Brandon Sawalich is the President and CEO of Starkey, leading 6,000 employees across 29 countries in the hearing healthcare industry. In this episode, Brandon addresses how healthcare leaders balance innovation with human connection. He explains that hearing health requires both cutting-edge AI technology and personalized care from healthcare professionals. He shares leadership lessons from guiding Starkey's transformation into a global brand while preserving its family culture. Brandon discusses how to maintain core values while under pressure to prioritize patient outcomes over stock market demands. Listen to this episode to discover how Brandon leads with purpose in an industry that transforms lives, balances innovation with human connection, and maintains company culture during global growth. You can find episode 484 on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! Watch this Episode on YouTube | Brandon Sawalich on Balancing Innovation with Human Connection https://bit.ly/TLP-484 Key Takeaways [05:01] When asked about balancing innovation with human elements in healthcare, Brandon explains hearing technology has evolved from analog whistling devices to AI-powered solutions, noting "We were the first to pioneer using AI back in 2000, starting in 2017 and we're in our eighth generation now." [07:01] Brandon outlines leadership challenges in managing multiple stakeholders, emphasizing "What's best for the patient is best for our customer is best for Starkey." [08:26] When asked about protecting culture while growing globally, Brandon explains his approach: "We hire for attitude and develop the talent because that attitude has to fit within the Starkey culture." [10:04] Brandon describes their training philosophy as "the Starkey way," emphasizing mentoring over traditional training programs and stating "I want one way" rather than multiple programs. [12:14] When asked about balancing kindness with results, Brandon explains his leadership approach: "I work for you. We all have to hold each other accountable." [14:21] Brandon defines being "the best" in their industry by focusing on sound quality and ease of use, explaining "to be the best is yes, you have to run an efficient company" and have "the best sounding sound quality hearing aid in the world." [15:41] Brandon reveals the hearing aid industry structure: "The hearing aid industry is made up of five companies in the world. Starkey is the only US owned and operated." [16:56] When asked what makes him the best leader, Brandon emphasizes accessibility and continuous learning, stating "I'm always available to the team if they need it" and "I'm always curious." [19:58] When asked about being overwhelmed, Brandon explains he's not overwhelmed because "I love this company. I've been here 31 years and I'm honored to have the job." [24:06] Brandon shares pivotal experiences that shaped his leadership, including leading industry advocacy in Washington D.C. from 2017 and navigating COVID-19 challenges. [30:53] When asked about daily improvement, Brandon identifies time management as key: "my time management and am I spending, you know, the time on, you know, 20% of the things that are going to make an 80% impact for the company." [33:05] Brandon concludes with parting counsel for leaders: "Don't be a blockbuster. Push yourself. You know, innovate or die" and emphasizes "complacency kills." [34:19] And remember…"I have learned silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind, yet strange, I am ungrateful to those teachers" - Khalil Gibran. Quotable Quotes "It's not just about sound and amplifying sound. You have to personalize and customize something in a very personal business because you have to care and hearing healthcare professionals have to care about the patient in front of them and it's better hearing with a human touch." "You have to make your mistakes. You have to fail in order to improve yourself and move forward. You know, if you're going to fail fast." "If you got somebody that's not the right fit, you know, you have to be able to have the courage to hit that head on and make change." "It's not about coming up and say, well, you didn't produce this much. We need to sit down and talk. It's kind of sitting down and a little bit of a human approach. Common sense is, hey, tell me what's going on." "I'm not going to ask anybody to do anything that I wouldn't do myself. And I'll get a cup of coffee, I'll pick somebody up at the airport, whatever it takes. Because again, that's the team approach and very much lead from the front." "You got to be comfortable being uncomfortable." "Don't lose sleep over the competition, lose sleep over are we making progress or not? Are we getting better? Because complacency kills." "Don't be blockbuster. Push yourself. You know, innovate or die. And you've got to have the courage to change because change management. People's afraid of change." Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Brandon Sawalich Website | www.starkey.com Brandon Sawalich X | @starkeyhearing Brandon Sawalich LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/brandonsawalich Brandon Sawalich Instagram | @brandonsawalich

Zach Mercurio is a researcher, and optimist instructor who specializes in purposeful leadership and meaningful work. He is the author of "The Power of Mattering: How Leaders Can Create a Culture of Significance," that reveals the psychological foundation that drives human energy and performance in organizations. Zach addresses why 60% of employees don't feel cared for at work and how this creates a mattering deficit leading to quiet quitting or toxic behaviors. He discusses the Optimism course he created with Simon Sinek, which focuses on developing human skills that show people their significance so they believe they can improve any situation. Zach reveals the three essential dimensions people need: feeling noticed (seen and heard), affirmed (their uniqueness makes a difference), and needed (relied upon and indispensable). He explains how organizations can maintain purpose as "the invisible leader" despite quarterly pressures, emphasizing that people won't contribute to bigger purposes until they first believe they're worthy of having one. Listen to discover why the age of AI makes human connection skills irreplaceable and learn the counterintuitive truth that people must feel valued before they can add value. You can find episode 483 on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! Watch this Episode on YouTube | Zach Mercurio on People Must Feel Valued Before They Can Add Value https://bit.ly/TLP-483 Key Takeaways [05:59] Zach defines mattering as feeling significant through being valued and adding unique value. [08:05] Zach explains human energy comes from knowing we matter, with research showing lower cortisol in those who feel significant. [11:15] Zach describes the "mattering wheel" where feeling valued builds confidence to add value. [13:56] Zach notes 40% of feedback fails because people don't feel cared for by the giver. [18:54] Zach outlines "wise feedback": express belief, reaffirm capabilities, offer support. [22:12] Zach defines optimism as believing you can improve moments and explains how digital communication created human skills gaps. [29:22] Zach emphasizes only humans take moral responsibility while noting only 40% feel cared for at work. [33:22] Zach positions matter as a prerequisite to purpose - people must feel cared for before caring about work. [36:12] Zach advises asking "When you feel you matter to me, what am I doing?" and outlines three practices: noticed, affirmed, needed. [38:08] Zach states "hurry and care cannot coexist" and suggests using meetings for relationships, not information exchange. [42:17] Zach explains these "soft" skills need rigorous practice as attention spans dropped to 47 seconds and leadership requires separate human skills. [46:19] Zach challenges leaders to master human skills because leadership is a separate occupation requiring separate skills. [48:20] And remember…"The business of business is relationships; the business of life is human connection." - Robin S. Sharma Quotable Quotes "It's almost impossible for anything to matter to someone who doesn't first believe that they matter." "All human energy is an outcome of knowing that we matter." "The ultimate energizer is knowing that you and your life and your work are worthy of your energy." "We don't build confidence on our own. We build true confidence when we know someone has our back." "People need to be valued to add value." "Feeling valued gives us the confidence we need to add value. The more we add value, the more we see the evidence of our significance, the more we feel valued." "Hurry and care cannot coexist." "When leaders can't connect, they usually try to control. We try to control what we don't understand." "Loneliness is not the outcome of being alone. Loneliness is the outcome of feeling that you don't matter." "It's the quality of the interaction that matters, not the quantity when it comes to loneliness." "People will not care until they feel cared for." "Leadership is a separate occupation. It is a separate occupation that requires a separate set of skills." "Optimism is the belief that the future can be better and that I have what it takes to make it better." "AI will take your job if you do not master the human skills to cultivate trust and care." "The heart of leadership is to inspire." "Feedback without a relationship comes across as aggression." These are the books mentioned in this episode Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Zach Mercurio Website | www.zachmercurio.com Zach Mercurio Facebook | www.facebook.com/ZMercurio Zach Mercurio LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/zachmercurio Zach Mercurio Instagram | @zachmercurio Essential Skills to Create a Culture of Mattering - Zach Mercurio

Anne Marie Anderson is a three-time Emmy winner with 36 years in sports television, including a decade as a producer at ESPN working with elite athletes and executives. She's the author of "Cultivating Audacity: Dismantle Doubt and Let Yourself Win" and has navigated multiple career pivots throughout her professional life. In this episode, Anne Marie reveals that audacity isn't reserved for the naturally fearless but can be developed as a learnable skill. Anne Marie explains that true audacity requires getting comfortable with failure, surviving it, and trying again. She identifies four barriers that stop leaders: fear, time, money, and that inner critic. Elite performers don't silence their inner critic but examine its messages with neutral curiosity. Anne Marie teaches her catastrophize your life technique for evaluating risks by imagining the worst possible outcomes. This helps distinguish between legitimate concerns and irrational fears that paralyze decision-making. She emphasizes that the cost of inaction is always higher than the price of failure. Anne Marie introduces the concept of your front row, the people who challenge you and tell you the truth. She advocates for shape shifting leadership and shares how vulnerability became key to her transformation. If you're ready to stop letting fear control your biggest decisions, this episode is essential listening. You can find episode 474 wherever you get your podcasts! Watch this Episode on YouTube | Anne Marie Anderson on Four Barriers that Stop Leaders https://bit.ly/TLP-474 Key Takeaways [02:42] Anne Marie reveals what's not publicly known about her: she did adventure travel before kids, rafting dangerous rivers, climbing to Everest base camp, and trekking gorillas in the Congo. [03:39] She explains that audacity requires practice with failing and getting comfortable with failure because "if you're not failing, you're really not pushing yourself to be audacious." [04:32] Anne Marie advises understanding why you want to make a change first, then evaluating what you're willing to risk to get there. [06:18] She identifies that elite athletes control their inner critic by recognizing it and examining messages with neutral curiosity rather than trying to silence it. Anne Marie defines audacity as "optimism that you're going to survive no matter how they work out." [08:26] Anne Marie intentionally shares her failures with her children, showing them rejections she gets to normalize failure as information. [11:36] She shares what to do differently to confront the fear and recommends catastrophizing situations to their ridiculous extreme. [17:06] She explains that your "front row" should be people who challenge and push you, not necessarily your best friends who want to keep you safe. [22:48] Anne Marie describes leaders as "shape shifters" who tailor their approach to each person's individual motivation and needs. [26:00] She distinguishes that urgent tasks are usually responses to others' requests while important tasks move you closer to your values and goals. [28:17] Anne Marie shares how her relationship with vulnerability has changed through the series of transformations she had in her lifetime and career. [31:03] She describes actively seeking rejection to desensitize herself, advising people to "fail first, go fail a lot." [32:54] Anne Marie's closing advice is for leaders to share their vulnerabilities and be "shape shifting leaders" who find the best in everyone. [34:16] And remember..."Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy." - Dale Carnegie Quotable Quotes "It requires practice, and it requires practice with failing and getting comfortable failing." "If you're not failing, you're really not pushing yourself to be audacious." "Audacity at the base, right, is about optimism. And it's not optimism that things are going to work out the way you want it to. It's optimism that you're going to survive no matter how they work out." "If the price is too high to do the work, to create the change, then wait till you get the bill for regret, because that is super steep." "I would far rather have a list of failures than have a list of regrets." "You're going to get information as to how to take your next step. If you don't take that first step, how do you know where to go?" "Elite performers on that last one, inner critic, have great control of their inner critic power. They don't silence it. You can't silence your inner critic, but you can recognize it for what it is." "Your front row needs to be those people who will challenge you, who will push you, who will tell you the truth." "A great leader is somebody who's going to be able to say, obviously, I have all of these incredibly urgent matters. I'm carving out specific times to work toward our goals, our future." "Things that are urgent are usually in response to a request... Things that are important move us closer to our values, vision, goals, who we want to be." "I tell people, fail first, go fail a lot. Whatever the thing is you're most afraid of, do that one first. When you start actively seeking it out, it becomes easier." "To really understand human behavior, I think you have to understand what people fear." These are the books mentioned in this episode Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Anne Marie Anderson Website | annemarieanderson.com Anne Marie Anderson LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/anne-marie-anderson-3557ab39/ Anne Marie Anderson Instagram | @annemarieandersontv Sign up for Anne Marie Anderson book updates: annemarieanderson.com/book Suffer Everything - Dare Everything: Why Difficulties Matter | Jan Rutherford | TEDxYoungstown The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward by Dan Pink

Bill Snow, Author of "Mergers and Acquisitions for Dummies." shares the business valuations and the importance of understanding EBITDA. He also talks about the challenges and misconceptions of making acquisitions. Lack of planning, communication, and dishonesty can derail transactions in terms of negotiations and finance. He also counsels entrepreneurs to monitor cash flow statements while managing their companies. Regarding acquisitions, Bill advises meticulous preparation and deciding before placing a bid on a company whether an acquisition is a need or a nice-to-have. https://bit.ly/TLP-386 Key Takeaways: [3:13] Bill talks about the nature of mergers and acquisitions, the price terms and timing, and the payment structure such as the EBITDA. He also explains its usage and how it doesn't work with other circumstances. Bill discusses that EBITDA works different from company to another. [10:47] He shares the three segments of mergers and acquisitions which are the search, negotiate, and finance. As he explains, finance is the easiest among the three, since you can just borrow or get other investors to suffice your needs. The second one is negotiating, which he defines as the most interesting part if only one is familiar with his/ her actions. The last one is search, which enacts you to look for a company that will buy. He added that one thing to differentiate you among other business people is creating a thesis or proposals to discover what's in it for your business to spark. [15: 08] Bill shares how to make contact and build relationships. He also speaks about how to use deliberate and intentional approach in establishing peer-to-peer relationships. This explains the expectation one should be thinking of when entering this kind of business, where you will be negotiating with five people, but only one will win the deal. [18:07] He explains the need for an accountant to discover the preferred structure for the seller to effectively communicate to the buyer and the importance of disclosure of problems to frame discussions to avoid resulting in a much bigger problem. Bill also explains how important it is to be honest with even the smallest problem because it might result in a bigger problem if not solved earlier. [21:44] Bill shares how important math is when it comes to leadership, the same with how business and math is interconnected as well. He also emphasizes the need to be confident in terms of their businesses because they have learned about it in the first place. In addition, it is also recommended to study other companies with the same company as yours for you to be able to understand and create a better strategy. He also added how important it is to work with a financial advisor instead of going with the flow. [26:27] He explains the importance and concept of timeliness and due diligence in integrating acquired business. Bill also shares how imperative it is to understand your strength and weakness when doing transactions to determine where you are good at for you to improve what you are lacking and enhance where you are better at doing. [38:32] Closing Quote: Remember, get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please. -Mark Twain Quotable Quotes: "The way a business is valued from a buyer's perspective is quite different from how people run their businesses." "Put together your plans, get very granular to make acquisitions." "Don't ask. Offer something. Try to figure out what you can offer." "A small issue that may not be a big deal for most people, if hidden, may result in a bigger problem." "Fix what you can and work with a financial advisor instead of finger up in the air." "The key thing with investment bankers advisors is their ability to negotiate." "The most important things are the ability to negotiate and the ability to get a transaction done." "When you have something in due diligence, get it done in a timely fashion. It will take a couple of years before a company finally came back enough, and it traded." "You're going to have some rough waves, and some people may not work well with you, you have to get rid of them, or they'll leave. But you'll be surprised, other people who are kind of off in a corner, forgotten, turn out to be rock stars" This is the book mentioned in our discussion with Bill Snow: Resources Mentioned: The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Bill Snow LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/billsnow Bill Snow Website | www.billsnow.com Bill Snow Twitter | @bill_snow

Selena Rezvani, a renowned speaker on self-advocacy and leadership and the author of the Wall Street Journal best-selling book, "Quick Confidence: Be Authentic, Boost Connections, and Make Bold Bets on Yourself." She has been quoted, interviewed, and profiled by CareerBuilder, The Wall Street Journal, Oprah.com, The LA Times, Marie Claire, NBC television, and ABC television. Selena talks about how important it is to speak up for oneself at work. Selena also discusses effective strategies for leaders to encourage open communication and self-expression within their teams, emphasizing the significance of creating an inclusive work environment and shared insights on addressing situations where team members are interrupted or talked over. Selena stresses that instead of viewing power as bravado, we should reinterpret it as confidence grounded in a learning mindset. https://bit.ly/TLP-385 Key Takeaways: [3:42] Selena discussed the value of speaking up at work, but she also mentioned that some leaders feel free to express their opinions in front of their subordinates. Selena additionally speaks about her two points of view when someone tries to voice a concern: first, have you earned the right to ask, and second, some people ask for what they want, and some people take what is given to them. [4:41] She shares the need to foster more cultures that are focused on self-advocacy, where managers and other leaders allow employees some leeway to make decisions and approach some of their work or work arrangements more like cafeteria style, where they can take what appeals to them and have more voice and choice over what they do. But if managers or leaders are not comfortable with those requests, Selena said it's impossible to work it out. [13:27] Selena also concurs with one of Dr. Pfeffer's old sayings that "power is about 20% conferred and 80% taken," which means that power is typically more openly claimed than bestowed upon a single, exceptional person. She stated that it is something that should be remembered. Selena also shares how she frequently participates in some of her own advocacy work and encourages people to avoid waiting to be invited, instead, notice and claim it. [18:03] She also shares the tactics for leaders to support others in speaking up for themselves and giving others a chance to be heard, and how to step in when someone is being talked over or interrupted. Selena also brings up the common topic that people discuss, which is being too critical of oneself. She also talks about how giving yourself grace is the cherry on top, and how it's crucial to acknowledge your feelings and give yourself a break in order to take care of yourself. [21:30] Selena talks about how to be heard in meetings. She says you have to speak up more, but not so loudly that you have to scream for them to hear you. Another is rearranging your chair to draw people's attention and make a good impression. Another tactic is to unintentionally read your resume aloud; it's akin to telling them what you accomplished and what more you're capable of. [25:50] She mentions the American culture of silence, which states that it takes four seconds for the person on the other side of you to become uneasy, insecure, or rejected. She stresses how crucial it is to understand that occasionally, silence can be used against us. Selena also talks about making a plan for how to voice your opinions in meetings so that you don't get silenced, for this will help you become more confident and share your knowledge. [34:15] Selena also shares finding one's life's center of balance and control, as well as the value of trying new things and thinking outside the box. She says that positive things come from letting go. Furthermore, ruminating is a bad habit to get into before bed. Perhaps it's even letting go in that sense where someone is going to let go of that problem or thought. Good things come from letting go a little and letting serendipity and other people's decisions occasionally. Because control is a funny thing and our starting points can differ greatly. [40:22] Closing Quote: Remember, the most beautiful thing you can wear is confidence. - Blake Lively Quotable Quotes: "The more senior you are, the more likely you are to interrupt. "I may not be the best at this, but I'm not the worst at it, either. It's not that I'm never going to get it. It's that I haven't cracked it yet." "So much power, the ability to use our voice, is up for grabs. Notice it, claim it, don't wait to be invited." "Leaders can stoke confidence in others by ensuring their voices are heard and respected." "Techniques include putting the spotlight back on someone who was interrupted, asking for their thoughts, and making small gestures of support." "Use humor, lightening up, and using positive self-talk as ways to improve confidence." "Respect one's resume by relating experiences to current projects or challenges." "I think the other thing is we need to create more self advocacy oriented cultures where managers and leaders are given some latitude for people to have choices and approach some of their work or their work arrangements a little bit more like cafeteria style, where they can take what's appealing to them, where they have more say in voice and choice in what they do." "Before going into a room, create a plan" "Confidence is Power." This is the book mentioned in our discussion with Selena Rezvani: Resources Mentioned: The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Selena Rezvani LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/selenarezvani Selena Rezvani Website | www.selenarezvani.com Selena Rezvani Twitter | @selenarezvani Selena Rezvani Instagram | @selenarezvani Selena Rezvani Facebook | Selena Rezvani

Mark Mellett, Founder and Director of Green Compass, with a distinguished 48-year military career, served as Chief of the Navy and Ireland's 31st Chief of Defense. He's a strategic expert, recognized for leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mark chairs the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority, leads Sage Advocacy, and is a Lifetime Fellow Council Chair at The Irish Management Institute. His research focuses on innovation, climate change, and social issues like ageism and gender equality. Notably, under his command, the Irish flag ship's crew ranked among Ireland's top 50 workplaces. Mark brings a wealth of experience and a commitment to positive change. Mark discusses modern leadership, highlighting the importance of technology, balancing doctrine with adaptability, and fostering trust through open communication. Mark addresses the challenges of the strategic landscape, emphasizing diverse teams and collaboration across sectors. As chair of Sage Advocacy, he advocates for gender balance, challenges traditional retirement norms, and stresses the wisdom of older workers. Transitioning to Green Compass, Mark underscores the urgency of addressing climate change, emphasizing the value of biodiversity. https://bit.ly/TLP-384 Key Takeaways: [01:28] Mark Mellett, founder of Green Compass and a seasoned military leader. Mark shares his diverse roles, from chairing the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority to leading Sage Advocacy. [04:10] Mark discusses modern leadership in 2023. He emphasizes subsidiarity and mission command for empowering young leaders. Mark talks about the crucial role of technology in decision-making and urges leaders to balance adherence to doctrine with adaptability. Mark also touches on building trust by sharing responsibility for mistakes and embracing a "black box thinking" culture of open communication. [08:56] Mark explores the challenges of the modern strategic landscape. He emphasizes the impact of information flows and technology while underlining the necessity of diverse teams. Mark discusses the complexities of managing diverse opinions and bureaucratic structures, advocating for collaboration and coalition-building. He highlights the integration of government, civil society, and the market for effective progress. Mark also talks about the importance of focusing on communication, stressing the importance of investing time in explanation for better understanding and alignment. [14:30] Mark talks about the evolving definition of "like-minded" leaders in a world of diverse opinions. He emphasizes the importance of finding common ground through dialogue and discussion, even amidst differences. Drawing from his experience in Afghanistan, Mark shares a story of breaking down silos to achieve a common goal—successful elections. Mark also shares a powerful Irish saying, "niat Kakur lekela," which means "There is no strength without you.". [16:08] As the chair of Sage Advocacy, Mark discusses his advocacy for the rights of older people in Ireland. He emphasizes the strategic risk of gender imbalance and highlights the correlation between the gender gap and global peace. Mark addresses challenges such as aging populations and dementia. He challenges the traditional retirement model, stressing the wisdom older workers bring to the workforce. [25:20] Mark discusses Green Compass, his response to the pressing issue of climate change. He reflects on his childhood in Ireland and the drastic environmental changes he has witnessed. Emphasizing biodiversity's critical role, Mark stresses the need to assign value to it for preservation. He delves into the anthropocene, highlighting the tangible impacts, such as recent climate-related disasters claiming thousands of lives. He also touches on population forecasts and the concerning shift from a green to a gray world. Despite the challenges, Mark emphasizes the leadership responsibility to address and mitigate these issues. [33:17] Mark shares a funny anecdote from his early days as a young officer, emphasizing the importance of clear communication. The story illustrates the need for leaders to articulate expectations clearly to avoid unexpected outcomes. Mark reflects on leadership responsibilities and the value of admitting mistakes as opportunities for learning and discovery. [37:13] Closing quote: Remember, Unity is strength when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved. – Mattie Stepanek Quotable Quotes: "And one further rule besides subsidiarity is nobody should feel uncomfortable in the workplace." "The more diversity you have in your team, no matter what level, the more capacity you have to deal with complexity." "But if you maintain a network and a framework and able to build that coalition of like-minded leaders, you may well find a solution." "If you don't have economic security, you don't have the fuel in the tank to keep on going." "Sometimes, people who assist in decision-making, will actually do so with a vested interest that sometimes is about disenfranchising older people." "Sustainability is something you should be willing to punish yourself for if you don't uphold." "Who owns biodiversity? You do. I do. We do. But when we don't put value on it, it's wasted, it's damaged, it actually becomes extinct." "In leadership, do not step back, do everything possible to nudge and push and to cajole, to build that coalition of like-minded leaders who might not entirely agree on everything, to actually make those decisions required." This is the book mentioned in our discussion with Mark: Resources Mentioned: The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Mark Mellett LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mellett Mark Mellett Website | www.greencompass.ie Mark Mellett Twitter | @mark_mellett

Susan Goldin-Meadow, a professor at the University of Chicago and author of "Thinking with Your Hands: The Surprising Science Behind How Gestures Shape Our Thoughts," has studied gestures' role in communication for 47 years. She points out how gestures are vital for conveying information and understanding. Susan discusses how leaders can use gestures to gauge message comprehension when explaining tasks or concepts. She suggests that asking others to explain while observing their gestures provides insights into their comprehension. Susan explores various gestures and their meanings in business and academics. She also touches on the differences between sign and spoken language, gesture use in video communication, and cultural differences in gesture interpretation. https://bit.ly/TLP-383 Key Takeaways [03:17] Susan Goldin-Meadow, a professor at the University of Chicago and author of "Thinking with Your Hands: The Surprising Science Behind How Gestures Shape Our Thoughts." explores the fascinating role of gestures in communication. Susan talks about a research that shows that even blind individuals use gestures when they speak, revealing the inherent connection between language and gestures. Susan discusses the power of silent gestures in bridging language barriers when communicating in foreign countries. [08:13] Susan reveals how gestures can uncover the truth, even when words don't match. She advises leaders to be cautious about their gestures during sensitive conversations. She explains how to assess understanding, asking others to explain in their own words, watching for alignment between speech and gestures, which can indicate comprehension. [15:49] Susan explores how gestures are a key part of learning, even in unexpected contexts like explaining math problems. Children often gesture when asked to explain, revealing hidden thoughts. Susan also discusses individual differences in gesturing and the surprising case of a young woman born without arms who still felt like she was gesturing, highlighting the intrinsic nature of gestures in communication. [19:06] Jan asked about how unique gestures and hand signals are used in professional settings, like the military. Susan explains that professionals in various fields often develop specific gestures to convey meanings within their communities. She also mentions the role of engagement and enthusiasm in using gestures to complement speech. Additionally, Susan talks about the importance of physical touch and nonverbal signals in the workplace. [24:40] Susan explores the power of multimodal learning, where utilizing multiple ways of learning and communicating can be highly effective. She discusses how incorporating gestures and tactile elements can enhance comprehension and retention, making us better communicators and learners. Susan emphasizes that gesture goes beyond just being part of multimodal learning; it exploits it, providing a unique way to convey information. [27:02] Susan discusses the importance of hands-on training, effective communication, and gestures in the modern workplace. She explores how incorporating gestures and movements into training can enhance learning and improve communication. She also touches on the challenges of remote communication and making gestures visible on online platforms. Susan shares insights into the cultural significance of gestures and why it's essential to be mindful of different meanings across regions. [31:51] Jim shared insights from a previous guest, Jim Thompson, who discussed the impact of adding gestures when acknowledging mistakes in youth sports. Susan also touches on the significance of handshakes in sealing agreements and the universality of such gestures in different cultures. Susan hints at her ongoing research in brain imaging and the curiosity to understand the neural processes underlying gestures in communication. Susan challenges listeners to overcome any hesitation and recognize the value of gestures in conveying and understanding messages. She also encourages everyone to be more aware of how their gestures influence others and to consciously observe the gestures of those they interact with. [36:01] Closing quote: And remember, to communicate through Silence is a link between the thoughts of man. — Marcel Marceau Quotable Quotes "Language on its own may not be capable of expressing the full range of human thought." "Talking and gesturing are one phenomenon. They're very integrated, and you don't need to be taught." "What we're doing with our hands is we're putting ideas out in space." "We can put our ideas out there, literally out there, and it's in sync with our words." "Gestures seem to have a special hold on the truth." "Often the truth comes out in their hands." "Be careful of your gestures if you really don't want something to be said... people read them. They don't even know they're reading them, but they do hear them." "It is very clear they're not getting it when your gestures and your speech aren't saying the same thing." "When you ask people to explain things, they tend to gesture quite a lot." "If we can get someone to learn something by having them operate multiple modalities, perhaps we can be better communicators." "There's lots of evidence that multimodal communication or multimodal learning is better than unimodal." "What gesture is doing here is exploiting multimodal." "Remembering, retaining, and generalizing to a new context, you're better off having done the gesture than the actions on the objects." "I'm into face-to-face communication. It's what I love, actually. And for teaching as well, I think it's important." "I like to make sure the gestures are visible." "I think the biggest challenge is using your hands well and not being afraid to." "Understanding how your gestures are having an impact on other people and trying to read other people's gestures could be helpful." Here are the books mentioned in this episode Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Susan Goldin Meadow LinkedIn Susan Goldin Meadow Susan Goldin Meadow Website | voices.uchicago.edu/goldinmeadowlab

Talia Fox is the CEO of KUSI Global, Inc. A leadership strategist and a legacy builder, she has transformed thousands of executives over the last two decades in every sector, including major corporations in health, higher education, technology, and government. Talia shares her unique approach to leadership and her upcoming book, "The Power of Conscious Connection: 4 Habits to Transform How You Live and Lead." Talia's book focuses on four habits: Listen, Observe, Value, and Engage. She stresses the importance of happiness in achieving success and introduces key leadership skills: emotional intelligence, systems thinking, and cultural competence. Talia also discusses dealing with diverse values on a team, the significance of aligning values in both concept and behavior, and the value of practicing restraint for gaining wisdom. https://bit.ly/TLP-382 Key Takeaways [02:22] Talia Fox, CEO of KUSI Global, Inc., is a leadership strategist with a unique mission: making people happy and improving lives. She emphasizes that personal happiness is the key to achieving remarkable results in business and leadership. [03:58] Talia shares her unique approach to leadership. She introduces the KUSI competency model, comprising Knowledge, Understanding, Strategy, and Implementation. Talia identifies three game-changing skills for leaders: Emotional intelligence, Systems thinking, Cultural competence. Talia explores how these competencies relate to disciplined leadership with an emphasis on adaptability. [11:21] Talia discusses the importance of emotional intelligence, systems thinking, and cultural competence in leadership. These competencies work together to navigate complex situations and promote adaptability. Talia introduces Conscious Equity, emphasizing its holistic approach to leadership development. Addressing resistance, she suggests embracing it as an opportunity for growth and unity by focusing on the heart of the matter: people. [19:10] Talia introduces her upcoming book, "The Power of Conscious Connection: 4 Habits to Transform How You Live and Lead," released on October 24, 2023. She discusses the book's four essential habits: Listen, Observe, Value, and Engage. These habits encourage individuals to slow down, gain self-awareness, and connect with their inner wisdom. Talia explains how each habit serves a specific purpose, such as emotional intelligence, systems thinking, and cultural competence. The book emphasizes customization and aligning behavior with personal values, creating a positive impact in one's life and the world. [22:35] Jim and Jan ask Talia to talk about understanding your values, assumptions, beliefs, and expectations (VABE) when communicating with others. Talia discusses an exercise called "Identity Therapy" where you choose a role model and think about how they would tackle your challenges. This helps you explore your values and recognize any habits that might be hindering your progress. Talia emphasizes that values can change as you grow, and it's essential to align them with your goals and make deliberate choices that reflect those values in your life. [25:18] Talia shares a powerful childhood experience that set her on a path to the work she does today. At eight years old, she helped her illiterate father navigate contracts. A key moment was when she confronted a restaurant hostess, realizing that her actions should lead to a better outcome for everyone. This early experience inspired her to pursue leadership development as a way to foster connection and improve people's work experiences. [28:54] Talia's Love System - Listen, Observe, Value, Engage - is a foundation for success. Barriers to its effectiveness include ego, judgment, and trying to change others. Focus on practicing these skills without ego and judgment. Embrace the basics of human interaction: listening, understanding systems, aligning with values, and engaging effectively. [34:07] Talia shares insights into dealing with diverse values on a team. Understanding that values may be shared in concept but not in behavior is crucial. Aligning with values requires a shared mental model of what those values look like in action. Talia shares the significance of practicing restraint and how it can lead to greater wisdom. Talia's book, "The Power of Conscious Connection: Four Habits to Transform How You Live and Lead," is highly recommended. [43:14] Closing quote: I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by conscious endeavor. — Henry David Thoreau Quotable Quotes "Make the people happy and better and listen to them without bias." "Emotional intelligence is a game changer." "Systems thinking is the capacity to look at things and analyze them, not based on our bias and our experiences, but really the feedback loops of what is in the moment and what we're seeing that's changing as time goes on." "Cultural competence is the person who is willing to know. 'I don't know about everyone in this room, and I am willing to show up and be present in the moment.'" "It's one of those things where you're engaging in a very present way and allowing yourself to be open to new ideas and new approaches." "And so with resistance, we turn that resistance into an opportunity to connect and to identify key questions or the one thing that needs to be addressed." "Leadership is about people, and the only thing that we're working on is being better at interacting and managing, leading, inspiring, moving people forward." "The Power of Conscious Connection is about being conscious about who you are in the world and connected to your power to make a difference." "Listening is an opportunity for us to slow down, and it is a portal to wisdom." "Values, Assumptions, Beliefs and Expectations. When you're listening and observing, pay attention to other people's values, assumptions, beliefs, expectations before you engage." "There's something tricky about values. You've got to figure out what's yours, what's other people's values. There may be some things that you value that are just bad habits that are holding you back." "Conscious equity is not a license to start looking at the world and identifying all of the lack of listening, observing, alignment with values, or poor engagement going on. We start with modeling that experience and being patient, kind, and open for the journey that others are on." "Observation is associated with systems thinking. Now, you're not just observing by way of looking, but I think that's good too, with your senses." "Values, that's an opportunity for you to pause for a moment and say, this is where you customize life." "It matters less what you do, how you do it. It matters more why you do it." "You can share what you do, but you don't want to judge or even try to begin to get... judgment can really cloud all of these skills." "The emotional intelligence, systems thinking and cultural competence are so critical." "I think sometimes we get values confused with choices and behaviors, preferences and desires." "When we're really hyper achievers and we're very excited about getting results, sometimes we need to just pause a moment and hold back." Here are the books mentioned in this episode Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Talia Fox LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/taliafox KUSI Global Website | www.kusitraining.com Talia Fox Instagram | @taliafoxspeaks Talia Fox YouTube | www.youtube.com/channel/@taliafox2770 Talia Fox Twitter | @TaliaFoxSpeaks

