kim, she was named the most influential management thinker in the world by Thinkers50. She is the first woman ever to secure that top spot. She is the co-author with W. Chan Kim of Beyond Disruption: Innovate and Achieve Growth without Displacing Industries, Companies, or Jobs*.
Key PointsZero-sum thinking means that if we win, someone else must lose. Many of us have been conditioned to accept that this is how competition has to work.
Nondisruptive creation creates new industries without leaving failed companies, lost jobs, and destroyed markets in its wake.
Consider shifting focus from structure to agency. Firms that generate nondisruptive creation lead with agency.
Don’t confuse the means with the ends. Technology enables, but value innovation is ultimately what creates a nondisruptive new market.
Unlock the many, not just the few. Overemphasizing an entrepreneur or creative leader underemphasizes the contributions of everyone else.Resources Mentioned
Beyond Disruption: Innovate and Achieve Growth without Displacing Industries, Companies, or Jobs* by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne
Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant* by W. Chan Kim a… -
640: How to Bring a Large Team Together, with Tom Burbage
17 juli 2023 · 39 min
Tom Burbage: F-35
Tom Burbage retired from the Lockheed Martin Corporation in 2013. He was the President of the Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems Company and the Executive VP/GM for both the USAF F-22 Raptor and the multi-service, allied next generation fighter, the F-35. Prior to joining Lockheed, Tom was a Naval Aviator, completing the U.S. Navy Test Pilot School in 1975. He has accumulated more than 3,000 hours in 38 different types of military aircraft. As a reservist he retired as a Navy Captain in 1994. Lees meerTom has received numerous industry awards, including the U.S. Naval Academy/Harvard Business Review Award for Ethical Leadership; the Aerospace Industry Personality of the Year; the Society of Automotive Engineers Leadership in Aerospace Award; and many others. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society in the United Kingdom. He is co-author along with Betsy Clark and Adrian Pitman of the book F-35: The Inside Story of the Lightning II.
Sometimes we find ourselves leading a very large team that isn’t used to working together. That happened to Tom who was the general manager of the F-35 fighter jet. In this conversation, we explore how to bring together many stakeholders in order to do something bigger than any one of them could do alone.
Key PointsSolicit and listen to feedback on what didn’t work in past situations.
Establish behavior norms and expectations and continue coming back to them. When disagreements happen, resolve them in the context of these norms.
Consider including customers in major meetings, so struggles are shared transparently with all stakeholders.
Behavior norms and expectations were established globally and referenced in most formal interactions. When flare ups happened, they were often settled quickly in the spirit of the norms.
A “one team” concept was used to unify people from formerly competing organizations to align them to the nobler motive.Resources Mentioned
F-35: The Inside Story of the Lightning II* by Tom B…
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639: Supporting Return to Work After Maternity Leave, with Danna Greenberg
10 juli 2023 · 39 min
Danna Greenberg: Maternal Optimism
Danna Greenberg is the Walter H. Carpenter Professor of Organizational Behavior at Babson College. Her main area of research focuses on understanding the intersection between individuals' work and non-work lives as they move through their career. Her scholarship is guided by the belief that individuals can and should be able to live full lives at work and at home and that by challenging current assumptions regarding work we can find better ways for businesses, families, and communities to thrive. Lees meerHer other research stream centers on the scholarship of teaching and learning. Here she is focused on the continued changing landscape of higher education as it pertains to how we teach, what we teach, and how to define the lives of academics. Danna has published more than 30 articles and book chapters in leading journals including Academy of Management Journal, Human Resource Management, and Academy of Management Learning and Education. She is the co-author with Jamie Ladge of Maternal Optimism: Forging Positive Paths Through Work and Motherhood*.
When women return to work after a baby, there’s a lot our society implies about how that’s supposed to look. Danna’s research finds that this can look very different for every family. On this episode, a few things that women, their partners, and their managers can do to support a better transition in returning to work.
Key PointsOver 70% of mothers in the United States return to work after having children.
There tends to be a “guilt and anguish” script in the popular media about women returning to work after a maternity leave. That’s absolutely true for some women (especially those with fewer resources) but other women have very different experiences.
Managers can help by opening dialogue about what’s ideal to support a woman and her family during and after maternity leave.
Comments like “I am so impressed by how you are going to do it all!” are often well-intended but can reinforce views t… -
638: Giving Up on Getting It All Done, with Bonni Stachowiak
3 juli 2023 · 40 min
Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed
Bonni is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, Dean of Teaching and Learning and Professor of Business and Management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, she was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. Bonni is the author of The Productive Online and Offline Professor: A Practical Guide*.
Listener Questions Lees meerJose asked about how to balance professional and personal responsibilities and get it all done.
Jordan mentioned getting passed up for a promotion twice and wondering what suggestions we have on the feedback they have received.
Ahmad asked us about resources for supporting high performances and team members who are struggling.
