

Practical Wisdom for Leaders with Scott J. Allen, Ph.D.
Scott J. Allen
Practical Wisdom for Leaders is your fast-paced, forward-thinking guide to leadership. Join host Scott J. Allen as he engages with remarkable guests—from former world leaders and nonprofit innovators to renowned professors, CEOs, and authors. Each episode offers timely insights and actionable tips designed to help you lead with impact, grow personally and professionally, and make a meaningful difference in your corner of the world.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 17, 2025 • 42min
Bold Career Pivots with Misha Rubin
Send us a textMisha Rubin is an executive “What’s Next” strategist who helps C-level leaders and high-achievers break income ceilings, land strategic leadership roles, and navigate bold career pivots while regaining meaning and momentum. Grounded in 15+ years as a Wall Street advisor and former EY Partner, he’s led $100M+ transformations and coached hundreds of executives to breakthroughs in compensation, clarity, and career strategy. His work is results-focused, built around executive positioning and decision-making, and supported by a proprietary tool that brings vision, clarity, and next-step confidence.A Few Quotes From This Episode“We are CEOs of our careers and our lives, and somehow we tolerate not having a strategy for them.”“The slow lane is gone. If you are in a slow lane, that’s not a great place to be nowadays.”“You have to be nimble and bold to meet the needs of the future.”Resources Mentioned in This EpisodeBook: Loving What Is by Byron Katie The Future of Jobs Report 2025 by the World Economic Forum About The International Leadership Association (ILA)The ILA was created in 1999 to bring together professionals interested in studying, practicing, and teaching leadership. About Scott J. AllenWebsiteWeekly Newsletter: Practical Wisdom for LeadersMy Approach to HostingThe views of my guests do not constitute "truth." Nor do they reflect my personal views in some instances. However, they are views to consider, and I hope they help you clarify your perspective. ♻️ Please share with others and follow/subscribe to the podcast!⭐️ Please leave a review on Apple, Spotify, or your platform of choice.➡️ Follow me on LinkedIn for more on leadership, communication, and tech.📜 Subscribe to my weekly newsletter featuring four hand-picked articles.🌎 You can learn more about my work on my Website.

Dec 10, 2025 • 56min
Rethinking The Polarity Map with Dr. Joel Rothaizer
Dr. Joel Rothaizer, a board-certified organizational psychologist and leadership coach, shares insights on polarity thinking. He explains how understanding concepts like collaboration and decisiveness as polarities can enhance leadership effectiveness. Joel discusses the downsides of over-prioritizing one value, illustrating how this can hinder growth and decision-making. He emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence and crafting a personal purpose for balance. Tune in for practical strategies to navigate these complexities in leadership!

Dec 3, 2025 • 44min
The Wake I Leave with Dr. Joel Rothaizer
Send us a textDr. Joel Rothaizer is a psychologist, executive coach, organizational consultant and leadership development specialist. He’s Board Certified in Organizational & Business Consulting Psychology, and a Master Certified Coach through the International Coaching Federation. His book on leadership, called Clear Impact, has been strongly endorsed by Ken Wilber. The head of Integral Zen calls it the most integral book on leadership he’s ever read.A Few Quotes From This Episode“You leave a wake in every interaction. The real question is not just what kind of wake you left, but whether you even noticed.”“Thirty seconds before every conversation, set a task goal and a people goal. That one habit can catapult your leadership capacity.”“Performance isn’t about you or me — it’s about how we’re doing together. Start a performance conversation with that and everything shifts.”Resources Mentioned in This EpisodeBook: Clear Impact by Dr. Joel RothaizerArticle: Guaranteed to Optimize Your Leadership Effectiveness in Minutes a Day by Dr. Joel RothaizerArticle: The Wake I Leave by Dr. Joel Rothaizer Article: Co-Responsibility: The Essential Foundation for Effective Performance Collaboration by Dr. Joel RothaizerArticle: Organizational Leader: Do You Really “Think Systems”?Book: Cloudless Mind: Conversations on Buddhahood by Dan BrownTed Talk: Everyday Leadership by Drew DudleyAbout The International Leadership Association (ILA)The ILA was created in 1999 to bring together professionals interested in studying, practicing, and teaching leadership. About Scott J. AllenWebsiteWeekly Newsletter: Practical Wisdom for LeadersMy Approach to HostingThe views of my guests do not constitute "truth." Nor do they reflect my personal views in some instances. However, they are views to consider, and I hope they help you clarify your perspective. Nothing can replace your reflection, research, and explorati ♻️ Please share with others and follow/subscribe to the podcast!⭐️ Please leave a review on Apple, Spotify, or your platform of choice.➡️ Follow me on LinkedIn for more on leadership, communication, and tech.📜 Subscribe to my weekly newsletter featuring four hand-picked articles.🌎 You can learn more about my work on my Website.

