Aim Higher: The podcast with purpose – Details, episodes & analysis

As we wrap up this season of "Aim Higher," it reminds me of how much "summer" has come to be synonymous with "vacation," even decades after we move beyond school semesters and summer breaks. We think of summer and we think of fun, travel, family, and relaxation. And that's great! But many times we forget to really disconnect and recharge. As leaders, we need to care for ourselves. And that includes a healthy commitment to living  and experiencing life outside work. ​In this final, 5-minute mini-episode, I share some thoughts on how we can all get the most out of summer—even if that means taking some time to just do nothing. Thank you for listening this season, and I look forward to seeing you online, in the comments, on social media... and maybe even at the beach!

In this episode, my panel of business experts and I discuss the importance of resilience. Not just for leadership—though we focus most of our time on that aspect—but to each of us within our business and personal lives. Nothing important was ever accomplished without making mistakes, without trial-and-error, without pushing through practice to get to performance. Weathering those storms successfully requires resilience—and it’s a skill that can be learned. Tune in for some great advice about how to do so as part of your leadership journey.  

As you know, I believe very strongly in the power of motivation, the importance of planning, and the role that a positive attitude plays in our success. So, if you—like so many people—start your Mondays with fear, loathing, and a sigh of resignation, guess what? It's time to cut that out. How you start your week will have a huge impact on how it ends. So, it’s time to give Mondays the love they deserve, plan for how you can start your week with positive energy and move forward with intention.  

In this episode of Aim Higher, Skip interviews Patty McCord, former Chief Talent Officer at Netflix. While there, she created and continuously updated what has become a famous presentation about Netflix culture called “Freedom and Responsibility.” She wrote a book about that experience, “Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility,” and discusses with Skip some of the most important lessons she learned at Netflix, and in the seven years since she left. Many of which can be summed up in her algorithm for success: “Is what you love to do—that you’re extraordinarily good at doing—something this company needs someone to be great at?” She and Skip touch on some tough subjects, including how to approach radical honesty with grace, incorporate listening into leadership and how doing hard things is often more important than being happy at work.

We’re looking to Scott McKain, a personal friend of mine and wonderful author, for today’s “Wednesday Wisdom.” Scott says, “Make the customer the star of the show,” and I think that’s a fantastic way to focus your energy. Who’s the star of *your* show? Your showroom? Your product? You? Maybe shift that thinking. People love to talk about themselves… Give them the chance, and they’ll remember the conversation much more positively!

In this episode of Aim Higher, Skip and his panel discuss the benefits of long-term thinking, the 8th of 9 traits of servant leaders. While any leader must acknowledge the importance of short-term goals, Skip emphasizes that you can’t simply forget about long-term thinking if you want to be a great leader. If you do? You’ll find yourself spinning out-of-control, following yearly, quarterly and even daily routines with no way to tell if you’re making any true progress. Worse, the people you’re trying to lead won’t have a firm grasp of your organization’s direction. This powerful mindset has implications for hiring, investment, training and other aspects of leadership, and Skip’s guests take us through some great ideas of how to apply long-term thinking to your leadership journey.

Today’s “Wednesday Wisdom” comes from Max DePree, who said, “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between the two, the leader must become a servant.” Leaders, I’ve found are often good at the first and last. Having a vision is often what inspires us to become leaders. After we achieve our goals? If we’re any kind of a decent person, we will take time for gratitude. But as I speak and write about all the time, it’s that in-between time that really makes great leaders. The servant leader’s reality is defined every day, and that leads to multiple rewards.

In this episode of Aim Higher, Skip interviews Paul Smith, one of the world’s leading experts in business storytelling. Paul was one of “Inc. Magazine’s” Top 100 Leadership Speakers of 2018. He’s a storytelling coach, and he shares with Skip some of the secrets from his new book, “The 10 Stories Great Leaders Tell.” Paul explains that we don’t make most of our decisions entirely logically; we make them in our subconscious and then we rationalize them. To influence people, we need to reach them at both levels, and good storytelling does that. He and Skip talk through several of the most important stories that great leaders should master, including “Where We Came From” (A Founding Story), “Why We Can’t Stay Here” (A Case-for-Change) and “Why You Should Want to Work Here” (A Recruiting Story). In the end, Skip and Paul agree… storytelling is a critical skill for leaders, and if you want to be good at it you can’t just “wing it.” You need to learn from an expert, and masters of the art – like Paul and Skip – can help.

This week’s “Wednesday Wisdom” quote comes from John Patrick, an early internet pioneer, a former IBM executive, and a friend and colleague of Skip’s. John is the author of a series of “Attitude” books, the latest of which is, “Robot Attitude.” John says, “Think big, act bold, start simple.” Skip walks through this great quote and reflects on some personal stories that speak to these simple, yet important ideals.

In this episode of “Aim Higher,” Skip and his panel discuss how servant leaders think: “you, not me.” This is the 7th of 9 traits of servant leaders, and it helps bring about a culture of empowerment. This week, Skip is joined by his regular contributors Drew Bordas and Tammi Spayde, and first time panelist Rebekah Kilzer, a leader in information technology and learning. While it may seem obvious that a servant leader “puts others first,” Skip and his guests put that assumption to the test. They discuss how true servant leaders influence through service rather than position, while still maintaining a balance of self-care and planning.