Jenna shared a distinction between tuition reimbursement and tuition assistance that Dave expanded on.Resources Mentioned
Getting Things Done* by David Allen
Leadership Story Deck* by David Hutchens
Start With Why* by Simon Sinek
Hope for the Flowers* by Trina Paulus
The Empowered Manager* by Peter Block
Kim Scott’s distinction on Superstars vs. Rock Stars
CliftonStrengths by GallupRelated Episodes
How to Get Way Better at Accepting Feedback, with Sheila Heen (episode 143)
Getting Things Done, with David Allen (episode 184)
Five Steps to Hold People Accountable, with Jonathan Raymond (episode 306)
The Way to Stop Spinning Your Wheels on Planning (episode 319)
Finding Joy Through Intentional Choices, with Bonni Stachowiak (episode 417)
The Way to Make Sense to Others, with Tom Henschel (episode 518)
The Four Storytelling Mistakes Leaders Make, with David Hutchens (episode 553)
How to Lead and Retain High Performers, with Ruth Gotian (episode 567)Discover More
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. -
637: How to Handle Pushback From Difficult Askers, with Vanessa Patrick
26 juni 2023 · 37 min
Vanessa Patrick: The Power of Saying No
Vanessa Patrick is the Associate Dean for Research, Executive Director of Doctoral Programs, a Bauer Professor of Marketing and lead faculty of the Executive Women in Leadership Program at the Bauer School of Business at the University of Houston. She has been recognized with a number of awards for both scholarship and teaching and was named one of the top 50 most productive marketing scholars worldwide by the DocSig of the American Marketing Association. Lees meerVanessa was appointed as a Fulbright Specialist (2019-24) by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. She is a prominent scholar in her field and serves on editorial and policy boards of leading academic journals. She is currently an Associate Editor for the Journal of Marketing Research and the Journal of Marketing and she's the author of The Power of Saying No: The New Science of How to Say No That Puts You in Charge of Your Life*.
Most leaders know that it’s important to say no to requests that aren’t the right use of time and resources. But how do you navigate this when the other party is likely to respond in a difficult way? In this conversation, Vanessa and I explore the patterns of difficult askers and how we can do a better job of responding when we’re interacting with them.
Key PointsWe all have both marigolds and walnut trees in our lives. Marigold protect and strengthen us - walnut trees crowd out our time and interfere.
Difficult askers often confront us with face-to-face requests, use their home court advantage, and insist on an immediate response.
Pushback is normal and expected. It’s helpful to view it as a hurdle to overcome vs. something to avoid. Either way, we will spend the energy.
Resentment is a helpful indicator that difficult askers are taking too much power. Establish personal policies that provide guidelines so you can proactively come back to values when considering requests.
It’s helpful to consider advance req… -
636: The Value of Consistency Through Inflection Points, Liz Anderson
24 juni 2023 · 32 min
Liz Anderson: The PreSales Path
Liz Anderson has extensive experience as a solutions engineering leader and is the founder of the PreSales Path. She's also an alum of the Coaching for Leaders Academy. Lees meerIn this SaturdayCast, Liz and I discuss the inflection points she’s experienced in the past year, how intentional focus on her vision and identity helped move her forward, and the value of consistency through it all.
Key PointsProfessional development is about finding the starting points and then adapting as you go.
Once you decide on a new identity and direction, the indicators start to emerge on where to go next.
When your heart and intention are in the right place, the tactical path is still not easy, but it is clearer.Resources Mentioned
Liz Anderson
Related Episodes
How to Become the Person You Want to Be, with James Clear (episode 376)
How to Nail a Job Transition, with Sukhinder Singh Cassidy (episode 555)
How to Get Moving, with Gladys McGarey (episode 631)
How to Get Traction With a New Habit (audio course)Discover More
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. -
635: How to Start Better With Peers, with Michael Bungay Stanier
19 juni 2023 · 39 min
Michael Bungay Stanier: How to Work with (Almost) Anyone
Michael Bungay Stanier is the author of eight books, including The Coaching Habit, which has sold more than a million copies and is the best-selling book on coaching this century. Most recently he wrote How to Begin, and back in 2011 he created and edited End Malaria, a book written in partnership with Seth Godin that raised more than $400k for Malaria No More. Lees meerMichael is the founder Box of Crayons, a learning and development company that’s trained thousands of people around the world to be more coach-like. He has been featured in many publications including Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and Fast Company. His TEDx Talk on Taming Your Advice Monster has been viewed more than a million times. Michael's newest book is How to Work with (Almost) Anyone: Building the Best Possible Relationship*.
Most leaders recognize the critical nature of healthy, peer relationships. Yet, few leaders lay an intentional foundation for success as those relationships start. In this episode, Michael and I discuss how to start with peers using the five questions in a Keystone Conversation.
Key PointsNobody really like to say hello but everyone likes to be greeted. Make a decision to be the person that begins.
Preparing thoughtful responses to the five questions in a Keystone Conversation will help you come to a dialogue in an authentic and vulnerable way.
The responses themselves aren’t as critical as the process itself. By entering into a keystone conversation, you are laying the foundation for future dialogue and the best possible relationship.The five questions of a Keystone Conversation:
The Amplify Question: What’s your best?
The Steady Question: What are your practices and preferences?
The Good Date Question: What can you learn from successful past relationships?
The Bad Date Question: What can you learn from frustrating past relationships?
The Repair Question: How will you fix it when things go wrong?Resources Menti…
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634: The Value of Bittersweet Leadership, with Susan Cain
12 juni 2023 · 38 min
Susan Cain: Bittersweet
Susan Cain is the author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, which spent seven years on The New York Times bestseller list and has been translated into 40 languages. It was named the #1 best book of the year by Fast Company, which also named Susan one of its Most Creative People in Business. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, and many other publications. Her record-smashing TED Talk has been viewed over 30 million times and was named by Bill Gates one of his all-time favorite talks. Lees meerSusan has also spoken at Microsoft, Google, the U.S. Treasury, the S.E.C., Harvard, Yale, West Point, and the US Naval Academy. She received Harvard Law School’s Celebration Award for Thought Leadership, the Toastmasters International Golden Gavel Award for Communication and Leadership, and was named one of the world’s top 50 Leadership and Management Experts by Inc. She is now also the author of the bestselling book Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole*.