Jim Vaselopulos, founder of Rafti Advisors, discusses the importance of skill development to solve core business problems. He highlights the complexity of sales, emphasizing that it involves more than just results; it's about human interactions. Jim discusses the challenge of defining and teaching leadership due to its delicate balance and the absence of absolutes. He shares personal stories about mentors who had a significant impact on his life. He also mentions the influence of Stoicism on leadership and the value of embracing ancient wisdom in the modern world. https://bit.ly/TLPMM010 Key Takeaways [01:28] In this episode, Jan started to reflect on their 12-year working relationship and discuss Jim's unique character traits. He touches on how Jim, despite his preference for luxury, excels in challenging tasks but dislikes uphill climbs. Jim's positivity, determination, and ability to keep spirits high during tough situations are highlighted. Jan also mentioned JIm's dedication to helping fellow veterans. [04:29] Jim discusses the universality of business problems and the role of skills training. Jim shares his insights from consulting and the importance of recognizing both uniqueness and commonality in challenges. He focuses on the complexity of sales, emphasizing the significance of human interactions and understanding psychology for sales success. They also briefly mention the changing landscape of business leadership. [11:02] Jim explains that leadership is all about striking a delicate balance, such as holding people accountable while allowing room for mistakes. It involves setting boundaries and granting freedom to find one's path. Leadership is about finding the right balance, and it's not easily explained but better experienced, much like learning to ride a bike. Jim stresses that leadership is about harmonizing different elements, making it complex to teach and understand. [12:37] Jim discusses shared responsibility in leadership and how leaders need to take accountability alongside their team when things go wrong. He touches upon the challenge of younger professionals insisting they are right and explores how numbers and math fit into decision-making. Jim highlights that many people struggle with math, which often leads to accepting numbers without scrutiny. He explains that in business, there are often multiple valid answers, and real-world situations involve complexity and various factors. He stresses the importance of questioning assumptions and knowing when to challenge or accept them. [16:38] Jim explores the idea that patience is a virtue and how it reflects trust and confidence in others and oneself. Jim explains that patience indicates trust in someone's strategy and the need for self-trust. He touches on self-regulation and how heroes in movies often control their emotions, while villains are undone by their inability to do so. [18:44] Jim discusses the concept of conscious competence and its link to achieving more with less effort. Jim shares his experience of working more efficiently by focusing on what adds value and eliminating distractions. He also mentions the influence of ancient philosophies like Stoicism on their approach to leadership and highlights the timeless wisdom in these teachings. He explores the value of understanding the "why" behind success, effective work strategies, and the wisdom of ancient philosophies in leadership. [23:55] Jim delves into the book's structure and the role of curiosity as a central element. He shares a personal story involving a chance encounter with Neil Keating, which led to a significant career opportunity. He discusses the importance of giving back and paying it forward, touching on moments of generosity that can change lives. Plus, they reveal the presence of Easter eggs in the book and how readers can discover them. [35:29] Closing quote: And remember, tell me and I'll forget. Teach me and I'll remember. Involve me and I'll learn. — Benjamin Franklin Quotable Quotes "Skills training can give you time and space to get to the core problem. So sometimes improving your skills can help mask a problem or make a problem less severe, but it usually never addresses the core problem." "Sales is often treated as a result rather than the complex set of human interactions it is." "Leadership is about a delicate balance, about holding people accountable, but letting them make mistakes." "There is no ground truth." "Patience is the truest form of trust and confidence." "You want to work less and achieve more. That comes from conscious competence." "You need to experience the loss of balance or the ability to make your own balance, to understand balance." "Conscious competence is where the real value is that allows you to work less and achieve more." "Curiosity unlocks everything else. Without curiosity, you can't get any further." "Clarity is an outcome." "There is no better way to clarify your thinking than to put it in writing." Here are the books mentioned in this episode Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Jim Vaselopulos Website | www.businesswisdom.com Jim Vaselopulos LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/jimvaselopulos Jim Vaselopulos Twitter | @jim_vas

Alysia Silberg is an acclaimed entrepreneur, tech investor, UN Women Global Champion, keynote speaker, and author. Her impressive journey is detailed in her first book, "Unemployable: How I Hired Myself." She shares her inspiring journey from poverty in South Africa to achieving the American dream. She discusses her determination, curiosity, and belief in limitless opportunities that kept her going despite setbacks and adversity. Alysia emphasizes the importance of leverage, particularly through technology, which she considers an equalizer for all individuals regardless of class or privilege. She shares that her love for learning and curiosity have been instrumental in her journey and encourages others to follow their gut instincts and not fear the unknown. Alysia discusses the importance of addressing mental health issues and having open conversations, especially for founders of startups. https://bit.ly/TLP-381 Key Takeaways [02:01] Alysia Silberg shares her extraordinary journey from growing up in poverty in South Africa to achieving her American dream. Despite numerous setbacks, she persevered with remarkable determination. Her determination and charisma, reminiscent of her father's Hollywood dream, ultimately led her from poverty to achieving the American dream. Alysia also reveals a touching childhood story of earning her cherished pink roller skates and how it shaped her approach to pursuing dreams with unwavering commitment. [06:49] Alysia shares what kept her moving forward despite the suffering, setbacks, and difficulties she faced. Alysia answers an intriguing question: Can the crucibles we face in life, the hardships and suffering, be something to embrace rather than erase? Alysia's perspective on this matter is thought-provoking, reflecting how her own experiences have shaped her into who she is today. [10:00] Alysia's story shows how her different way of thinking became her greatest strength, but it wasn't always easy. She emphasizes the importance of surrounding yourself with people who encourage your uniqueness rather than trying to fit societal norms. She highlights the extraordinary potential in individuals who've faced difficulties and discovered their superpowers. Alysia's journey led her to realize that the path society expected her to take wasn't her true calling, even though she excelled in areas like cello and math. [16:35] Alysia delves into the practical concept of leverage and its role in unlocking a better life. Alysia breaks down different forms of leverage, focusing on technology as a powerful equalizer that can empower individuals to enhance their unique skills. She shares an inspiring example of a cellist who used technology to reach a global audience and create opportunities that wouldn't have been possible without it. Alysia firmly believes that technology is a tool that can be harnessed by anyone, regardless of their background, to drive positive change and wealth, especially in the era of AI. [21:50] Alysia imparts essential advice for young professionals, emphasizing the importance of fearlessness, learning from mistakes, and following your instincts. She shares a personal journey from emotional armor to understanding the strength of vulnerability in leadership. Alysia stresses the significance of managing mental health for founders and leaders in the high-stress startup environment. She encourages open dialogues about stress and well-being. She also explores the dynamic between technology, AI, and personal growth, highlighting the choice between an easier life and a growth-oriented one. [33:50] Alysia shares a personal story about venturing out of their comfort zone and embracing a different side. She reveals a surprising transformation from a "super nerd" to a "super party girl" during a nightclub experience with friends who own top LA clubs. Alysia delves into the importance of balancing work with having fun and not taking life too seriously. [35:29] Alysia talks about her unique and transformative relationship with AI, particularly Chat GPT. Alysia shares how she cultivated a deep partnership with AI, treating it not as a tool but as a fellow human collaborator. It's a thought-provoking journey that allows her to transcend her ego, learn from the smartest machine, and become a more effective CEO. [40:03] Closing quote: permanence, perseverance and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragements and impossibilities. It is this that in all things, distinguishes the strong soul from the weak. — Thomas Carlisle Quotable Quotes "I believe the world is filled with limitless opportunities." "Get up off the ground and keep on going." "The key to unlocking a better life is leverage." "I think the power of leverage is that you can literally create limitless possibilities." "Not fearing things you don't know, start with a tiny, and small, consistent effort to create exponential results." "Follow your gut. Go after things. Don't be fearless. Don't worry about making mistakes." "Vulnerability is an important part of being a leader." "I was so armor plated that I wasn't even aware that it was almost impossible to penetrate it." "Mental health and startups go hand in hand." "Be driven by your purpose. Like, be passionate, know why you're doing something, and live for yourself, not for other people." Here are the books mentioned in this episode Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Alysia Silberg Website | www.readunemployable.com Street Global Website | streetglobalvc.com Alysia Silberg LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/alysiasilberg Alysia Silberg Twitter | @AlysiaSilberg Alysia Silberg Facebook | www.facebook.com/readunemployable Alysia Silberg Instagram |@alysiasilberg

Jim Vaselopulos, the founder of Rafti Advisors, is a C-level business advisor and executive coach with a proven record as a leader, strategist, rainmaker, and expert in new business development. Jim discusses his upcoming book "Clarity: Business Wisdom to Work Less and Achieve More". He stresses the importance of clarity in business, drawing parallels with wisdom and emphasizing simplicity and focus. He covers common symptoms of a lack of clarity, including excessive busyness. Jim and Jan also explore the challenges of using tests for complex business problems and highlight curiosity as a key tool. They discuss Jim's use of fictional stories to engage readers. The conversation shifts to accountability, workplace busyness, and delegation. Jim and Jan address workplace betrayal, and share personal experiences. They discuss the balance between simplicity and complexity, and share a parenting lesson relevant to business problem-solving. https://bit.ly/TLPMM009 Key Takeaways [01:26] Jan interviews Jim, and this episode centers on Jim's book theme: clarity. Their sponsor, Paul Darley, praises Jim's upcoming book for its ability to capture the emotions of business leaders. They discuss how clarity results from focusing on what truly matters and how it can lead to lower stress and better results. Jim draws parallels between wisdom and clarity, emphasizing the importance of simplicity and focus in both sports coaching and business. [06:32] Jim discusses ten common symptoms that point to a lack of clarity, including issues like accountability, agency, and being constantly busy. When asked which symptom is most common, Jim compares these symptoms to fever and explains that being excessively busy is a pervasive issue, often linked to a lack of agency. [08:00] Jim and Jan explore the challenges of using tests to uncover core business issues. They highlight that business problems are intricate, influenced by factors like people and context, making simple tests impractical. They stress the significance of curiosity and asking questions to gain a profound understanding of problems, much like how doctors diagnose illnesses. [11:54] Jan inquired about Jim's use of fictional stories in his book. Jim explains that stories are a great way to convey information and resonate with people. They discuss how stories are memorable and touch on the impact of emotionally charged narratives, particularly those involving children. The conversation then transitions to the topic of accountability, where Jim talks about how accountability issues can manifest at individual, team, and organizational levels. They mention that such issues often involve judgment, trust, and fairness. Jim and Jan emphasize the importance of addressing these issues effectively to prevent conflicts and team breakdowns. [13:32] Jim and Jan tackle the issue of workplace busyness and its impact on employee engagement. They ponder why busy leaders coexist with disengaged employees, questioning whether busyness is a choice or a necessity. Jim suggests that people may naturally prefer busyness for various reasons, including societal influences. The conversation then shifts to the topic of delegation, with Jim highlighting common mistakes. They stress the importance of equipping individuals with the right skills, resources, and time when assigning tasks. They point out that delegation is often misunderstood as simply passing responsibility, which can lead to inefficiencies and frustration. [22:01] Jim and Jan delve into the topic of workplace betrayal and its repercussions. They draw from their personal experiences to shed light on trust-related challenges that often arise in delegation and teamwork. Jim narrates an incident from his early career where trust was eroded, resulting in difficult choices and significant takeaways. [24:42] Jim discusses the balance between simplicity and complexity. He talks about how people naturally prefer straightforward and concise solutions but live in a complex world. Jim shares insights from his book, "Clarity," highlighting the need to recognize and focus on what truly matters while navigating the intricate aspects of life and work. He emphasizes that while understanding complex issues may require a nuanced approach, practical execution often demands clear and precise strategies. [26:12] Jim shares a parenting lesson that applies to business problem-solving. He talks about finding a lost toy by instructing his children to put away everything except the lost toy. This story highlights the concept of focusing on what the problem is, to make it more manageable. Jim mentions his upcoming book "Clarity" launching on October 18th. [29:44] Closing quote: And remember, the mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled. — Plutarch Quotable Quotes "Clarity evokes a calm and focused state of mind with lower stress and diminished anxiety over what to do next." "The reason people fight and have conflict is it all starts with disrespect." "It's that curiosity that drives you to real solutions. And in the grand scheme of things, I think that's really what we want to go for." "At an individual level, a lot of times we imagine ourselves to be either more responsible for something or if something went bad, I'll take all the blame for this and I kind of martyr myself in that realm." "Curiosity drives you to real solutions. When you're dealing with a business problem, you're saying, like, hey, there are some facts. But then I want to kind of listen to the stories, the narratives people are putting together. And if they don't jive, if they don't match, something's wrong. And you can't just let it be wrong. You got to be curious. You got to dig deeper." "We like stories, and I think that's just a better way to learn." "Conflict starts with disrespect." "I think the Gallup poll is probably true, I believe that 100%. It's not because they're managing time poorly. It's because we're motivating them poorly." "Most people do delegation so incredibly wrong. It's tragic because we look at it as like, 'Well, I'm just going to have this person who's been around. They're going to do it now.' And I think one, someone's got to be capable. They have to be trained and capable of doing it." "We as humans prefer simplicity. We like clean things, we like simple things. But we live in a complex world. And if you live in a complex world and you try to make everything too simple, it just doesn't work." Here are the books mentioned in this episode Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Jim Vaselopulos Website | www.businesswisdom.com Jim Vaselopulos LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/jimvaselopulos Jim Vaselopulos Twitter | @jim_vas

Dean Karrel is an Executive and Professional Career Coach. He is the instructor of over ten courses available on LinkedIn Learning and has also been in senior leadership positions for more than three decades with major global publishing companies. He's also the author of "Mastering the Basics: Simple Lessons for Achieving Success in Business." Dean's networking approach focuses on meaningful connections, and he highlights the importance of asking questions and sharing insights. Mentorship is a key theme, with Dean reflecting on the impact of positive and challenging experiences. Dean also discusses the evolving business landscape, emphasizing the importance of emotional intelligence, video conferencing, fiscal responsibility, and the role of AI in sales and business. Throughout, Dean's generosity and commitment to meaningful connections shine through. https://bit.ly/TLP-380 Key Takeaways [02:09] Dean Karel is not just special; he's extraordinary. As an acclaimed LinkedIn Learning instructor and a networking virtuoso. With an impressive background in the publishing industry, including 22 years at Wiley, he's had the opportunity to meet and engage with countless leaders, authors, and brilliant minds. Dean is also the author of "Mastering the Basics: Simple Lessons for Achieving Success in Business." But what truly sets Dean apart is his unwavering generosity. He's a giant giver, always ready to share his wisdom and insights. In fact, he's been instrumental in introducing us to many of the incredible guests we've had on this show. [04:11] The discussion revolves around the concept of networking, which often evokes anxiety. However, Dean offers a refreshing approach - focus on connecting with individuals, asking questions, and sharing insights. Jim and Jan share their successful strategy of reaching out to interesting people, and Dean emphasizes that networking is not limited to business; it's about enjoying the camaraderie of people. Dean's networking journey has opened doors throughout his career, even leading him to LinkedIn Learning. He also addresses challenges faced by sales teams, highlighting the importance of building trust and friendship with potential clients. Dean underscores the idea of starting with one meaningful connection instead of overwhelming numbers. [09:28] Dean shares his experience on sales and his career journey. He emphasizes the need to start somewhere and favors coaching over management in sales. Dean initially aimed to be a sports announcer but shifted towards sales and publishing. His early job at Prentice Hall taught him essential sales principles under the mentorship of Gary Gutchel. He discussed experiences at Simon & Schuster, marked by a fear-based management style. Dean found a more fulfilling path at Wiley, where he thrived thanks to supportive leaders. [13:07] Dean discusses his unique perspective on mentorship. He reflects on how both positive and challenging experiences shaped his journey. While he had the privilege of a great mentor, Gary Gutchel, during his 22 years at Wiley, his time at Simon Schuster exposed him to ineffective leadership. Dean learned that pushing for results and high-stress environments can lead to health and mental issues among employees, creating a revolving door atmosphere. [14:49] Dean explores the enduring principles of business success in a changing world. Dean highlights the ongoing importance of emotional intelligence, which includes empathy and listening skills. He also mentions the increased use of video conferencing and the need for fiscal responsibility. Dean also updates us to his book. These updates would involve discussing when to meet in person versus using video conferencing and dedicating a new section to the evolving field of artificial intelligence in sales and business. [16:46] Dean discusses the importance of AI and how younger generations are more open to it. He emphasizes the need for continuous learning and adapting to technology. The conversation also touches on the rapid changes in recent years, like remote work and AI advancements. He questions whether the basics of human interaction and influence remain the same. Authenticity is valued, especially on platforms like LinkedIn. Engaging actively and leaving comments is encouraged for networking. Dean observes that only a small number of people post original content on LinkedIn, despite its global reach, highlighting the opportunity to stand out. [25:23] Dean shares an inspiring story from a National Speakers Association event that motivated him to become a thought leader.He shares tips on overcoming intimidation in sales meetings. Dean suggests starting on LinkedIn to share work insights, comparing it to taking the first step onto a dance floor. He encourages brief sentences over long posts. Regarding work ethic in sales, Jim Jan questions whether traditional values still matter, but Dean emphasizes the importance of a balanced approach, including punctuality, effort, and preparedness. [28:13] Dean discusses the pursuit of success and the allure of shortcuts. He stresses the importance of doing the work for success and questions how we use time saved through efficiency gains. He draws inspiration from Dave Crenshaw's focus techniques and shares a personal connection to him as a LinkedIn instructor. [32:00] Dean discusses the challenges of maintaining deep relationships in our distracted, fast-paced world. He stresses the importance of genuine connections over superficial ones based on social media metrics. Jim also shares a touching story of reaching out to an acquaintance, leading to a life-changing job opportunity. They emphasize that meaningful connections can come from unexpected places. [40:30] Closing quote: a good life is built with good relationships. — Robert J. Waldinger Quotable Quotes "There's a big difference between coaching and management. I think sales is an area that could probably use a lot more coaching and a lot less management." "Embrace new technology. It's not going away." "Always be learning new techniques and new skills." "If you're doing things like you were in March of 2020 and today, then you're behind the eight ball." "You do not have to be a jerk to be successful in sales. In fact, you're probably more successful if you're a good person." "For those who have been hesitant about networking, about reaching out to people, and about being yourself, my lesson is always, don't fake it, because people are going to be able to read through you very quickly." "Do a little soft shoe, so to speak, and get your feet wet. That's how I started." "And if you are investing that time instead of spending it, I think your hack might be worth it. "But my line is, our real sphere of close friends is a lot smaller than we think. We have a lot of acquaintances. We have a lot of coworkers. But who do you call when you need help?" "The world would be so much better if we all listened more and we cared more and just took a little extra interest in another person." "Learning is more than just a catchphrase. It's always learning new techniques and new skills." Here are the books mentioned in this episode Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Dean Karrel LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/learning/instructors/dean-karrel Dean Karrel Twitter | @DeanKarrel

Jeffrey Scheuer, an expert in media, politics, and now higher education. He's known for his insightful work in these fields. His latest book, "Inside the Liberal Arts, Critical Thinking and Citizenship," uniquely connects liberal arts with rational and critical thinking. He discussed the influence of the information ecosystem and the liberal arts' role in citizenship. He highlighted changes in journalism due to the internet and the need for new standards. Emphasizing media literacy and critical thinking, he showcased how disciplines like philosophy teach valuable critical thinking skills for leadership and diverse careers. Jeffrey stressed critical thinking and effective communication in business leadership. He also touched on civic knowledge, corporate citizenship, equitable education access, clear definitions in political and economic discussions, and the importance of liberal arts education for democracy. https://bit.ly/TLP-379 Key Takeaways [01:54] Jeffrey Scheuer, an acclaimed author and information ecosystem expert. He discusses the concept of the information ecosystem, explaining how it shapes our understanding of the world through media, education, and more. Jeffrey also talks about the unique role of the liberal arts in reinforcing civic, cultural, and economic citizenship. [05:17] Jeffrey Scheuer talks about how the internet has changed journalism, making it more decentralized. Jim and Jan then question the need for new standards in this evolving landscape. Jeffrey highlights the challenge of discerning reliable sources from opinions and conspiracy theories. He stresses the importance of media literacy and critical thinking. Ultimately, Jeffrey reminds us that we're both emotional and rational beings navigating the shifting world of information. [09:42] Then, Jeffrey explores the art of leadership and influence, focusing on the balance between critical thinking and storytelling. He discusses the challenge of defining truth in a complex world, particularly in fields like accounting, where subjectivity can influence facts. Jeffrey acknowledges the elusive nature of universal truth and emphasizes the role of critical thinking in navigating the complexities of differing viewpoints. Philosophy is celebrated as a foundational discipline that teaches us not just what to think but how to think, enhancing our critical thinking skills. [19:24] Jeffrey discusses the relevance of critical thinking in various career paths, including business. He also touches on how businesses value liberal arts majors for their critical thinking, communication skills, and adaptability. Afterwards, he explored the importance of effective communication and psychological awareness in business leadership. He emphasizes that being psychologically savvy can be more vital in a boardroom than discussing different forms of citizenship. Ultimately, critical thinking remains a valuable asset in navigating the evolving job landscape, regardless of the field. [23:37] Jeffrey talks about the significance of civic knowledge for being a responsible citizen and understanding the rules of governance. He also delves into the changing expectations of corporate citizenship and the evolving role of leaders in business. Education's role in shaping future citizens and the need for equitable access to quality education is also discussed. [33:11] Lastly, He touched on the significance of clear definitions about political and economic systems. He stressed the need for shared understanding of terms like socialism and capitalism to enable productive dialogue. As we conclude, we underscore the essential role of liberal arts education in upholding democracy. [36:25] Closing quote: And remember If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking. — George Patton Quotable Quotes "We're emotional creatures who are sometimes rational enough, not the other way around." "Liberal learning makes us better critical thinkers and better citizens." "Economics and business are rational processes in which maybe emotion doesn't play as big a role." "We're philosophers whatever we talk. We use philosophy and language all the time." "Business is a quintessentially rational enterprise, trying to maximize profit." "Education is what makes us or fails to make us good citizens." "Without liberal education, even if it's just at the high school level, even if it's just civics, we cannot have citizens and therefore we cannot have a democracy." "A calm, rational discussion that is between people who accept the fact that they're seeking the same outcome is the path forward." "I think what you need is to be psychologically smart about what people want and need and how to get them to hear you." Here are the books mentioned in this episode Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Jeffrey Scheuer Website | https://jeffreyscheuer.com/ Jeffrey Scheuer Facebook | Inside The Liberal Arts Jeffrey Scheuer LinkedIn | Jeffrey Scheuer

Barry Jesinoski is the National Adjutant and CEO of Disabled American Veterans (DAV), leading an organization with over one million members. In this episode, Barry shares his unconventional journey from a young Marine who needed help to leading one of America's most respected veteran service organizations, despite never completing a college degree. He explains why he limits remote work, and reveals the two fundamental principles that every DAV employee learns from day one. He discusses how integrity and communication became the foundation for building organizational culture.. Barry shares what it truly means to be a "disabled veteran", and explains that many veterans with service-connected disabilities don't consider themselves disabled at all. Barry also reveals how DAV maintains effectiveness in Washington across changing administrations. The organization stays completely apolitical and focuses solely on what benefits veterans, their families, and survivors. This strategy has helped DAV influence virtually every major piece of veteran-friendly legislation while spending only 1% of their budget on lobbying efforts. This episode offers practical wisdom for leaders wondering how to build authentic organizational culture and lead effectively without traditional credentials. You can find episode 473 wherever you get your podcasts! Watch this Episode on YouTube | Barry Jesinoski on Leading Those Who've Served https://bit.ly/TLP-473 Key Takeaways [02:19] Barry reveals that people would have to dig to discover he doesn't have a college degree, explaining "I believe most people assume that I have a degree, maybe multiple degrees, maybe an advanced degree. I do not have a college degree." [04:01] Barry outlines his journey from Marine Corps service and medical discharge to being hired by DAV despite lacking a college degree, then explains DAV's move from Cincinnati to their current Erlanger, Kentucky headquarters. [07:22] Barry describes their new headquarters' employee benefits and explains his belief that "collaboration and ingenuity production suffers when a workforce is remote, say even beyond 20% of the time." [11:44] Barry establishes his core leadership values of integrity and communication, explaining how these helped him succeed when promoted at age 23 over two colleagues with 20+ years experience. [18:29] Barry clarifies that many veterans with service-connected disabilities don't consider themselves disabled, noting the spectrum ranges from simple scars to full-time care needs, including invisible symptoms like PTSD. [23:54] Barry outlines DAV's broader mission including Washington lobbying, vehicle donation programs, employment matching, volunteer networks, and the Patriot Boot Camp entrepreneurial program with mentoring sessions. [31:06] Barry addresses DAV's political stance, emphasizing "We are completely apolitical. We have to be" and explaining they support anything "good for veterans, their family members and their survivors." [34:26] Barry directs people to learn more about DAV through their website at dav.org and mentions they have "about 1.4 million followers on social media." [35:57] And remember..."The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office." - Dwight D. Eisenhower Quotable Quotes "When I talk about integrity, I'm really talking about people who do what they say they will, people who always project a good image of our organization, people who listen before being heard, people who put in an honest day's work and take pride in their work, and people who respect others." "The communication part, that's really about communicating honestly, actively and proactively, really asking questions when you have them, especially when you're new." "I believe that distance or absence makes the heart grow colder, not fonder." "I'm a firm believer that collaboration and ingenuity production suffers when a workforce is remote, say even beyond 20% of the time." "Many of us who are technically qualified or considered to be by the VA disabled veterans... we don't consider ourselves disabled at all. I'm not. I didn't consider myself disabled when I was medically discharged from the Marines and I haven't considered myself as such a day since." "If it's good for veterans, their family members and their survivors, we're on it. If it's bad for that same group of people, we're on it. And we will call out lawmakers who are not doing right, we believe by our veterans any and every day of the week." "I found that operating with integrity and through strong communication served me well in my career." Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Website | www.dav.org Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Facebook | www.facebook.com/dav Disabled American Veterans (DAV) X | @davhq Disabled American Veterans (DAV) LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/company/davhq

Bob Tiede, a 52-year Crew veteran and creator of Leadingwithquestions.com, a blog followed by leaders in over 200 countries for the past 11 years. Bob shares a life-changing event from his early days, driven by his grandmother's belief in his destiny. Bob discusses the underutilization of questions in leadership, emphasizing the power of curiosity and his four favorite questions. He highlights the value of pausing when asking questions and how leaders who embrace this approach can be significantly more effective. Bob also emphasizes the simplicity of asking questions and their role in fostering collaboration and innovative problem-solving. Lastly, he explores the importance of asking open-ended questions during change and shares a moving question from Cheryl Batchelder's book, inviting listeners to join his book ambassador team for a free signed copy of "Leading with Questions." https://bit.ly/TLP-378 Key Takeaways [02:08] Bob Tiede, a 52-year Crew (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ) veteran and the creator of Leadingwithquestions.com, a blog followed by leaders in 200 countries for 11 years. Bob shares about an event that changed his life. It began with his grandma's belief on the day he was born that he would "serve the Lord." This story, discovered at 22, still intrigues him. Another life-changing moment was joining a fraternity in his freshman year at the University of South Dakota, leading him to faith through Campus Crusade for Christ. [04:58] Bob discusses the underutilization of great questions in leadership. He shares that many leaders, including himself in the past, often saw leadership as telling people what to do rather than asking questions. This perspective changed when he discovered the book "Leading with Questions" by Dr. Michael Marquardt in 2006. Bob believes that leaders don't realize the value of questions because no one has shown them how effective questions can be. He introduces his four favorite questions, emphasizing their simplicity and power. Jim and Jan also discuss the fear of losing control when asking questions and the importance of embracing curiosity. [12:59] Now, the focus is on the power of leading with questions, a skill that can be learned in just 30 seconds. The conversation highlights the significance of pausing and patiently waiting for responses when asking questions. Research shows that people often rush after just 2 or 3 seconds of silence, missing out on deeper insights. Bob introduces the "eight-second rule" to emphasize the value of waiting for more meaningful answers. [15:36] Then, the conversation centers on the power of leaders who lead with questions. Bob explains that leaders who embrace this approach can be significantly more effective than those who simply give orders. He illustrates this with two questions: one about rowing a boat and another about leadership around a conference table. Leaders who ask questions and listen to their team's ideas create a collaborative atmosphere where better solutions emerge, and team members feel a sense of ownership. [20:03] Afterward, Bob discusses the power of asking questions and explains that it's not as difficult as people often think. Asking questions creates a collaborative atmosphere where team members feel valued and more ideas emerge. Bob also introduces two innovative problem-solving techniques: "guarantee failure brainstorming" and "question storming." Bob also highlights the power of using the word "might" in questions to make them more inviting and open-ended. [28:13] Bob discusses the challenges of clients undergoing significant change, particularly with new people taking on new roles. Bob emphasizes the importance of asking open-ended questions to better understand the situation. He suggests questions like "Can you please tell me more?" and "What's our destination?" to help leaders and clients gain clarity about their goals and current position. Bob also highlights the significance of having a clear destination and a well-defined plan to navigate change effectively. [33:12] Lastly, Bob shares a moving story about a question from Cheryl Batchelder's book, "Dare to Serve," which asks, "How well do you know your staff? Do you know the three or four events that have most shaped their lives?" This question led to a touching conversation with his colleague Neil. Bob encourages the audience to consider joining his book ambassador team to get a free signed copy of his latest book, "Leading with Questions." [39:39] Closing quote: Remember, judge a man by his questions rather than his answers. — Voltaire Quotable Quotes "The power of might is in your questioning. Take away the word should and put in might, which just makes it more inviting, more comfortable, more safe to give." "People support what they help create." "For leaders, so many of them have never seen the value of questions." "The longer the silence, the better the answer." "A leader who leads with questions will be ten times more effective than a leader who leads by telling." "What are the chances that a leader might hear an idea better than the one they had?" "When you empower your staff to go with their ideas, you're going to have his whole heart." "If you've never been asked that question before, how helpful will it be if I start talking again in two or three seconds?" Here are the books mentioned by Bob Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Bob Tiede Website | https://leadingwithquestions.com/ Bob Tiede LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/bobtiede Bob Tiede Twitter | @bobtiede