Nov 26, 2025 • 47min
Listening Without Agenda with Andrew McMasters
Andrew McMasters, an actor, director, and leadership consultant, shares his unique insights into blending performance with business strategy. He emphasizes how actors' tools like body language can transform leadership communication. Through the 'yes and' principle from improv, he advocates for letting go of agendas to foster collaboration and creativity. McMasters also discusses the importance of practical exercises for leaders to enhance listening and engagement, demonstrating how small changes can lead to significant shifts in team dynamics.

Nov 19, 2025 • 39min
Slow Is Smooth, Smooth Is Fast with Jon Macaskill
Jon Macaskill, a retired U.S. Navy SEAL commander and mindfulness teacher, shares his journey from military leadership to compassionate coaching. He discusses the importance of bridging political divides and fostering unity through mindfulness, emphasizing emotional regulation and empathy. Jon explains the SEAL mantra 'slow is smooth, smooth is fast,' advocating for deliberate action to reduce mistakes. He also highlights the difference between kindness and niceness, advocating for candid feedback in leadership while holding others accountable.

Nov 12, 2025 • 36min
You're the Boss with Sabina Nawaz
Send us a textSabina Nawaz is the author of YOU’RE THE BOSS: Become the Manager You Want to Be (and Others Need) and an elite executive coach who advises C-level executives and teams at Fortune 500 corporations, government agencies, nonprofits, and academic institutions around the world. Sabina routinely gives speeches each year and teaches faculty at Northeastern and Drexel Universities. During her fourteen-year tenure at Microsoft, she went from managing software development teams to leading the company’s executive development and succession planning efforts for over 11,000 managers and nearly a thousand executives, advising Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer directly. She has written for and been featured in Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, NBC, Nasdaq, and MarketWatch.A Few Quotes From This Episode“It’s not power that corrupts. It’s pressure.”“As our job expands, the added pressure to perform corrupts our actions, and our increased power will blind us to the impact of those actions.”Resources Mentioned in This EpisodeBook: You’re the Boss: Become the Manager You Want to Be and Others Need by Sabina NawazForbes Article: “Under Pressure: Why Stress, Not Power, Corrupts Leadership Actions” by Sabina Nawaz on ForbesBook: Creative Acts for Curious People by Sarah Stein GreenbergAbout The International Leadership Association (ILA)The ILA was created in 1999 to bring together professionals interested in studying, practicing, and teaching leadership. About Scott J. AllenWebsiteWeekly Newsletter: Practical Wisdom for LeadersMy Approach to HostingThe views of my guests do not constitute "truth." Nor do they reflect my personal views in some instances. However, they are views to consider, and I hope they help you clarify your perspective. Nothing can replace your reflection, research, and exploration of the topic. ♻️ Please share with others and follow/subscribe to the podcast!⭐️ Please leave a review on Apple, Spotify, or your platform of choice.➡️ Follow me on LinkedIn for more on leadership, communication, and tech.📜 Subscribe to my weekly newsletter featuring four hand-picked articles.🌎 You can learn more about my work on my Website.