We’ve all heard the value of positive thinking and aiming for happiness, but we don’t often think about the value of sorrow — and rarely in the context of leadership. In this conversation, Susan returns to the podcast to explore how the full spectrum of who we are can help us live — and lead - just a bit better.
Key PointsWe espouse the value of happiness and positive thinking but don’t often recognize the value of appreciating sorrow and pain.
Words like “pain” and “suffering” tend to not show up in our workplaces, even when that’s clearly what’s being experienced. Instead, these realities are often substituted with words like “anger” or “frustration.”
Yes we should focus on our strengths, but beware of confusing a bittersweet temperament or sadness, with weakness.
Having power or feeling superior may prevent us from seeing others sadness — or even our own. Leaders who can embrace humility often find that resu… -
633: The Mindset to Help Your Organization Grow, with Tiffani Bova
5 juni 2023 · 39 min
Tiffani Bova: The Experience Mindset
Tiffani Bova is the global customer growth and innovation evangelist at Salesforce, and The Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Growth IQ. Over the past two decades, she has led large revenue-producing divisions at businesses ranging from start-ups to the Fortune 500. Lees meerAs a Research Fellow at Gartner, her cutting-edge insights helped Microsoft, Cisco, Salesforce, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Oracle, and many other prominent companies expand their market share and grow their revenues. She has been named one of the Top 50 business thinkers in the world by Thinkers50 twice and she's the host of the podcast What’s Next! with Tiffani Bova. She is the author of The Experience Mindset: Changing the Way You Think About Growth*.
While many organizations espouse that employees are their greatest asset, most senior leaders prioritize customer needs above all else. Data clearly shows that balancing great employee experience along with a quality customer experience drives better results. In this conversation, Tiffani and I discuss the mindset and initial steps that leaders can take to improve the experience for both employees and customers.
Key PointsIn recent decades, we’ve been in the mindset of customer-first. Today, the biggest threat to organizations is worker unhappiness.
While almost every organization espouses the importance of employees, few executive leaders can identify who “owns” the employee experience in their organization. In contrast, almost every organization has a clearly defined customer experience owner.
Proper investments in technology are often an obstacle to an ideal employee experience. Getting better at this means that senior leaders in human resources, information technology, and customer experience must work together to help impact line up with intention.
Three starting points for better employee experience are: reviewing data for customer experience and compare it to the trends for employee experience, utilizing… -
632: Moving Towards Meetings of Significance, with Seth Godin
29 mei 2023 · 39 min
Seth Godin: The Song of Significance
Seth Godin is the author of 21 international bestsellers that have changed the way people think about work. His books have been translated into 38 languages. Seth writes one of the most popular marketing blogs in the world, and two of his TED talks are among the most popular of all time. Lees meerHe is the founder of the altMBA, the social media pioneer Squidoo, and Yoyodyne, one of the first internet companies. His blog is at seths.blog and his newest book is The Song of Significance: A New Manifesto for Teams*.
Seth says that the foundation of all real skills is the confidence and permission to talk to each another. No place is that more apparent than in our meetings. On this episode, Seth returns to help us move towards meetings of significance.
Key PointsThe song of significance is about work that matters, being part of something bigger than each one of us, and doing things we’re proud of.
Many organizations and leaders hold meetings, but they are often reports and lectures. Meetings of significance are conversations.
Despite knowing the critical important of conversations, we tend to resist them in our roles. Our work is to begin those conversations.
Start with agreement on what a meeting is how we do work that matters through it. The problem is rarely with Zoom. The problem is how you show up to facilitate the meeting.
Create the culture you need to serve people well by setting the tone for it. You have more power than you think.Resources Mentioned
The Song of Significance: A New Manifesto for Teams* by Seth Godin
Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related EpisodesFive Steps to Hold People Accountable, with Jonathan Raymond (episode 306)
The Way to Have Conversations That Matter, with Celeste Headlee (episode 344)
How to Lead Meetings That Get Results, with Mamie Kanfer Stewart (episode 358)
How to Use Power Responsibly, with Vanessa Bohns (episode 551)Discover More
Act… -
631: How to Get Moving, with Gladys McGarey
22 mei 2023 · 29 min
Gladys McGarey: The Well-Lived Life
Gladys McGarey is 102 years old and a still-practicing doctor. Recognized as a pioneer of the allopathic and holistic medical movements, she is also a founding diplomat of the American Board of Holistic Medicine. She is the cofounder and past president of the American Holistic Medical Association, as well as the cofounder of the Academy of Parapsychology and Medicine and the founder of The International Academy of Clinical Hypnosis. Lees meerGladys lives and works in Scottsdale, Arizona, where for many years she shared a medical practice with her daughter. She currently has a medical consulting practice, maintains a healthy diet, and enjoys a good piece of cake every now and then. She has spoken at TEDx and is the author of The Well-Lived Life: A 102-Year Old Doctor's Six Secrets to Health and Happiness at Any Age*.
Our efforts in leadership development, personal growth, or getting better at anything, are all about starting. In this conversation, Gladys and I discuss the critical nature of movement in our lives and work. We also explore how to identify where to start and why it’s more about beginning that finishing.
Key PointsAll life needs to move. If we're not moving, we can't function.