Michael Reddington, an expert at moving people from resistance to commitment. He is an executive resource, Certified Forensic Interviewer, President of InQuasive, Inc., and author of "The Disciplined Listening Method." He discusses coaching, effective communication, and his Disciplined Listening Method. This method emphasizes patience, outcome-focused thinking, and emotional control. The conversation also covers hiring for valuable traits like patience and empathy, and the importance of creating opportunities for employees to demonstrate these skills. Michael highlights that people often lie to protect themselves and suggests seeking more details when confronted with excuses to promote accountability. The challenges of virtual communication, distractions, and the importance of self-discipline and empathy in leadership are also addressed. https://bit.ly/TLP-377 Key Takeaways [02:33] Michael Reddington, a certified forensic interviewer, shares his unique passion for coaching youth sports, something not found in his public bio. He discusses the value of teaching and learning, even for seasoned professionals. Michael explains the role of a certified forensic interviewer in helping businesses tackle complex issues like theft, fraud, and harassment. He also touched on the Discipline Listening Method, a unique approach to uncovering the truth in business situations. [07:07] Michael Reddington introduces the Discipline Listening Method. This method goes beyond basic active listening and aims to solve common communication problems. [15:02] Michael Reddington discusses the balance between hiring for behaviors and teaching skills in business. He explores the importance of identifying and fostering traits like patience, empathy, and the ability to ask good questions. Michael highlights the need for strategic communication in leadership and suggests that leaders should create opportunities for employees to demonstrate these qualities. He also emphasizes the value of slowing down the perception of time in conversations to reduce defensiveness and improve information sharing. [25:12] Michael discusses the concept of lying and excuses. He suggests that people often lie to protect themselves and emphasizes the importance of trust in relationships. Michael differentiates between trust and faith, highlighting that trust is built through experience. He recommends handling excuses by asking for more details to promote accountability. The podcast challenges common beliefs about lying and excuses, focusing on trust and productive conversations. [33:09] Michael's discussion revolves around the challenges of effective communication in a world dominated by virtual meetings, distractions, and the changing landscape of interpersonal interactions. Michael also explores how the shift to remote work and the prevalence of online meetings have affected communication dynamics. [37:04] Michael delves into the concept of disciplined listening and leadership. Michael introduces a leadership test consisting of three questions: "Are you calm? Are you consistent? Are you making people better?" He explores the idea that effective leadership often requires self-discipline, empathy, and an understanding of how to approach emotional moments in interactions. [43:42] Closing quote: I remind myself every morning nothing I say this day will teach me anything. So if I'm going to learn, I must do it by listening. — Larry King Quotable Quotes "Patience allows the conversation to come to you. Be patient. Let it unfold." "Listening equals learning. If we're not learning, we're not listening." "Empathizing doesn't mean agreeing or thinking that they're right, just understanding that based on their experience and expectations, that is a valid perspective that they have." "If we're quiet long enough, you'll be surprised how many questions will get answered for you." "If you're going to hire for it, you better know how to ask for it, and you better know how to create experiential opportunities for people to demonstrate it." "If somebody lies to me, if somebody gives me an excuse, it's likely because they're trying to save face and avoid a consequence." "Excuses pave the highway to accountability." "The most unsettling person is the person who cannot be unsettled." "People in general will be surprised what other people will tell them and what other people will do for them when we prioritize our counterparts in our communication." Here are the books mentioned in this episode Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Michael Reddington LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/michaelreddingtoncfi Michael Reddington Website | https://michaelreddington.com/ InQuasive Website | https://inquasive.com/

Executives John Harrington and Dave Pickhardt, both influenced by their experiences at Marion Laboratories, share insights on leadership and organizational culture. John, founder of the Mr. K Legacy Project, and Dave, co-founder of Fuel, discuss how Marion's personalized approach to recruitment, onboarding and development created a strong foundation for success. They highlight the importance of clear expectations and empowerment, coaching, and continuous learning in leadership roles. Drawing from their time under Mr. Kaufman's leadership, they stress the enduring value of appreciation, consistent practices, and creating an environment that fosters personal and professional growth. https://bit.ly/TLP-376 Key Takeaways [02:28] John and Dave share their Marion Labs stories: John's connection-focused recruitment and Dave's response to an ad, driven by values and growth. Different paths, both proud of Marion's unique culture. [10:33] John and Dave remember how Marion Laboratories' personalized training approach was more than just basic onboarding. It included mentorship, thorough training, and hands-on experience, building a strong bond with the company's values and culture. They highlight the importance of this kind of onboarding for lasting success and organizational greatness. [14:48] John and Dave uncover how Marion Laboratories achieved a balance between setting clear expectations and fostering empowerment. Charlie, a mentor, effectively communicated essential tasks and expectations, offering continuous guidance to newcomers like Dave. This approach empowered individuals to thrive independently, forming a winning formula for achieving success. [23:27] The conversation covers leadership preparation at Marion Laboratories. Dave's progression from sales to management involved learning from failures and developing skills, while John emphasizes early identification by managers and structured programs. Marion Laboratories valued leadership without micromanagement and prepared individuals through mentorship, assessment centers, and ongoing support. [29:51] John and Dave highlight the value of coaching in leadership. Coaching boosts productivity and teamwork, even though it's less common now. They emphasize that dedicating time to employees and integrating coaching into leadership is key. These coaching principles work across industries for success and growth. [41:27] John and Dave reflect on the enduring principles of leadership exemplified by Mr. K, the founder of their company. They emphasize the power of genuine appreciation, consistent leadership practices, and creating an environment where individuals feel valued. Their anecdotes showcase how Mr. K's legacy continues to inspire leadership based on care, trust, and the drive for achievement. [51:36 Closing quote: Remember, the more that you expect from people, the more they live up to your expectations. — Ewing Marion Kauffman Quotable Quotes "I think the workplace is not nearly as rich, it's not nearly as connected as it was years ago. And that leads to some of this displacement. This leads to some of why people leave organizations." "The more you can create clarity of direction and help people understand exactly what's expected, without being a micromanager, I think the better off you are." "You can't feel empowered if you're abandoned and if you're not coached." "It was a great combination of competition and collaboration, but, you know, people were there to help and support you and contribute to your development." "If you aspire to be in management, you're going to be somebody that not only knew what to do, but also knew how to do things as well." "The greatest source of motivation is sincere appreciation." "Anybody could do that if they sincerely appreciated people as their greatest asset." "The more that you expect from people, the more they live up to your expectations." Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Dave Pickhardt LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/davepickhardt= John Harrington LinkedIn | John Harrington

Catherine Sanderson discusses her book, "The Positive Shift." The conversation spans diverse topics such as raising rescue puppies, hotel maids' mindset impacting well-being, the placebo effect's role in healing and leadership, and mindset's influence on workplace effectiveness. Strategies to counter negativity, balance work culture, and encourage open communication are explored. Catherine emphasizes the value of diverse perspectives, empathetic leadership, and the impact of ageism. The significance of fostering "flow" in an engaging workplace is also discussed, along with psychology's role in promoting well-being. https://bit.ly/TLP-375 Key Takeaways [01:56] Catherine Sanderson, psychologist and author of "The Positive Shift," discusses her book and its connections to her work. She shares her new interest in raising rescue puppies, linking it to positive psychology. The conversation covers a study about hotel maids and exercise, revealing the impact of mindset on well-being. The placebo effect's relevance to healing and leadership is also explored. [14:57] Catherine examines how mindset and attitudes influence workplace effectiveness. She shares personal insights on toxic environments, stress, and differing viewpoints. Strategies like reframing and behavior change are explored to counter negativity, along with the significance of balance for a thriving work culture. Catherine also discusses leadership impact and the role of nature in promoting workplace well-being. [26:30] Catherine discusses diversity in the workplace, the role of empathy in leadership, and age-related dynamics. She highlights the value of diverse perspectives, the impact of ageism, and the unifying power of empathy. [32:14] Catherine discusses the challenge of promoting open communication in workplaces, particularly when projects face issues. The bystander effect's impact on group dynamics and communication is explored. Strategies for encouraging open dialogue are emphasized, including creating a culture of valuing diverse opinions and ethical leadership. The use of rank-neutral communication, like fighter pilots' call signs, is highlighted for fostering honest conversations across hierarchies. [39:42] Catherine discusses fostering an engaging workplace that encourages a state of "flow" - deep engagement and productivity. Autonomy, mastery, and purpose are key factors for achieving this, along with providing tools and support. She also delves into psychology's impact on well-being, showcasing how deliberate actions can cultivate happiness, even for those without a naturally positive outlook. [44:34] Closing quote: Remember, surround yourself with good people, surround yourself with positivity and people who are going to challenge you to make you better. — Ali Krieger Quotable Quotes "The placebo effect might work because people actually change how they work." "If there's one takeaway, it's like just a small phrase or a sentence chosen carefully can have tremendous impacts." "If you know you have to spend time with somebody who is toxic, who is stressful, who creates this sort of negative energy, try to come up with strategies for immediately doing something after you spend time with that person." "Because the problem is that stress is contagious. Positivity is also contagious, but stress is contagious. Negativity is contagious and that disrupts our ability to actually do our best work." "Recognizing that different people see the world in different ways, and that's okay, maybe we don't want an office entirely of tiggers or entirely of EORS, right?" "We actually have an opportunity to give people space in order to perform their best work." "So changing your behavior can change your mindset. And probably those behaviors lead to a change in mindset." "Ethical leadership flows from the top, because if the leader on top doesn't encourage that sort of vigorous, courageous, vocal communication from the entire group, it doesn't happen." "Create a workplace in which people can experience flow, because flow feels great." These are the books mentioned in this episode Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Catherine Sanderson Website | sandersonspeaking.com Catherine Sanderson Facebook | www.facebook.com/SandersonSpeaking Catherine Sanderson LinkedIn | Catherine Sanderson Catherine Sanderson Twitter | @sandersonspeaks Catherine Sanderson Instagram | @sandersonspeaking

Don Bentley, renowned author of the Matt Drake series and Tom Clancy: A Jack Ryan Jr. Novel Book. From Apache pilot to FBI agent, his life story embodies resilience and diverse experiences. Explore his insights on failure, leadership, and trust-building, shaped by commanding military units, managing startups, and writing for prestigious franchises. Don candidly reflects on a defining day in his life, offering a glimpse into the struggles soldiers face on and off the battlefield. Don Bentley's story is a testament to the transformative power of challenges and the unwavering pursuit of growth and achievement. https://bit.ly/TLP-374 Key Takeaways [02:12] Don Bentley, a New York Times bestselling author known for the Matt Drake series and Tom Clancy Jack Ryan Jr. novels. From army Apache pilot to FBI agent, his journey is defined by resilience and diverse experiences. Don shares his unique perspective on the value of failure, the importance of supportive factors, and the enduring pursuit of meaningful achievements. [12:09] Don reflects on his experience of pursuing a pilot's license and navigating the unpredictable terrain of startups, valuable lessons emerge. The candid discussion touches upon the initial misconception of natural talent, the unexpected twists of startup endeavors, and the profound impact of failure on personal development. He shares his journey of transitioning from the FBI to startups, revealing the intricate balance between narrow focus and diversification. [17:03] Don's expertise in building trust and leading in high-stakes situations takes the spotlight as he shares insights from commanding military units, managing startups, and writing for prestigious franchises. His approach, anchored in humility and authenticity, emphasizes the significance of servant leadership and the value of every individual's role. [27:49] Don opens up about a defining and haunting day in his life—June 20, 2005. Serving as an Air Cavalry troop commander in Afghanistan, he recounts the challenges and tragedies of that day when tasked with rescuing a compromised SEAL team. The emotional aftermath, combined with his transition back to civilian life, offers a glimpse into the struggles soldiers face both on the battlefield and within themselves. Through the camaraderie of fellow veterans, he finds healing and a new purpose, highlighting the resilience that shapes his ongoing journey. [41:42] Closing quote: Remember, you have to remember that the hard days are what make you stronger. The bad days make you realize what a good day is. If you never had any bad days, you would never have that sense of accomplishment. — Ali Raisman. Quotable Quotes "Once you get used to failing and you pick yourself up, then the next thing doesn't seem so difficult to try." "And I think being a good leader is very similar to that in that your actions should show that you're a caring leader, that you're willing to do what you're asking your subordinates to do as well, not your words." "The things that are worth having are not easy to get." "The hardest things in life are the ones that are worth having." "I know what my limitations are as a person and sometimes you can't figure that out when things succeed. You can only figure that out when things go sideways." "Leadership is taking an organization where it needs to go rather than where it wants to go." "Excellence has to be worked for because that's not the natural order of things." "When you're in the thick of it, you better be calm and competent." "What we all want is to be surrounded by people that have our backs no matter what we're doing and people that we can trust." These are the books mentioned by Don Ben Bentley Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Don Bentley Website | https://donbentleybooks.com/ Don Bentley Facebook | www.facebook.com/bentleydonb Don Benley Twitter | @bentleydonb

Mohammed Qahtani, a five-time TEDx speaker, co-founder of the Saudi Stuttering Association, and winner of the 2015 Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking. Mohammed shares his journey of overcoming severe stuttering to become a dynamic motivational speaker. He emphasizes the impact of words and the importance of humor in public speaking, encouraging tailored approaches for effective workplace communication. Mohammed's insights into high-performance leadership involve unlocking hidden talents in team members, fostering a positive work environment, and adapting to evolving work trends, including a balance between office and remote work. In negotiation and cross-cultural leadership, Mohammed advises against rigid goals, highlights the significance of understanding context, and recommends using local phrases to connect with diverse audiences. He also champions perseverance and learning from mistakes to achieve seemingly impossible goals. https://bit.ly/TLP-373 Key Takeaways [01:22] Mohammed Qahtani – a five-time TEDx speaker, co-founder of the Saudi Stuttering Association, and a dynamic motivational speaker who has left his mark in over 40 countries with more than 1000 inspiring events. Despite childhood struggles with severe stuttering, Mohammed's journey led him to embrace the power of public speaking. Through resilience and determination, he not only conquered his speech impediment but also discovered the transformative impact of words. Mohammed's story serves as a reminder that every word we choose holds the potential to shape lives and leave lasting impressions. [06:08] Mohammed shares insights on infusing humor into talks, emphasizing the audience's love for stories and laughter. Shifting to workplace communication, he advises tailoring your approach using the "DISC" personality test, adapting to different personalities for effective conversations. He also provides tips on balancing participation in meetings, recognizing cues, and encouraging quieter voices to contribute meaningfully. [13:21] Mohammed also talks about high-performance leadership. He uses the analogy of squeezing an orange to unlock hidden talents in team members, emphasizing personalized roles, skill development, and fostering a friendly work environment. As for remote work trends in Saudi Arabia, Mohammed notes a mix of office and remote work, with an emphasis on work-home separation. [20:06] Mohammed offers insights on effective negotiation and cross-cultural leadership. He highlights avoiding rigid goals, understanding context, and not showing weakness while negotiating. Mohammed recommends using local phrases to show respect and tailoring communication to audience concerns. Mohammed also encourages listeners to overcome self-doubt and challenges, emphasizing that achieving "impossible" goals is attainable through perseverance and learning from mistakes. [27:51] Closing quote: We don't always have an accurate view of our own potential. I think most people who are frightened of public speaking and can't imagine they might feel different as a result of training, don't assume you know how much potential you have. Sometimes the only way to know what you can do is to test yourself. — Scott Adams Quotable Quotes "Impossible does not exist." "The only way to overcome any kind of fear is to face the ultimate." "You might be having a bad day and say something you didn't really mean, but it leaves a scar in people's hearts." "The audience will always love two things: stories and laughter." "The most important thing is understanding the person that you're talking to." "If you start speaking in front of people, you will overcome the fear and the stuttering will go away." "Injecting humor gets people on your side." "There will be moments when you cry in the shower wondering why I didn't get to where I want to go. But when you pick yourself up and try again, every time you try again, you're learning a mistake that you're not going to repeat again." "Your first obstacle is yourself." "Always put your audience first and then you as a speaker come second." "Sometimes the only way to know what you can do is to test yourself." Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Mohammed Qahtani Website | www.qahtanispeaks.com Mohammed Qahtani Facebook | Mohammed Qahtani Mohammed Qahtani Twitter | @mohdqaht Mohammed Qahtani Instagram | @qahtani_speaks

Robert Cialdini, Ph.D., a renowned expert on the psychology of influence and persuasion. Known as the "Godfather of influence," his book "INFLUENCE: The Psychology of Persuasion" is considered one of the best business books ever. He discusses the concept of unity as a lever of influence and how it differs from social proof and liking. Dr. Robert shares insights on "blue lies" and how tribalism can affect our behaviors. Dr. Robert also talked about his second edition of "Influence" and the goals of the Cialdini Institute. A fascinating conversation on understanding human behavior and increasing ethical influence. https://bit.ly/TLP-372 Key Takeaways [01:32] Dr. Robert, the "Godfather of influence," discussing his latest book "Influence" and the new concept of "unity" in persuasion. [11:02] Dr. Robert discusses "blue lies," a new form of lying that protects in-groups while harming outsiders. We explore the power of unity, the impact of social media on tribalism, and effective leadership tactics. [19:09] During this discussion, Dr. Robert delves into the concept of unity as a leadership principle and its potential impact on creating silos within organizations. We explore the role of influence in leadership and sales, emphasizing the importance of understanding human nature to achieve desirable behaviors. The conversation also touches on the evolution of language as a tool for persuasion and differentiation from other species. [25:09] We also explore the impact of dwindling attention spans and the six behavioral levers of influence. Dr. Cialdini highlights the power of triggers, such as a welcoming statement, in online interactions. He also discusses the launch of the Cialdini Institute, focusing on ethical influence and scaling up teaching programs. [34:37] Dr. Robert delves into the six behavioral levers of influence and their profound impact on marketers and digital media. He also talks about the future of artificial intelligence and how human connection will remain crucial in the age of technology. Dr. Cialdini emphasizes the power of relationships and judgment in effective influence and negotiations. [42:11] Closing quote: Remember, character may almost be called the most effective means of persuasion. — Aristotle Quotable Quotes "People say yes to those that they share a personal or professional identity with." "The idea of this connectedness, this unity of purpose, of effort and so on, those were the people who could really bring that to the surface and create the collaboration and the cooperation that you need to be a truly successful leader with a team that's dedicated to moving forward together." "If leaders in the middle management ranks start really applying the unity principle, we enforce these silos with even greater strength." "Attention spans are dwindling. And so what we need to know is those levers of influence that move people away from where they are now in the direction that we would like them to go." "Don't allow AI to be the whole package. Infuse it with connection, ways to connect statements of connection, get humanity into it, and you'll get both barrels now working in your favor." "Character may almost be called the most effective means of persuasion." (Aristotle) These are the books mentioned of Robert Cialdini Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Robert Cialdini, Ph.D. Website | www.robertcialdinibf.com Robert Cialdini, Ph.D. YouTube | www.youtube.com/@robertcialdinibf7193 Cialdini Institute Website | https://cialdini.com/ TLP158: Prioritize The Truth - Dr. Robert Cialdini

Megan Thatford, CEO of Elite Meet discusses her passion for military veterans, and her role in connecting veterans to resources during their transition. Elite Meet offers personalized support beyond networking events, helping veterans in various stages of their careers. Megan emphasizes the valuable skills of special operations veterans and encourages considering them for roles in consulting, project management, and sales. Collaboration between businesses and nonprofits is crucial for serving the veteran community effectively. Listen now and learn how to support veterans by offering connections and introductions. https://bit.ly/TLP-371 Key Takeaways [01:23] Megan's passion lies in warfighter health, a topic not widely known from her public bio. Over the years, she has been deeply involved with nonprofits, dedicated to raising awareness about healthcare outcomes for veterans and fostering connections to improve their overall wellness. This commitment to making a difference is rooted in Megan's outgoing nature and the influence of her father. Treating people as equals and finding value in every interaction is a belief that drives her networking efforts at Elite Meet. [05:52] As CEO of Elite Meet, Megan shares that the organization was founded by former Navy SEAL, John Allen, to support transitioning veterans through networking events. They expanded to conferences and virtual gatherings, adapting during COVID-19. Megan emphasizes their personalized approach in helping veterans succeed after leaving the military. Elite Meet's mission now extends to anyone going through life transitions, offering valuable career resources and connections. [12:02] Elite Meet acts as a crucial connection hub for individuals in transition. It educates veterans about various industries and facilitates networking with professionals from diverse fields. By encouraging personal growth and overcoming self-promotion challenges, Elite Meet empowers veterans to embark on successful post-military careers. The organization's support complements initiatives by The Honor Foundation and Commit Foundation, making the transition process smoother and more fruitful. [17:20] Megan explains how Elite Meet supports elite veterans in their transition to civilian jobs. Jan questions how elite veterans compare to elite business professionals. Megan highlights their shared core characteristics, but notes a gap in understanding veterans' value in the corporate world. She suggests roles like consulting, operations/project management, business development, and customer success as good fits for veterans. They also discuss the importance of understanding the value of relationship sales in the business world. [31:49] Megan highlights the importance of collaboration among nonprofits to better serve veterans. She encourages businesses to explore how they can support veterans and invites listeners to visit the Elite Meet website and be network generous by offering help to veterans in transition. [43:56] Closing quote: Remember, when you stop caring what people think, you lose your capacity for connection. When you're defined by it, you lose out on your capacity for vulnerability. — Brene Brown Quotable Quotes "Being a connector is really the way you view interactions with other humans and other individuals." "I truly believe that everyone you meet has the potential to be a connection for you at some point in your life down the road, tomorrow, today." "People are people. You're not a rank anymore. You're not a boss. If you look at others and interact with them on a human level, you're going to be much happier and much more successful." "Getting to the point where who you are today is not who you were yesterday. It's just a part of who you have become." "Consulting is a great space for anyone across the special operations community." "Skillbridge internships or fellowships are a fantastic way to do a try before you buy type experience." "Collaboration with businesses and nonprofits is the way forward." Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Megan Thatford's LinkedIn | Megan Thatford Elite Meet's Website | www.elitemeetus.org

Solomon R.C. Ali is the Founder and CEO of Solomon RC Ali Corporation, and author of "Why Black Wealth Matters in White America." In this episode, he discusses his journey overcoming adversity, the influence of his military experience on leadership, and addressing racial wealth inequality. Solomon's Minority Business Access podcast offers valuable advice focusing on counting the cost, commitment, and following business principles and fundamentals. Solomon emphasizes learning from mistakes, treating others with respect, and the importance of a committed management team. https://bit.ly/TLP-370 Key Takeaways [01:39] Solomon, known for revolutionizing the doorbell home security industry with the Ring Doorbell, discusses overcoming adversity in his childhood and how it shaped his success as a leader. He emphasizes the importance of learning from mistakes and taking ownership of them. [10:40] Drawing from his military experience, Solomon explains how it influenced his leadership style and problem-solving abilities. He highlights trust, selflessness, and problem-solving as crucial in both military and business contexts. He addresses racial wealth inequality in the US, advocating for education, awareness, and financial literacy in marginalized communities. [23:18] Solomon's Minority Business Access podcast offers valuable advice applicable to everyone, focusing on counting the cost, commitment, and following business principles and fundamentals. He acknowledges the existence of racism but believes that most people act without personal bias or discrimination. [27:03] Treating others with respect and responsibility regardless of race is paramount to Solomon. He stresses the importance of making informed decisions based on reliable knowledge and past experiences. Solomon also values serving others, leaving a positive impact, and having a committed management team when evaluating companies. Coaching and teaching team members while empathizing with their struggles is crucial, as highlighted by Solomon. [41:36] Solomon mentions his book on black wealth, emphasizing its relevance to all readers. The book aims to provide awareness to consumers and business owners, emphasizing understanding customers and economic factors. He draws parallels between military strategy and efficient business operations, urging business owners to consider the contributions of every individual involved. [43:56] Closing quote: Remember, the world is full of people who have never since childhood met an open doorway with an open mind. — E.B. White Quotable Quotes "The leadership was basically having the faith and the confidence in knowing what it is that you're doing, being able to observe and understand." "You do the same in business. You're able to make greater and greater strides. It all comes down to being able to trust one another, to believe another." "What I found out in writing the book was that we had more ownership. People of color had more ownership in property and in businesses after slavery than they do today." "Your convictions must rule and guide you... You think about everyone else in your squad, everyone else in your platoon." "You have to count the cost... You have to understand what it is that you have to do, what it's going to require of you and others around you, and then you're going to have to be committed to that." "So in business, it doesn't matter if you're black or if you're white. It doesn't matter. You have certain principles and fundamentals that must be followed and adhered to." "You must be understanding and give respect in all situations." "Responsibility is a choice... We learn from the things that we have experienced in the past." "Leave a positive impact on someone else... make the world a better place." "You must coach and teach as you go... gently guide you in the correct direction." "Every person matters and makes a contribution." These are the books mentioned Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Solomon R.C. Ali's Website | www.solomonrcali.com Solomon R.C. Ali's LinkedIn | Solomon R.C. Ali Solomon R.C. Ali's Facebook | www.facebook.com/SolomonRCAliCorp Solomon R.C. Ali's Twitter | @SolomonRCAli Solomon R.C. Ali's Instagram | @mrsolomonrcali

In this episode of The Leadership Podcast, Jim and Jan discuss stress, emphasizing the importance of recognizing and dealing with it. They highlight the disconnect between leaders and employees in understanding stress levels and the impact of work-related stress. They also mention the need for autonomy among younger workers. The harmful effects of stress, such as high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, are mentioned. Jim and Jan suggest that leaders should adopt a coaching model and prioritize self-care to reduce stress. They emphasize the importance of recognizing stress in others and avoiding the addiction to busyness. Taking time for physical exertion and viewing stress as productive when acknowledged but not dwelled upon are mentioned. https://bit.ly/TLP-369 Key Takeaways [01:47] Jim and Jan discuss the topic of stress and its significance in leadership. They highlight the need to recognize stress, explore its importance, and discuss how to deal with it. [03:23] Jim and Jan mentions the Gallup survey on worldwide employee engagement, which reveals that only 23% of employees are engaged at work. They discuss the impact of managing by spreadsheet and the need for leaders to change the way people are managed. [05:05] They talk about the traditional office environment where people work in cubicles, emphasizing that it becomes their comfort zone. They contrast this with being out of the cube and the challenges it presents in terms of managing stress. [12:08] Jim and Jan explain the importance for leaders to recognize the stress response in others before they even recognize it themselves. They discuss observing changes in behavior and interaction patterns as indicators of stress. [14:13] Jim and Jan share their personal experiences with stress and workload management. They discuss the importance of setting realistic goals, avoiding over-scheduling, and the benefits of stress-induced productivity. They also touch on the role of procrastination in managing stress. [19:25] Jim and Jan discuss the role of leaders in managing stress and creating a supportive work environment. They emphasize the need for leaders to focus on their team's needs and effectiveness rather than prioritizing their own desires. [27:04] Closing quote: Remember, the greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another. — William James Quotable Quotes "Burned out is the extreme of stress. It's like an outcome of stress not handled." "Just because the leader doesn't feel stressed doesn't mean the followers aren't stressed." "55% of Americans are stressed during the day, and the age group it hits the most is 18 to 33." "Leaders should take a Hippocratic oath to do no harm." "As a leader, it's important for us to recognize the stress response in others before maybe they even recognize it." "Being a bad boss is more than being a bad person or a good person. It's about being effective with your time and being respectful of your team." "Let's all try to be better bosses, better leaders, so that we can not stress our people out as much." "The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another." - William James Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com

Dr. Margaret Heffernan has written six books including "Willful Blindness: Why We Ignore the Obvious at Our Peril" and "Uncharted: How to Navigate the Future," both widely recognized as top business books. Dr. Heffernan returns to the Leadership Podcast with insights from her new book "Embracing Uncertainty: How writers, musicians and artists thrive in an unpredictable world." She challenges conventional wisdom on how we think about decision-making in uncertain times. She reveals why leaders need to step away from predictive algorithms and reclaim their human capacity for intuition. She discusses the difference between healthy uncertainty and harmful vagueness, sharing practical techniques for leaders who want to make better decisions without drowning in endless analysis. She reveals why agenda-free meetings often produce better results than structured ones, and how silence can be more powerful than speaking. Through personal examples, Dr. Heffernan demonstrates how apparent failures can become unexpected successes when we learn to sit with uncertainty rather than rush to conclusions. This episode provides actionable insights for leaders who want to navigate uncertainty with confidence, make decisions with incomplete information, and create space for the unexpected insights that drive breakthrough thinking. You can find episode 472 wherever you get your podcasts! Watch this Episode on YouTube | Dr. Margaret Heffernan on Embracing Uncertainty https://bit.ly/TLP-472 Key Takeaways [03:32] Dr. Heffernan reveals what's not in her public bio: she's been trying to grow vegetables for about 10 years and is still absolutely terrible at it, and she's currently learning Italian, which is a deeply humbling experience. [04:53] Dr. Heffernan explains that leaders can reclaim intuition for better decision-making by absorbing quality information through everyday observations—like walking city streets or eavesdropping on conversations—to "restock their mental kitchen" with rich ingredients that will inform future choices when needed. [10:11] Dr. Heffernan confirms that when you slow down, thoughts bubble to the surface - some mundane like "oh God, I forgot to feed the cat," others valuable like identifying the right person for a job that your brain was processing subconsciously. [11:59] Dr. Heffernan distinguishes between necessary ambiguity and harmful vagueness by explaining that decisions are always ambiguous because they're "hypotheses about the future," but harmful vagueness occurs when leaders don't ask clear questions or establish what decision needs to be made. [17:09] Dr. Heffernan describes transforming a board she chairs from having overly strict agendas to focusing on "what are the three most important things we need to be talking about right now," explaining she has more often seen time wasted from detailed agendas than loose ones. [20:33] Dr. Heffernan explains that "action is how you search" - you can talk, think, and research forever, but the only way to know if something will work is to start, emphasizing that what really matters is beginning, not necessarily where you start. [23:06] Dr. Heffernan suggests that risk tolerance may actually be lower than ever before, but people's level of anxiety drives them to reduce risk, working with wealthy companies whose "risk aversion is almost tangible" despite having enormous resources. [24:36] Dr. Heffernan acknowledges that artists and musicians must be vulnerable to put themselves out there, but explains that most people she's worked with have high risk tolerance because "if you're going to do something meaningful and worthwhile, probably going to be something you haven't done before." [26:35] Dr. Heffernan shares that her book "Willful Blindness" initially seemed like a failure with only a couple of reviews after six months, but took off after making the Financial Times Business Book Award longlist and continues to have readers over a decade later. [28:53] Dr. Heffernan explains her motivation for writing "Embracing Uncertainty" stems from her belief that "the marginalization of the humanities and the arts, the defunding of the arts" is doing "immense harm" and represents "a gigantic loss, not just to the arts, but to all aspects of life." [32:01] Dr. Heffernan outlines her ideal leadership retreat opening: "sending people out for a walk and coming back to report what they saw," explaining this practice "wandering around stuff" and would reveal amazingly different observations from different people. [33:43] Dr. Heffernan suggests the better instruction for the walking exercise would be "noticed" rather than "saw" because "you could notice in all sorts of different ways," allowing people to focus on hearing, feeling, or thinking differently. [40:57] Dr. Heffernan explains she's become "much less concerned about planning now," leaving more margins for things to go wrong and scheduling less frantically to create "space and time for things to happen." [42:39] Dr. Heffernan describes a transformative experiment where she appointed herself "the listener" in meetings, discovering that when you're not looking for moments to speak, "you actually are listening to the person who's speaking instead of rehearsing in your mind what you're going to say next." [45:48] Dr. Heffernan concludes that leaders should remember "what's uncertain is a whole range of things that are possible" and warns against "demanding too much certainty too fast" because "what's certain is what's known and something you've done before," while innovation requires exploring uncertainty rather than shutting it down. [46:57] And remember..."Uncertainty is a very good thing: it's the beginning of an investigation, and the investigation should never end." - Tim Crouch Quotable Quotes "Intuition is a very accelerated retrieval of a lot of stuff that's been roaming around in your head. The issue is, how do you make sure that the stuff roaming around in your head is quality stuff." "Action is how you search. You can talk about stuff forever. You can think about stuff forever. You can research stuff forever. But the acid test is, do you start?" "What's uncertain is a whole range of things that are possible. Be careful of demanding too much certainty too fast in too many domains because what's certain is what's known and something you've done before." "If you're desperate to speak, you don't listen. I realized that's what I'd been doing a lot of my life - looking for the moment where I could land my brilliant contribution." "The only way I can know if I can write a book is to write a book. I can think about it forever, but actually, I will never know unless I do it." These are the books mentioned in this episode Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Dr. Margaret Heffernan Website | www.mheffernan.com Dr. Margaret Heffernan X | @M_Heffernan Dr. Margaret Heffernan Instagram | @blindnesswhistleblowers Dr. Margaret Heffernan Facebook | www.facebook.com/Heffernan.Margaret Margaret Heffernan: Forget the pecking order at work TLP252: Don't Play The Game - Change It TLP004: Joe Pine – Visionary Leadership & Instilling Purpose TLP061: The 6 Observations Leaders Make

