Coaching For Leaders

Simon Sinek: The Infinite Game Simon Sinek is an unshakable optimist. He is best known for popularizing the concept of WHY, which he described in his first TED Talk in 2009. That talk went on to become the second most watched TED Talk of all time, today surpassing 50 million views. His interview on millennials in the workplace propelled his name to be the fifth most searched term on YouTube in 2017. Simon is the author of five bestselling books, including Start With Why*, Leaders Eat Last*, and his newest book, The Infinite Game*. In this conversation, Simon and I discuss why he doesn’t believe these are unprecedented times, the difference between a finite and infinite game, and the distinction between a why and a just cause. We also detail how to uncover a just cause and five standards that an effective just cause must meet. Key Points Our products and services are some of the things we use to advance our cause. They are not themselves the cause. -Simon Sinek A just cause embraces five standards: For so

Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed Bonni Stachowiak is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, a professor of business and management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, Bonni was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. She is the author of The Productive Online and Offline Professor: A Practical Guide*. Key Points Be apparent about the purpose of your meeting: connect, align, decide, ideate/brainstorm, plan, or produce. Discover more from Mamie Kanfer Stewart. You need to be more apparent and intentional about timing, transitions, and facilitation in an online meeting than with an in-person one. Use a service like BombBomb* for video messages that don’t require live interaction. Unless background noise or size of the meeting prevents it, invite people to “unmute” so you can have richer dialogue without interruption. Alert people if they have audio issues. Get headsets for your team, if possible. We use and

Lois Frankel: Nice Girls Don’t Speak Up or Stand Out Lois Frankel is the President of Corporate Coaching International, and is a bestselling author, executive coach, and an internationally-recognized expert in the field of leadership development for women. She has appeared on Larry King Live, The Tavis Smiley Show, The Today Show, and many other places to discuss her New York Times bestselling books, Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office*, Nice Girls Don’t Get Rich*, and Nice Girls Just Don’t Get It*. She has served diverse clients such as The Walt Disney Company, Amgen, The World Bank, McKinsey & Company, Inc., Northrop Grumman, and many others. Her newest audiobook just released is titled Nice Girls Don’t Speak Up or Stand Out: How to Make Your Voice Heard, Your Point Known, and Your Presence Felt*. In this conversation, Lois and I discuss why saying no is so important, key tactics in doing it with professionalism and grace, and some useful language we can leverage. We also explore why we end up saying y

Alex Osterwalder: The Invincible Company Alex is obsessed with making strategy, innovation, and entrepreneurship simple, practical, and applicable. He invented the Business Model Canvas, co-founded Strategyzer.com, and lead authored Business Model Generation which sold a million copies in 30 languages. He’s one of the top-ranked management thinkers in the world by Thinkers50. He is the author of the book, The Invincible Company: How to Constantly Reinvent Your Organization with Inspiration From the World's Best Business Models*. In this conversation, Alex and I explore the distinction between exploration and exploitation that invincible organizations must hold in tandem. Alex teaches us the five most common myths of the innovation journey and what leaders can do to compete and stay relevant in a changing world. Key Points Myths of the innovation journey: Myth 1: The most important part of the innovation and entrepreneurship journey is to find and execute the perfect idea. Myth 2: The evidence will show

Greg McKeown: Essentialism Greg McKeown is the author of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less*. His book is frequently listed as #1 Time Management book on Amazon and challenges the core assumptions about achievement to get to the essence of what really drives success. His writing has appeared in or been covered by The New York Times, Fast Company, Fortune, HuffPost, and many others. He is among the most popular bloggers for the Harvard Business Review and LinkedIn’s Influencers group: averaging a million views a month. In this conversation, Greg and I discuss why success can be such a poor teacher and how to avoid what Jim Collins calls, “The undisciplined pursuit of more.” We explore how the principles of journalism can help us arrive at what’s essential and why journaling may be the place to start. Key Points Being a journalist of your own life will force you to stop hyper-focusing on all the minor details and see the bigger picture. Succ

Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed Bonni Stachowiak is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, a professor of business and management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, Bonni was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. She is the author of The Productive Online and Offline Professor: A Practical Guide. Listener Questions Matt wondered when it’s appropriate to show emotion during a difficult time. Selah asked our advice about communication strategies through COVID-19. Amber wanted to know what she could do to support a manager who is causing stress for others during the pandemic. Resources Mentioned Netflix Special: The Call to Courage with Brené Brown Hope for the Flowers* by Trina Paulus Related Episodes Start With Why, with Simon Sinek (episode 223) What to Do With Your Feelings, with Lori Gottlieb (episode 438) How to Balance Care and Accountability When Leading Virtually, with Jonathan Raymon

Andrew Carroll: CFOAndrew Andrew is a CPA and consultant at CFOAndrew who advises leaders and businesses on financial questions and change. He supports organizations in navigating taxes, investments, insurance, business strategy, operations, mergers and acquisitions, and accounting. Key Points Know the difference between deferred demand and lost demand and consider that in your strategy going forward. Leverage is meant to protect a business, not save it. Hedging is the most important thing you can do with your money. Business owners and leaders should consider unemployment programs and, in The United States, Emergency Sick Pay, Economic Injury Disaster Loan Emergency Advance, and the Paycheck Protection Program. Use the formula P=40 to 70, in which P stands for the probability of success and the numbers indicate the percentage of information acquired. Once the information is in the 40 to 70 range, go with your gut. -Colin Powell Resources Mentioned CFOAndrew Related Episodes Improve Your Fina

Scott Anthony Barlow: Happen to Your Career Scott Anthony Barlow is the founder of Happen to Your Career. He’s been featured on CNBC, Yahoo, CareerBuilder, Fast Company, and Huffington Post and various colleges and universities as a top expert on career happiness. He's held executive roles in human resources, business development, and career coaching. Scott is the host of the Happen to Your Career podcast, featuring the career stories of many successful professionals. He and his team have worked with over 25,000 people to help them stop settling, find their signature strengths, and start doing meaningful work they are enamored with. Key Points High performers leave organizations because: Work is no longer meaningful. They’ve accomplished their goals and now they’re looking for much more meaningful work, projects and challenges. Flexibility and autonomy are missing. The “when” and “how” people work is becoming incredibly important. They have outgrown the role. They perceive that just because they’ve ou

Susan Gerke: GO Team Susan Gerke has been the president of Gerke Consulting & Development. She has worked with global teams and has certified facilitators around the world to deliver management, leadership, and team offerings. Susan is co-creator of GO Team, a training suite for organizations to power team performance. Key Points Out of sight sometimes means out of mind. Perception of communication will be less than you think. Interactions over the phone/video feel more formal than they do in person, at least at the start. You don’t find out about things virtually as quickly as you do face to face. Figure out how to make space for different kinds of styles and personalities. A virtual environment tends to amplify these differences. Remember to have expectation setting conversations with family members. Some people will call you every day and some people won’t ever reach out proactively. That’s normal — find a pattern that works for each relationship. Resources Mentioned GO Team Survey re

Jonathan Raymond: Good Authority Jonathan Raymond is the founder of Refound, where he and his team work with organizations to create a company culture based in personal growth. He’s the author of the book Good Authority: How to Become the Leader Your Team Is Waiting For*. Jonathan’s team recently released The Accountability Dial 101* course to help leaders have great feedback conversations with their teams. If you are working to get better at accountability, it’s the most useful framework I know of to balance care for people and accountability for results. In this conversation, Jonathan and I discuss the Accountability Dial, how it’s most useful when leading virtually, and the importance of taking the first step. Key Points You don’t get to look good and grow at the same time. Assume positive intent, regardless of where you are on the accountability dial. The Accountability Dial: The Mention: In real-time (if possible), pull them aside to offer an observation about an undesired behavior. The Invita

