

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

Jul 9, 2025 • 36min
Beyond Quick Fixes: Reimagining How We Develop Leaders with Dr. Barbara Kellerman
Dr. Barbara Kellerman, a Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School's Center for Public Leadership and renowned leadership author, shares her insights on evolving leadership development. She critiques the quick-fix mentality prevalent in the leadership industry, emphasizing the need for lifelong learning and a more holistic approach. Kellerman discusses the decline of public trust in leaders and advocates for integrating follower dynamics into leadership education. The conversation also touches on the intersection of creativity and leadership, enriching the discourse with cinematic references.

Jul 2, 2025 • 38min
Soul-Centered Leadership with Richard Barrett
Richard Barrett, President of the Barrett Academy, brings a wealth of knowledge in leadership and transformation. He dives deep into self-leadership, emphasizing the importance of understanding one’s values for guiding others. Listeners explore the evolution of consciousness and worldview clashes, calling for humanity awareness in education. Barrett highlights the impact of nurturing personal growth through supportive education systems, illustrating how intentional development can enhance societal well-being. The power of self-expression and meaningful connections also take center stage, urging listeners on their journey of self-discovery.

Jun 25, 2025 • 34min
Collective Leadership with Dr. Richard Bolden
In a captivating discussion, Richard Bolden, a Professor of Leadership and Management, dives into the transformative world of collective leadership. He prompts a shift from traditional hierarchies to collaboration, emphasizing inclusivity and diverse perspectives. Richard unpacks the hidden dynamics of workplace interactions, discussing how casual connections enhance team efficiency. The conversation also explores community leadership, advocating for alignment among organizations to increase collective impact, and reflects on impactful learning resources that shape the future of leadership.

Jun 18, 2025 • 35min
Deeds, Not Words: How Leaders Combat Genderwashing with Dr. Rita A. Gardiner & Dr. Hayley Baker
Send us a textDr. Rita A. Gardiner is an Associate Professor, Critical Policy, Equity, and Leadership Studies, Faculty of Education, Western University, Canada. Her publications include articles in Gender, Work and Organization, Business Ethics Quarterly, and Organization Studies. She has published extensively on the topic of authentic leadership including a monograph entitled Gender, Authenticity, and Leadership: Thinking with Arendt. As well, Rita is the lead editor of a new international collection exploring the concept of genderwashing in leadership and diverse organizations. Dr. Hayley Baker is an Assistant Professor, School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Western University, Canada. Her scholarly interests include leadership, gender, and sport. Her research has focused on addressing the underrepresentation of women coaches at Canadian universities by exploring normalized institutional practices and processes. Additionally, she has examined the implementation of gender-based violence policies in universities and Canadian sport organizations. A Couple Quotes From This Episode“I think, put simply, genderwashing is really a myth… a myth of gender equality in organizations.“It’s about organizational rhetoric versus lived experience, and we’re looking at the tensions between them.”Resources Mentioned in This Episode Book: Genderwashing in Leadership: Power, Policies and PoliticsBook: Leadership Ethics: An IntroductionTelevision Show: The Traitors (UK)About 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 v ♻️ 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.

Jun 11, 2025 • 36min
From Submarine to Spaceport: Adaptive Leadership with Trey Carlson
Trey Carlson, Chief of Staff for NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and former U.S. Navy submariner, shares his journey from military operations to space leadership. He discusses the critical importance of relationships and communication in high-stakes environments. Carlson reveals how his early culinary experiences on submarines shaped his leadership style. The conversation delves into the challenges of navigating leadership transitions and emphasizes open dialogue in diverse teams, showcasing how investing in relationships can elevate organizational morale and foster collaboration.

Jun 4, 2025 • 46min
The Climate Change Leadership Imperative with Dr. Doug MacKie
Send us a textDr. Doug MacKie has over 30 years of experience as an organisational and business psychologist and executive coach working in the UK, Europe, and Australasia. He specialises in sustainability leadership, high-performance teams, and developing leadership within purposeful organisations. Through his consulting work, he has helped identify and accelerate the development of ethical leadership and team capability in CEO’s, C-Suite executives, and MDs within many of the top 100 companies in the UK and Australia. He is the author of the definitive guide to Strength-Based Leadership Coaching in Organisations (2016) and is a co-editor of The Practitioners Handbook of Team Coaching (2019). He has recently established the Centre for Climate Change Leadership in Organisations and is the editor of the Handbook on this topic, published in 2023.A Few Quotes From This Episode“There is a significant gap between the scale and impact of anthropogenic climate change and the capacity of contemporary leadership to address those issues.”“We need to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation.”“We’re not good at long-term thinking as a species.”Resources Mentioned in This Episode Book: Handbook of Climate Change Leadership in Organisations by MacKie (25AFLY2 will get listeners 20% off the handbook)Book: Lead for the Planet by AndreBook: Earth for All by Dixon-Decleve et al Book: Climate Change by Hulme Book: Ethical Leadership: A Primer by McManus,R.M. et alBook: The Sustainability Mindset Principles by RimanoczyAbout 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 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.