Glenn Poulos is the author of "Never Sit in the Lobby: 57 Winning Sales Factors to Grow a Business and Build a Career Selling." Glenn shares his experience and successful strategies in the profession of sales. Glenn emphasizes the importance of face-to-face interactions with customers and building relationships. He believes that technology may enhance certain aspects of sales but does not replace fundamental principles like active listening and behaving appropriately with customers. Glenn also discusses common mistakes made in sales, such as relying too heavily on virtual sales models post-pandemic, instead of engaging directly with clients. He provides insights into understanding a customer's position in their decision-making process and stresses the significance of personal visits to establish rapport. https://bit.ly/TLP-368 Key Takeaways [03:10] Glenn said that certain aspects of sales have remained consistent over time, such as the importance of building relationships with customers. [06:40] He emphasizes the importance of fundamental principles in sales, such as getting in front of customers, acting professionally, staying engaged, and providing a positive customer experience. These principles have remained relevant and effective over time, as evidenced by their application in the author's own company. [08:19] Glenn also discusses one of the biggest mistakes in sales and negotiation is over-reliance on virtual platforms, neglecting the value of in-person interactions and building relationships with customers. Focusing on the client's needs and improving their lives should be a priority. [18:34] He shares that when storytelling in a sales setting, it is important to start with a "punch" to capture the audience's attention and create a break in their psyche. This can be achieved through various techniques such as playing a video, making a sound, or using other attention-grabbing methods. [23:37] He told us the importance of working hard and investing time and effort into honing their skills. Sales can be highly rewarding when approached with dedication and commitment as attraction plays a significant role in sales, and behaving in an attractive manner is essential for building connections with customers. [29:29] He said that organizations often face challenges in effectively selecting prospects and determining the best approach to engage them at the top of the sales funnel and there is a need to differentiate between marketing and selling, with the focus being on salespeople actively engaging with customers rather than getting involved in the marketing aspects of prospect selection and approach. [32:57] In smaller organizations, where there isn't a clear separation between marketing and sales roles, Glenn directly stated that individuals must allocate their time effectively between prospecting, engaging with customers, and following up. [40:07] He discusses that sales management requires a different skill set, and it is important to have managers who understand the tools and strategies of the trade, even if they may not be the strongest in customer-facing roles. [48:42] He emphasizes that non-sales leaders need to understand and support the salesperson's role as the vital link in the company's success. Salespeople are like performers on a stage, and their unique personalities and capabilities require support and recognition. [51:34] Closing quote: Remember, "Sales are contingent upon the attitude of the salesperson, not the attitude of the prospect." – W. Clement Stone Quotable Quotes "The biggest and most important deals I find are done face to face with the customer and toe toe with the competition." "One of the other rules of the 57 is always have something in your hand and something in your mind." "The tighter time you give these customers, the more likely they are to look at your product in a timely manner." "Sales is kind of like when you work hard, it's one of the easiest ways to make a lot of money." "You need to be figuring out ways to demonstrate yourself and your product in its best possible light without being braggadocious or sort of arrogant in any way." "If you're waiting for the leads to just fall in your lap or people's phones to ring, that's not going to work." "You only get forever to make another impression." "Sales are contingent upon the attitude of the salesperson, not the attitude of the prospect." – W. Clement Stone These are the books mentioned by Glenn Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Glenn Poulos LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/glenn-poulos Glenn Poulos Website | glennpoulos.com Glenn Poulos Instagram | @glenn.poulos Glenn Poulos Twitter | @GlennPoulos Glenn Poulos Facebook | www.facebook.com/glenn.poulos

Nate Boyer, a Former Army Green Beret and football player, discusses his attraction to challenges, pushing oneself to the limit, and the importance of growth through setbacks. In this episode, he shares a personal story about auditioning for a TV show and recognizing different perspectives. Nate talks about his nonprofit work with Merging Vets and Players (MVP), helping veterans and athletes find their identity post-career. The concept of deliberate discomfort and the desire for relevance are explored. He also mentions Water Boys, an organization providing clean water wells in Tanzania. The impact of clean water availability, benefits to communities, and the significance of leadership qualities. https://bit.ly/TLP-367 Key Takeaways [03:52] Nate Boyer emphasizes the tough nature of various fields, such as being an elite athlete, a Green Beret, or an actor and the desire to compete at the highest level and the experience of competition from a young age create a strong attraction. Nate finds the process of putting in hard work, practice, and dedication towards a goal, regardless of winning or losing, immensely fulfilling. [07:38]Nate reflects on the open but unyielding door, symbolizing the constant possibility of success despite the lack of opportunities. He believes that part of his drive comes from a place of insecurity, wanting to prove himself and overcome feelings of not being good enough. [12:09] He said that setbacks create space for pursuing something that may have been put on hold or exploring new dreams and aspirations and it's essential to open up and listen to the universe, allowing new possibilities to emerge. Embracing this perspective can lead to finding new paths and opportunities for personal fulfillment. [15:10] Nate stated that letting go of attachment to the outcome and understanding that it's not about you personally can help navigate the ups and downs of such subjective industries and stay resilient and focus on honing your skills and pursuing opportunities where your unique abilities and vision align with the right fit. [20:06] Nate talks about MVP, where he co-founded along with Jay Glazer, the nonprofit organization Merging Vets and Players (MVP) in 2015. He said that MVP aims to support both military veterans and professional athletes who often face challenges when transitioning out of their respective fields. [26:45] He talks about how the transition to a new phase is becoming necessary, but it can be challenging to let go of the familiar and find new avenues to feel alive and fulfilled. As people grow older, they may encounter these feelings in various aspects of their lives, such as transitioning away from a beloved activity like football. [34:53] Nate shares that the most impactful and rewarding work he's been involved in is the Water Boys initiative started by Chris Long. This work has brought clean and accessible water to numerous communities, improving their quality of life and health. He also shares that being a part of this initiative and witnessing the positive change it brings has been incredibly rewarding for him. [36:44] Closing quote: Remember, "A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." – Jackie Robinson Quotable Quotes "It's nice to sort of push yourself to the limit physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and see how far you can go." "Sometimes we do things, we make mistakes, and we suffer the consequences." "You can restart a whole new sector of your life." "It's time to open your aperture back up and listen to the universe a little bit." "Veteran community is often really struggling. A lot of times they're struggling not just with the loss of identity and uniform, but the loss of people or feeling like they didn't do enough and they should have done more and they could have saved more." "Jump off that curve where you're declining and get on a curve where you're improving." "When it's time to make a decision, as a leader, you have to make a decision." "A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." – Jackie Robinson Resources Mentioned: The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Nate Boyer's LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/nate-boyer Nate Boyer's Website | vetsandplayers.org Nate Boyer's Instagram | @mergingvetsandplayers Nate Boyer's Twitter | @VetsandPlayers

Kim "KC" Campbell, a former fighter pilot and author of "Flying in the Face of Fear: A Fighter Pilot's Lessons on Leading with Courage." In this episode, Kim discusses a mission during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and the importance of teamwork and staying calm despite chaos. Campbell emphasizes the value of listening to others' stories, making tough decisions as a leader, empowering team members, and supporting veterans. She also highlights the significance of adaptability and facing fears with courage. https://bit.ly/TLP-366 Key Takeaways [03:43] Kim discusses her experience as an Air Force Academy graduate and her mission during Operation Iraqi Freedom where she received the Distinguished Fine Cross for heroism. Kim emphasizes the importance of teamwork, mutual support, and staying calm during crises as a leader. [15:47] Kim, a former pilot and leader in the military, emphasizes the importance of listening to stories and learning from others' experiences. She credits listening to fellow pilots' war stories for her success during a crucial moment when she had to fly using a backup emergency system. [21:44] She also talks about the challenges of having difficult conversations as a leader. Adaptability is a key competency that can be learned, and Kim encourages leaders to be flexible and responsive to changing circumstances. Lastly, Kim discusses her passion for supporting veterans during their transition into civilian life and believes in offering them support and opportunities because of their tremendous value in solving complex problems and leading teams. [27:56] Kim also discusses the importance of trust and resilience in teams, and how stories can help build these qualities. [31:50] She reflects on her experience establishing a center for Character and Leadership Development, which aimed to teach character and leadership skills through real-life examples and stories. [37:45] Kim shares her experience writing letters every week to get accepted into the military academy, highlighting the importance of persistence and creativity in achieving goals [39:57] She encourages leaders to take action in the face of fear and to stay flexible and adaptable in challenging situations. [41:26] Closing quote: Remember, "When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it. " — Henry Ford Quotable Quotes "Sometimes failures do turn into positive things as well." "It doesn't happen alone...It is a true team effort." "Create a wingman culture...understand the role that you play on a team." "There's so much benefit in listening and learning from stories." "Recognize your shortfalls and get better at asking for help." "Teach people to think outside the box and be flexible." "Sometimes the standard rules and procedures don't apply, and we need to be flexible." "We all face fear in our lives. It may not be flying a fighter jet in combat, but it's fear of failure. It's fear of not meeting expectations. It's fear of not being good enough. And we cannot let that fear drive us. We have to still be able to step up and take action and have courage to face those fears." "When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it." - Henry Ford These are the books mentioned in our discussion with Kim Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Kim Campbell's LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/kim-kc-campbell Kim Campbell's Website | https://kim-kc-campbell.com Kim Campbell's Twitter | @kchawg987

Alan Shortt is an executive communication coach, motivational speaker, Emcee, host and founder of Media Skills Ireland. Alan shares his expertise on avoiding boredom in leadership, creating emotional excitement, and the art of engaging communication. He emphasizes the importance of curiosity, facial expressions, and connecting with the audience. We also explore leadership performance, storytelling, and Alan's background as a comedian. Tune in for valuable insights and entertaining impressions of notable politicians! https://bit.ly/TLP-365 Key Takeaways [05:33] Alan discusses the intriguing topic of avoiding being boring in leadership roles and the significance of creating emotional excitement within others. [06:25] Alan brings a unique perspective to the table, drawing from his experiences as a stand-up comedian, boxer, and a seasoned speaker. [11:11] Alan shares his insights on the importance of curiosity and engagement in communication, particularly in the realm of media skills. He explains that everyone is now a TV presenter and emphasizes the need to connect with the audience through engagement on screen, using facial muscles, smiling, and looking at the camera. [18:27] Moving on to leadership performance, Alan highlights the vital role of vision and innovation in effectively communicating a leader's message. [23:05] He provides valuable advice on preparing for public speaking engagements, stressing the significance of practicing out loud, actively listening to one's own voice, and constructing a repertoire of personal stories that can be used to navigate unexpected situations. [27:35] The discussion also touches upon the use of lies versus facts as motivational tools and the importance of authenticity in storytelling. Alan offers glimpses into his past as a comedian, highlighting how his experiences in comedy inform his work as a communication coach. [30:31] As the conversation unfolds, Alan delves into the art of storytelling, exploring the cultural nuances between Irish and American traditions. He shares an engaging personal anecdote about motivating someone during a challenging cycling expedition in France. [36:12] And just to spice things up, he treats us to some impressive impressions of renowned politicians, including Barack Obama and Michael G. Higgins. [44:17] Closing quote: Be not afraid of discomfort. If you can't put yourself in a situation where you are uncomfortable, then you will never grow, you will never change, and you will never learn. — Jason Reynolds. Quotable Quotes "Get comfortable with being uncomfortable." "Don't be boring." "A leader needs to be visionary." "Create emotional excitement within other people." "Don't be boring, be curious, because the more curious you are, that's what leads to excitement." "Curiosity leads to creativity, leads to innovation." "To be engaging on screen, you need to learn how to be engaging on screen. You need to learn how to use your facial muscles. You need to learn how to smile. You need to learn how to connect with the camera." "Storytelling is the ability to make something that may not be truly factual into a beautiful truth." Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Alan Shortt in LinkedIn | https://ie.linkedin.com/in/alanshortt Media Skills Ireland Website | https://mediaskills.ie Alan Shortt in Facebook | www.facebook.com/alan.shortt Alan Shortt in Twitter | @Alanshortt Alan Shortt in Instagram | @alanshorttofficial Media Skills Ireland in YouTube | MediaSkills Ireland

Mark A. Mears, keynote speaker and author of "The Purposeful Growth Revolution - Four Ways to Grow From Leader Legacy Builder," discusses the importance of conscious capitalism. He emphasizes the importance of accountability beyond numbers, using the LEAF model (Leadership, Engagement, Accountability, Fulfillment). He shares his personal experience leading a turnaround and introduces the concept of paying it backward. He also suggests replacing annual performance appraisals with purposeful growth plans. https://bit.ly/TLP-364 Key Takeaways [02:21] Mark Mears talks about his involvement in Conscious Capitalism and how businesses can make a positive difference in the world through purposeful growth. [06:06] He explains his LEAF model (Leadership, Engagement, Accountability, Fulfillment) and emphasizes the importance of accountability beyond just focusing on numbers by breaking down goals into lead and lag measures. He also stresses the need for transparency and engagement to build trust within teams. [10:26] Mark emphasizes the importance of identifying the right metrics for a business. He introduces the concept of "think, feel, do, and relate" as the four outcomes to consider. [18:27] Mark shares a career failure that led to an epiphany for his book concept, emphasizing the importance of fulfillment in achieving growth and success. He shares his personal experience of leading a turnaround for a restaurant chain but being let go after achieving success. This led him to develop the concept of paying it backward, which involves creating a nurturing environment where people feel valued and empowered to be their best selves. [28:00] Mark discusses the importance of understanding who you serve and how it leads to your motivation, superpowers, role on a team, and key metrics of performance. He suggests that leaders should act as coaches rather than managers and focus on personal growth plans for each team member. Mark advises listeners to learn how to love by listening, observing, valuing, and empowering others in their career. [31:12] Mark also talks about the need for leaders to communicate clearly and listen better in order to align different perspectives towards common goals. He suggests replacing annual performance appraisals with purposeful growth plans that consider all four sub-brands (personal, internal, external, employer) for an organization's success. [38:22] Closing quote: No legacy is so rich as honesty. — William Shakespeare Quotable Quotes "I don't want to just make money and retire. I want to make a difference and inspire." "Businesses actually have the resources to help make a positive, lasting difference in the world." "Necessity is the mother of invention." "LEAF (Leadership, Engagement, Accountability, Fulfillment) is a symbol of growth and rebirth." "Those of us who are great doers tend to get promoted and now we have to learn how to be leaders." "We could do better in creating a more humanistic environment." "Bringing love into the workplace. Listen, Observe, Value, and Empower." "Until the robots or the zombies or chat GPT takes us away, we're all still human beings and we need to be treated like one." "Being clear on what we stand for is important and having a clear understanding of where each of our team members are coming from." "Your how represents your gifts or the role you play on the team to create maximum value." "No legacy is so rich as honesty." - William Shakespeare. These are the books mentioned in our discussion with Mark Resources Mentioned Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Mark Mears on LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/markamears Mark Mears Website | www.markamears.com Episode Mentioned: TLP262: The Heart of Business with Hubert Joly

Dan Horwich, a 'Pay It Forward' executive and President and Executive Director of CAMP IT Conferences, shares his philosophy on building meaningful relationships. In this episode, Dan emphasizes the importance of leading with kindness and empathy, as well as making introductions for others without expecting anything in return. As an expert networker, he provides valuable insights and advice for transitioning veterans. Dan encourages listeners to focus on helping others and emphasizes the significance of surrounding themselves with a network of good people. Furthermore, he stresses the importance of approaching human interactions with a kind and gentle spirit, highlighting the positive impact it can have on both personal and professional relationships. https://bit.ly/TLP-363 Key Takeaways [03:36] Dan shares a powerful and personal story that influences his approach to networking. He recounts how his grandfather's life is saved during the Holocaust through a compassionate act of networking. This experience deeply impacts Dan, leading him to prioritize gratitude and helping others. It reinforces his existing networking practices but also prompts him to move faster and consider how he can assist those he meets. [08:05] Dan discusses the importance of relationship networking and serving others without expecting anything in return. He advises focusing on giving rather than getting and emphasizes the happiness and influence that come from helping others. He introduces a four-bucket rule for networking and encourages surrounding oneself with kind and coachable individuals. Dan emphasizes proactive networking and making quality introductions for others to build a strong network. [12:10] In our discussion, Dan emphasizes the importance of giving as much as you receive in networking and mentorship. He acknowledges that not everyone may reciprocate, but they focus on appreciating the introductions they receive. By constantly making introductions, they build relationships and expand their network. Despite occasional frustration, joy and personal growth outweigh any negative feelings. [14:11] Dan emphasizes the importance of attitude and emotional intelligence for successful tech leaders. He highlights resilience, humility, and a giver's mindset as key qualities. Dan encourages building relationships and treating others with respect. He cautions against closed-mindedness and stresses the need to understand the business value of technology. Building rapport and trust with business leaders is essential in the tech industry. [18:43] For Dan, around 10 to 20% of tech leaders truly excel in their roles, exhibiting qualities such as emotional intelligence, empathy, and open-mindedness. However, there is ample room for improvement and growth among the majority. Success in tech leadership is determined by factors like business partnerships, personal survival, and the esteem held by their team. It's important to recognize that not everyone brings their best selves to work due to personal challenges. [20:50] Dan highlights the importance of understanding between sell-side and buy-side attendees. He coaches sponsors to see attendees as humans first, considering their personal concerns and goals. By enabling and empowering others, meaningful relationships are formed. Dan advises attendees to recognize sellers as potential networking resources for career growth. Mutual sensitivity and respect foster successful interactions. [23:56] During the discussion, Dan shared his approach to understand sellers and buyers' needs. [26:17] When asked what advice he would give to his 25-year-old self, Dan emphasizes the importance of surrounding oneself with good humans, making logical decisions, and focusing on substantive matters instead of superficial achievements. Dan highlights the significance of kindness and integrity in building successful and fulfilling relationships. He also shares stories of questionable advice he received, urging the importance of maintaining integrity even at the cost of personal gain. [31:42] Dan discusses how his perspective on a good life has evolved over time. He emphasizes the importance of impacting others, enabling their success, and surrounding himself with good people. He contrasts the temporary happiness from material possessions with the lasting fulfillment that comes from helping others. According to him, "A good life involves achieving personal goals while prioritizing relationships, health, and gratitude." [35:26] Dan provides a challenge to listeners to help others amid tough times. He advises shifting focus from negativity to making introductions and checking in on people. By assisting positive individuals, one can find joy and opportunities. Dan encourages daily check-ins with two or three people, fostering a supportive network and improving personal circumstances. [38:04] Closing quote: In the long run, the sharpest weapon of all is a kind and gentle spirit. — Anne Frank Quotable Quotes "It's about giving, not about getting." "You do it without expectation... The more your heart compounds with happiness, the more you build a sphere of influence and a sphere of kindness." "You should always be making introductions for other people, quality introductions, good humans. Because as you do that, you then become the sphere of influence. And then people, by their very nature, whether they feel indebted or not, they're still going to want to help you." "The frustration is outweighed by the joy. So when you're able to give so much, you end up becoming a lot happier." "Attitude over aptitude over technical aptitude." "The best tech leaders that I know are resilient, humble, and have a giver's mindset." "If you show the attendees how they can get promoted, you build a connection. It's not about the message you want to give them, it's about the message that they're going to receive." "It's just understanding where people are at, what's important to them. And if you connect those dots, then you build a connection." "You shouldn't go out there to impress people. You should go out there to enable and empower people." "When both sides take the approach of getting to learn from each other and realize this is a human interaction, that helps." "Surround yourself with good humans." "Try and look through everything from a lens of logic." "Focus on the things that are real and substantive." "If you really want to have a happier life and a more successful, more fulfilling life, you surround yourself with good humans." "Kindness was seen as a weakness." "Money is important in a lot of ways, but it's not going to make you happy in tough times." "Build a foundation of good humans and surround yourself with good humans." "Just do it. Do it." "A good life is the impact you have on others, on enabling others and empowering others." "Surrounding yourselves with good humans and you're able to laugh and you help others, it goes back to that compounding of happiness." "Good life is accomplishing certain goals." Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Dan Horwich LinkedIn | Dan Horwich Camp IT Conferences Website | https://campitconference.com/ "5 Strategies to infuse D&I into Your Organization," HBR

Jim and Jan discuss the importance of compassion and courage in having difficult conversations. They emphasize the need for empathy, mutual solutions, and bi-directional dialogue. Jim and Jan also provide tips for creating a positive environment for such discussions, including clear expectations, empathy, and core values. They highlight the impact of small actions and encourage listeners not to be neutral in situations of injustice. https://bit.ly/TLP-362 Key Takeaways [02:18] Jim and Jan delve into the significance of having the courage to engage in difficult conversations. They also touch on the fear that comes with these conversations and how it can be a warning sign to address. [09:47] Jim and Jan stress the need for empathy and finding mutual solutions in these conversations instead of just pointing out problems. They also acknowledge that difficult conversations are a two-way street and require forgiveness and bi-directional dialogue to be effective. They highlight the importance of approaching tough conversations with respect, understanding, validation, active problem-solving, and follow-up. [17:33] They discuss the challenges of having difficult conversations in organizations and offer tips on how to create a more positive environment for them. This includes setting clear expectations, using empathy and questions to facilitate collaboration, and focusing on core values like kindness, honesty, fairness, discipline, curiosity, and gratitude. [23:18] The importance of running effective meetings is also discussed as a key factor in reducing the burden of excessive meetings while increasing productivity and engagement. They advise to treat people with respect and seek meaningful connections through shared values and purpose when engaging in communicating. [28:37] Jim and Jan also give three things that you would have to remember when it comes to these tough and difficult conversations. Also, some closing thoughts for Jim and Jan about having a difficult conversation. [35:31] Closing quote: Remember, if you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality. — Desmond Tutu Quotable Quotes "If you care enough, you'll have the courage. If you don't care, the fear will override." "Fear is such a strong signal to our logical brain." "I just always try to put myself in the other person's shoes. Just say, like, hey, let me just play this out. If I were to receive this message, how do I think I'd react?" "Tough conversations can be challenging, but approaching them with empathy or spec and a focus on finding solutions can greatly improve the outcome and foster positive relationships." "We have to take responsibility for it being misinterpreted and ensure that our intentions come across in our words and deeds." "Difficult conversations are not one way, they're a two-way street." "We can create a positive environment where difficult conversations aren't difficult." "Let's not react, but let's respond with thought." "When we let our emotions and reactions govern how we hear and address things, it doesn't serve us well." "Difficult conversations can occur in meetings, and collaboration is important." "What's not being said is as important as what is being said." "Expectation setting for people is a difficult conversation." "Put yourself in the other person's shoes and have it be a process that you're collaborating on something rather than telling." "My three would be similar: respect, use questions to help that person self-discover, and use questions to brainstorm on possible solutions together." "The better we get at asking really good questions I think that's the road to righteousness." "If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality." - Desmond Tutu Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com TLP 309: This Author Has Written More About Meetings Than Anyone TLP124: How to Make Difficult Conversations… Easier "5 Strategies to infuse D&I into Your Organization," HBR

Col. Terry Virts (ret.) served as a U.S. Air Force test fighter pilot, is a NASA veteran of two spaceflights and a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Harvard Business School. In 2019 he directed his first film, One More Orbit. His second book, How to Astronaut, continues to amass excellent reviews. He is currently involved in several film and television projects, serves on corporate boards, consults to the entertainment industry, writes and promotes public policy.​ He is a celebrated thought leader, speaker and author whose ​seven months in space included: piloting the Space Shuttle; commanding the International Space Station; three spacewalks; and performing scientific experiments, while working closely with multiple international partners. Virts worked with Russian Space Agency cosmonauts during some of the most stressful U.S.-Russian relations since the Cold War.​ While in space he took more than 300,000 photos – more than on any other space mission. The images are an integral component of the National Geographic IMAX film ​A Beautiful Planet​, which Virts also shot and stars in. His first book for National Geographic, ​View From Above​, combines his best photography with stories about spaceflight alongside his perspectives about life on earth and our place in the cosmos.​ Terry shares the importance of feedback, cultural understanding, and fair treatment when leading diverse teams. He discusses topics such as debriefing, stress management, and skills-based training. Gain insights into balancing productivity and well-being, prioritizing tasks, and overcoming fears. Don't miss the valuable advice for handling emergencies. https://bit.ly/TLP-361 Key Takeaways [01:53] Terry talks about his experiences as an entrepreneur and the challenges of selling ideas in comparison to being a leader in the military. During his time commanding the International Space Station with an international crew, he learned that feedback is important and helps to resolve conflicts between team members from different cultural backgrounds. [05:36] He also emphasizes the importance of understanding where people are on the experience spectrum and treating everyone fairly regardless of their position or length of service. [11:23] Terry shares his experience working with people from different cultures and the importance of a culture that values accountability while not punishing mistakes. [16:58] He also emphasizes the value of debriefing and learning from mistakes to improve safety in industries like aviation. [23:19] Terry discusses how stress can impact performance during missions, highlighting the need for moderate stress levels to optimize productivity. Additionally, he talks about pre-mission training and team-building exercises such as National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). [25:25] Terry touches on the importance of skills-based training, including medical skills necessary when someone falls ill during a mission. He talks about medical procedures in space and how to handle potential emergencies like appendicitis. [31:22] Terry also discusses leadership styles and ways to balance getting things done while also taking care of their team's well-being. [40:01] The discussion revolves around the concept of being a "lazy" commander. Terry refers to a quote by Steve Jobs, highlighting the idea of hiring smart people not to be told what to do, but to receive their guidance. The importance of prioritizing tasks, working smarter instead of harder, and being a little bit lazy as a leader were key takeaways from the conversation. [45:43] Terry shares the three steps to handle emergencies: maintain control, analyze the situation, and take appropriate action. He also gives advice for business leaders facing adversity and emphasizes the importance of prioritizing tasks in order to avoid making things worse. [47:33] Closing quote: Remember, the universe is under no obligation to make sense to you. — Neil deGrasse Tyson Quotable Quotes "If you're a leader, try and see things from other people's point of view, a skill we must have." "You kind of have to know where people are on the experience spectrum... People mature at different rates." "You need to be open to feedback also and not make it too awkward or strange." "If you've got a CYA culture in your organization, you have to look at how you're holding people accountable." "If people make mistakes... you can use people's mistakes in a positive way, that can be really good for your industry." "You figure out what you need, and then you train that need so that people know what they're doing." "If you can take your team and travel overseas, that's when you get to know people, you can hang out and do things outside of work, that's important." "There's a terminal velocity by which a team can come together." "You need to have some kind of moderate amount of stress to perform optimally." "Part of what we have to do as leaders is to get stuff done, and the best way to do that is through the commitment of people who are willing and engaged." "The best commanders are a little bit lazy." "I hire smart people so they tell me what to do." "When working in a big bureaucracy, choose one specific goal you want to accomplish and focus on achieving it." "Sometimes you just need to chill out and let things happen." "Be like water, find the path of least resistance." "Work smarter, not harder." "Don't crash into the ground. Do your analysis then take your action." "The universe is under no obligation to make sense to you." - Neil deGrasse Tyson These are the books mentioned in our discussion with Terry Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Terry Virts Website| www.terryvirts.com Terry Virts on Twitter | @astroterry Terry Virts on Instagram | @astro_terry Terry Virts on LinkedIn |Terry Virts Terry Virts Facebook | www.facebook.com/astrovirts Terry Virts Book | View From Above: An Astronaut Photographs The World "5 Strategies to infuse D&I into Your Organization," HBR

Aidan Higgins is the author of "Lead from you: We need aware, authentic and emotionally intelligent leaders. Leading from their best selves." Aidan shares his insights on the importance of self-awareness, authenticity, and emotional intelligence in modern leadership. He discusses how childhood can shape the definition of success and the value of humor in leadership. He also shares practical tips on observing oneself to detect changes in emotion or behavior and finding a balance between productivity and calmness. The episode ends with a reminder to change one's awareness of oneself in order to bring about personal growth. https://bit.ly/TLP-360 Key Takeaways [00:05] Aidan Higgins, is a leadership coach at Adeo Consulting and the author of "Lead from you". He believes that personal awareness and leadership awareness are the same thing and that leaders need to be conscious of their thoughts, emotions and how they act out, so their beliefs, thoughts, and emotions become their actions. [12:07] The conversation is about leadership and the need to adapt to changing times and technologies. There is a focus on the need for collaborative leadership rather than a top-down approach. The issue of control is also discussed, with the suggestion that some leaders need to learn to let go of control in order to achieve better outcomes. [16:10] Effective leadership is not just about having good intentions but also about understanding one's definition of success and the impact of childhood training. Many leaders strive for succes and may not even enjoy their achievements. Self-awareness is essential to achieving a balance between productivity and calmness. [20:49] Aidan also covers the importance of work ethic and discipline in the past, the role of having fun in bonding and interjecting humor in the workplace, and the challenges that leaders face in creating a good atmosphere for their team outside of work. [33:39] Aidan talks about the importance of overcoming addiction to being busy and finding a balance between productivity and calmness, which allows for more powerful and productive work. [35:08] Aidan shares a story about a successful leader who initially resisted change but eventually embraced it and brought the whole organization along by creating posters and explaining the "why" behind the changes. Aidan finds joy in seeing the leader's transformation and success. [40:02] According to Aidan, commitment, openness, and trust were the three independent words that allowed the team to be successful in achieving their goals. [41:50] Aidan challenges us to be more self-aware and authentic in leadership by observing one's actions and thoughts, questioning why things are done a certain way, and being mindful of self-talk. The goal is to understand oneself better to achieve personal growth and avoid being controlled by external factors. [45:43] Closing quote: Remember, what is necessary to change a person is to change his awareness of himself. — Abraham Maslow Quotable Quotes "Control was always an illusion." "If the pressure is on so much, or you're in an environment where you cannot fail or you cannot take a risk, you can't move forward." "Character is who you are. Reputation is what people think of you, which you have no control over." "Not everybody has good intentions." "Appropriate humor in the right place at the right time is very useful, and having a sense of humor about things and about people and all that is very helpful." "Those without a sense of humor are not liked as leaders." "The truth without compassion is cruelty." "Stop and observe yourself." "You are not your thoughts." "If you're in the middle of a fog of anxiety or depression, you're not in the present." "You can't see opportunities because you're not in the present." "Watch the self-talk as well as another good indicator of the sort of mindset you're having." "What is necessary to change a person is to change his awareness of himself." — Abraham Maslow Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Adeo Consulting Website| www.adeo.ie Aidan Higgins on Twitter | @aidanhiggins Aidan Higgins on LinkedIn | Aidan Higgins Adeo Consulting Facebook | Adeo Consulting Ltd. "5 Strategies to infuse D&I into Your Organization," HBR