Elizabeth Lilla: Metro Stars Gymnastics Elizabeth Lilla is the owner of Metro Stars Gymnastics. With her husband Erik, she has owned and operated gymnastics facilities for 13 years. She was named the Nebraska Occupational Therapy Association's Practitioner of the Year for developing the Special Stars Program at her facilities. Liz has previously served as the USA Gymnastics Nebraska State Chair, and loves sharing the sport of gymnastics with boys and girls of all ages. She is also a member of the Coaching for Leaders Academy. In this conversation, Liz shares the struggle of owning a small business that had to close its physical doors due to COVID-19. She tells the story of her business, the struggle in leading change in recent weeks, and their early success in pivoting to Metro Stars Online. Key Points Metro Stars Gymnastics has a long success story of serving kids and families for 13 years, until COVID-19 shut their doors. Liz and Erik made the difficult decision to retain their full-time staff and pa

Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed Bonni Stachowiak is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, a professor of business and management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, Bonni was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. She is the author of The Productive Online and Offline Professor: A Practical Guide*. Listener Questions Toni asked about the best way to deal with people who don’t want to grow. Russ wanted our opinion on the best way to interview potential new hires. Sami wondering about the best way to utilize personality assessments. Laura asked our opinion on taking a step back in compensation for a job position she really wants. Resources Mentioned StrengthsFinder Stronger Teams training for individuals and teams (use code CFL10 for a 10% tuition discount) How the Best Bosses Interrupt Bias on Their Teams by Joan Williams and Sky Mihaylo Related Episodes How to Get the Ideal Team Player, with P

Tina Payne Bryson: The Power of Showing Up Tina Payne Bryson is a psychotherapist and the Founder/Executive Director of The Center for Connection, a multidisciplinary clinical practice, and of The Play Strong Institute, a center devoted to the study, research, and practice of play therapy through a neurodevelopment lens. Tina is the author with Dan Siegel two New York Times bestsellers, The Whole-Brain Child* and No Drama Discipline*, each of which has been translated into over forty languages. She’s recently released with Dan their newest book, The Power of Showing Up: How Parental Presence Shapes Who Our Kids Become and How Their Brains Get Wired*. In this conversation, Tina and I explore what it means to show up for kids and why it’s more than just being physically present. We discuss the distinction between being seen vs. being shamed. Plus, practical actions that parents, family members, and other caregivers can take to empower children. Key Points Our research and experience suggest that raising happy

Gina Bianchini: Mighty Networks Gina Bianchini is the Founder & CEO of Mighty Networks*. She is an expert on network effects. Mighty Networks is a pivot from the enterprise-only platform Mightybell, which powered communities for Intuit, American Express, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Mighty Networks has unlocked the opportunity to elevate the rapidly growing world of creators with a purpose. Gina and Mighty Networks have been featured in Fast Company, Wired, Vanity Fair, Bloomberg, and The New York Times. In this conversation, Gina and I discussed the importance of a big, specific mission for an organization. In addition, the necessity to stay dedicated to that mission, especially during difficult times. Plus, she reminders us of the value in bringing all stakeholders along with that mission. Key Points We are a master class in having a mission and deciding it is important no matter what is happening elsewhere. Mission and Purpose Mission and purpose need to be big — and be specific. Make

Hortense le Gentil: Aligned Hortense is an Executive Leadership Coach and the President and Founder of JAY Consulting. She works with C-suite executives from Fortune 500 companies, supporting them in their development and leadership by working with them on the alignment between their personal values and their professional activities. Hortense is part of the Marshall Goldsmith’s prestigious 100 Coaches Project. She has been selected to receive a Thinkers 50 coaching award for excellence in her field. She is the author of several articles about leadership and coaching in such publications as Leader to Leader. She is the author of the book Aligned: Connecting Your True Self with the Leader You’re Meant to Be*. Key Points We are often blind to these invisible lines running throughout our lives. Reflecting on the role models others have admired in their lives can provide insight on what they value. Fictional characters, colors, animals, tress, and even countries can also provide insight into values. Wisdo