Nov 5, 2025 • 37min
Profit With Purpose with Sunil Puri
Send us a textSunil Puri is a thought leader with over two decades of experience in leadership development, sustainability, and data analytics. Currently serving as the head of research and engagement at the Stewardship Asia Centre (SAC) in Singapore.A Few Quotes From This Episode"Most leadership decisions today are not either/or. They are both/and."“Doing well by doing good. If it's doing well and doing good, then doing good becomes an afterthought.”Resources Mentioned in This EpisodeBook: Grow the Pie by Alex EdmansBook: Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa YoganandaAbout The International Leadership Association (ILA)The ILA was created in 1999 to bring together professionals interested in studying, practicing, and teaching leadership. About Scott J. AllenWebsiteWeekly Newsletter: Practical Wisdom for LeadersBlogMy Approach to HostingThe views of my guests do not constitute "truth." Nor do they reflect my personal views in some instances. However, they are views to consider, and I hope they help you clarify your perspective. Nothing can replace your reflection, research, and exploration of the topic. ♻️ Please share with others and follow/subscribe to the podcast!⭐️ Please leave a review on Apple, Spotify, or your platform of choice.➡️ Follow me on LinkedIn for more on leadership, communication, and tech.📜 Subscribe to my weekly newsletter featuring four hand-picked articles.🌎 You can learn more about my work on my Website.

Oct 29, 2025 • 29min
Leadership at the Crossroads with Dr. Hsien-Hsien Lei
Send us a textDr. Hsien-Hsien Lei is Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of The American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Singapore — the largest and the most active international business association in Singapore and Southeast Asia representing over 650 companies. Hsien is also Adjunct Associate Professor at the National University of Singapore Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, member of the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Advisory Board, Vice President of the Precision Public Health Asia Society, board member and fundraising committee chair of TalentTrust, board committee member of SATA CommHealth and advisory committee member at the Singapore University of Social Sciences School of Business.A Quote From This Episode"The truth is Singapore itself is a very small market…And yet its influence and its ability to do more for the rest of the world is really impressive.”Resources Mentioned in This EpisodeBook: Any Dumb-Ass Can Do It: Learning Moments from an Everyday CEO of a Multi-Billion-Dollar Company, Garry Ridge & Martha Finney. Book: Helping People Win at Work: A Business Philosophy Called “Don’t Mark My Paper, Help Me Get an A by Garry Ridge & Ken Blanchard.About The International Leadership Association (ILA)The ILA was created in 1999 to bring together professionals interested in studying, practicing, and teaching leadership. About Scott J. AllenWebsiteWeekly Newsletter: Practical Wisdom for LeadersBlogMy Approach to HostingThe views of my guests do not constitute "truth." Nor do they reflect my personal views in some instances. However, they are views to consider, and I hope they help you clarify your perspective. Nothing can replace your reflection, research, and exploration of the topic. ♻️ Please share with others and follow/subscribe to the podcast!⭐️ Please leave a review on Apple, Spotify, or your platform of choice.➡️ Follow me on LinkedIn for more on leadership, communication, and tech.📜 Subscribe to my weekly newsletter featuring four hand-picked articles.🌎 You can learn more about my work on my Website.

9 snips
Oct 22, 2025 • 37min
Exploring with Purpose (3) with Dr. Jonathan Reams
Join Jonathan Reams, a leadership researcher and former NTNU faculty, as he delves into the complexities of leadership development. He explores how context shapes learning, likening leadership to everyday helpfulness rather than technical skills. Reams emphasizes the importance of self-regulation, stating, 'leaders create the weather' for their teams. He also introduces practical strategies for fostering a growth-oriented learning culture, highlighting the significance of micro-skills and iterative experimentation in leadership development.

Oct 15, 2025 • 36min
Exploring with Purpose (2) with Dr. Jonathan Reams
Dr. Jonathan Reams, a leadership researcher and chief creative officer at the Center for Transformative Leadership, shares insights on effective leadership training. He discusses the 'knowing-doing gap' and why traditional methods often fail. Reams emphasizes that true leadership is about moment-to-moment behavior and micro-skills. He introduces dynamic skill theory and offers practical advice for time-starved leaders, highlighting the importance of granular feedback and habit design techniques. The conversation is packed with actionable strategies for cultivating effective leadership practices.