Linguistics professor, Valerie Fridland, explores the evolution of language and offers insights on how we can use it more effectively in the workplace. From the use of filled pauses and uptalk to the gender-based biases that affect language perception, Valerie provides a fascinating look at the role of language in our lives. Also discussed are the benefits of embracing language evolution, and how it can improve communication and connection in our personal and professional lives. https://bit.ly/TLP-359 Key Takeaways [01:11] Valerie Fridland, a linguistics professor and author of "Like, literally, Dude: Arguing For Good In Bad English," challenges the notion of "correct" language and encourages us to embrace language evolution. Her personal experience as a parent highlights the importance of understanding language in the real world. [03:51] Valerie talks about speech patterns and language usage, including uptalk and discourse markers. People have specific likes and dislikes when it comes to language, including certain words or phrases that they find annoying or grating. However, many of these preferences are actually based on regional dialects or historical linguistic changes and may not be as important or incorrect as people think. [14:38] Valerie talks about how filled pauses, such as "ums" and "uhs," which are typically considered to be bad public speaking habits, are actually beneficial for speakers and listeners. [20:10] Men and women process language similarly, but societal expectations and cultural models can influence the types of language they prefer. Young women are often the initiators and spreaders of language change. Different linguistic styles exist, but it's not about gender, it's about individual preference and social roles. [25:14] Valerie also discusses the differences in language and style between generations, genders, and ethnic groups, and how these differences can affect communication in the workplace. While it's okay to have a preferred style of communication, it's also important to come to a compromise and be open to new ideas. [35:19] Tips from Valerie that we can implement to make our workplaces more inclusive of everyone linguistically. Leaders should be aware of their own language biases and avoid making assumptions based on linguistic characteristics such as voice pitch or discourse markers. By being more inclusive of diverse linguistic styles, leaders can create a more welcoming and productive workplace for everyone. [39:19] While social media and other forms of communication may be disseminating information faster than ever before, the actual changes in language are relatively slow compared to historical changes. Additionally, Valerie discusses and gives examples of how the speed at which we speak and the perceived charisma of a speaker is a complex interplay of various factors, including speech rate, pitch, intonation patterns, and the use of vocal fry. Varying the tempo and intonational variability can contribute to charismatic speech. [47:04] Closing quote: Remember, slang is a language that rolls up its sleeves, spits on its hands, and goes to work. — Carl Sandberg Quotable Quotes "Language is a window into our minds and how our minds work." "Language is constantly changing and evolving, and it's a really fascinating thing to study." "We can learn a lot about our society and how we view things through our language." "The social beliefs we have about language and the linguistic reality are completely opposite." "Filled pauses, or 'UMS' and 'UZ,' are actually a superpower for speakers and listeners." "UMS are signals of hard cognitive effort, and they help us process complex information." "UMS also signals to listeners that we're not done speaking and helps with turn-taking." "Language is a tool that we use to convey our thoughts and emotions, and it's important to understand how it works." "Language is not just about communication, it's also about identity and how we perceive ourselves and others." "Candor has to be in different contexts for different reasons." "Language is fun, and amazing. Language is a connection and communication. And sometimes we forget that we're not there to be perfect speakers, we're there to be connected speakers. So focus on connection and communication. You can't go wrong." "Slang is a language that rolls up its sleeves, spits on its hands, and goes to work." Carl Sandberg Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Valerie Fridland | www.valeriefridland.com Valerie Fridland on Twitter | @FridlandValerie Valerie Fridland on LinkedIn | Valerie Fridland "5 Strategies to infuse D&I into Your Organization," HBR

Kurt Gray is a professor of psychology and neuroscience, and the author of "Outraged: Why We Fight About Morality and Politics and How to Find Common Ground." In this episode,. Kurt explains why our workplaces have become battlegrounds of moral outrage. Kurt's groundbreaking premise challenges the fundamental assumptions leaders make about motivation and conflict. While we've been taught that humans are driven by conquest and dominance, Kurt's research reveals we're actually hardwired as prey animals, constantly scanning for threats and seeking protection through tribal bonds. This isn't just academic theory—it's the key to understanding why your team members react with such intensity to seemingly minor workplace conflicts, why facts fail to resolve disputes, and why traditional leadership approaches often backfire in our current climate of perpetual outrage. Kurt reveals why social media has weaponized our ancient prey instincts, creating what Kurt calls "moral panics" that spread faster than ever before. Kurt introduces the revolutionary concept of "stories of harm"—the narratives that drive all moral conflict. Kurt also discusses the "vulnerability paradox"—how the strongest leaders actually become more effective by showing vulnerability first. Kurt outlines his practical framework for CIVil discourse: Connect, Invite, and Validate. This isn't corporate speak or sensitivity training. It's a research-backed approach that acknowledges our prey psychology while channeling it toward productive outcomes. Leaders learn how to connect with people as human beings before diving into disagreements, how to genuinely invite different perspectives without triggering defensive responses, and how to validate concerns without necessarily agreeing with conclusions. This episode is a timely reminder that outrage doesn't have to define us and that leadership starts with understanding how others perceive harm. You can find episode 471 wherever you get your podcasts! Watch this Episode on YouTube | Kurt Gray on How Fear Drives Behavior and Why Traditional Leadership Backfires https://bit.ly/TLP-471 Key Takeaways [02:28] Kurt reveals he starts out in geophysics before transitioning to psychology, looking for natural gas in the Canadian wilderness before studying people's minds. [03:35] Kurt explains that while we think of humans as apex predators based on museum dioramas of cave people with spears, we're actually fairly weak and were more likely hiding from predators in the past, worried about getting eaten. [06:49] Kurt explains that people work together in groups for protection - one human naked in the wilderness won't survive long, so we need teams to help us survive and protect each other from threats. [08:17] Kurt explains that emotions and gut feelings drive our decisions more than facts, and when people have strong moral convictions, they dismiss facts from the other side as "not the right facts" or "not real facts." [11:24] Kurt suggests framing challenges as positive ways to rise to the occasion rather than focusing on fear, emphasizing resilience and future-facing thinking about how teams can be stronger. [13:21] Kurt emphasizes seeing people as three-dimensional rather than flattening them to just the opinion you disagree with, and highlighting common values and missions that organizations share. [14:54] Kurt acknowledges the trend of self-segregation but suggests focusing on deeper unifying concerns about protecting ourselves, families, companies, and nations from harm. [17:57] Kurt explains multiple factors including cable news, social media's ability to incite moral panics through limitless threats paired with virality metrics, and the resulting purity tests when people feel threatened. Kurt explains that debates often center on "who's the real victim" - in immigration, the right sees American citizens as victims while the left sees undocumented immigrants as victims fleeing violence. [23:16] Kurt explains that in group conflicts, minds think of moral competitions as binary (perpetrator or victim), and people stick to victimhood claims because it's better to be the victim than the perpetrator. [27:51] Kurt explains that vulnerability creates connection - when forced to be vulnerable with others (like being stuck in wilderness conditions), people bond incredibly because they're all in trouble together. [30:38] Kurt references Nick Epley's studies where people on Chicago trains think deep conversations would be awkward but actually love them, bonding much faster through meaningful questions rather than small talk. [32:54] Kurt confirms this, explaining our minds are hardwired to find threats, so when obvious threats like starvation don't exist, we expand minor threats into big ones - calling this "creep of harm." [36:28] Kurt confirms that our minds evolve to protect us from harm by paying attention to places where we feel victimized in the past, like always remembering an intersection where you get mugged. [39:01] Kurt outlines Connect (ask questions to connect as human beings before discussing politics), Invite (genuinely invite them to share beliefs with motivation to understand), and Validate (appreciate their vulnerability in sharing without immediately arguing back). [43:28] Kurt emphasizes asking "what harms do they see?" when confronted with someone who disagrees, as this takes you out of your own mind into theirs and allows you to meet them where they're at. [45:38] And remember..."Morality is not the doctrine of how we may make ourselves happy, but how we may make ourselves worthy of happiness." - Immanuel Kant Quotable Quotes "We are more hunted than hunter." "Conflict flattens people and it flattens people to just the opinion that they have that you disagree with." "People say, you know what I want. I want the facts... And then people say, not those facts. Those are not the right facts. Those are not real facts. Facts are very flimsy, especially in cases where we have strong moral convictions." "Social media is so good at inciting moral panics because it has two features. One of them is a limitless supply of threats... And two, it pairs these threats with virality metrics." "The way to be comfortable being vulnerable with others is, in fact, by trying to get other people to be comfortable being vulnerable with you." "The safer we are, the more we take minor threats and we expand them in our minds to be big threats." "We should, as leaders take a Hippocratic oath to do no harm." "The reason we work is not just to make money and take care of our families. We work, you know, in the service of other human beings to make other people's lives better." "A lot of the behavior we see in the work world is based on fear." These are the books mentioned in this episode Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Kurt Gray Website | www.kurtjgray.com Kurt Gray X | @kurtjgray Kurt Gray LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/kurtjgray Kurt Gray Instagram | @kurtjgray TLP228: Alpha Male Myth vs. Reality TLP045: Why Leaders Are In The Business of Energy

Sean Conley, Chief Learning Officer for Baker Hughes, discusses the importance of creating a people-first culture while still achieving results for your business. Sean talks about the importance of creating an environment where people want to learn and change their behavior through repetition and trial-and-error. He also touches on the challenges of our educational system and the need to create white space in calendars for growth and development amidst busy schedules. Join us as we explore the insights shared by Sean on the importance of investing in learners, fostering inclusion, and creating a culture of appreciation and effective communication. https://bit.ly/TLP-358 Key Takeaways [01:02] Sean Conley, shares his 40 years of experience in learning and development, and he still finds himself passionate about what he does every day. He believes that this passion is crucial in helping others bring out the best in themselves and growing as a leader. [05:44] Sean discusses the importance of creating a learning environment where employees are given the choice to opt-in rather than being forced to participate in learning and development activities. He also discusses the importance of marketing and enticing employees to want to learn, rather than trying to push them into it. [13:17] Sean encouraged people to pursue their interests and passions using the many available resources for learning, rather than just focusing on memorizing information. Behavior change should be the focus of learning. [15:49] Create white space for personal growth & development, focus on changing individual behavior rather than the whole organization, help people understand various ways to learn, it's about time focus not just management, recharge when needed, encourage learners to create their own white space. [18:11] Sean believes investing in frontline leaders is key for organizational success, setting habits and behaviors that follow them. Senior management should focus on developing talent rather than learning new skills, creating an ecosystem for growth and development and leaving a legacy by developing successors. [20:45] Sean talks about how an organization can't grow if its people can't grow. Growth opportunities should be given when the learners are ready. It's important to focus on behavior change and application of learning to shape an organization. [24:45] Sean answers the question, "What are we getting right and what are we getting not so right about inclusion?". While there is progress in discussing inclusion in organizations, it's important to not only include those who are present but also consider who is not in the room and ensure everyone has a voice and is part of the dialogue. [26:42] Sean discusses the importance of diversity of the mind in the workplace and how learning is a key part of shaping the culture of an organization. Different individuals have different learning styles and as such, learning programs need to be designed to cater to different types of learners. [30:59] Sean agrees that leaders should start with ensuring that everyone in the tribe feels appreciated and valued for their contribution before addressing issues of belonging and inclusion. Sean also acknowledges the challenge of being a busy leader but sees it as a great reminder to prioritize appreciation in both business and personal life [35:19] Sean admits to still working on improving his communication skills and the art of telling, asking, and listening. He stresses the need to ask better questions and not simply react, but to listen intently to pull more information out. This highlights the idea that communication is an ongoing process that requires continuous improvement. [36:46] When is it okay to break the rules?According to Sean, "Rules are just made up by people and they're made up at a time. So sometimes (it's not really) I won't say break(ing) the rules, but we get to question them sometimes." [40:41] Closing quote: And remember, "He who learns but does not think is lost. He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger." - Confucius Quotable Quotes "By investing in yourself and by growing yourself, you actually show up better for your customers." "Learning comes with behavior change." "Getting your brain going and learning something is better than none." "It's not time management, it's time focus." "Learning environment is part of how you shape a culture in an organization." "Be courageous. It's the only place left uncrowded." - Anita Roddick Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Sean Conley on LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/conleyglobal Baker Hughes Website | www.bakerhughes.com/ Baker Hughes on LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/company/bakerhughes Baker Hughes on Twitter | @bakerhughesco

Stephen Drum, retired Navy SEAL master chief and author of "Life on the X: A Navy SEAL's Guide to Meeting Any Challenge with Courage, Confidence, and Readiness", discusses the values and commitments necessary for effective leadership. This is Steve's second time as a guest on The Leadership Podcast, and in this episode he discusses the importance of being authentic in one's values and purpose along with the significance of focusing on the basics to achieve success. The use of After Action Reviews (AARs) is also highlighted as a way to continuously improve performance by identifying opportunities for growth. Join us as we dive deeper into this conversation about leadership, feedback, and the application of military principles to business leadership. Key Takeaways [04:26] Stephen Drum talks about the meaning behind the title of his book "Life on the X." The X represents the critical point of execution on a combat mission, the most dangerous and difficult point. By preparing and training for this point, success can be achieved in less dangerous situations. [06:38] The first section of the book discusses commitment, values, purpose, attributes, and character. [09:53] Stephen believes leaders need to focus on the basics, being crystal clear on the desired end state and checking for comprehension. They caution against getting too caught up in technology and processes before identifying the necessary resources for a project or endeavor. [12:40] Stephen believes that brilliant basics consist of giving resources, setting clear expectations and accountability, and coaching depending on an individual's skills and experience. He also emphasizes the importance of contingency planning and emotional control. [24:48] Stephen explains that the concept of After Action Reviews (AARs) depends on the position and organization, but some clients gravitate towards it while others are focused on the production and don't have time. Steve suggests making the process efficient and identifying opportunities to leverage the experience. Steve finds that clients embrace this approach. [27:20] During a meeting with a client, Stephen realized the client's note-taking gave him confidence they would follow through on the discussed actions. He believes taking notes is important in memorializing information and it helps people remember and take things seriously. [30:30] Stephen also talks about the challenges of giving effective feedback. Research shows that feedback is often not as effective as we think because people tend to get defensive and blame others or misremember. As a leader, it's important to give future-focused, succinct feedback that only addresses things that can be changed. [34:16] Stephen explains feedback in the military serves different purposes, such as accountability and documentation, but can also be used to replicate the stress of combat. The military also practices intrusive leadership, which involves getting into people's personal lives to provide support and resources. [38:14] Stephen reflects on how in special operations, there are peaks and troughs, whereas in the business world, it's go time all the time, and without self-care, burnout is inevitable. [40:55] People tend to push too hard and can't keep up that pace. Separating work and family can be healthy for some, but for others, it's better to have a more intense focus on work or other activities. In the military, there's no time off during a deployment, and even holidays are not completely free of work. In the business world, it's important to find ways to foster creativity and give employees a break from the grind of their daily work. [42:29] Identify their next big moment or key opportunity and develop an architecture for success, which aligns with the theme of his book. [43:36] Closing quote: Remember, "You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind, next to honor. " — Aristotle Quotable Quotes "As the leader, you have to be crystal clear on the desired end state." "We sometimes give into or fall prey to the allure of technology or certain sexy processes." "You're engaging more parts of your brain when you want to memorize something." "If it's serious and important enough, you're going to take the time to put pen to paper." "Feedback is not nearly as effective as you think it is, or that you need it to be." "If you're receiving feedback and it basically could be construed as negative or overly constructive, you're going to get defensive." "Identify what your next big moment or key opportunity is and figure out how you're going to develop the architecture for success." "A lot of people want to work from home, but for many people, it's healthy to have a separation, to go to work and be focused on that and then come home and focus just on that." "The mind, body, soul is critical. The body piece, rest, nutrition, physical activity, how that contributes to emotions and cognitive ability." Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Stephen Drum | stephendrum.com Stephen Drum on LinkedIn | Stephen Drum Stephen Drum on Facebook | www.facebook.com/stephen.drum.967 Stephen Drum on Instagram | @stephen.drum "5 Strategies to infuse D&I into Your Organization," HBR

With his unique brand of edgy leadership, Dr. Todd Dewett is one of the most in-demand keynote speakers in the world, an internationally sought-after expert, a four-time TEDx speaker, and has been quoted in TIME, The New York Times, Bloomberg, Business Week, Forbes, CNN, and many more outlets. He is the author of "Dancing With Monsters, a Tale About Leadership, Success, and Overcoming Fears." In this interview, Todd talks about the challenges of work including: facing our fears to build confidence; the generational challenges, boundaries, and when quitting should be considered. Listen in to hear how to deal with your mistakes, how to find "fit," and the importance of outside counsel. https://bit.ly/TLP-356 Key Takeaways [1:56] Todd's bio. (See at the end of the show notes.) Todd comes to The Leadership Podcast through a mutual friend, Dean Karrel; both are phenomenal LinkedIn Learning instructors. Todd and Jan share a publisher. [3:29] Todd is a proud father of two; a sophomore in high school and a sophomore in college. They're the best thing he's ever done. Todd and his wife are besties and business partners. She is going through a battle with cancer and they don't know what's going to happen. Todd strives to understand it and be useful to her as she tries to beat this thing. [5:25] Todd likes most to speak about universal experiences; to take a thing we all know and give it a fresh perspective. Wanting to quit is a universal experience. Is it bad or good? It depends. Giving up too easily is a problem for some people. But quitting isn't simply bad. It can be strategically very useful. If something is not working out, it may be time to stop investing in it to invest in something better. [7:58] If fear is common at work it may be due to a poor culture or poor managers. But even in great work cultures, fear of what to say and how to act in a new situation is wired into us. We want to please people and be liked. Fear at work is an important topic to explore. Work is affecting people's physical and mental health in ways that are not productive. We need to learn how to mitigate the experience of fear. [10:33] Fear can manifest as indecision. We walk through a large system of interlocking expectations from ourselves, our parents, our partners, our peers, our supervisors, others at work, and our family. We don't always know how to navigate it successfully. Sometimes it's indecision, sometimes it's rash poor decision-making, and sometimes it's overreaching. [11:03] What is the reasonable, measured way to deal with that normal anxiety we feel in the middle of all those expectations? Good coaching and some thought will get you through that. The real problem is people who haven't done the work to narrow down the possibilities and don't know what their career goal is at all so they defer the decision to someone else. [12:31] Todd delivered a TEDx talk at Texas A&M, long after his Ph.D. there. It was based on his experiences as an employee and a professor, that lots of people love to talk about creativity and innovation but the gap between the concepts and the practice of embracing them is enormous. When people innovate or tweak a process, they receive pushback and criticism. Change may be seen as a threat. [14:28] Confidence is both a personality trait and a skill that can be built over time. Todd recommends the repetition of engaging these risks and learning from them in an environment that is supportive of innovation. People like Todd have a job because much of what people do doesn't naturally mesh with their environments. They don't fit without some effort. [16:21] The pandemic accelerated thinking about these issues and it came at a time of a generational shift we've never seen. There are five generations represented in the workforce. The definition of success is slowly shifting toward what makes the employee happy and find purpose, more than what others think. [16:49] The Great Resignation and Quiet Quitting seem to support that shift. Millennials and Zs do have different professional values in terms of wanting to be a partner and be heard rather than being subordinate and following orders. They want more leisure but also want to feel more purpose than earlier generations. People respond fantastically well when they believe they are heard. [18:26] The key to "fit" is objectively getting the skills that you need to do the work you want to do, and finding people that you enjoy, no matter the thing you're working on. The skills and the people both feed into your experience of "fit." [19:36] Todd agrees that there is both a corporate responsibility and a personal responsibility to provide meaning to work. He says, "Never believe the simple narrative." Millennials and Zs find it shocking that when starting a job, it is important to learn the norms, the rules, the expectations, and what it takes to be a top performer there, before demanding to be heard. It goes both ways. [22:19] People are aging out of the labor force faster than workers are entering it. Jobs have changed over the last 30 years. We lost many jobs and replaced them with service jobs. It may be harder to find purpose and alignment with a low-paying service job than it did with a high-paying manufacturing job. [23:54] No one's perfect all the time. We have moods, moments, and external factors that impact us. Even on our best days, we're imperfect. One of the themes in Dancing with Monsters is that "You're wonderfully imperfect but still perfectly capable of doing amazing things." Talk about it more than less. It leads to empathy, authenticity, and vulnerability. [24:21] The world of our fathers and grandfathers placed an uncrossable line between the personal and professional. There are some holes in the wall now, but it hasn't come down. Humans want to have authentic human connections that are meaningfully fulfilling. But instead, we put on a polished, professional version of ourselves that we hope will keep us out of trouble and maybe even get us ahead. [25:04] You don't have to hide. Most people through conversation can make teams meaningfully better. We need to be validated a little more, understood a little more, and be better listeners. We learn that everybody's imperfect, and that's OK. The key to great teams isn't finding the best talent, but talent is still required. The key is chemistry and getting the best joint performance out of the people that you do have. [26:45] Leaders are sometimes going to go too far. It's normal. What do they do to show vulnerability? Don't run from it. Own that. If apologies or statements are needed, make them sooner than later. But first, assume you do not see yourself and the situation perfectly. Find people who have insights into what just happened and ask them for their insights. They see you differently than you see yourself. [27:25] Take time to think about a path forward for using the error to make yourself better. Todd shares a story of embarrassing himself as a young professional speaker by bombing onstage in front of thousands of people. He used it as an opportunity to check his emotions, step back, examine the things he did wrong, and make a plan to fix them and not repeat the same mistakes. He used it to make himself better. [29:02] Writing a monster story is unusual in the leadership space. It came from a mistake! Two years ago, for the third time, Todd wrote a novel, and "It was not good." He is done trying to scratch that itch! The story involved a vampire in an office and he still loved the idea. After thinking about Patrick Lencioni and others, Todd got excited about a fable and started writing his book. Six hours later, he had the first draft. [30:49] Whatever your generation may be, the "more" that you search should be defined by you, whether it's just about work, or larger issues in life, Todd still says, "More is always possible." [32:32] Millennials and Zs have seen all kinds of financial adversity. No one understands success without understanding failure. Todd says he had so many big, fat, ugly failures in his career, it's hilarious! If you have one or two moderate successes people think good things about you. It's the halo effect. Todd loves talking about failures. [35:02] Leaders want to be aspirational but sometimes don't live the values. The gap between rhetoric and reality causes a massive cultural problem in organizations. Todd promotes more realism with high levels of candor and kindness. When employees make mistakes, discuss the mistakes with kindness and candor and admit your own mistakes. With kindness and candor, you can deal with reality a lot better. [37:27] We're not great at understanding ourselves or others as much as we think we are. Outside counsel is essential in any success story, for sure! Growth starts when you leave your comfort zone. That's just a truism. Allow your boss and allow yourself to push yourself, into areas that make you a little uncomfortable. That's where growth comes from. [38:49] Todd's closing thoughts: "Having what it takes to become an effective leader and finding success in your career, is not about what you're born with, it's about the skills that you build. And with the right effort and the right people around you, any of us can find those things and build those things. It is within our reach. I love sharing that with people." [39:37] Closing quote: Remember, "I have learned over the years that when one's mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear." — Rosa Parks Quotable Quotes "Proud father of two; I've got a sophomore in high school and a sophomore in college and they're the best thing I've ever done, no matter how much I might talk about a book or a course." "Lots of people, if not everyone, love to talk about creativity and innovation but the gap between the allure of those concepts and the practice of embracing them is enormous beyond words!" "We tend to see people respond … tremendously well when they believe they're being listened to. … The research suggests that teams and organizations tend to respond a lot better." "The key to 'fit' is objectively trying to go find the skills that you need to do the work that you want to do. That's Part 1 but Part 2 really is finding people that you enjoy no matter the thing you're working on." "Most people through conversation can make teams meaningfully better. … We just need to be validated a little more, understood a little more, and be better listeners." "The key to great teams isn't finding the best talent, although talent, of course, must be present. The key is chemistry and getting the best interlocking performance out of the people that you do have. That's chemistry, and it tends to be a better predictor of success than just base-level talent." "Growth starts when you leave your comfort zone. … Allow your boss and allow yourself to push yourself, performance-wise, into areas that start to make you a little uncomfortable. That's where growth comes from." Resources Mentioned Theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by: Darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC Todd Dewett, Ph.D. Todd Dewett on LinkedIn Learning Dean Karrel on LinkedIn Learning Dancing With Monsters, A Tale About Leadership, Success, and Overcoming Fears Brené Brown Kim Cameron Patrick Lencioni Who Moved My Cheese?, by Spencer Johnson, M.D. The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion, by Jonathan Haidt Lee Benson

Vitaliy Katsenelson is the CEO and Chief Investment Officer of IMA and the author of three books. His most recent book is "Soul in the Game: The Art of a Meaningful Life." Vitaliy was born in Murmansk, Russia, and immigrated to the United States with his family in 1991. In this interview, Vitaliy contrasts his experience growing up in the Soviet Union with his experience in the United States, and how different his mindset was in each place. He also discusses how Stoic philosophy has been very helpful. He discusses how his essay about Tchaikovsky aims to help others who may be struggling with creativity. Listen in for a vibrant discussion on intention, communication, and vulnerability. https://bit.ly/TLP-355 Key Takeaways [1:53] Vitaliy's bio. (See at the end of the show notes.) [2:22] Vitaliy loves investing, writing, classical music, and spending time with his family, Vitaliy's father is a fantastic artist and Vitaliy has a small gallery of his work. [3:49] How Vitaliy sees the differences between Murmansk, Russia, and Denver, Colorado. Denver has lots of sunshine. In the winter, Murmansk has a few minutes of sunshine a day. When Vitaliy lived there, it was Soviet Russia. Freedom of speech and the free market did not exist in Russia. All businesses were owned by the government. Here we have an abundance of food and a lack of scarcity. [6:56] Vitaliy shares thoughts on how Russians and Americans communicate. He read How to Win Friends and Influence People when he was 18 in Russia. He hated the book and felt it was teaching him how to be fake. He read it again 20 years later and was shocked by how brilliant it is. He is re-reading it with his 17-year-old daughter and she loves it. She has an American mindset. [8:06] When Vitaliy came to the U.S. he found that Americans are very indirect and smile all the time, contrasted with Russians who are sometimes painfully direct. Vitaly was fired from his first American job. The man firing him was smiling at him, which was a confusing signal. Vitaly fine-tuned himself to a balance between directness and indirectness. He tries not to criticize people so his message is clearly received. [9:10] If Vitaliy has a criticism, he first tries to make sure to tell the person positive things. Then he structures the criticism as constructive feedback. He learned that from Dale Carnegie and living in the U.S. for 30 years. Vitaliy says if he had continued to communicate in the Soviet Russian style, he could not have achieved anything in the U.S. [10:43] Vitaliy's intentionality comes from the conscious choice to be mindful. To have a work/life balance you just have to be mindful about having the balance. Vitaliy knew he wanted to be a good father to his children. He made a mindful choice to spend more time with his children. He chooses to drive his children to school before going to work on a busy day. [12:38] Vitaliy has a value to be a good father. To live up to the value he has to be mindful about being with his children. If he just went on autopilot, he would just default to the easiest things to do which for him is working 10-hour and 12-hour days. To be mindful, he stops after eight hours. When he gets home and has dinner with his kids, he's not looking at his phone. He's present with them, giving them attention. [14:26] To live a meaningful life, figure out exactly what you value and spend your time according to your values. [15:32] Vitaliy sees value in simplicity. [16:50] As Vitaliy was working on the last chapter of his book, he put it on pause to study and write on Stoicism. He studied Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, and Seneca. Epictetus taught a framework that some things are up to you and some things aren't. What is up to you are your values and how you behave. Everything else is external and is not up to you. Don't try to control what is out of your control. [19:03] Vitaliy's 17-year-old daughter just got her first job at a coffee shop. She finds a co-worker annoying. Vitaliy asked her if she expected every co-worker to be perfect. It's not up to you how other people are. Vitaliy finds this framework to be simple and elegant; if you embrace the Stoic philosophy it will reduce the volatility and negativity in your life. [20:27] When he learned Stoic philosophy, Vtaliy realized he had made choices in the past unconsciously that were aligned with Stoic philosophy. Adopting Stoic philosophy intentionally has changed his life. He wrote that section of the book as much for himself as for the reader. [21:51] Every three to four months, Vitaliy sends his clients a 30-page letter in a story-telling format. As an experiment, once he sent the letter in a condensed format of brief bullet points. Eighty percent of his clients preferred the long letter. It was easier for them to read in stories than in bullet points. [23:33] You want to be very careful on the receiving side of storytelling and people who are terrific speakers. They appeal to your emotions. Stoics break down the message to its bare bones, to the bullet points. There is a conflict between Stoics and Sophists. Vitaliy acknowledges he is a Sophist in storytelling. At the same time, his values are Stoic. Sophists hijack the message and they may not have good values. [24:56] When Vitaliy encounters terrific communicators, he is very cautious to make sure the way they communicate does not impact his decision-making. [26:17] Music is an incredibly important part of Vitaliy's life. He has written essays on the music that was important to him at any year of his life. Vitaly gets up every day at 4:30 or 5:00 and writes for two hours while listening to classical music in his headphones. Those two hours every day are very special to Vitaliy. Listening to classical music while he writes has helped his creativity tremendously. [28:07] Vitaliy's kids made him appreciate chess. It's one of the few games he likes playing with them. His daughter invited him to play after watching The Queen's Gambit. After a game, they review the moves, trying to find the solution for the best move possible at any point. It makes an intellectually honest discussion. Jan notes it's like a military after-action review (AAR). Both become better players. [30:34] Writing music is a very creative activity. When you listen to classical music, think about how difficult it was for the composer to write it. Tchaikovsky left behind many letters to his brother and his friends. His letters describe how he struggled to compose his music. Vitaliy's book came about because he had been writing an essay about one of Tchaikovsky's pieces of music. [31:45] Vitaliy read Tchaikovsky's letters and realized that the suffering the composer went through was so similar to the suffering Vitaliy goes through as a writer. He wrote an essay comparing the struggles of Tchaikovsky to the struggles a creative writer goes through. [32:11] When Vitaliy finished the essay, he realized other struggling writers could be helped by reading it. Over the years, he had written many essays that could help others. So he put them together in a book. [32:45] When you study the lives of composers, you listen to music very differently. You feel the pain they felt as they were writing. You realize that you will have some very difficult times creating, and as long as you love writing, pain is just part of the journey. The lives of the composers made Vitaliy appreciate classical music so much more. There is an incredible amount of hard work, pain, and struggle in creativity. [34:52] Vitaliy finds that parenting and leadership have parallels. But leadership mistakes don't haunt you for the rest of your life! Vitality exposes his kids to new things all the time. They watch YouTube videos on various subjects. He introduces them to new books all the time. They discuss different topics and he doesn't talk down to them. He is interested to know what they think. [35:56] As a parent and as a leader, it's important to be vulnerable. You admit that you don't have all the answers. When you communicate, spend most of the time in the scientist mode. Whatever you're looking at is a theory. You are trying to discover truth. [36:59] When you make a mistake you admit it. Then your employees will be more comfortable admitting they made mistakes as well. [37:45] Vitaliy shares a link where you can hear his podcasts and read his articles. [38:23] Closing quote: Remember, "Do not act as if you had 10,000 years to throw away. Death stands at your elbow. Be good for something while you live and it is in your power." — Marcus Aurelius Quotable Quotes "If you insult a person first and then you give them a message, that message will never arrive." "My daughter and I are reading [How to Win Friends and Influence People] together … and she loves the book!" "Being around your kids while you are reading Financial Times on your iPhone is not being around your kids. Attention is a currency of time. So it's when I give them that attention, when I'm present, that's very, very important." "There is so much value in simplicity." "If you waste your energy trying to control things that are not up to you, you're going to have one miserable life. You're going to have this emotional rollercoaster of being upset." "I would argue that if you embraced Stoic philosophy, what it does, it would just reduce the volatility; it would reduce negativity in your life. And by reducing negativity, it's going to make your life calmer; more peaceful." "Listening to classical music when I write has helped my creativity tremendously. Studies were done on the subject. And they … showed that when you listen to music, … it forces your left brain and right brain to work at the same time. It basically increases your creativity." "I have found that there are a lot of parallels between being a parent and being a leader … [but] I guess if you screw up as a leader those mistakes don't haunt you for the rest of your life." "When you study the lives of composers, … you're going to start listening to music very differently. You're going to feel the pain Tchaikovsky felt when he was writing. … You're going to appreciate as a creator that at times you're going to have a very difficult time creating." Resources Mentioned Theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by: Darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC Vitaliy Katsenelson Investment Management Associates Soul In the Game: The Art of a Meaningful Life The Intellectual Investor podcast Vitaliy Katsenelson Vitaliy Katsenelson on Contrarian Edge Murmansk How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie Warren Buffet Stoicism Epictetus Marcus Aurelius Seneca Ryan Holiday Sophists The Queen's Gambit After Action Review Tchaikovsky Vitaliy Katsenelson Vitaliy Katsenelson is CEO and Chief Investment Officer of IMA and the author of Soul in the Game: The Art of a Meaningful Life. Vitaliy was born in Murmansk, Russia, and immigrated to the United States with his family in 1991. After joining Denver-based investment firm IMA in 1997, Vitaliy became Chief Investment Officer in 2007 and CEO in 2012. He's an award-winning writer with two books on investing and countless articles in publications such as The Financial Times and Barron's. Vitaliy lives in Denver with his wife and three kids where he loves to read, listen to classical music, play chess, and write about life, investing, and music. Soul in the Game is his third book and his first non-investing book.

