Practical Wisdom for Leaders with Scott J. Allen, Ph.D.

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.

Send us a textJon Macaskill is a retired Navy SEAL Commander turned speaker, mindfulness teacher, and leadership coach. Over his 24-year military career, he led special operations organizations ranging from 16 men to over 2,500 people. Today, he blends hard-earned military lessons with mindful leadership tools to help individuals and organizations grow through resilience, grit, and compassion. At the heart of it all, he uses his voice, presence, and past (especially the hard parts) to help others unlock their potential.A  Couple of Quotes From This Episode“Being nice feels good in the moment. Being kind is longer lasting.”“I would rather not pick a side and join the two sides than pick a side and divide us.”Resources Mentioned in This EpisodeJon's WebsiteBook: Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity by Peter Attia. Book: Lifespan by David SinclairAbout 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Jonathan Reams, a leadership researcher and former chief creative officer at the Center for Transformative Leadership, shares insights on developing leadership skills. He emphasizes the importance of internal processes in leadership, suggesting that resilience is about expanding capacity rather than bouncing back. Jonathan challenges traditional training methods, advocating for a shift from content to process-based learning. He also highlights the significance of self-awareness and reflective practices in cultivating effective leadership.

Send us a textJohn Dailey – A high school diving coach for more than 45 years, John is known for his infectious energy, big-hearted mentorship, and focus on building confidence and resilience in young athletes.Chris Whritenour – A trailblazing coach and former University of Minnesota diver (and its first female coach). Chris broke barriers as one of the first women to sign a collegiate athletic letter of intent and has spent decades inspiring divers (especially young women) to believe in their own strength.Dennis Pluth – A passionate former diver and coach for nearly two decades, Dennis blends tough love with deep care, challenging athletes to take ownership of their growth while celebrating the lifelong community the sport creates.Bret Beecher – A lifelong coach who began at 15 and has led athletes from high school to collegiate levels, Bret treasures the long-term relationships with his divers and the joy of watching them grow into confident, accomplished adults.Quotes From This Episode"Diving is 85% mental, 15% physical—we spend an awful lot of time running around inside these kids’ heads.” — John Dailey“You can tell when someone’s genuine, just by showing up every day and making them believe they can.” — Chris Whritenour“Diving accepted me for who I am." — Dennis Pluth“Whether you finish in last place or first place, the kids will never forget the experience they had from their coaches and teammates.” — Bret BeecherAbout The International Leadership Association (ILA)The ILA was created in 1999 to bring together professionals interested in studying, practicing, and teaching leadership. Plan for Prague - October 15-18, 2025!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.

Send us a textNicole Ferry is a tenure-track assistant professor at Copenhagen Business School. Drawing on her background in cultural studies and critical theory, her research examines the ideological and gendered discourses of leadership and leadership development across diverse contexts. She has published in Journal of Business Ethics, Leadership, Management Learning, Gender, Work and Organization, and Academy of Management Learning & Education. Her current work explores the competitive and cultural dynamics of the leadership industries, as well as contemporary approaches to gender-based leadership development.Quotes From This Episode“If men don’t connect personal identity work to gender and power, we won’t achieve equity.”“It’s a privilege not to have to think about how your gender shapes your leadership.”Resources Mentioned in This EpisodeArticle: Men’s Leadership Development: A Framework for Advancing Gender Equity in Leadership DevelopmentTelevision: AdolescenceTelevision: MenFilm: Coherence Television: The BearAbout The International Leadership Association (ILA)The ILA was created in 1999 to bring together professionals interested in studying, practicing, and teaching leadership. Plan for Prague - October 15-18, 2025!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.