Michael Bungay Stanier: The Advice Trap Michael Bungay Stanier is at the forefront of shaping how organizations around the world make being coach-like an essential leadership competency. His book The Coaching Habit* is the best-selling coaching book of this century, with over 700,000 copies sold and 1,000+ five-star reviews on Amazon. He’s the author of the new book The Advice Trap: Be Humble, Stay Curious, and Change the Way You Lead Forever*. In this conversation, Michael and I discuss why advice is overrated and often displays poor leadership. Michael shows up how to avoid coaching ghosts and dealing with people who can’t stop talking. Plus, we explore how to keep people engaged in the conversation, become more coach-like, and qualify advices when the time is right to give it. Key Points Advice is overrated. Not advice itself. There’s a time and a place for good advice. The problem is the default habit of giving advice. -Michael Bungay Stanier The Advice Trap: The more I give them advice, the more they w

Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed Bonni Stachowiak is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, a professor of business and management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, Bonni was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. She is the author of The Productive Online and Offline Professor: A Practical Guide*. Listener Questions Chris asked for ideas on changing behavior after hearing that his questions/challenges were being perceived as aggressive. Steve wanted to know if there are times when you shouldn’t lead. Colin asked for advice on supporting a colleague who is looking into leadership certificate programs. Jill wondered how I select guests for the show. Related Episodes How to Get Way Better at Accepting Feedback, with Sheila Heen (episode 143) How to Succeed with Leadership and Management, with John Kotter (episode 249) The Choice for Compassion, with Edith Eger (episode 336) Leadership vs. Manage

Susan Rice: Tough Love Susan Rice served at the United States ambassador to the United Nations during President Barack Obama’s first term in office. She was later appointed by President Obama as National Security Advisor, a position she held until the end of his presidency. Today she is the Distinguished Visiting Research Fellow at the School of International Service at American University, a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times. She is the author the New York Times bestseller Tough Love: My Story of Things Worth Fighting For*. In this conversation, Susan and I discuss how her upbringing shaped her skills at mediation, the course corrections she navigated in her career to get better, and how she ensured all perspective were heard inside President Obama’s National Security Council meetings. Key Points Susan’s early experience mediating the arguments between h

Colleen Bordeaux: Am I Doing This Right? Colleen Bordeaux is a best-selling author, speaker and human capital consultant based in Chicago. She has been published everywhere from the Chicago Sun Times to the Huffington Post and has been endorsed by New York Times columnist and past guest Barry Schwartz and Sunday Times bestselling author Louise Parker. Her popular blog has reached more than 200,000 readers and she leads a women’s mastermind group in Chicago. She is the author of the new book: Am I Doing This Right?: A Philosophical Guide to Life in the Age of Overwhelm*. In this conversation, Colleen and I discuss the power of relationships — and some of the key principles for cultivating the very best relationships to support you, both professionally and personally. Key Points You are the same today that you are going to be in five years except for two things: the people with whom you associate, and the books you read. -Charles Jones To be nobody but yourself in a world which does its best, day and night, t

David Marquet: Leadership is Language David Marquet is the former commander of the U.S.S. Santa Fe, a nuclear-powered attack submarine. Under David’s command, the ship had an impressive turnaround, achieving the highest retention and operational standings in the Navy. David is the author of the bestseller Turn the Ship Around: A True Story of Turning Followers Into Leaders* and has just released his new book, Leadership is Language: The Hidden Power of What You Say and What You Don’t*. In this conversation, David and I explore the seven sins of questioning. David shares the story of the ill-fated El Faro and how we can discover better information in leadership by making the shift from self-affirming to self-educating. Key Points A leading question comes from a place of thinking the person is wrong, or that you have the answer. I hear this a lot from people who think they have the right answer but don’t want to use say so, so they use the Socratic method as a “teaching moment.” It’s annoying and arrogant.