Steve House is Founder of Uphill Athlete and a proudly retired professional climber and mountain guide. Jan has known him for years. For 21 years, Steve was a professional climber. In 1999 he became only the ninth American to achieve IFMGA certification, which is the highest level to guide all over the world. He has guided trips all across the world. In this discussion, Steve shares his journey from mountain sports to high-altitude climbing, to a nearly fatal fall, to coaching. Besides coaching mountain athletes, his current challenge is getting his pilot's license. Steve talks about the purposes of mountain sports and how separation from daily distractions while moving your body through nature guides you on your journey. https://bit.ly/TLP-354 Key Takeaways [1:53] Jan shares Steve's bio. (See at the end of the show notes.) [4:19] Steve thanks Jan and Jim for the invitation to The Leadership Podcast. As a professional athlete, there's not much that's not in his public bio. He's almost a private pilot and is less than a month from taking his final practical exam. He describes a recent incredible flight and the energy flying gives him. [7:09] When Steve was 20, he was studying in college to be an aeronautical engineer. Then he got hijacked by climbing. Now he has the chance to come back and do something he has always loved. [8:17] In 2010, Steve was doing a training climb preparing for an expedition to do a new route on the west face of K2 with an expert fellow climber. He had a bad fall of around 100 feet. He broke 24 ribs. Two ribs were smashed into innumerable pieces. He had multiple pelvis fractures, knocked all the spinal processes off his vertebrae, and had many internal injuries. [9:18] Steve lay on his back for about two hours. He knew he had hemopneumothorax. His breathing grew shallow as his chest cavity filled with blood. What came out of that was a lot of self-reflection. He had to come to terms with his drive to become the very best at what he did. That was his mission statement. [10:45] As Steve reflected, at age 39, he was trying to figure out if he would function again. He had to think about what his values were, and what he cared about and wanted to do. Was it time to change his mission statement? He hadn't accomplished everything in climbing but he decided he had accomplished enough. He could be proud of what he did do, and he was going to pivot to other values and other goals. [11:57] In elite sports, you're boxed off from the world. You eat, sleep, train, and go climb. You save all your energy to be better. It's how you achieve individual greatness. But you're not part of a team. Steve saw his crisis as a time to reflect and redirect. [13:48] Steve thinks that due to the intensity with which he pursued his goals, he required an intense jolt to trigger reflection. Anything less wasn't going to work. He notes that most of the people he climbed with are dead. That's how risky and dangerous climbing is. Steve has only a handful of friends from that era that are still alive. Steve realized he was going to join those who were no longer alive if he continued. [15:29] As a mountain sports trainer, Steve is in a position to help athletes get past the binary narrative of success or failure. There's a much greater range of possible experiences. We have often seen that the one that came in first cheated or used performance-enhancing substances. The whole paradigm is broken. There is another way to experience sports. Mountain sports do not have a history of competition. [17:02] Steve would tell his younger self he was always going to feel like an imposter, and that was completely OK, and that everybody else does, too. That feeling was one of the things that were hardest for him to overcome. It goes back to childhood. He was the scrawny little kid that wasn't good at sports. [18:49] One of the things that Steve learned from childhood was grit. He loved gritty experiences from a very early age. When he was 10, he backpacked his first 50-mile hike. When he was 11, he climbed Mount Hood. These were just things they did as a family or with his father. He enjoyed it. [20:37] Steve and his Uphill Athlete team talk about Campbell's Hero's Journey paradigm and try to figure out what step their client is on for that journey. The goal is to help them through that one step. Everyone is on the same journey, at a different step. [23:22] Uphill Athlete doesn't exist to motivate people but to educate and inspire. Coaching is education and teaching people how they can apply endurance training methodologies and see the changes in their bodies. It takes a couple of months for people to get fully bought in and see their progress. When they get to that epiphany, they are committed to the journey for life and remain in the Uphill Athlete community. [25:17] Going back to the imposter syndrome, Steve is often surprised that he knows the answer. And the only reason he can know the answer is because he lived it through 20 years of being an athlete. These are things you cannot learn in a physiology textbook. [26:05] What holds people back is their minds, their fears, their insecurities, and the pieces that they don't understand, or can't conceptualize well. Those are the questions Steven can clear up easily, but he is always surprised. [27:37] Steve tried to teach a man with a Ph.D. in exercise physiology how to coach but it was impossible because he didn't understand what it felt like in his body to do what was written on the training plan. He couldn't relate to the people even though he'd run circles around everybody on the science. [28:27] When Steve interviews people to be coaches, he's looking for people who have a unique superpower. He doesn't need 15 people that all know the same thing. He needs people that have different backgrounds and experiences and are willing and eager to share with other people and also learn from them. They have to be far enough along on their journey that they can take feedback constructively. [29:17] When you have a team that can do all of those things, it's incredible. Steve's team includes physical therapists, medical doctors, masters in high altitude physiology, and coaches that have coached every endurance sport you can imagine. They have great energy between them. [30:29] Some people Steven hires have well-defined superpowers. Some younger people don't know their superpower. Steven describes how he leverages coaches to develop the superpower in people within a relationship that is entirely a safe place for them to ask those "dumb questions." [33:39] Steve has a lot of athletes that do not have a set goal. They want to learn and experience and be in a community of like-minded people. Steve tells them it's OK not to have an Everest goal. Sometimes it's enough to engage with people as you learn. [36:10] Arthur Brooks's new book, From Strength to Strength, is about finding clarity in the second chapter of life. [36:47] Steve uses the phrase, "naming the uncertainty." Write down what you don't know. Let that sit. People come back to him in a month and say it was great to let that sink in. There are more than two chapters for a lot of people. [37:38] Mountain sports have an important role to play in people's journeys. Being in the wilderness in small teams and overcoming obstacles lets the noise go away. So much more happens out there than we give it credit for. People are not getting pings out there moving their bodies through nature and letting their subconscious minds do the work. Steve has solved writer's block many times with a long walk. [43:52] Steven's final thought: "It's joyful to learn something. It's joyful to become fitter. It's joyful to climb a mountain. … Walking up a summit ridge and standing on top of a mountain is ultimately no different than walking into the grocery store and going to the cereal aisle. But what is different is if you've been to the top of the mountain, you have an appreciation for all the rest." [45:34] Closing quote: Remember, "People say, 'Are you insane?' But the most successful climbers are the most calculating, with the most refined sense of risk. They're hyper-conscious of safety. They're the least insane people I know." — Jimmy Chin Quotable Quotes "I'm almost a private pilot. … I'm less than a month away. … I just had an amazing flight. … I flew from Slovenia down into Croatia, landed on an island, … flew back to Slovenia, landed … in the mountains in Slovenia, Took off from there, and returned to the home airport." "[After a difficult accomplishment], at the end of the day, you just feel so full of energy and experience and awe." "In 2010, I was doing a training climb. I was preparing for an expedition to climb a new route, … and … I fell around 100 feet. I broke 24 ribs, … I had multiple pelvis fractures, … [and] internal injuries. … I lay there for about two hours. I had a hemopneumothorax." "We don't always need a crisis. Sometimes it just takes a long walk in the woods. But I think that reassessing our values and making sure that they align with our purpose and our mission is probably something that all of us have to do many times throughout our lives." "This whole thing of like, 'If you're not first, you're last,' invalidates pretty much everyone's experience except one person's." "I loved gritty experiences from a very early age." "I'm often surprised that I know the answer. And the only reason I can know the answer is because I lived it through 20 years of being an athlete. These are things you cannot learn in a physiology textbook." "I've written four books now and I can't tell you how many times writer's block has just been solved by a long walk — and with no purpose. A walk with no purpose." Resources Mentioned Theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by: Darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC Steve House Uphill Athlete Vince Anderson Central Pillar of the Rupal Face Piolet d'Or (Golden Ice Ace) Reinhold Messner Campbell's Hero's Journey Krebs Cycle Tom Higley From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life, by Arthur Brooks Crucible Expeditions Steve House Bio For 21 years, Steve was a professional climber. His most famous ascent was with Vince Anderson. They did the central pillar of the Rupal Face and won the Piolet d'Or (Golden Ice Axe). Steve has done first ascents and new routes in Alaska, the Rockies, and the Alps, and is a famed climber. Renowned mountaineer Reinhold Messner called him the best high-altitude climber in the world. He's been an ambassador athlete for Patagonia, Grivola, Sportiva, Zeal Optics, and Coros Watches. Steve retired from professional climbing at the end of 2020 to dedicate himself to his family and Uphill Athlete. He currently lives in Austria with his Wife Eva and two sons. Steve has been a professional mountain guide since 1992. In 1999, he became only the ninth American to achieve IFMGA certification, which is the highest level to guide all over the world. There are less than 200 certified in the U.S. to this day. He has guided trips across the world.

Gena Cox, Ph.D. discusses her new book that provides powerful insights for leaders to drive inclusion: "Leading Inclusion: Drive Change Your Employees Can See and Feel." In this conversation, Gena stresses the value of human relationships, and how organizations have vast opportunities to optimize the human experiences for their employees. Gena reveals how a system that doesn't embrace inclusion will lose employees who don't feel included. Listen in for how curiosity can help your team feel even more connected. https://bit.ly/TLP-353 Key Takeaways [2:00] Dr. Cox tells how she is the luckiest person in the world. Her grandmother had a grade school education but was an entrepreneurial wizard. From watching her grandmother grow her neighborhood store, Gena learned the value of the human relationship in terms of getting things done. Gena's secret is that much of what she talks about comes from observing her grandmother and her customers. [2:56] When Dr. Cox was growing up, she wanted to be a journalist. She still sees journalists covering things around the world and imagines herself doing that. She supposes that journalists, like others, have a big "why" about how they can make the world better that lets them keep going. [4:22] Dr. Cox has been trained not to make assertions without evidence to support the assertions. She had known for a long time about the importance of respect. But it wasn't until the summer of 2020 when she interviewed leaders and surveyed employees about what they think leaders don't understand about inclusion, black employees said they felt leaders were distancing themselves and avoiding them. [5:54] When Dr. Cox did the content analysis to see the themes emerging from those comments, she came up with the word "respect." These comments were all about things where people wanted to be seen, heard, and valued. [7:07] It is important not to just think about these issues in the present, but to look centuries back. In our country, there are social dynamics that have existed for generations within a community where there are significant power imbalances. These imbalances correlate with race, ethnicity, and socioeconomics. Ignoring those factors can lead to misunderstanding the experience of employees from those places. [8:21] Dr. Cox wrote one chapter about history at the beginning of her book. It makes a difference if leaders understand the broader context before they try to address specific initiatives or priorities in their organizations because they might miss the mark, otherwise. [9:19] Dr. Cox works with leaders on inclusion and with individuals to think about how they can be the best that they desire to be. It takes two sides of this equation to tango to get the outcomes that we desire. Dr. Cox shares a case of a client feeling discriminated against in their career progress. Dr. Cox suggested they look for what they could do to get past the barrier and jump the hurdle. [10:28] Dr. Cox offers three ideas that can help each of us make that difference for ourselves. 1. Have a big "why" for what kind of influence and impact you desire to have. 2. Have a track where you are working on custom master classes. Learn as much as you can that will help you get to your goal. 3. Amplify and brand yourself within our job. Dress and behave for the job you want. [11:53] If your current job does not allow you to do all that, you might have to do it on a parallel track and keep it moving until you can use what you learn to move forward overall. [14:06] Dr. Cox thinks there is a lot of misinterpretation and reinterpretation that takes place about leaders like Martin Luther King. Dr. Cox does not talk a lot about what specific people have said. Some people hearing a quote may miss the main idea. Inclusion tops diversity. It's not just about getting more representation of a particular group. DE&I is really effective leadership of 100% of employees. [16:38] Dr. Cox talks about effective leadership to create situations where every single person in a team, group, or organization feels that he or she can put in the appropriate efforts and get the expected outcomes. We all have to have a part in making that happen, especially managers. [17:49] After George Floyd was killed, corporations started offering implicit bias training and hiring Chief Diversity Officers. Those two solutions are just tactics. They need to be added to a strategy that says "Here is what we are solving for." [18:34] The most important thing leaders can do to minimize the risk of doing things that are not effective is to start by talking to employees about what is their day-to-day experience. Then they will tell you what you should focus on first. [19:20] Dr. Cox would like leaders to attach fewer restrictions to the research-based insights, such as the size of the survey group. The research is too new to be buttoned down. Dr. Cox points to the value of qualitative data or the stories that people tell in this area. These stories haven't been told before so leaders don't understand the solutions they should implement. [21:28] Dr. Cox asked about three years ago in a LinkedIn article why, with regard to DE&I, organizations are not utilizing the same strategy and problem-solving techniques that they apply to every other problem. Because of the emotional component, including fear and anxiety, about the topic, leaders are failing to use the same kinds of judgment skills that they might have used for something else. [22:22] What research have you done? Have you gone to a solution without research or understanding what's going on so that your actions might work? Are you just throwing a dart at a board and hoping that something will stick? You would never do that if you were implementing a new initiative to support your customers or clients because you would know how high the risk would be. [23:18] The number one topic on the minds of boards of directors and leaders today, apart from making money, is talent. Under talent is the shortage of talent. Why is there a shortage of talent? People come up with a variety of explanations. The data Dr. Cox sees is that there is a significant portion of the workforce that feels alienated from their leaders and colleagues and dissatisfied. [24:31] The latest research says that 50% of Black American employees say that they are thinking about or preparing themselves to leave their current job. There has been more data over the past couple of years because of the pandemic. [24:55] Dr. Cox asks leaders to think about why there is so much dissatisfaction and whether it is true in their organization. If so, what are the elements in their organization that could be causing it? If not true, what could they learn about it? They're about to have this problem. What can they do to make it better for employees? [25:26] This leads to conversations about compensation, speaking up, well-being, mental health, and a variety of issues that should be at the tip of the spear. [26:31] Rehumanizing the workplace means emphasizing the idea that effective leadership is a pie chart. There's a piece for task performance and a piece for human performance. All the outcomes organizations are driving to achieve have a human component. [28:23] Leaders are telling employees to "come back to the office and do it this way," instead of considering alternative ways to work. There's a significant gap between what employees desire and what the leaders at the top think employees desire. Rehumanizing the workplace means connecting with the employees. [32:50] Dr. Cox doesn't want to believe that with MBA programs costing hundreds of thousands of dollars, organizations aren't focusing on the human experience. But she believes they are not focusing sufficiently on the human experience. The management of humans has not been balanced with task performance. Dr. Cox wants to do away with the term "soft skills" which are understood to be less than "hard skills." [34:40] In an HBR article, "5 Strategies to Infuse D&I into Your Organization," Dr. Cox writes about mitigating implicit bias at the systemic level. It involves looking at data the organization has about existing patterns within the organization of selection, promotion, career mobility, and visibility of people who have a variety of characteristics. [36:15] Leaders often think they are leading organizations where things are better than employees might imply that they are. Diversity is not just hiring diverse people. If new employees walk into situations where the environment is not ready for them or receptive to them, they are not going to stay. It's important for you to figure out, "What does it feel like to work in my organization every day?" [37:15] Leaders don't know how their managers behave, day-to-day, or recognize how often those behaviors are having a damaging impact. They don't put enough emphasis on setting expectations for manager behavior. Leaders need to ask, "Over the years that you have worked for this company, how often have you raised your hand to share an idea and been swatted down?" Optimize the talent you have! [38:21] If you run an organization with customer-facing people, you want to know how the customer is being treated. You should also want to know what experience your employees are having when they're interacting with your customers, and not assume that the customer is always right! Inclusion is understanding the day-to-day experience of all the employees that you currently have. [40:09] Dr. Cox has spent at least 10 years measuring employee experience, advising leaders about how to use data coming out of employee surveys. Respect is a concept that everybody understands. Nobody seems to know what belonging means. [40:49] Dr. Cox says leaders only need to ask three questions in a survey: Do you feel respected? What is it about your experience that makes you feel respected? Do you feel disrespected? What is it about your experience that makes you feel disrespected? What can we do to enhance your feelings of being respected? A three-question survey is as powerful as a long survey if you know what you're measuring. [42:25] Do not overcomplicate the issue. The only outcome that matters in this conversation is what are the experiences that employees are having and are they continuing to have good or bad experiences. What accounts for the variability between good and bad experiences, and what you can do as a leader, knowing and understanding that, to make these things a little more equitable and consistent? [43:39] Dr. Cox speaks of potential clients who ask her to talk about something and when it gets to a point where it's uncomfortable, they hadn't planned for the discomfort, and then rather than move forward through the discomfort, they back away and don't want to do the thing they should be doing. Dr. Cox is disappointed that some leaders haven't thought through what they believe. [44:34] On the plus side, while a lot of the things organizations are doing are destined not to have any impact when it comes to inclusion, more leaders are talking about these issues and are inching forward to a place where leaders can be engaged in trying to understand these issues rather than avoiding them. Dr. Cox is having these conversations more than ever before, even when some people are running away. [48:01] Dr. Cox's last thought: "I have a three Cs model. … Curiosity leads to Connection and that Curiosity and Connection are necessary in order to get to Comfort. Comfort, I think, is what we all seek." [49:03] Closing quote: Remember, "Everything that we see is a shadow cast by that which we do not see." — Martin Luther King Jr. Quotable Quotes "While I call myself an organizational psychologist because that's my formal training, the secret that most people don't know is that a lot of the stuff that I talk about is stuff that I learned in the little … corner store just by observing my grandmother and her customers." "When I was growing up, I wanted to be a journalist. I didn't even think about psychology, And still to this day, when I see journalists covering all kinds of things around the world, I say, 'Gosh, I could do that. I can do that.'" "Dr. King taught us that whether we are talking about race, gender, LGBTQ+, ethnicity, neurodiversity, or other ways that humans naturally vary, we can't sit idly by and wait for others to provide the inclusion we seek. Each of us can help ourselves and others." "I talk about effective leadership to create situations where every single person … in an organization, feels that he or she, when they show up, have a chance to be able to put in the effort that is appropriate and get the same outcomes that would be expected." "Something about the emotion of this issue is causing people to fail to use problem-solving skills that they actually already possess." "Are you optimizing the talent that you already have? Most people will say, when I ask 'What is missing here about why I don't feel included?', it tends to fall into the category that 'I'm not seen, heard, or valued.'" "By inclusion, I simply mean understanding the day-to-day experience of all the employees that you currently have." "I remain eternally optimistic about all of this because of Gen Z and their willingness to speak for us, for everybody, about what that good human experience feels like." Resources Mentioned Theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by: Darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC Gena Cox Gena Cox on LinkedIn Leading Inclusion: Drive Change Your Employees Can See and Feel, by Gena Cox, Ph.D. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. "5 Strategies to infuse D&I into Your Organization," HBR

Charlotte Allen is the Founder and CEO of Rebel Success for Leaders. In today's turbulent environment that demands new levels of collaboration, Charlotte works to create a world where change is fun and innovations are successful. She has over 20 years of leadership experience and is a best-selling author. Her latest book is "Rebel Success for Leaders: Lead, Grow, and Sell Fearlessly." Charlotte brings clarity to topics including change, project failure, competing priorities, customer-centricity, and what being a rebel brings to leadership. Listen in for insights about STEM experts, influence, collaboration, and success. https://bit.ly/TLP-352 Key Takeaways [1:49] Charlotte tore her ACL in a ski accident a year ago in 2022. After a lot of physical therapy, she got back on the slopes a year later, to the day. [3:01] Charlotte explains why 70% of business change and innovation projects fail. People tend to have an aversion to change of any kind. We power through it, hoping it'll be over soon, without focusing on the vision of what we want it to be and how to get there. [4:39] Change and innovation each bring something new into the world but innovation has a positive aura around it. It's the warm, fuzzy bunny version of change. But the number of innovation projects that get to market is not that different from the number of successful change projects. [6:11] Failure is an important thing to describe. When we launch an initiative within a corporation, we often have organizational fallout. Parts of the organization did not get the communication. Parts are not happy. Some employees are asked to leave as a result of the change initiative. The failed initiative may get repeated. KPIs for initiatives need to be set up in a way we can measure them. [8:46] If the leadership is not clear on where the team is going, there will be a challenge to success. If there is no clarity within the team about how to operate, communicate, and work together, there's going to be a problem with success. We are extremely driven by tools, metrics, and the latest model, without looking at how people are unable to deliver their best work within the boundaries leaders put them in. [10:10] Competing priorities, the squirrel syndrome, and siloed departments lead to failed projects. [11:21] Charlotte discusses the problems that complexity brings. Complexity is not a friend of successful change. [12:53] STEM people in an organization are not getting the same amount of training and leadership development as the sales team, but they are the experts expected to lead change initiatives. They need to learn two languages, the language of deep experts and the language of change, leadership, and development. But not everybody wants to be in every chair on an org chart. [17:45] There is a large predisposition in STEM workers to get into their work, which they are very good at. They come to a time in their career when they wish they had had more exposure to business elements. Folks that can do the translation between deep expertise and business are unique. We need to be searching for them, training them, and putting them into positions where they can lead. [19:58] Publicly-traded companies have to report out; metrics, KPIs, and spreadsheets are a required part of business. [20:26] In 2023, Charlotte believes leaders will spend more time with, invest in, and develop their people. These efforts can result in fewer people leaving and have positive effects on efficiency and employee satisfaction and engagement. Leaders are seeing that, partly because of changes during the pandemic. There is a large social movement for building community. You don't build community with spreadsheets. [23:01] Comfort is the enemy of progress. People stay in a toxic environment because it's a known job, and change is more frightening. There are so many other options out there. You, as a person, have gifts beyond what you are currently delivering. If you are in a toxic environment, there is no way that you can perform at your best. [24:53] About being a rebel: if not doing something will not get you fired, then consider it. If not doing something, or doing something, is going to get you fired, think hard about that particular action. Charlotte chose the book title Rebel Success For Leaders for a reason. She has always been able to do two important things: drive a path out of complexity and translate among dissimilar groups, such as silos. [25:47] Charlotte learned that you need to be unique, having the thing that only you can deliver to your business or your professional life. That is your rebel. You need to connect that with market success, timeline success, or the solution you need to deliver to the bottom line. In business, we spend most of the time on the success part, little time on the rebel part, and almost no time on connecting the two parts. [27:38] Success comes from a framework more than a recipe. A recipe is a precise pattern. A framework includes the key parts of a structure that allows you to change and operate within with enough of a scaffolding that you're not going to freefall. The Forbes HR Council published an article in 2022 that said we are at a global deficit of leaders in every area who are good at change leadership. [29:00] Forbes identified five abilities leaders need to excel at — adaptability, agility, innovation, collaboration, and customer-centricity. Think of these five skills as the scaffolding. How do you have enough mobility within that to move forward and be good at change regardless of the situation? [30:42] Charlotte discusses customer-centricity in the area of STEM. She tells STEM technical experts that every person they interact with is their customer. "You are trying to influence them with your expertise and you are trying to change their behavior because of the advice and expertise you are giving them. So they are your customer. I am your customer because I am your boss, your leader, your manager." [31:55] That was effective because deep experts tend to speak a lot of "deep expert." They are used to being the ones that everyone turns to for the answer. They give details. What they rarely do is build a relationship, ask what your problems are, or try to understand your position. When you get an expert to think in a customer-centric way, it tweaks their brain just enough to think in terms of the relationship. [32:54] This gets them listening, looking for common ground, and communicating. They will deliver their expertise in a customer-centric framework. Customer-centricity is the human connection. [35:59] Collaboration is when two people decide to work together for a common goal to achieve a certain output. That is another word that is tossed around by organizations all the time. Not all group activity is collaboration. You must be working for a common goal and a certain output. [37:59] The curiosity of a technical person, when not guided appropriately in interpersonal interactions, tends to be off-putting and feels like an interrogation. When you put the seed in their brain that this is a customer, it starts to affect that conversation in a more positive way. [39:18] Charlotte's challenge: "My challenge this year to everyone that I connect with is to think about how change can be fun. … I don't always want it when it shows up at my door but I usually am very excited about it from that space of curiosity. And change can be a lot of fun once you have that framework that helps you guide your actions and your stability and that sense of comfort that you need a little bit of." [40:28] Closing quote: Remember, "We will always have STEM with us. Some things will drop out of the public eye and will go away, but there will always be science, engineering, and technology. And there will always, always be mathematics." — Katherine Johnson Quotable Quotes "Failure is an important thing to describe. … When we launch an initiative within a corporation, we often have organizational fallout. There are parts of the organization that did not get the communication; parts that are not happy." "Complexity is not a friend of successful change." "We all have passion for the work that we do. A lot of folks in that STEM space have a really deep passion for the work that they're doing for making a difference, for providing those solutions for their organizations and for the customer base that they support and work for." "Not everybody wants to be in every chair on an org chart. When you find those folks who have the desire and the development opportunities to move spots, then I think there's really no difference between a STEM person and a salesperson or a CEO, at the end of the day." "There are so many other options out there. … You, as a person, have gifts beyond what you are currently delivering. And if you are in [a] toxic environment, there is no way that you can perform at your best." "The customer-centricity, I honestly believe, is that human connection piece that we are all glossing over." "Collaboration is when two people decide to work together for a common goal to achieve a certain output. That is another word that is tossed around organizations all the time." Resources Mentioned Theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by: Darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC Charlotte Allen Rebel Success for Leaders Rebel Success for Leaders: Lead, Grow, and Sell Fearlessly, by Charlotte Allen The Innovator's Dilemma: The Revolutionary Book That Will Change the Way You Do Business, by Clayton M. Christensen Mark Twain Neils Bohr Office Space (movie) Forbes HR Council