Stuckness is an illusion. If we know what to look for, movement is all around us and within us.
A flashlight in the dark can only see a few steps ahead — but that’s enough to move in the right direction and begin seeing more.
Look for the trickle around the dam. Noticing where movement already is will often be the starting point to go further.
Doctors don’t heal patients, only patients can heal themselves. Pay attention to beginning instead of finishing.Resources Mentioned
The Well-Lived Life: A 102-Year Old Doctor's Six Secrets to Health and Happiness at Any Age* by Gladys McGarey
Interview Notes
Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).
Related EpisodesHow to Tame Your Inner Critic, with Tara Mohr (episode 232)
Lea… -
630: Better Ways to Lead Brainstorming, with Jeremy Utley
15 mei 2023 · 40 min
Jeremy Utley: Ideaflow
Jeremy Utley is the Director of Executive Education at the Stanford d.school, and an Adjunct Professor at Stanford’s School of Engineering, where he has earned multiple favorite professor distinctions from graduate programs. He co-teaches two celebrated courses, Leading Disruptive Innovation (d.leadership) and LaunchPad, which focus on creating real-world impact with the tools of design & innovation. Lees meerHe is also on the teaching teams of d.org, an organizational design course, and Transformative Design, a course that turns the tools of design onto graduate students’ lives. One of the most prodigious collaborators at the d.school, Jeremy has taught alongside the likes of Lecrae, Dan Ariely, Laszlo Bock, and Greg McKeown. He is the author along with Perry Klebahn of Ideaflow: The Only Business Metric That Matters.
Brainstorming sessions often emerge to address a problem requiring new ideas or innovation. However, the way many of us approach brainstorming vastly limits what’s possible for our teams and organizations. In this conversation, Jeremy and I discuss where leaders go wrong and some of the most helpful mindsets and tactics to do better.
Key PointsWe tend to like cognitive closure. That often stops us from moving forward more substantially during brainstorming.
The Idea Ratio shows that 2000 ideas are needed for every one idea that goes to market. Most teams and organizations vastly underestimate this.
Set the expectation that brainstorming is a process, not a single event. That will help you surface vastly more useful ideas.
Gather initial suggestions before a session to avoid favoring extroverts and early anchoring on what’s said initially. A useful way to make this is ask the language, “How might we…?”
Warm-up exercises can substantially help put team members in the right mindset for creativity, especially for those with busy schedules moving between contexts.Resources Mentioned
Ideaflow: The Only Business Metric That Matters by J…
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629: How to Grow Your Business, with Donald Miller
8 mei 2023 · 39 min
Donald Miller: How to Grow Your Small Business
Donald Miller is The New York Times bestselling author of Building a StoryBrand and Business Made Simple. He has helped thousands of businesses grow with his powerful framework. In 2010, Don started the business he’d always dreamed of. Although his business was doing ok, he quickly realized it wasn’t what he thought it would be. Everything depended on him, and he was drowning in the mundane day-to-day. Lees meerFor years, his business struggled to produce dependable, predictable results. Over years of fits and false starts, Don grew his business from nothing to nearly $20 million. In the end, he realized there were six key parts of a business, and if they were managed well, the business would fly far and fast. He’s captured those lessons in his book How to Grow Your Small Business: A 6-Step Plan to Help Your Business Take Off*.
A huge percentage of businesses fail before they have any significant success. One key trigger is failure to market the business effectively. In this conversation Donald and I discuss how to power the marketing engine of your business by using the key elements of the StoryBrand framework.
Key PointsMost small businesses think more about how their marketing will look rather than what their marketing will say.
People are attracted to what helps them survive and thrive…and it helps to communicate those message simply.
People buy products and services to solve problems, not because they care that much about the business.
The customer is the hero. Never play the hero; always play the guide.
People who are insecure talk about themselves. People who are confident talk about others. Talk about yourself only in the context of how it helps the customer.Resources Mentioned
How to Grow Your Small Business: A 6-Step Plan to Help Your Business Take Off* by Donald Miller
Interview Notes
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Related EpisodesServe Others Through Marketing, with S…
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628: How to Read an Income Statement, with Brian Feroldi
1 mei 2023 · 39 min
Brian Feroldi: Financial Statements Explained Simply
Brian Feroldi is a financial educator, YouTuber, and author. He has been intensely interested in money, personal finance, and investing ever since he graduated from college. His mission statement is to spread financial wellness. He loves to help other people do better with their money, especially their investments. Lees meerBrian has written more than 3,000 articles on stocks, investing, and personal finance for The Motley Fool. In 2022, Brian’s book Why Does The Stock Market Go Up? was published. The mission of the book is to demystify the stock market. It was written to explain how the market works in plain English. He's also the co-creator of the course, Financial Statements Explained Simply.
Most of us are not accountants, but whether you work in a small business, a large corporation, a non-profit, or a government agency, the numbers define what resources that we have. Being able to understand and speak the language of financial statements is essential for leaders who want to influence decisions. In this episode, Brian and I review how to understand and read one of the most important reports for any organization: the income statement.
Key PointsA few hours of focus on the fundamentals of financial statement can provide you understanding and influence throughout your career.
An income statement (also called a profit and loss statement or P&L) shows revenue, expenses, and profit over a period of time. It’s similar to your personal budget.
Revenue minus cost of goods sold is gross profit.
Subtracting operation expenses from gross profit give you an organization’s operating income or EBIT (earnings before income and taxes).