May 28, 2025 • 40min
When Theory Meets Reality with Dr. Juandré Peacock
Send us a textDr. Juandré Peacock is an accomplished organizational psychologist and speaker. He holds Master's and Doctorate degrees in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, credentials that have underpinned a distinguished career working with some of the most complex organizations in the world.As a practitioner psychologist, Dr. Peacock applies research-based insights and strategies to every solution to ensure maximum impact. His work spans industries and continents, helping organizations foster connection and engagement, reduce attrition, and create cultures of growth and stability.An advocate for lifelong learning and innovation, Dr. Peacock has developed proprietary frameworks like RocketStart™, Cornerstone Skills for Managers™, and SynergisticChange™— tools designed to revolutionize how organizations approach talent development and change.Known for his engaging delivery, Dr. Peacock crafts experiences integrating scientific research with inspirational narratives into actionable insights for all organizations. When not consulting or speaking, Dr. Peacock spends time with his wife, two children, and two dogs. Most weekends are spent in youth sports or arts, with the occasional fishing trip when time allows.A Quote From This Episode"I think there's a little bit of a disconnect between what you learn in the books and what you get to apply in the job space...when you learn about these things, what you don't learn are the real world constraints that organizations have to deal with...it's all well and good to try to do a job analysis by the book, it's extremely difficult to do it in practice."Resources Mentioned in This Episode Book: The Reacher Series by Lee Child About 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.

May 21, 2025 • 37min
Exploring Virtue-Based Leadership with Dr. Toby Newstead
Send us a textDr. Toby Newstead is a respected leadership scholar and practitioner at the University of Tasmania, located in lutruwita on the lands of the palawa and pakana people. With a background in corporate change, leadership development, and professional communications, she brings practical expertise to her academic, coaching, and consulting work.An internationally recognized researcher, Dr. Newstead specializes in virtues-based leadership development, leadership ethics, and leadership in the volunteer sector. Her research appears in top journals. In 2023, she published a book titled Leadership and Virtues: Understanding and Practicing Good Leadership.Dr. Newstead is an established executive leadership coach and deeply engaged with industry and community. She regularly delivers impactful workshops, keynotes, and facilitation sessions. Dr Newstead’s research, teaching, coaching and facilitation has local and international impact, shaping the leaders of today and tomorrow.A Quote From This Episode“If we can insert virtues between stimulus and response, we can be more intentional about who we are and how we show up as leaders.”Resources Mentioned in This Episode Book: Lessons in ChemistryBook: The Dreaming PathAbout 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.

May 14, 2025 • 38min
Leadership Unscripted: Leadership Learning from Pop Culture and Media with Dr. Brigitte Biehl
Send us a textDr. Brigitte Biehl is a Professor at SRH University of Applied Sciences in Berlin and a visiting researcher at FernUniversity in Hagen, Germany, where she worked as a guest professor for Gender and Queer Studies in Leadership and where she was awarded a Venia Legendi in 2024. Biehl serves on the editorial boards of "Management Learning," "Leadership," and "Organizational Aesthetics." Among her publications are books on “Leadership in Games of Thrones,” and “Leadership Lessons from the Kardashians.” She researches leadership development, art and leadership, and gender issues.A Few (Awesome) Quotes From This Episode“Leadership really is everywhere.”“Let yourself be affected, go on a journey with the characters. Be seduced by the film experience, distance yourself from it, and then draw your conclusions.”“Film can help us become better leaders and better followers.”Resources Mentioned in This Episode Book: Leadership Lessons from the KardashiansBook: Leadership in Games of ThronesDocumentary: Crip CampFilm: CODAAbout 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.

May 7, 2025 • 36min
Leadership in Ukraine: Studies During Wartime with Dr. Alexander Negrov and Dr. Ron Riggio
Send us a textAlexander Negrow, Ph.D., is a theologian and leadership researcher with over thirty years of teaching and leadership experience. As the founder and President of Hodos Institute, he leads efforts to impact leadership practices in the United States and his country of birth, Ukraine. He is deeply passionate about advancing spiritual, ethical, and effective leadership, as well as spiritual coaching and guidance. Dr. Negrov integrates all these practices into his broader leadership philosophy. Ronald E. Riggio, Ph. D., is the Henry R. Kravis Professor of Leadership and Organizational Psychology and former director of the Kravis Leadership Institute at Claremont McKenna College. He is the author of more than a dozen books and more than 100 research articles and book chapters on leadership, assessment centers, organizational psychology, and social psychology. He's served on the editorial boards of The Leadership Quarterly, Leadership, Group Dynamics, and Journal of Nonverbal Behavior.A Few Quotes From This Episode“Peace is like air; when it's there, you don't notice it. When it's absent, you suffocate.""Partnership, not competition, became a key theme and practice of Ukrainian leadership during this wartime.""Leadership begins and ends with presence—being there, next to people when they're hurt."Resources Mentioned in This Episode Leadership in Ukraine: Studies During Wartime Hodos Leadership About 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 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.