Sarah Wirth is President of Ecsell Institute, and co-author of the best-selling book, The Coaching Effect. Her life passion is understanding what makes people tick. Sarah has spent the last two decades researching, writing, and teaching about what the best leaders do differently. In this interview, Sarah starts the conversation with her affinity for pop culture and the lessons for leadership she finds in movies. She tells how Ecsell Institute started as training for sales leaders and expanded into helping leaders in other areas. Sarah and her team gather and analyze survey data to help leaders improve the performance of their organizations by improving their coaching. https://bit.ly/TLP-351 Key Takeaways [2:02] Sarah's team members say she is a pop-culture guru. She likes movies, TV, books, and music, and she likes to find leadership lessons in them. She did a series on looking for leadership lessons in movies. [2:28] Past guest Dean DiSibio wrote Reel Lessons in Leadership, where he talks about leadership lessons from movies. [3:12] Sarah picks Moneyball as a movie with leadership lessons. The character Brad Pitt plays is trying to lead his team in a different direction and lead it differently than anyone has ever led a baseball team. Jan likes Blues Brothers but would pick Succession (TV show). Jim would pick Ted Lasso (TV show). [6:08] Jan and Jim once asked past guests, "How do you measure leader effectiveness?" That is the purpose of Ecsell Institute. They go to the people that are being led to measure leader effectiveness. Then they compare the results with measurable goals for that position and what the leaders are doing to reach the goals. [7:25] Ecsell Institute looks at leaders that are achieving their goals versus leaders that are not. Then they look at how those leaders are leading differently, according to their team members. That gives Ecsell Institute an understanding of the behaviors of successful leaders. [8:58] The Ecsell questions are behaviorally-based. For example, "When you have your one-to-one meetings, does your leader have you define action steps coming out of them? How often?" They are trying to find leadership behaviors to give recommendations to help others become better leaders. People can learn behaviors to emulate. [11:57] Part of the evaluation is outcome-variable questions, such as whether you see yourself working here a year from now. How happy are you in your job? How much do you trust your leader? Would you recommend your team as a great team to work with? Sarah tells how transparency in sharing the information behind the decisions made has a huge impact on trust. [13:37] The Coaching Effects Leadership Survey is consistent in terms of what it measures. How it applies to an organization is something Ecsell has a conversation about with the organization, in particular, how specific leadership traits fit into the company culture. [15:06] Communication and transparency from Ecsell are key to getting employees to trust the survey and how it works. There is even a final question that is not reported to the client, "On a scale of one to 10, how honest were you in giving your responses to these questions?" Some respondents will put a five, especially in low-trust environments. [17:39] Sarah recommends the Coaching Effects Survey for choosing which leaders to invest in. The high-rated leaders are the ones who are interested in being great at what they do. They are passionate about being good leaders. They're the ones who want to learn more and improve. Others may have more room for improvement but high-performing leaders have more potential for improvement. [19:42] A lot of times people get promoted into leadership opportunities because they were good individual performers. Sarah talks to the newly promoted leader and to their manager to understand, does this person have leadership capability? It's a different skill set. You might get an underperforming manager while losing a great performer. [20:40] Sarah recommends that managers ask their team members before promoting them, what is it that interests them about being a leader. If they talk about enjoying coaching and mentoring their peers, and helping others achieve success, that shows they are likely to have an aptitude for leadership. If they just want to move up or make more money, that doesn't indicate an aptitude for leadership. [22:35] Ecsell was founded to work with sales leaders. It expanded as clients wanted to apply the concepts to other leaders in their organizations. Sarah explains how sales leadership differs from other corporate areas. Salespeople are the athletes of the corporate world. They have to perform all the time. Their performance is measured differently. They have emotional highs and lows. They need coaching. [23:50] If you have a sales coach that does not manage the salespersons as much on the emotional level as on the task level, you're going to lose out on so many opportunities to help salespeople perform. [24:07] Past guest Dan Pink made the point that salespeople are not motivated by money but by winning. Money is how they keep score. Sarah agrees with this. In an 18-month sales cycle, we have to find different ways to tap into that motivation to perform. A good coach can do that. The monetary goals alone will not drive the behavior. [25:21] Sarah believes it's a disadvantage for a CEO not to have a sales background. However, a good CEO can learn about sales motivation. Sales teams suffer when they are overmanaged and under-coached. [27:22] One of the measurements of the Coaching Effects Survey is how consistent that leader is in their behavior. The best leaders are a lot more consistent with their team members. The consistency extends to one-to-one meetings, giving feedback, talking about the team member's career, and following through on commitments. [29:37] When you are consistent as a leader, it makes the moments when you are inconsistent stand out more. Your team members are going to want to dig into it and understand it. If you are very consistent, then, when there's something off, they might think there's a pretty good. [30:59] Sarah would coach the importance of consistency starting with questions. She would ask a team member who was behaving inconsistently, "What's your understanding of what you are supposed to be doing here?" They may not understand the expectations around their role. [31:31] Once she knows the expectations are aligned, Sarah would say "Let's look at the data. Here's where you're meeting it, here's where you're not. Help me understand the gap. What's holding you back from being able to achieve this?" They may need more training or a better understanding of the expectation. [32:04] Sarah doesn't want to make assumptions about what's causing the inconsistency. She wants to diagnose the issue with the person and come up with the problem and ideally, to come up with solutions together about what they can do differently. They buy into the solution, instead of being told what to do to fix their problem. [33:20] Sarah shares a client experience. A senior leader had thought the managers were doing one-to-ones, feedback, and career discussions, but they weren't. The data showed clearly that despite the best intentions of the managers, they were not getting the coaching done. The disconnect between the leader's perception and the reality in the eyes of the team members was a surprise to the leader. [34:08] So the leader made it a clear expectation. She made their coaching activities and the expectation to do them as part of their year-end bonus structure. If the leaders weren't doing these coaching activities at a certain percentage, they would lose part of that compensation at the end of the year. The managers took it seriously, raised their coaching, and the company had its best two sales years so far. [35:01] The managers bought into it because they saw their teams were achieving more. They were motivated to keep coaching, even if they weren't measured anymore, because they saw that it matters. [35:54] Sarah explains the reports Ecsell Institute produces for clients. For every question on the survey, they provide your result, company benchmarks, and top-performer benchmarks, so you can see how you are doing compared to your peers and the best leaders. [36:56] The data shows if you don't have a strong relationship with your coach, at the core of that coaching dynamic, everything else — accountability, the type of feedback that they give you, how much they push you — all those other things kind of fall on deaf ears. They don't know that you care and that you're doing it in their best interest. [37:30] Sarah shares her thoughts on ChatGPT and artificial intelligence. There are certain things that can be helpful in the coaching process, that we can allow artificial intelligence to do, but at the core of it, the human relationship is so essential to helping somebody perform and grow. Sarah doesn't think there's a way that you replace that. [37:58] There's always going to be such an important role that good leaders play because they're the only people that can establish that human connection. [38:18] Jan just asked ChatGPT "What are the best questions to ask in a 360 for leaders?" In two seconds it responded, "How do I come across to others, in terms of my leadership style?" and "What do you think I need to do to build more trust with my team?" It's going to be a great tool. Jan thinks it will help us get better. Please listen to Episode 348 for an interview with "guest" ChatGPT! [39:37] Jim heard that at least at one time if you were underperforming in an Amazon warehouse, a robot would come up to you and terminate your employment. That robot "definitely had a sign taped to its back!" [40:23] Sarah's closing thoughts: "At Ecsell Institute, we are continuing to study leadership across the board and one of the places that we're starting to study it is in high school and looking specifically at leadership from teachers and coaches and how it impacts kids in the classroom or on the court. … So be watching for more research that we have coming out on that, too." [41:03] Closing quote: Remember, "Each person holds so much power within themselves that needs to be let out. Sometimes they just need a little nudge, a little direction, a little support, a little coaching, and the greatest things can happen." — Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks Quotable Quotes "My team members at Ecsell always like to say that I'm a bit of a pop-culture guru. I like my movies, I like my TV, I like my books, I like my music, and I like to find leadership lessons in them. I did a whole series once on how you can look for leadership lessons in … movies." "There's a scene at the end where they said, 'The first one through the wall always gets bloodied.' And I think that's sometimes very true around leaders that are trying to be innovative and do different things. So [Moneyball] is a good movie for leadership lessons." "There are many models of leadership in Pulp Fiction." "The major way that we measure leader effectiveness is by going to the people that are being led. We feel that is the only way. If you want to get feedback and insight into whether or not somebody's a good leader, ask the people that they're supposed to be leading." "Sometimes we just study the outcomes but we don't know necessarily what's the role that that leader plays in achieving those outcomes." "The leaders that are more highly rated in terms of their team members trust them, what behaviors are they exhibiting differently than the leaders who have low trust ratings? … How much information you share behind decisions that are made has a huge impact on trust ratings." "As leaders, we overestimate a lot how consistent we are because we tend to judge ourselves by our intentions and what our plans were. But others judge us by what our behavior actually was." "If you don't have a strong relationship with your coach, at the core of that coaching dynamic, everything else — accountability, the type of feedback that they give you, how much they push you — all those other things fall on deaf ears because they don't know that you care." "There's always going to be such an important role that good leaders play because they're the only people that can establish that human connection." Resources Mentioned Theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by: Darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC Sarah Wirth Ecsell Institute The Coaching Effect: What Great Leaders Do to Increase Sales, Enhance Performance, and Sustain Growth, by Bill Eckstrom and Sarah Wirth Dean DiSibio Reel Lessons in Leadership, by Ralph R. DiSibio with Dean A. DiSibio Leadership Lessons from Pulp Fiction Pulp Fiction (movie) Moneyball (movie) The Blues Brothers (movie) Ted Lasso Succession Christian Anschuetz Dan Pink ChatGPT "Episode 348: Our Real Interview with Artificial Intelligence Sensation ChatGPT"

Vivian James Rigney is a Seven Summits climber, and author of the book, "Naked at the Knife-Edge: What Everest Taught Me about Leadership and the Power of Vulnerability." A Dublin native, Vivian shares information about his international travels and how he helps senior executives get past their egos, give up old habits, embrace vulnerability, and better serve their organizations. One tool he uses to teach vulnerability draws on his experience near the summit of Everest, where he learned the necessity of clarity and purpose. Listen in for insights on curiosity, peeling back the layers, and getting to the root of issues, challenges and opportunities. https://bit.ly/TLP-350 Key Takeaways [2:25] Vivian is from Dublin, Ireland. He studied business, then traveled the world. He has lived in seven countries, has visited more than 80 countries, and is now firmly planted in New York City. Every time he has launched himself in a new place has been a journey. He has seven books he could write about restarting in each country. [3:20] Apart from Ireland and the U.S., Vivian has lived the longest in Germany. He learned to speak German and French and he can still speak those languages. He lived in Finland for six winters, and he "can speak to a two-year-old" in Finnish. Vivian believes Mandarin and Finnish are the world's toughest languages. [4:35] To make high-impact goals, first be very clear on the goal. Be congruent with the goal. Understand where your value system comes in. If you're not fully committed to the goal, the words may be right but people won't see it as a clear goal. [5:16] Never underestimate the power of subtraction. A list of too many goals diffuses the goals. If you have too many goals, you'll fail on some. Be honest with yourself about a core list of goals. Say no to less important things. People will understand what the priorities are. [5:59] Acknowledge progress and celebrate success along the way. People need KPIs and progress reports. Success is not easy. In most cases, there has been a lot of toil along the way. There are people's challenges. So step back and learn from the things that could be done better next time. It helps people to be more authentic. It builds a culture of transparency. It changes the culture for the better. [7:31] Past guest Simon Sinek stressed, "It's a journey. It's a journey. It's a journey." You may never get there. Sometimes, once you've got there, it's depressing. [7:59] High-impact goals benefit and serve others as well as yourself. The people executing the goal do better if they internalize the goal. You can make it clear to them how the end customer is helped by the goals. The minimum should be that your team and people feel connected with the goal. You connect as a leader with your team on an individual level. [10:08] On fact and assumption: Vivian recalls Denzel Washington in The Great Debaters. To be effective leaders we have to be current. Our nature is to operate from habits. That allows us to deal with what's happening around us. But we have to be current, which means we have to upgrade what we believe. Are we dealing with information that's relevant for now or a view we held yesterday? [10:50] We may be dealing with strong personalities who sound very compelling and sound good, but blow hot air and are not grounded. We constantly have to be asking what is the fact, and what is the emotion. There is a lot of emotion in the world. Distill down honestly what is important. Get past the ego that drives us. [11:40] Get feedback. Leaders tend to operate in their heads. Do we get perspectives on how others see us and experience us? Their perception is their reality. Use something like a 360-degree survey. Use a sounding board cabinet you can talk to, being vulnerable and open. Being a leader can be a lonely existence. Getting feedback can make you more real and current. [13:58] After getting past your ego, if you want to bring everyone else in a team to a current reality, Vivian says to be wildly curious. If you think something is off, ask about the situation with no judgment but curiosity to get to the facts, layer by layer, saying "Tell me more about that." Get everyone to hear themselves and recalibrate their report if necessary. Drill down until you land at a point of clarity. [17:01] Vivian lays out a path for building a culture of curiosity in your team. After having a conversation about clarity, ask "What did I do differently today?" You may get observations like "You listened, you asked a lot of questions." This creates shared learning, as people reflect on what you did as a leader. Ask "How did it make you feel to share more, or as I was asking more questions?" It's curiosity with purpose. [18:40] Vivian shares some knowledge of the Seven Summits. There is more than one set, with a difference in one of the peaks selected. The people who have done the harder set number in the hundreds. [19:53] With his clients, Vivian uses a metaphor of a backpack filled with rocks. Letting go of the rocks in your backpack is letting go of strategies and habits you used in past roles that are no longer relevant to your senior role. What used to be ballast is now dead weight. Less is more. [22:41] Vivian recently talked a senior leader through the rationale of dialing back his intensity. Asking if it was in the leader's DNA to get up late and lounge around, the leader knew it wasn't. Being less intense did not mean he would get less done or lose the respect of his team. [24:34] There's a basis of fear that has to be overcome. Vivian says it's the fear of changing the status quo and losing control. Leaders feel they need to stay in control to stay on top of things. That comes at the cost of intuition. To make better decisions faster, tap into your intuition. Controlling too much is slow and inefficient. Releasing control frees you up to harness the strength you've built up over the years. [25:25] The purpose of a coach is to get the most out of the person they're working with. In a business context, mindfulness is more about letting go of ego and being more authentic, having more impact through followership. [27:39] Sometimes we need to shed people. We don't choose our family but we do choose the people around us. You want friends with net positive energy in daily life. You don't want to have friends that always take energy from you that you need for other relationships. We deserve to be able to give to and receive from everybody. [30:20] Vivian discusses how to coach somebody to be "more strategic." Is it that they are strategic but things get in the way, or is it that they are more suited to tactics and execution than strategy? The reality is that they may be in a role they don't fit. [33:07] The top challenges facing senior leaders today are loneliness, agility, curiosity, and the data to process and use for faster decisions. The most important thing for leaders today is leading people of different generations, post-great-resignation while being authentic. [36:15] As a leader, you have ownership of how you recharge and must give the people on your team the same space to recharge. Recharging means different things for different people. If you demonstrate that you value recharging, while allowing your team room to choose how they recharge, it will show your support. Expect optimal performance from your team in the hours they work for you. [39:20] People may think that climbing Seven Summits makes you a wild, competitive animal that attacks things and figures them out. Vivian writes a detailed story in the book on the power of vulnerability. Everest was difficult for Vivian. On summit day, their guide seemed ill and was mumbling that he couldn't do it this time. That put Vivian in a dark space with a hugely negative inner dialog. [40:39] Vivian felt a dark cloud overhead. He believed he couldn't get up or down and he was sure he would die there. He felt a voice come from deep within him, repeating "Why are you here?" He realized he was climbing to prove himself. The voice asked why he was proving how strong, good, and successful he is. He closed his eyes to make peace with his expected demise. [41:41] Vivian's sherpa tapped him on the shoulder and said if they stayed they would die. The sherpa demanded Vivian follow him. Everywhere the sherpa put his boot, Vivian put his boot. He thought he was going down, but he suddenly realized the sherpa was ascending. He followed him to the summit where he appreciated the view from the top but the cloud was with him until he got off the mountain. [42:37] The learning for Vivian was that we have to know why we're doing things, not just chasing goals. He appreciates Everest but he regrets not having more clarity in his goal when he climbed it. In many cases, we do things without knowing why. Vivian didn't need to prove anything. He had already achieved much. [43:08] As leaders, we have to learn when to let go. We are enough. Ask, "How do I use what I have?" Vivian shares with clients his vulnerability and what he learned from it. It induces them to share their story and they build rapport from that. Examples like that help us to be real. Life is all about real experiences. Vivian uses that in his coaching. [44:26] Vivian's thoughts about the inner voice he heard on Everest: "I think that voice is always with us. … We do have to listen to ourselves, to let go of the noise, and we have to do that by disarming the ego. … We try to get people wise and honest themselves, 30, 40 years ahead of the regret, and have fulfilling times from that point forward." [46:10] Vivan wrote Naked at the Knife Edge in New York City during the COVID-19 pandemic when he felt a vulnerability similar to the vulnerability he had felt on Mt. Everest in 2010. He said it was time to write the book. He wrote it in a few months, then added leadership pieces and reflections to it. It had taken him 10 years to be ready. [47:33] Closing quote: Remember, "A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." — Jackie Robinson Quotable Quotes "How do you make goals that are going to be meaningful and resonant? The first thing one has to do is be very clear on that goal. Be congruent with the goal. Understand where your value system comes in with this. Why is that? Because you're a leader." "Never underestimate the power of subtraction. … People tend to make shopping lists of goals. … A list that's too long gets in the way. It diffuses the goals." "'Wildly curious' means, if you've done the introspection on your own head, which is step number one, do it with others. … [Go in] without judgment. … Peel back the layer and say, 'Tell me more about that.'" "When they get to senior leadership levels, … they're using a lot of tools that they used in the past to do what they do today. … It's about letting go of strategies from the past and habits from the past, which are no longer relevant. … Less is more." "A decent coach's sole purpose is not to reinvent the wheel; it's to get the most out of that person they're working with." "As a leader, you have to have ownership of how you recharge and the people under you." "In many cases in life, we are doing things without knowing why we're doing it. In my case, I was trying to prove how good I was. How strong I was. But I didn't need to prove; I'd already achieved." "I think that voice is always with us. For me, I had chosen not to listen to it earlier, doing previous things. … We do have to listen to ourselves, we have to let go of the noise, and we have to do that by disarming the ego and really letting go." Resources Mentioned Theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by: Darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC Vivian James Rigney Inside Us, LLC Naked at the Knife-Edge: What Everest Taught Me about Leadership and the Power of Vulnerability, by Vivian James Rigney Simon Sinek Denzel Washington The Great Debaters (movie) 360-Degree Survey Seven Summits

Erin Shrimpton is a chartered organizational psychologist and a LinkedIn Learning Instructor. Erin has a passion for shaping culture that is true to the brand it represents and strategy it supports. In this episode, Erin shares what she's learned about the workplace experience, and how culture is created and influenced by the behavior leaders model. Listen in for a dynamic conversation regarding the psychological aspects of how the environment, and connections truly shape culture. https://bit.ly/TLP-349 Key Takeaways [2:25] Erin was recommended to Jan and Jim by Dean Karrel, another LinkedIn Learning instructor. Jan and Erin have an Irish connection. Jan took students to study abroad in Dublin, Belfast, and Galway to compare and contrast the business and cultural environments between the U.S. and Ireland. Erin was born in Ireland and is based there. [3:41] Erin loves the Beatles! Particularly, The White Album. Erin considers that everybody has some sort of connection with the Beatles. [6:05] Erin talks about changing the experience to change the culture. Recent neuroscience research shows that much of the way we behave is shaped by our experiences. Our experience shapes the pathways in our brains, so much more than we knew before. Apply that to what we experience every day in the workplace. [7:21] Who owns the experiences we have at work? The CEO and senior leaders, HR, IT, Facilities, your manager, and your colleagues. Your colleagues are a large part of your experience. You may be powerless to change the direction of the organization, but you can change your experience with your colleagues. If you're a great team leader, you can empower them to change their experience, every day. [9:01] Empowering your team to have great experiences may not change the wider culture but when you work together to change the little things about how you interact with each other, you start to catalyze change, because other teams are looking at you. This changes the culture from the ground up. [9:35] Jan refers to a recent NY Times article on assessing job satisfaction and why employees leave. A big factor is that the values the employees have are not the same as the values of the organization. When that happens, Jan tells clients there are three choices: they can work to change things, they can accept things, or they can seek employment elsewhere. [10:34] Erin's first "port of call" in a similar case is always to examine and see what you can change. There are a lot of things within your control when working in teams. If even your great experiences with colleagues cannot protect you against a toxic culture, Erin encourages people to find another route for employment. That's only after Erin has investigated with them how else they could change things there. [12:41] In the remote world, it is too early to tell how culture is being affected when people don't see each other between meetings. Erin is pleased to see organizations getting together outside of their working context for the connection's sake. [13:22] Erin sees two big issues with remote work: We're losing opportunities to watch other people role-model examples and more importantly, we're losing the opportunity to connect with people in an unstructured, water-cooler-type way. Erin sees the second issue as being damaging to our well-being and mental health. The first issue is detrimental to the organization, the second is a societal issue. [14:37] Research says that when we've got autonomy over our working day, the outcomes for our work and our mental health are much better, but we need to make sure we are connecting in person, as we can, as well. Use intention to create "impromptu" moments. Networking is essential. [17:08] Erin tells how some younger people (after working virtually) react to one of her in-person workshops with everyone in the room together. They find it nice to be in a group and have banter. But most young people are electing to work remotely. Are they finding moments of connection elsewhere and are they satisfied with that? If they are, do we need to rethink office work? [18:29] Erin sees local people going out to lunch with friends, even going for a swim, and then heading back to their home office for the afternoon. They are getting connections in their neighborhoods, which is good societally but presents a challenge to organizations seeking to create cohesiveness among their employees. Realize that it takes an effort to create connections with people. [20:53] Erin tells leaders we are facing two issues at the moment: revolutionizing the way we work and working out how to keep our teams connected. Erin asks them "Can one issue solve the other? Can you ask your team to solve together one thing that's bothering them now?" When they feel real autonomy to do that, they get going with it and start that meaningful connection, whether it is local or remote. [23:11] Erin teaches a LinkedIn Learning class, "Use an Entrepreneurial Mindset to Find Success and Fulfilment at Work." Erin has been intrigued by entrepreneurial thinking since she was a child. When she went into psychology she studied what makes work better for people. Then she assisted in a startup, Innocent Drinks. Everyone there was encouraged to think entrepreneurially. Erin learned how to do it. [24:14] When Erin went into other organizations and coached organizations for culture change, she noticed entrepreneurial people everywhere. Entrepreneurs aren't just people who start businesses; entrepreneurs are people who think in a certain way about making something better. She also noticed that entrepreneurs absolutely have to find a way to motivate themselves that is not financially driven. [24:49] For most entrepreneurs, their "fortune" is a very long way away, so they have to motivate themselves to get up and find work every day that fulfills them that day. That's what Erin saw in the entrepreneurial thinks she found at work in various organizations. They are able to find an intrinsic reward in their day-to-day work. [25:17] Being people who are able to find the intrinsic reward in the daily activities of their work, who are able to tolerate the uncertainty of our working lives, and who look with vision into the future are the three main elements Erin talks about in her LinkedIn Learning course. It is a mindset that can be learned. Most people don't want to start companies but they can find this entrepreneurial mindset helpful. [26:27] To learn a mindset, adopt the behaviors and the habits. As a leader, be a role model of the habits you want others to adopt. Erin asks leaders, "How are you getting people to solve these problems with you?" To change their behavior, people need to feel some responsibility for the outcome. Jan quotes an old Irish mentor of his, Bud Ahern, who said, "People support what they help create." [28:26] Erin shares information about Innocent Drinks, a very innovative brand for its time. Instead of printing "Use By" on the lid, they put "Enjoy By." They didn't think about the rules as they were, but about how they could change things. Erin has taken that with her, ever since. [29:18] Thinking about "how it could be" leads to innovation and creativity. But we are accustomed to operating by rules. We have to have some rules and heuristics because otherwise we would become overwhelmed with the world. Tune in to notice the set of rules by which you operate. Do you need them? How could things be different? Where do you stop breaking the rules, though? [31:01] It is hard as a leader to encourage rule-breaking but not too much. She compares the rules we used to have for our daily work to our rules for this more flexible environment. We have to learn how to be flexible with the rules and use a bit of deep thought about where the line is drawn and whether to break this rule or not. For leaders, it comes back to role modeling and sometimes admitting fallibility. [32:13] A leader may need to explain, "I took this risk. I probably went a step too far and here's why, and here's the learning I had from it." It's a bit of trial and error. You're not always going to get it right as a leader but it's worth that risk. [33:13] We need to be more forgiving as people adjust to what could be our new normal. There is an ongoing level of discomfort we all feel in this transition and we're not articulating it enough. In 2019, we really had a very different life as a global culture. We don't know how the future will play out and that's uncomfortable. Having compassion for this discomfort can go a long way for leaders with their teams. [34:34] Active listening, taking a team member out for coffee, asking people how they are doing, all go so far. Jan cites past guest Margaret Heffernan who said before the pandemic, we were all about efficiency. The pandemic showed us we weren't very adaptable. Today, businesses are still trying to be efficient while adapting to the needs of the people who run the business. We need negotiation skills. [35:31] A psychological contract with your employer is about the expectations you have going into a job and the expectations your employer has for your performance. You have an unwritten psychological contract but over time the contract gets breached because the expectations of the employee and the employer don't match. This can lead to disengagement, or it can be managed by good communication. [36:31] If you joined a new organization in 2019, your employment expectations then are much different than your expectations today. We need to be having more open conversations about how our expectations have changed around our working lives, including what employers are expecting of their people. The team needs to understand what the expectations are and how they've changed. [37:54] Even knowing about it, Erin also falls into the trap of mismatched or misunderstood expectations. She will find herself frustrated and then recognize she has an expectation about something that may not be realistic. The first step is to become aware of your expectations. Then find the language and the forum to have those conversations with your manager or colleagues. [39:24] In the negotiation we are having about the new ways of working you need to get granular about things like managing your boundaries around your working lives. When it is OK to text or email? These details are what make up our day-to-day experiences. Give people permission to disagree or "fight." It's encouraged to avoid the dysfunction of complacency. People need to challenge each other. [40:56] Erin's Closing thoughts: "Take time out to reflect because we are all so overwhelmed and busy … and so many … things … require a deep reflection and tuning in to what's going on for us and … to what's going on for our teams." [42:12] Closing quote: Remember, "Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything." — George Bernard Shaw Quotable Quotes "I always think that everybody has a connection with the Beatles in some way, shape, or form." "The field of neuroscience has progressed so much in the last 20 years when I did my undergrad in psychology. What we know now is so much of the way we behave is shaped by our experience." "If you think about what is the best definition of culture, it's 'How we do things around here.' So. how do we learn about how to do things? We watch, and we experience what everybody else is doing, don't we?" "One of the things that people often get frustrated with about culture is that they feel completely disempowered to do anything about it. … If you're thinking 'There's nothing I can do,' that may be true in some context, … but you can change the experience." "If you work in what you might define as a toxic culture, working with great colleagues helps you to kind of buffer against that. But there certainly comes a point, and … this is really important, … where you have to be brave and say to yourself, … this is not good for me." "As a psychologist, I am all for the flexibility, the autonomy, that we are now enjoying with the new hybrid way of working. … I think it is really great for most of us." "Other research says that when we've got autonomy over our working day, the outcome for our work is so much better and for our mental health, but … we need to make sure we are connecting in person, as and when we can, as well." "Connection doesn't happen just because you put people in an office. It happens when they're working on something meaningful. So that's the thing to focus on." "Entrepreneurs aren't just people who start businesses; entrepreneurs are people who think in a certain way about making something better." "A world that affords us flexibility means that we also have to be flexible in it. We have to learn how to be flexible." Resources Mentioned Theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by: Darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC Paul Darley Audrey Darley Welch Dean Karrel Erin Shrimpton ErinShrimpton.com The Beatles (The White Album) Yesterday (movie) Chris Farley Interviews Paul McCartney "Why is assessing job satisfaction so hard?" NY Times Innocent Drinks Management Science Margaret Heffernan The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable, by Patrick Lencioni

Ken Rusk is owner of Rusk Industries and bestselling author of "Blue-Collar Cash: Love Your Work, Secure Your Future, and Find Happiness for Life". Ken is also a motivational speaker who achieved WSJ Bestseller status with Blue-Collar Cash during the pandemic. In this episode, Ken reveals why 77 million Americans still work with their hands, yet blue-collar careers remain stigmatized. He shares his revolutionary approach to employee engagement through what he calls "hiring the whole person" - not just the eight hours they work, but understanding their dreams, goals, and what they're chasing in life. Ken also discusses the critical difference between reactive and proactive work environments, why blue-collar workers often have more control over their outcomes than white-collar employees, and how leaders can create what he calls "momentum mechanisms" that align personal and corporate goals. He shares memorable stories from his entrepreneurial journey, including the moment he realized two employees were making him money while he worked elsewhere, and the life-changing experience of working for someone who "thought big" in every aspect of life. Ken's pragmatic approach to leadership development, employee engagement, and business growth offers actionable insights for leaders in any industry who want to create environments where people can design the lives they want while contributing to organizational success. You can find episode 470 on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! Watch this Episode on YouTube | Ken Rusk on Blue-Collar Careers Destigmatized https://bit.ly/TLP-470 Key Takeaways [03:11] Jan raises the question of how leaders can reshape the way society sees dignity and value in all kinds of work. Ken points out that nearly half of the 167 million fully employed Americans still work with their hands, a reminder that blue collar work remains essential. [04:59] Ken highlights that blue collar workers often have more control over what they produce, which gives them a direct connection to their work. He describes the "stand back moment" — a sense of pride in creating something tangible, a feeling that's often missing in office jobs. [07:35] Reflecting on 38 years in business, Ken shares how his company grew from 6 to over 200 people. He talks about building a culture that made "ditch digging cool" before workplace culture was even a buzzword — hiring not just for the hours on the job but for the full person behind the role. [11:33] Ken talks about assigning someone the role of "Chief Culture Officer" or "Chief Cool Officer" to keep the company environment engaging. They swapped the word "goals" for "time pathways" and made personal milestones visible, so people feel invested in their work and each other. [14:08] Ken notes how side gigs have become more common. With tools like social media and mobile banking, many are turning hobbies — like making epoxy river tables into thriving weekend businesses selling for thousands. [16:00 Ken says his definition of success has shifted. What matters most now is time having the freedom to step back, see the big picture, and choose how to engage with his businesses. [17:15] One hard-earned lesson for Ken: drop the ego. He realized building a company isn't about being the hero, it's about finding people with entrepreneurial spirit and letting them lead because sometimes they'll take it even further than he could alone. [19:15] Ken shares how he communicates financial responsibility by focusing on ROI instead of just dollars. He encourages department heads to think like owners by sharing profits from new revenue or cost savings creating buy-in from top to bottom. [23:49] When teaching ROI, Ken keeps it simple. He gives team leads a whiteboard and makes them subtract expenses manually — like balancing a checkbook — so they understand how their actions impact profits they can share in. [25:52] Ken encourages young people to ask "why" before choosing college or a trade. He suggests drawing a picture of their ideal life — the home, lifestyle, hobbies — then working backwards from that to choose a path. The key isn't what you do, but what you do with it. [30:23] Ken shares two defining moments: one, realizing he could earn income even when not physically present on a job site; and two, working for someone who lived and thought on a massive scale. Both experiences showed him the power of big thinking and building something bigger than himself. [36:56] To close, Ken encourages people to block out the noise of expectations. Everyone knows what they truly want deep down. The key is to put that vision in front of you, let it guide you, and go live the life you actually want. [39:03] And remember..."The ultimate value of life depends upon awareness and the power of contemplation rather than upon mere survival." — Aristotle Quotable Quotes "Almost half the people in the United States are in some form of working with their hands to create, fix, repair, build something." "When you hire somebody, it used to be that you hired the eight hours that they were alive and working. Well, you better now know what that something else is." "When you have corporate goals that are on the same track and same speed as personal goals of the people within it, that's where this amazing synergy happens." "Time is probably your most valuable asset that you're ever going to own." "Did I open this company for it to run me or for me to run it?" "You're going to find out that their seedlings might even be higher than yours. You might be your own self limiter." "I don't necessarily think it's as important what you do for a living as it is what you do with what you do for a living." "You really need to stop listening to all the noise of societal expectations and even what other people think you should do." These are the books mentioned in this episode Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Ken Rusk Website | http://kenrusk.com Comfort Peace and Freedom Foundation | www.veteransuccess.org Ken Rusk X | @KenRuskOfficial Ken Rusk Facebook | www.facebook.com/KenRuskOfficial Ken Rusk LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/ken-rusk-2656a7175 Ken Rusk Instagram | @kenruskofficial