Depreciation spreads out the cost of tangible assets (equipment, vehicles, buildings) their useful lives. Amortization does the same thing for intangible assets (loans, copyrights, patents).
The “bottom line” is literally the bottom line at the end, either net income or net loss.Resources Mention…
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627: How to Influence Through Your Questions, with Kwame Christian
24 april 2023 · 39 min
Kwame Christian: American Negotiation Institute
Kwame Christian is a best-selling author, business lawyer, and CEO of the American Negotiation Institute. Following the viral success of his TED talk, Kwame released his best-seller Finding Confidence in Conflict: How to Negotiate Anything and Live Your Best Life back in 2018. He’s also a regular Contributor for Forbes and the host of the number one negotiation podcast in the world, Negotiate Anything, which currently has over 5 million downloads worldwide. Lees meerUnder his leadership, the American Negotiation Institute has coached and trained several Fortune 500 companies on applying the fundamentals of negotiation to corporate success. He's also the author of the book How to Have Difficult Conversations About Race and the creator of Negotiable, an Online Community to Learn to Negotiate Anything.
We often think about questions as a way to discover more — but have you also considered how your questions might influence? Kwame Christian and I discuss three key steps in order to persuade better through your intentional questions.
Key PointsRapport questions help you make a connection with the other party and establish a baseline for how they communicate.
A helpful place to begin on rapport is noticing something that you genuinely admire or are curious about in the other party.
When gaining information, start broadly and then pull the thread when the other party leads you down a path. Beware that your role/position can cause people to say more than they otherwise might.
“What would it take?” is often a helpful way to illuminate a path forward.
Even if you ultimately are more directive, laying the foundation through questions allows the other party to be heard and understood.Interview Notes
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Related EpisodesThese Coaching Questions Get Results, with Michael Bungay Stanier (episode 237)
How to Ask Better Questions, with David Marquet (episode 454)
The Way… -
626: The Starting Point for Repairing Trust, with Henry Cloud
17 april 2023 · 38 min
Henry Cloud: Trust
Henry Cloud is an acclaimed leadership expert, clinical psychologist and a New York Times bestselling author. His 45 books, including the iconic Boundaries, have sold nearly 20 million copies worldwide. He has an extensive executive coaching background and experience as a leadership consultant, devoting the majority of his time working with CEOs, leadership teams, and executives to improve performance, leadership skills, and culture. Lees meerHenry's work has been featured and reviewed by The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, Publisher’s Weekly, Los Angeles Times, and many other publications. Success Magazine named him in the top 25 most influential leaders in personal growth and development, alongside Oprah, Brené Brown, Seth Godin and others. He is a frequent contributor to CNN, Fox News Channel, and other national media outlets. Henry is the author of Trust: Knowing When to Give It, When to Withhold It, How to Earn It, and How to Fix It When It Gets Broken*.
When someone betrays your trust, what do you do next? In this conversation, Henry and I explore the five factors of trust and the importance of each one of them in our relationships. Then, we look at the starting point for rebuilding trust after a betrayal, beginning with you and your own support network.
Key PointsFive factors are key for trust: understanding, motive, ability, character, and track record.
Repairing trust is not clean or orderly. The first step is about you, not the person who betrayed you.
Leaders who have a support network already in place are better able to take a pause and work through emotion and anger.
An authentic apology from someone should articulate the event itself, demonstrate their empathy for how the event felt to you, and appreciate the consequences of their actions.
Forgiving someone does not mean you trust them.Resources Mentioned
Trust: Knowing When to Give It, When to Withhold It, How to Earn It, and How to Fix It When It Gets Broken* by H…
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625: How to Release Some Control, with Morra Aarons-Mele
10 april 2023 · 36 min
Morra Aarons-Mele: The Anxious Achiever
Morra Aarons-Mele is the host of The Anxious Achiever, a top-10 management podcast that helps people rethink the relationship between their mental health and their leadership. Morra founded Women Online and The Mission List, an award-winning digital-consulting firm and influencer marketing company dedicated to social change, in 2010 and sold her business in 2021. Lees meerShe helped Hillary Clinton log on for her first internet chat and has launched digital campaigns for President Obama, Malala Yousafzai, the United Nations, the CDC, and many other leading figures and organizations. She is the author of The Anxious Achiever: Turn Your Biggest Fears into Your Leadership Superpower*.
In this conversation, Morra and I discuss some key tactics that help leaders release just a bit of control. Since control is often driven by fear, we can let go of some control by making small shifts in our practices, awareness, and planning. We also explore how to set boundaries that will help us lead in ways that are more helpful to others — and ourselves.
Key PointsControl is often caused by fear. Optimism can be a bit of an antidote to it.
Adopt a practice mindset by making small shifts to endure uncomfortable things.
Practice open awareness throughs surrender; the opposite of controlling and micromanaging.
Get clear on scheduling, deadlines, longer term career goals. Those provide a healthy illusion of control.
Create a distinction between having an emotion and being the emotion.