ChatGPT is the artificial intelligence talk of the town, and Jan and Jim have experimented with it for a few months and share the questions they asked it, and the responses ChatGPT provided. They discuss how ChatGPT can be a game-changer for leaders to spend more time doing what they do best - develop relationships and exercise judgment. Listen in for how AI can be a new tool in your toolbox, and its potential as a leadership enhancer. https://bit.ly/TLP-348 Key Takeaways [1:38] Jan and Jim give a big shoutout to their friend Greg Hinc of County Cork, Ireland. He wrote that he started listening to The Leadership Podcast at about Episode 150, then he went back and listened to them all. He comments on their social media posts. He's talked a lot about how much he's learned and gained from it, which means a lot to Jan and Jim. There's a little gift coming to Greg. [2:34] If you have listened to every episode like Greg, then Jan and Jim would love to hear from you, as well. [4:07] Jim's friend, Jim Mirochnik of Halock Security Labs, introduced him three months ago to ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence chatbot. After five minutes of interaction, Jim was as excited as when he first learned of the world wide web in 1992. Jim asked ChatGPT a variety of questions and he got back usually well-written answers. [5:33] To test ChatGPT on a task a human probably couldn't do quickly, Jim asked it, "Write a Java computer program that will take the input of two people's names and an adjective describing their relationship and create a poem written in Iambic Pentameter." Within seconds, it wrote a Java program that was pretty close to being exactly what Jim had asked for. [6:17] Jim clarified his question and ChatGPT gave him a better result. Then Jim asked it to write the program in Python and it instantly supplied the Python code on half a sheet. It gave a more concise answer than a human coder might have given and it was good code. [7:01] Jim and Jan share some questions he asked and the answers from ChatGPT from about three months ago. [7:14] Q. Write a 500-word essay on leadership. The answer came in about 35 seconds and it was amazing. Then Jim asked, "How many words is that essay?" It said 532. Jim asked why it went over. It said leadership is a complex topic and hard to explain. [7:54] This morning Jim asked it the same question: Write a 500-word essay on leadership. ChatGPT has gotten a lot busier, with more users. The response today took six minutes. It was very well written again and similar to the first response but it was much more concise at 372 words. ChatGPT is having a deep impact on university students and the way they study. It is a fantastically useful and powerful tool. [8:53] Jan hears people afraid that ChatGPT will take their job. He recently demoed ChatGPT to a CEO. When the CEO asked, Why are there silos developing in my organization? It gave these answers: Lack of communication/collaboration, competition for resources, different goals and priorities, silos created by structure, or resistance to change. That gave Jan and his client five things to explore together. [10:56] If you only had pliers before, now you have a vice grip. What sticks out for Jan is that he has to ask it very good questions and then, exercise his judgment and decide what to look at. [11:27] What Jan did with his CEO client was look at different goals and priorities. They have a retreat planned where each attendee will bring a list of five important priorities and will make sure everyone is clear on roles and responsibilities and where there is overlap. Jan — not ChatGPT — will facilitate the discussion. Jan sees it as an awesome tool. [12:03] Some people get better and quicker responses than others when searching on Google because they know how to ask questions the right way for good search results. That skill is super important with ChatGPT. You get better by practicing and using it. [12:45] There are some things that it can do quickly that might take weeks for a human to do. Jim asked, What are the top five themes articulated in The Leadership Podcast? [13:41] ChatGPT answered, "As an AI language model, I don't have personal opinions but I can provide you with an overview of some of the most commonly discussed themes on The Leadership Podcast, based on the content available on their website and podcast. Here are five possible themes: Leadership …, personal development, team dynamics, innovation and disruption, business and industry insights." [14:27] ChatGPT took about a minute to make that analysis. It had indexed and searched the entire site for The Leadership Podcast, so it knows about it. Jim had asked it the same question two months ago before it was able to search websites. Now it can. Its functionality is increasing at a geometric pace. [15:16] ChatGPT is a fun, powerful tool, and its answers are exceptionally well done. Another question was, Can you measure leadership? It came up with a similar answer to a discussion with guest Sarah Wirth - The Leadership Podcast Episode 351. [16:28] Jan asked ChatGPT When I interview Jim Vaselopulos from Rafti Advisors for my podcast, what should I ask him? ChatGPT responded, "As a business strategist and leaders consultant, Jim is able to provide valuable insights on various topics related to business management leadership. Here are some questions to ask during the interview. …" [16:51] " … How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted business strategies in leadership and how can organizations adapt to these changes?", "Can you share a memorable experience from your career that taught you an important lesson about leadership?", "What inspired you to become a strategist and leadership consultant?" [17:22] "Can you share a particularly successful project you had with a client and what made it successful?" These are good generic questions. They provide a good starting point. Jim cites Atomic Habits, by James Clear. If you want to run, start by putting your shoes on. Then you generally follow through. ChatGPT is a tool to help you jumpstart a report or analysis. It can help you get moving. [18:53] Jan is working with an organization with five good values that has not articulated its values into observable behaviors. One of the values is accountability. Jan asked ChatGPT, What three observable behaviors would you assign to the value of accountability? ChatGPT's response was, "Honesty and transparency, reliability and follow through, adaptability and continuous improvement." [19:26] Under "continuous improvement," ChatGPT added, "They take feedback constructively, they recognize mistakes or failures can be opportunities for growth and learning, they're willing to adjust their approach …" Jan asked if you, the listeners, know what the values mean in your organization? Don't follow a robot blindly, but ChatGPT gives a great starting point for a discussion on values. [20:25] Jan says, oftentimes, those [company] values are ambiguous, the culture is by default, and the values and standards cannot be upheld because there's no agreement on what they mean. There's no common vocabulary. That's something every organization could do today. Look at your values and agree on behaviors to associate with them. Can we be more clear on what we want our folks to do? [21:12] Three years ago, Jim and Jan were asked to go out to the Air University in Montgomery, Alabama. They gave a speech summarizing The Leadership Podcast and the guests they had interviewed and the overarching theme they could find. One of the themes that still continues since then was curiosity. The most successful leaders had the trait of being curious. ChatGPT didn't come up with that! [21:59] The Leadership Podcast is about curiosity. Learning to use a tool like ChatGPT is about being curious. What are you curious about? [22:28] Jan asked When I interview Jan Rutherford from Self-reliant Leadership for my podcast, what should I ask him? ChatGPT responded "Can you tell us a bit about your background, how you became interested in self-reliant leadership?" and "What are the key traits and characteristics of self-reliant leaders?" It didn't ask a single COVID-19 question, ask about stories or mention entrepreneurs. [23:06] ChatGPT had picked up on those topics on Jim's website, not on Jan's. There were relevant questions for each Jan and Jim from their websites. [23:18] Another question for Jan was "Are there any common misconceptions or misunderstandings about self-reliant leadership that you would like to clear up?" That's a good question. During this episode, Jan and Jim were curious, tested their assumptions, and learned something! [23:40] Curiosity is such an important theme. ChatGPT is a vehicle to supercharge your curiosity and enlighten yourself in ways that you couldn't without reading books that you may not have time to read. [24:27] Simon Sinek was a guest on the show and they asked him, "Where does personal responsibility and a sense of real duty to each other start to play a role, especially now (during the pandemic)?" So Jan asked ChatGPT that question. [24:42] ChatGPT had interesting answers, ending with "To foster a sense of personal responsibility and a duty to each other, it's important to prioritize empathy, compassion, and kindness. We can start by listening to and understanding the needs and concerns of others, being willing to make personal sacrifices for the greater good, and taking action to support our communities in meaningful ways." [25:09] Jan plays Simon's answer: "Trust is a two-way street. Just think of any relationship: friendship, marriage, or anything. Trust is always two ways. In a business context, where there's formal hierarchy, it is the leader's responsibility to create the environment in which trust can exist." [25:41] (Simon continues) "To build a circle of safety and create an environment in which people feel safe to raise their hand and say, 'I made a mistake,' or 'I need help,' or 'I don't understand,' without any fear of humiliation or retribution. Without any fear that they'll be on some shortlist by the end of the year. However, it's everyone's responsibility to step into that circle of safety." [25:59] (Simon continues) "Compare it to a personal relationship. It's very important for at least one person in the relationship to start to create an environment in which the other person feels safe to express themselves or be themselves. But it's still the responsibility of the other person to take that risk to express themselves or be themselves." [26:16] (Simon concludes) "It's the same in business. It's all fine and good for us to create the environment but people have to take the risk and say, 'Hey boss, I need help,' or 'I made a mistake,' and to realize that there's no humiliation or blowback if you do that. In fact, you get his support." [26:36] The ChatGPT is not about to replace Simon Sinek. He's wonderful to listen to, he's articulate. He hit on a lot of the same themes that were in ChatGPT's answer. Jan finds that interesting. We know this AI today is going to be exponentially better. In less than a year, it may use a voice and cadence to come close to Simon Sinek. Leaders and business people now have another tool in their toolbox. [27:39] We're still going to need to build relationships; we're still going to need to be able to exercise judgment. If curiosity is a value in your organization, what does that mean? Are we teaching people to ask better questions and to listen better? Or are we saying go to Toastmasters to learn to be a great speaker and articulate? The emphasis has been on using our mouths instead of our ears! [28:10] To do a school term paper, you come up with an outline and then flesh it out. In practical business, people don't start with an outline. Powerpoint is the closest thing to an outline for presentations. Make one good point instead of five average points. Two good points and seven bad ones ruin a presentation. ChatGPT can help you sharpen your point and get at it. [29:38] What are the keys to having difficult conversations? ChatGPT answered with seven bullet points taking up three-quarters of a page. Jim lists the bullet points: "Prepare, choose, listen actively, be clear and direct, focus on the issue, offer solutions and options, and follow up." The supporting information is spot-on. It doesn't have too many extra words or fluff statements. [30:23] What are the most common mistakes people make when delegating? "Not delegating at all, over-delegating, poor communication, micro-managing, lack of follow-up, not providing sufficient resources, and taking credit." You have to recognize the efforts and achievements of the person you delegated to. [31:27] For as scary as this new technology can be, we need to adopt it, embrace it, and understand that it's going to affect all of us in some way, shape, or form. Whether you realize it or not, your employees are using it! Jim shares a client story about it. [32:14] Jan just had a conversation about trust. He cites past guest Margaret Heffernan: Social capital is what happens between people; that relationship. You want to work with people you like, people you respect, and people you trust. Trust takes time and everybody's busy. [33:28] Jan refers to Lisa McLeod, a sales thought leader, who says "If you can't understand how you're making people's lives better, you can't sell anything." It would be so sad to go to work, with whatever tools you use, and not think at the end, "How am I making people's lives better?" See the interview here: https://selfreliantleadership.com/blog/2021/05/06/lisa-mcleod-on-selling-with-noble-purpose/. [34:10] Jim asked a young salesman what his value proposition was. The salesman listed the product features but Jim wanted to know how the salesman was making his customer's life better. Jim tells a friend's story about the pressure-washing cheerleader who lifted his low spirit with kindness and joy. [36:55] Past guest Barry Schwartz told about cancer-ward janitors who weren't there to clean messes but to provide a better experience for patients. That floor had the best cancer-survival rates because of the janitors who brought them kindness and preserved their dignity. [37:39] Jan recalls how past guest Christophe Morin of SalesBrain uses props. As a prop, Jan holds up an insulated mug his wife got him for Valentine's Day. Jan asks ChatGPT How does a coffee mug that stays warm improve someone's life? "A mug that stays warm can be a convenient addition to a person's daily routine. They can take their time enjoying their drink without having to worry about it getting cold." [38:53] ChatGPT also says that drinking a hot beverage has been linked to various health benefits, such as improving digestion, boosting metabolism, and reducing the risk of certain diseases. "With a mug that stays warm, one can ensure they're consuming their hot beverage at the optimal temperature to reap these benefits." Our business is selling something. Do we understand how it improves someone's life? [39:20] Is ChatGPT a menace? It might be. Is it something that can improve our life? Jan thinks it will be able to speed up things. It will get us to a point where creating an outline or coming up with some ideas, we'll let somebody else do that and we'll focus on the things that only we can do; exercise judgment, cut and paste, modify, edit, or think, and step back. It will help us get better at asking questions. [40:11] What Jan hopes ChatGPT does is allow us to spend more time with each other and improve the relationships we have between people, not on a computer all the time. [40:54] Jim asked ChatGPT to write the Darley ad, and it did! Jim reads the ad. [41:37] Microsoft is incorporating ChatGPT into Bing. [41:51] Jan and Jim would love to hear your feedback on this episode and on ChatGPT. How are you using it? This is a game-changer. Comment on LinkedIn or on Facebook or comment on the episode page. Jan and Jim will respond. [42:28] Closing quote: Remember, "Talent hits a target no one else can hit; Genius hits a target no one else can see." — Arthur Schopenhauer Quotable Quotes from ChatGPT "As an AI language model, I don't have personal opinions but I can provide you with an overview of some of the most commonly discussed themes on The Leadership Podcast, based on the content available on their website and podcast. Here are five possible themes: Leadership … , personal development, team dynamics, innovation and disruption, business and industry insights." "As a business strategist and leaders consultant, Jim is able to provide valuable insights on various topics related to business management leadership. Here are some questions to ask during the interview." "To foster a sense of personal responsibility and a duty to each other, it's important to prioritize empathy, compassion, and kindness. We can start by listening to and understanding the needs and concerns of others, being willing to make personal sacrifices for the greater good, and taking action to support our communities in meaningful ways." "[Before a difficult conversation], prepare, choose, listen actively, be clear and direct, focus on the issue, offer solutions and options, and follow up.." "[Mistakes when delegating are] not delegating at all, over-delegating, poor communication, micro-managing, lack of follow-up, not providing sufficient resources, and taking credit." Resources Mentioned Theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by: Darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC ChatGPT Jim Mirochnik Halock Security Labs Skynet Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones, by James Clear Air University, Maxwell AFB, Montgomery, Alabama Sara Wirth Simon Sinek Toastmasters Margaret Heffernan Lisa McLeod Barry Schwartz Christophe Morin SalesBrain Microsoft

Nicole Kalil is the Confidence Sherpa. She's the author of "Validation is for Parking," and a leadership strategist, respected coach, speaker, and host of the "This is Woman's Work" podcast. Nicole sees that women and men approach confidence very differently. She discusses how appearing confident is very different from being confident. Real, authentic confidence produces executive presence, and is a catalyst for effective leadership. Listen in for new insights on confidence and how it affects team success, and professional fulfillment. https://bit.ly/TLP-347 Key Takeaways [1:25] Jan and Jim want to know if you have listened to every episode of The Leadership Podcast. If you have, please drop them a line. They may have something for you! [2:27] Nicole is a partner to her husband, a mom to her nine-year-old daughter, a hotel snob, a wine and cheese enthusiast, and a reluctant Peloton rider. [4:23] Nicole wrote Validation Is For Parking to discuss confidence through a feminine lens. At the time she wrote the book, 92% of business books were written by men. In her finance job, all her mentors were men. Nicole felt an imbalance. She wrote the book with women in mind. Her intention isn't to be exclusionary. She hopes people who identify as any gender will read it and have good takeaways. [6:29] Nicole took the filters off and wrote what she felt and knew, having women in mind, and sharing stories she felt would be most relevant or help people feel less alone. She wrote it almost as a journal and then realized someone was going to read it! It felt important to her, in writing a book about confidence, to put it all out there and be authentic and true to herself. [8:22] In work environments, confidence is when you trust yourself firmly and boldly. When you walk into an environment where you're "the other," you may spend a lot of your energy trying to navigate how to fit into the culture and the environment, and in doing that, you tend to lose some of your authenticity; you tend to lose some of yourself. That impacts your confidence. [9:11] When negotiating for a salary increase or a promotion, women are coming to those conversations with less confidence than their male counterparts because the way they would do it authentically or naturally is different from the way that is being encouraged, supported, trained, or recognized in the culture and environment. Jan cites past guest Jeffrey Pfeffer on the seven rules of power. [10:24] How are we defining power? Nicole defines power as showing up with true and vulnerable emotions, not as inauthentically looking confident or powerful. [12:53] The boss is the keeper of the culture. If your being authentic doesn't fit in the culture, this is the opportunity for the boss to say, "This is just not the right place for you." [13:16] If you're accentuating something about yourself so much that it's repellent to others it may be worth questioning if you are actually showing up authentically at all. You're probably doing that in reaction. Nicole shares an experience from when she was trying to fit in. Looking back, she sees that was not her authentic self. [15:34] There isn't one right, definitive answer to just about anything. We come to every situation, conversation, or event with our beliefs, values, experiences, and interpretations, and we think that those experiences, interpretations, and values are right or true with a capital T. What one person believes is right and true may not be right and true for everybody. [16:31] Nicole is trying to practice being more empathetic, better listening, being more open, and communicating, "This is the way I see it and I'm open that there may be another way to see it," and being curious about that. [16:49] Nicole sees all of those things as a practice in being and becoming a better leader. They make us better relationship-builders, and developers of others, and create safer, healthier, and more productive environments. [18:24] Leadership and allyship are very closely connected. Be curious, listen. When you ask a question, believe what people are telling you is their perception or interpretation, and try to have empathy around that. All of us have the opportunity to create more balance. [18:57] Understand that the masculine approach to success in business is alive and well. There is the opportunity to bring in, recognize, and reward the more feminine side, as well, within yourselves and your organization, and your culture. Be aware and pay attention. [19:26] It helps people to have someone they trust and have a good relationship with. Be a coach to others when they say something that they may have meant in one way, but that might have been interpreted in another way. Most people can be very forgiving if they know you're coming from a good place. Knowing where you're coming from makes all the difference in the world. [22:21] Nicole discusses executive presence. It's external; what we show to the world. We have an impact on how people see us. Nicole distinguishes it from confidence. Confidence is about firm and bold trust in self. Confidence in others is trust in them. Confidence leads to executive presence and that leads to leadership. [24:02] If you bypass confidence and go for executive presence, you can look confident but at some point, if the internal component isn't there, it's going to become painful to you and obvious to others. Don't be focused on how you look to others but on who you are and what you bring to the table; what it is you can, and choose to, trust in yourself. [25:24] Nicole discusses the gender component of confidence vs. competence. Women tend to over-rotate on competence. They believe they need to do it all, have it all, and look the part; get all the designations and check all the boxes. It's very much about how it looks. But you cannot be competent at anything you're doing for the first time. Competence takes time. [26:00] Confidence is a choice we can make any time we want. Confidence is on the road to competence. Competence will then circle back and increase your confidence as you go. But there's always something more to learn and skills to develop before you are fully competent. Instead of "Fake it till you make it," Nicole says, "Choose it until you become it." Choose confidence continually. [26:55] Women, especially, feel they need to be 100% ready before taking big actions. But 100% ready is not available to any of us when it comes to doing something new. We do most meaningful things with a combination of excitement, fear, readiness, and doubt. [27:34] For a lot of women it's letting go of the unachievable expectation that you're going to be 100% anything. Trust that you'll figure it out as you go. Trust that if you don't do well, you'll be OK; you'll learn something to take to the next thing you do. Trust that you've done what got you here, and you can apply your unique talents, strengths, and abilities to this new thing and you will get there. Trust in yourself. [29:03] Nicole saw integrity as strong moral principles or being honest. Her background is in finance, where being honest is important, and doing what's best for your clients. In terms of a strong moral standing, who decides what that is? Do personal things bleed into the definition? Nicole had a struggle with the word, which forced her to look at the definition. [30:08] Nicole loves the second definition of integrity: the state of being whole and undivided. That's what we need to be talking about, is being so true and trusting in ourselves that we show up with all that we are, we own everything that we're not, and we choose to embrace all of it. And that would lead us to bring our full and best selves to the leadership table, to our businesses. [30:52] Nicole sees power and magic in knowing who we are, owning who we are not, choosing to embrace all of it, and showing up as our full and best selves. That's how we should be talking more about integrity. [31:46] We've over-rotated in society and we try to "save" people every time they express that they are not meant for something. We think everybody can be anything they want to be. That's not an available option for any of us. And, unfortunately, we think that we should do and be everything. What we end up doing is watering down our unique abilities and unique talents by trying to be everything. [32:32] Nicole refers to Essentialism, by Greg McKeown (a previous guest). We don't stay in our lane because we don't spend any of our time figuring out what our lane is. In order to do that, we need to know what our lane isn't. There is power in owning what and who you are not meant for; what and who may not be meant for you. Being able to discern that will put you on track for what you are meant for. [33:16] Purpose is not one thing but we all have a purpose. It's confidence-boosting to sift out the things that are not meant for you. [34:42] The biggest "Aha" that Nicole would tell her younger self is how much her failures, missteps, mistakes, fears, and doubts built her confidence and contributed to her success and purpose, more than her achievements, successes, wins, and things that came easily. It doesn't hurt any less when she's in it, but when she's experiencing bad feelings, she tells herself all that's missing is the benefit of hindsight. [35:26] Nicole reminds herself that she doesn't yet know why the negative thing is happening, but she trusts that it is serving a purpose. It's a gift, a lesson, a redirect, or an opportunity. There's some other way to see the thing that's happening that is going to work for her betterment. She trusts that in those moments. She wishes she would have failed more often and risked more, earlier on. [36:40] Letting your children or employees fall is a struggle, but they go through it for their growth. You want to protect. You want them to be happy. Nicole and her husband are clear that they want to protect their daughter as much as they can from things that fall under health and safety that are very difficult to recover from. On other things, it is better to just let it play out and get messy. [37:44] Nicole tells her daughter that she loves her all of the time. It's constant and does not need to be earned. She doesn't need to prove herself to get it. The love is constant even in the messiness, failure, and mistakes. She can figure all the rest of it out. She encourages her daughter to hold onto her own confidence when it gets challenged. [39:08] Nicole's challenge to listeners: "Separate all the advice, advertisements, and things on social media that tell you that the way you gain confidence is by fixing how your confidence looks to others. If it's external, it's probably not confidence-building. Go back to 'Confidence is when you trust yourself.' … Ask yourself, 'Is this going to help me trust myself more?' If the answer is yes then go do it!" [40:25] Closing quote: Remember, "To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." — Ralph Waldo Emerson Quotable Quotes "So much of what we learn about what it is to be professional, what it is to be successful, what it is to be a leader, or what it is to be confident comes from the masculine lens. I worked in finance and almost exclusively, all of my mentors, trainers, and teachers were men." "When you walk into an environment where you're 'the other,' … a lot of people spend a lot of their energy trying to navigate how to fit into the culture and the environment, and in doing that, we tend to lose some of our authenticity; we tend to lose some of ourselves." "We are often being taught how to look confident. Very rarely taught how to be or become confident." "I have a fundamental belief that leaders are keepers of the culture and if somebody being their authentic self doesn't fit in a culture, then it's probably the opportunity to say, 'You're not bad, we're not bad, this is just not the right place for you.'" "The older I get the more I realize that there isn't one right, definitive answer to just about anything." "We are all coming to every situation, conversation, or event with our own beliefs, values, experiences, and interpretations, and unfortunately, we are thinking that those experiences, interpretations, and values are right or true with a capital T." "[Let] people know 'I'm going into this uncomfortable place. I might say things wrong; I might do things wrong. But my intention is only ever, always to get better. I'm open to feedback. If I make mistakes [please] pull me aside and tell me about it.'" "Confidence is about trust; firm and bold trust in self. So when we talk about being confident, that's what I think we are talking about." "One hundred percent ready is not a thing that's available to any of us when it comes to doing something new or that we haven't done before." "That's what we need to be talking about, is being so true and so trusting in ourselves that we show up with all that we are, we own everything that we're not, and we choose to embrace all of it. And that would lead us to bring our full and best selves to the leadership table." Resources Mentioned Theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by: Darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC Nicole Kalil NicoleKalil.com Validation Is For Parking: How Women Can Beat the Confidence Con, by Nicole Kalil This is Woman's Work podcast Peleton The White Lotus The Confidence Code: The Science and Art of Self-Assurance—What Women Should Know, by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman The Confidence Gap: A Guide to Overcoming Fear and Self-Doubt, by Russ Harris Jeffrey Pfeffer 7 Rules of Power" Surprising—but True—Advice on How to Get Things Done and Advance Your Career, by Jeffrey Pfeffer Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, by Greg McKeown Greg McKeown

Ed O'Malley is the Founder of the Kansas Leadership Center, President and CEO of the Kansas Health Foundation, and the author of four books, including his latest, "When Everyone Leads." Ed discusses how leadership differs from authority, and that authority is required to lead. He explores the disruptive aspects and the risks of leadership. Ed explains the type of problems authority solves and the challenges that require unleashing the leadership of the whole team to move forward. Listen in for how to move forward when faced with daunting challenges. https://bit.ly/TLP-346 Key Takeaways [3:25] In Ed's book, When Everyone Leads, the key is getting people to separate leadership from authority. In some situations, the reliance on authority gets in the way of progress. We need people to know that even if you're not the captain of the team or boss, the toughest challenges require your leadership, also. The book is about how you unleash that in everybody. [4:45] Ed talks about over-reliance on authority. Authority is necessary, but it's not sufficient for making progress on our biggest problems. Challenges between people need to be resolved by the people involved. [6:14] On our toughest challenges, none of us know exactly the way forward. Trust that the collective is stronger than one person's idea. If we unleash the leadership of others, so they feel empowered to exercise that leadership, then we start making more progress. [6:49] If we assume that we have the answers and we know the best way forward, that conveys a lack of trust in the collective. The toughest challenges get solved by people working together. [8:46] The book is about the toughest challenges. A prerequisite for unleashing leadership in more people is to help people break apart the idea of leadership from the idea of authority. They are different things and people know this intuitively. Ed uses the example of Rosa Parks showing leadership by choosing her seat on the bus. [10:20] Ed wants people to be conscious of the differences between authority, leadership, people holding positions of authority, and people exercising leadership. Sometimes people in authority exercise leadership. Sometimes People not in authority exercise leadership. Sometimes nobody does. If people see it separately, it opens up a conversation about what the exercise of leadership looks like for them. [11:22] Jim cites Jim Detert, author of Choosing Courage, regarding the courage it takes to step up and face big problems. [12:08] Julia McBride, Ed's co-author on the book, would say it's all about clarity of purpose. Those who exercise effective leadership are clear in their deep purpose, and clear on the purpose for the meeting they're walking into and the role they play in that meeting. They're clear on the purpose of the project they're a part of. [12:46] A lot of people's purpose is to keep their boss happy. Our toughest challenges are usually about something a lot bigger than that. Leadership is motivating others to make progress on daunting challenges and it hardly ever happens. [14:24] Ed cites the work of authors Ron Heifetz and Marty Linsky who pioneered the concept of the Zone of Productivity, where there is enough conflict that people are uncomfortable enough to change the status quo, but there is not enough conflict to shut people down. If you don't have enough conflict, nothing is changing. If you have a lot of heat at work, consider if progress is being made in the work. [15:32] If the conflict or heat from the top is not leading to progress, then it's time to ask questions and intervene in the lack of progress. [16:52] An executive team needs a common language to talk about the dynamics of productivity. [17:30] Leadership is always about disrupting things. Ed quotes Marty Linsky, "Leadership is disappointing your own people at a rate they can absorb." When you're intervening up, you can't anger the boss too much; you might be out! But If you're just keeping the boss 100% happy, you might not be doing anything that looks like leadership. [18:02] Jan recalls Jeffrey Pfeffer's 7 Rules of Power. It's evidence-based, controversial, and makes people very uncomfortable. Two of the rules are "Break the rules," and "Show up in a powerful way." These are hard to do. You've got to know how far you can push a boss before you're damaging yourself. [18:36] Ed goes back to being clear about purpose. If your purpose is to get along, be secure, and not rock the boat, you will not get close to exercising leadership. If your purpose is "I want the best value for my clients," or "I'm a sales leader and I'm taking the organization from this level to that level higher," then you'll be willing to disrupt the norms. Leadership is always disruptive and risky. [19:18] Ed says all of our research is showing if you get lots more people exercising leadership and intervening to create more progress it makes it more likely you'll get the progress. It's too tough for one or two people to do alone because it's too disruptive. [20:01] A chapter in the book explores the clash of values. Our toughest challenges are often about value clashes. You may have a value of gaining market share and a clashing value of playing it safe and not developing new products because you have a legacy product that has been winning for so long. Leadership is always about helping a system elevate one value over another. There is loss in that. [21:31] Anyone can ask powerful questions. Ed explains that a powerful question comes from deep curiosity and it's open-ended. A question that has an exact technical answer is not a powerful question, it's a fact-based question. Powerful questions help everyone learn. "What's our greatest aspiration for our organization?", "What concerns us the most?", "What makes progress so hard on those things?" [22:56] Big open-ended questions are powerful and are often game-changing. Powerful questions often make us uncomfortable. They should force us to slow down a little bit and reflect differently. [24:33] Ed interviewed a sage one time who told him, "Ed, that's a great question! And it's a great question because it doesn't have any answers!" If there's an easy answer, it might not be a good question. [25:01] If what you're working on isn't a daunting challenge; if it's run-of-the-mill stuff; if you've got a deadline and the work is technical, and you've got to meet it, you're going to drive everybody crazy if you're walking around asking big, open-ended questions all the time! It's when you're trying to focus people on the things that matter most that these powerful questions are so needed. [26:10] Less senior people may be granted some grace in asking open-ended questions to reveal less knowledge of the organization's purpose. More senior people may ask powerful questions that tend to shape expectations: "How will we respond to some inevitable failure in our attempts to do X?" This introduces the concept of being adaptive. [28:49] The book discusses technical problems vs. daunting adaptive challenges. If you have the authority, say, "We're solving this technical problem this way." But it is a mistake to treat a daunting adaptive challenge as if it were technical. Those types of challenges where the problem is poorly defined and the answer is unknown cannot be solved by your authority alone. You won't get progress. [30:34] Jan tells about Bill Dean. They would be at a problem situation and Bill would say, "OK." It meant he acknowledged, he understood, and they would step back and pause before trying to find out what the issue was. He said OK, and everybody knew it was going to be OK. Jan learned to step back when people are hitting the Panic button. Ed says, on the toughest challenges, help people to go slow. [33:32] Have the awareness to discern when you're facing something adaptive where you don't know the way forward. In that situation, progress is about creating a system that can be iterative, that can be experimental, that can take smart risks, learn from them, and take bigger risks. If the situation doesn't call for that and we bring it, we're just going to create more problems. [34:10] There are a lot of big ideas in the book. One is knowing the difference between the technical problems and the adaptive challenges. They require you to lead differently. Another idea is that your authority is a resource but it is not enough to solve adaptive challenges, so you unleash leadership for others in an iterative, learning environment where risk-taking is expected. [36:25] There are expectations on those in authority. Ed repeats that leadership is disappointing your people at a rate they can absorb. People have expectations of those in authority and history is full of examples of what happens to people in authority if they disrupt those expectations too much. Live within the expectations, but push against them, as well. [37:04] Ed explores how those in authority successfully used leadership during the pandemic to be firm and specific about the process they would use to solve the issue without going into what the outcome of the issue would be. They used authority to help people feel safe and that there is some order to things. They talked about the timeline for bringing the best people together to solve the problem. [38:16] Jim compares how Jessica Chen from the previous podcast episode described the same situation of describing the process you are going through to arrive at an answer when dealing with ambiguity. Jim recommends listening to that episode, as this is a big and important concept. Ed agrees, it is important, but it is hard to practice. Go back to knowing whether it is an adaptive challenge or a technical problem. [39:31] If it's a technical problem and you are in authority, use your authority to solve the problem. For listeners who aren't in authority, Ed reminds you to break apart authority and leadership. If you connect them, it lets everybody off the hook, and it's the CEO's job. That puts too much pressure on those in authority. They can't deliver. The truth is, in the big tough challenges, we've all got a part in the mess. [40:25] Jack Welch said, "You can't scale complexity." Ed's book leads toward simplifying our approach. Jan recommends listeners read Ed's book. It's easy to read and laid out in a way that's very pragmatic. [42:06] Ed's challenge to listeners: "I think we've got to get the bat off our shoulder and take some swings. … Learn how do you take those swings with confidence and skill so you can get a few more hits than you would otherwise." [44:12] Closing quote: Remember, "Unity is strength… When there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved." — Mattie Stepanek Quotable Quotes "We need people to know that even if you're not the captain of the team, the boss, the CEO of the company, or the mayor of the town, the toughest challenges require your leadership, also." "I think we have an over-reliance on authority. Authority is useful; it's necessary, but it's insufficient for making progress on our biggest challenges." "A prerequisite for unleashing leadership in more people is to help people break apart the idea of leadership from the idea of authority. We've got to get people to see them as two different things. They are totally separate. And I think that intuitively, people know this." "Authority is a role; it's a position, and leadership is an activity. And sometimes those in authority exercise it. But most of the time they don't. And sometimes people not in authority exercise leadership. But a lot of times, they don't." "The book is counter-cultural, in that regard. We're trying to create a new norm for what leadership even is." "Leadership is always about disrupting things." "Leadership is so rare because it's risky; … it's disruptive, which is why all of our research is showing if you get lots more people exercising leadership; intervening to create more progress, it's … more likely you'll get the progress. It's too tough for one or two people." "Big open-ended questions are powerful and they're often game-changing." "If what you're working on isn't a daunting challenge; if it's run-of-the-mill stuff; if you've got a deadline and the work is technical, and you've got to meet it, you're going to drive everybody crazy if you're walking around asking big, open-ended questions all the time." "It's when you're trying to focus people on the things that matter most that these curiosity-based, open-ended, powerful questions are so needed." Resources Mentioned Theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by: Darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC Ed O'Malley Kansas Leadership Center Kansas Health Foundation The Colorado Health Foundation When Everyone Leads: How The Toughest Challenges Get Seen And Solved, by Ed O'Malley and Julia Fabris McBride Todd Satterson U.S. Navy SEALS Jim Detert Choosing Courage: The Everyday Guide to Being Brave at Work, by Jim Detert Ron Heifetz Marty Linsky 7 Rules of Power: Surprising—but True—Advice on How to Get Things Done and Advance Your Career, by Jeffrey Pfeffer Jeffrey Pfeffer Jessica Chen Jack Welch