Begin setting boundaries by noticing when you are moving from comfort to discomfort.Resources Mentioned
The Anxious Achiever: Turn Your Biggest Fears into Your Leadership Superpower* by Morra Aarons-Mele
The Anxious Achiever podcastInterview Notes
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Related EpisodesFour Steps to Get Unstuck and Embrace Change, with Susan David (episode 297)
Effective Delegation of Authority, with Hassan Osman (episo… -
624: How to Make Smarter Investments in Your Learning, with Jill Schlesinger
3 april 2023 · 40 min
Jill Schlesinger: The Great Money Reset
Jill Schlesinger is an Emmy Award winning Business Analyst for CBS News. She appears on CBS radio and television stations nationwide covering the economy, markets, investing and anything else with a dollar sign. Jill is the host of the Jill on Money podcast and of the nationally syndicated radio show, Jill on Money, which won the 2018 and 2021 Gracie Award for Best National Talk Show. Lees meerJill is a frequent speaker on a variety of topics, including macroeconomic, market and demographic trends; workplace issues for women and LGBT employees in financial services; and how to create authentic branding. She is the author of The Dumb Things Smart People Do With Their Money and her most recent book, The Great Money Reset: Change Your Work, Change Your Wealth, Change Your Life*.
In this conversation, Jill and I examine the decision-making process that many of us use when considering advanced degrees or certifications. We discuss some of the common missteps that people make in educational investments and identity three key steps that can help us do better. Plus, we encourage leaders to get clear on their goals and outcomes and alternative ways to fund major educational investments.
Key PointsEvery situation is different. Examining your situation is more helpful than relying on an assumption that all educational investments are wise.
Identify the precise skills, knowledge, or credential you hope to gain by going back to school and how your career with benefit.
Remember that the cost of tuition does not always reflect the full cost such as lost salary or time out of the workforce.
Explore cheaper options if they still archive your overall objectives. A cheaper degree from a less prestigious university may meet 95% of the outcomes you want.
Consider how your employer may support your educational investments. Some companies will consider sponsoring some of your educational expenses if you make a formal request.Resources Mentioned
The G…
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623: How to Align an Employee to a Role, with Jonathan Raymond
27 maart 2023 · 39 min
Jonathan Raymond: Good Authority
Jonathan spent 20 years building careers in business development and personal growth before realizing he could have the best of both worlds by starting his own company. Now, he uses those skills to advise CEOs and organizational leaders on how to create a people-first culture that drives results. Lees meerAs the founder of Refound, his goal is to provide clients with a partner they can trust and programs that gives managers an experience of how they can make work a better place, one conversation at a time. He’s the author of the book Good Authority: How to Become the Leader Your Team Is Waiting For*. He's also the creator of the Accountability Dial, used daily by many of our members and listeners to open up more healthy dialogue inside of their teams and organizations.
It may seem like you’ve had the same conversation about 17 times, but again you have an employee asking you, “Wait? Is this thing we’re talking about supposed to be part of my job?” You again clarify their role, but you’re also thinking in the back of your mind, “Really? We’re having this conversation again?” In this episode, Jonathan and I discuss four questions to ask of yourself — and your employee — to align them with the role.
Key PointsMangers often complain that employees do not have clarity on their roles.
Separate the role from the person. Depersonalizing the role actually helps you to have a better alignment conversation.
What do you want employees to be owning, thinking about, and worrying about? Those are windows into the Soul of the Role.
There are three steps to role alignment: defining the role, aligning the role with the employee, and sustaining the dialogue about the role.Four questions that will help you define a role:
What is the purpose of this role?
What makes someone successful in this role?
What are three priorities for this role in the next 90 days?
Where are their decision-making rights?Resources Mentioned
Refound Academy: Good Authority, Goo…
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622: The Way to Manage an Over-Confident Team Member, with Bonni Stachowiak
20 maart 2023 · 35 min
Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed
Bonni is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, Dean of Teaching and Learning and Professor of Business and Management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, she was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. Bonni is the author of The Productive Online and Offline Professor: A Practical Guide.
Listener Questions Lees meerSusan asked about assessing the difference between an employee who has addressable gaps in their skills and knowledge versus when they are in over their head.
Elizabeth asked our advice on managing a team member who appears over-confident in their abilities…and how to hold them accountable.
Steve wondered how we handle household tasks between the two of us in the midst of our busy schedules.Resources Mentioned
Analyzing Performance Problems* by Robert Mager and Peter Pipe
The Alignment Problem by Brian Christian
Wonder Tools by Jeremy Kaplan
The Home Edit by Clea Shearer and Joanna TeplinRelated Episodes
The Way to Stop Rescuing People From Their Problems, with Michael Bungay Stanier (episode 284)
How to Challenge Directly and Care Personally, with Kim Scott (episode 302)
Five Steps to Hold People Accountable, with Jonathan Raymond (episode 306)
Finding Joy Through Intentional Choices, with Bonni Stachowiak (episode 417)Discover More
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621: How to Approach a Reorg, with Claire Hughes Johnson
13 maart 2023 · 40 min
Claire Hughes Johnson: Scaling People
Claire Hughes Johnson is a corporate officer and advisor for Stripe, a global technology company that builds economic infrastructure for the internet. She previously served as Stripe’s Chief Operating Officer, helping the company grow from fewer than 200 employees to more than 8,000. Lees meerPrior to Stripe, Claire spent 10 years at Google leading various business teams, including overseeing aspects of Gmail, Google Apps, and consumer operations. She is a board member at Hallmark Cards, The Atlantic, Ameresco, and HubSpot. Claire also serves as a trustee and the current board president of Milton Academy. She is the author of Scaling People: Tactics for Management and Company Building*.
You are charged with leading a reorg, but do you know the mindset, actions, and steps to take? In this conversation, Claire and I explore some of the key lessons she’s discovered as an executive leader in a quickly growing enterprise. We discuss the key triggers for a reorg, the three phases of reorganization, and common pitfalls leaders should avoid.
Key PointsReorganizations or restructurings and often seen as a sign of a problem, but that's not always the case.
Why reorganize? Two triggers: (1) your team structure doesn't match your strategy and/or (2) you have a talent issue.
While there are times to go slower, the bias should be to move with haste. Don't leave ice cream on the counter for too long.
Be very cautious about creating structure around a single individual.Three phases of a reorg:
Phase 0: Decide whether you need a reorg and determine your new structure.
Phase 1: Get buy-in from the key people who need to be involved.
Phase 2: Create a communications plan and inform all of those affected.Resources Mentioned
Scaling People: Tactics for Management and Company Building* by Claire Hughes Johnson
Transitions* by William BridgesInterview Notes
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Related EpisodesHow…
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620: How to Respond When You Get Triggered, with Sally Helgesen
6 maart 2023 · 37 min
Sally Helgesen: Rising Together
Sally Helgesen has been cited by Forbes as the world’s premier expert on women’s leadership. She is a best-selling author, speaker and leadership coach. She has been named by Thinkers50 as one of the world’s top 20 coaches and ranked number 6 among the world’s thought leaders by Global Gurus. She is the author of several books, including The Female Advantage: Women’s Ways of Leadership and The Female Vision: Women’s Real Power at Work. Lees meerHer book The Web of Inclusion: A New Architecture for Building Great Organizations, was cited in The Wall Street Journal as one of the best books on leadership of all time and is credited with bringing the language of inclusion into business. She co-authored How Women Rise, with executive coach Marshall Goldsmith, examining the behaviors most likely to get in the way of successful women. Her newest book is Rising Together: How We Can Bridge Divides and Create a More Inclusive Workplace*.
When we get triggered, our default response tends to be either venting about it to others or suffering in silence. In this conversation, Sally and I explore how to respond in a more useful way. She invites us to consider being less invested in our initial response, creating an alternative script, and finding a path forward to influence different behavior.
Key PointsWhen we get triggered, our tendency is to either vent about it or suffer in silence.
Being overly invested in our first response limits our ability to respond better. This is the authenticity trap.
Create an alternative, positive script that helps your own mental well-being and precipitates a more helpful action.
Whether the alternative script is true or not isn’t the point. The aim is to find the line between not humiliating the other party and also not letting a poor behavior be unaddressed.
Wisdom from Sun Tzu: indirection or redirection to disarm an opponent is preferable to the direct engagement or combat.Resources Mentioned
Rising Together: How …
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619: Finding Leadership Confidence Through Diverse Perspectives, with Kathy Fiddler
4 maart 2023 · 37 min
Kathy Fiddler: TidalHealth
Kathy Fiddler is the Vice President of Population Health for TidalHealth, a non-profit two hospital health care system on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. She has been instrumental in building community programs supporting improved access to healthcare services on the lower shore. Lees meerKathy is a registered nurse and a retired Major in the United States Air Force Reserve. She served for 26 years in the US and abroad and supported Operation Restore Hope, Operation Desert Storm, and Operation Enduring Freedom. She is also a lifetime member of the Reserve Officers Association and a board member for the United Way of the Lower Eastern Shore. In 2019, she was recognized as one of the Top 100 Women in Maryland. She's also an alum of the Coaching for Leaders Academy.
In this conversation, Kathy and I discuss her career growth over time from mostly clinical and operational work to leading at the executive level. We explore how being intentional about surrounding oneself with a diverse set of voices helps to both build confidence and surface better outcomes. Finally, we look at how working through discomfort in service of others can help us to make the world better through our work.
Key PointsThe work of a leader is very different than the operational and technical work most of us did earlier in our careers.
Having a smaller meeting before a larger meeting can help a more introverted leader engage in the way they want.
We sometimes sell ourselves short by concluding we won’t add value. By leaning into that discomfort, we find it’s often the case that others struggle with similar fears.
Shifting from having the right answers to asking the right questions will help a leader to uncover what may have been unsaid that’s critical.
Finding communities of other leaders helps you to find the diversity of perspective to support you building your own confidence.Related Episodes
Create Margin Through Intentional Leadership, with Amy McPherson (episode 429)
Pe… -
618: Leadership Through the Complexity of Current Events, with Adi Ignatius
27 februari 2023 · 35 min
Adi Ignatius: Harvard Business Review
Adi Ignatius is Editor in Chief of the Harvard Business Review Group, where he oversees the editorial activities of Harvard Business Review, hbr.org, and HBR’s book-publishing unit. Prior to joining Harvard Business Review in 2009, he was the No. 2 editor at TIME. He is the editor of two books: President Obama: The Path to the White House and Prisoner of the State: The Secret Diaries of Premier Zhao Ziyang. Both made The New York Times Bestseller List. Lees meerAdi lived and worked for nearly 20 years overseas. He was Editor of Time’s Asian edition and earlier served as Beijing Bureau Chief and Moscow Bureau Chief for The Wall Street Journal. He is also host of the HBR Channel. It is the 100th anniversary of Harvard Business Review.
Should leaders and organizations take a stand on current events, politics, or causes? Adi and I discuss this tough question in detail. While the answer will be different for every leader, we invite you to begin thinking about how you might approach this in your work.
Key PointsThe traditional advice of “Don’t talk about politics and religion” is still the norm in some places, but increasingly leaders and being more vocal.
Silence used to be the default. Silence now many send a message that leaders and organizations don't intend to convey.
While every leader needs to decide how they will navigate this, beware your feelings of certainty.Resources Mentioned
Harvard Business Review
Related Episodes
Start With Why, with Simon Sinek (episode 223)
Handling a Difficult Stakeholder, with Nick Timiraos (episode 581)
How to Begin Difficult Conversations About Race, with Kwame Christian (episode 594)Discover More
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617: How to Start a Big Leadership Role, with Carol Kauffman
20 februari 2023 · 39 min
Carol Kauffman: Real-Time Leadership
Carol Kauffman is an international leader in the field of coaching and has more than 40,000 hours of practice. Her clients are C-level leaders and their teams or elite athletes and creatives. She was shortlisted by Thinkers 50 as one of the top eight coaches around the globe for her thought leadership, entrepreneurial spirit, and contribution to coaching best practices. She is a founding member of the Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coaches and ranked the number one leadership coach in the world. She founded the Institute of Coaching with a $2 million gift from the Harnisch Foundation. Lees meerCarol is an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, a visiting professor at Henley Business School, and a senior leadership adviser at Egon Zehnder. At Harvard she launched the annual Coaching in Leadership and Healthcare Conference, one of the school's most highly attended events. Her professional development program, Leader as Coach, won Harvard’s inaugural Program Award for Culture of Excellence in Mentoring and has been rolled out throughout the United States. She was also the founding editor-in-chief of Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research, and Practice. Carol is co-author with David Noble of Real-Time Leadership: Find Your Winning Moves When the Stakes are High*.
In this conversation, Carol and I explore the mindsets and tactics that are helpful when taking on a new, big leadership role. We discuss how vision, resolution, scope, and altitude play a key role in your success early on. Plus, we invite listeners to consider the importance of peer relationships and recognizing how others see you as your role begins.
Key PointsHaving the right altitude often means looking much more broadly at the organization and moving past a subconscious bias towards your old role or department.
The “subject matter expert trap” is a common one. Your awareness will help you avoid it — or recognize it faster.
Good peer relationships are one of … -
616: How to Discover What Others Value, with Joe Hart
13 februari 2023 · 37 min
Joe Hart: Take Command
Joe Hart began his career as a practicing attorney. After taking a Dale Carnegie Course, Joe reassessed his career path and future, ultimately leaving the practice of law, going to work for a top real estate company, and then founding an innovative e-learning company and serving as president of health and wellness company. In 2015, Joe was named president and CEO of Dale Carnegie. Lees meerThe CEO Forum Group named Joe as one of twelve transformative leaders, giving him the Transformative CEO Leadership Award in the category of the People. He is the host of a top global podcast, Take Command: A Dale Carnegie Podcast, and he speaks around the world on topics such as leadership, resilience, and innovation. He is the author with Michael Crom of Take Command: Find Your Inner Strength, Build Enduring Relationships, and Live the Life You Want*.
In this conversation, Joe and I explore how to discover another person’s values through meaningful conversation. We examine three types of questions to ask that gradually illuminate what’s important to another person. By knowing what to ask and what to listen for, we can uncover values without asking a more awkward question like, “What are your values?”
Key Points
Dale Carnegie invited us to, “Try honestly to see things from the other person’s point of view.” Use three types of questions to frame a conversation that uncovers another person’s values:Examples of factual questions:
How did you first find out about…?
What keeps you busy during the week?
What do you like to do for fun?
What hobby or activity holds your interest?Examples of causative questions:
What got you interesting in doing this kind of work?
How did you get involved in that hobby?
What do you like about…?
What caused you to enter into this industry?Examples of values-based questions:
Tell me about someone who’s had a major impact on your life.
If you had to do it over again, what — if anything — would you do differently?
Tell me about a tur… -
615: How to Respond Better When Challenged, with Dolly Chugh
6 februari 2023 · 38 min
Dolly Chugh: A More Just Future
Dolly Chugh is a social psychologist and management professor at the New York University Stern School of Business where she teaches MBA courses in leadership and management. She was one of six professors chosen from thousands at NYU to receive the Distinguished Teaching Award in 2020 and one of five to receive the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Faculty Award in 2013. Lees meerShe has been named an SPSP Fellow, received the Academy of Management Best Paper award, and been named one of the top 100 Most Influential People in Business Ethics by Ethisphere Magazine. Her first book, The Person You Mean to Be has received rave praise from Adam Grant, Angela Duckworth, Liz Wiseman, Billie Jean King, and many others. She is the author of A More Just Future: Psychological Tools for Reckoning with our Past and Driving Social Change.
All of us know that we will be challenged by others. Sometimes how we see ourselves limits what we could do to change our behavior. In this conversation, Dolly and I discuss how we can do better and the mindset and actions that will help us move forward.
Key PointsThere’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.
Nostalgia feels good to many of us, but can get in the way of us seeing the “ands” in situations and experiences.
When we are challenged, especially in the context of identity, our tendency is either to deny, distance, or dismantle.
Feeling of guilt and shame are indicators that there is an opportunity to change. The goal is not to avoid them, but to use them as a starting point for different behavior.
Use values affirmations to give you a booster shot to prepare for the inevitable challenges ahead. These affirmations will help you respond in a more healthy way for everyone.Resources Mentioned
Dear Good People newsletter by Dolly Chugh
TED talk: How to let go of being a "good" person -- and become a better person by Dolly Chugh
The Person You Mean to Be* by Dolly Chugh
A More Just Future* by Dolly C…