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

Send us a textJim Vaselopulos is a C-level business advisor and executive coach with a proven record as a leader, strategist, rainmaker, and expert in new business development. With his principled leadership, visionary approach, and effective execution, Jim has successfully established new companies and transformed underperforming organizations. As the founder of Rafti Advisors, Jim assists early-stage businesses in launching successfully, growth-stage enterprises in accelerating their progress, and established organizations in navigating complex challenges and strategic shifts. Jim teaches sales and professional development and frequently speaks on the subjects of leadership and innovation. He also volunteers regularly with business incubators and veterans groups. Jim is also the author of Clarity: Business Wisdom to Work Less and Achieve More and the co-host of The Leadership Podcast.He graduated from the University of Illinois with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and earned his MBA at Marquette University. Jim is a dedicated husband and father of two wonderful children with his wife, Dana.A Few Quotes From This Episode“If you feel like you’re playing Whack-a-Mole, you’re not digging deep enough, you’re not curious enough about what the real root cause is.”“When we talk about things that are symptoms, I’m not saying they’re not important…but the underlying condition is deeper.”“Balance is not something you get once and keep forever. You need feedback, and you need to keep adjusting.”Resources Mentioned in This Episode Author: Peter ZeihanAuthor: Jordan PetersonAuthor: Leslie Zane 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.

Send us a textJeff Sigel is an author, coach, and consultant who is passionate about creating better work environments and more fulfilling careers for middle managers everywhere. After over 20 years of corporate experience at Nabisco, The Hershey Company, grocery retailer Ahold, and the restaurant company Cracker Barrel, Jeff has shifted his focus to coaching mid-level leaders and supporting companies looking to empower their middle management teams. He is currently a consultant and coach focused on turning strategy into action by developing middle management excellence. His book, "The Middle Matters: A Toolkit for Middle Managers" was published in June 2024.A Few (Awesome) Quotes From This Episode“I spent a lot of years in middle management doing stuff wrong.”"These are the hardest skills that we actually have to learn to do our jobs—the so-called ‘soft skills.’""The goal of leadership is to create the conditions where you trust your team to function at a high level even when you are not there.”Resources Mentioned in This Episode Book: Leading YourselfAbout 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.

In this engaging conversation, Martin Gutmann, an author and TED speaker, discusses the profound impact of launching a podcast during the pandemic. He shares his journey of navigating the technical aspects and highlights unexpected growth from this creative venture. The duo reflects on lessons from over 275 leadership discussions, emphasizing the evolving nature of leadership and the importance of adaptability. They also explore the interplay between external pressures and personal agency, advocating for lifelong learning and collaboration in leadership.

Dr. Amy Climer, a thought leader in innovation and team development, shares her insights on fostering creativity within organizations. She emphasizes the importance of structured systems for effective problem-solving, discussing methods like design thinking. Amy highlights the significance of clarifying real problems before brainstorming. With a focus on cultivating a deliberate creative environment, she explains how shared purpose and team dynamics are key to innovation. Her practical tips aim to unlock the creativity of teams while navigating organizational challenges.

Jon Acuff, a New York Times bestselling author and dynamic speaker, dives into the nuances of sustainable success. He discusses the evolution of parenting, emphasizing timing and modeling behaviors for strong family bonds. Acuff also highlights how extraordinary leadership relies on consistency and unconventional methods. Additionally, he shares personal productivity tips, advocating for self-awareness and clear communication to enhance effectiveness. His humorous insights encourage listeners to embrace their potential and foster meaningful relationships.

Cecily Sommers, named one of the world’s “50 Leading Female Futurists” by Forbes, inspires leaders to embrace transformational change. She explains how foresight plays a crucial role in leadership, helping organizations identify advantageous opportunities. Cecily delves into essential themes like co-creation and ethical decision-making, emphasizing the need for adaptability in evolving environments. Listeners will discover the significance of creating reflective space for leaders and how engaging with innovative thinkers can fuel personal growth.

Send us a textOn his journey from a Parking Lot Attendant to CEO, Brian Cunningham has studied the leadership/followership dynamic at every level within a complex organization. As a life-long student of leadership and an explorer of numerous paths of expanded awareness, Brian has sought to uncover the larger possibilities of our service as a leader. Most importantly, we need to integrate these discoveries into the day-to-day practice of leading in our increasing complexity.As a reflection of these many years of ongoing study, research, and real-life application, Brian has written three groundbreaking books that illuminate the keys to our developmental progression into the highest levels of leadership service. His most recent book, Leadership: The Universal Principles, details the two universal principles that are foundational to our growth in leadership and in life. This book provides a practical framework that can be used to create your unique path of leadership mastery.A Few (Awesome) Quotes From This Episode“Leaders and followers are just two sides of the same coin, and we cannot move through significant complexity without each other."“Whatever I think or read pales in comparison to what reality teaches you.”Resources Mentioned in This Episode Book: Leadership: The Universal PrinciplesBook: Mastering Leadership by Bob Anderson and Bill AdamsBook: Scaling Leadership by Bob Anderson and Bill AdamsBook: The Cosmic Hologram by Dr. Jude CurrivanAbout 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.

Dr. Joanne Murphy, Chair of Inclusive Leadership at Birmingham Business School, shares her insights on navigating conflict in politically volatile environments. Growing up during the Troubles in Northern Ireland shaped her understanding of leadership amid strife. She discusses the legacy of John Hume and his commitment to nonviolence. Highlighting the dynamics between Catholic and Protestant communities, Joanne emphasizes the importance of relationship-building and dialogue as tools for peace and conflict resolution, urging leaders to respect diversity in their approaches.

Send us a textBob Kulhan is a professor at the Duke University Fuqua School of Business and an elite improv and sketch comedian. Bob is the Founder & CEO of Business Improv® – a 25-yr-old consultancy linking improvisation to business through behavioral sciences. His focus: People Skills. Human Connection.His clients include a who’s who of businesses (from pharma to manufacturing to aerospace), universities, organizations, and government institutions. He has also worked extensively with entrepreneurs and solopreneurs, as well as small and medium size businesses.He is the best-selling author of Getting to Yes And: The Art of Business Improv (Stanford University Press). Kulhan also created the dynamic online (asynchronous) program, Improvisational Communication in 2019, for those who want to study Business Improv in the comfort of their own homes, at their own pace.A Few (AWESOME) Quotes From This Episode‘Yes, And’ does not mean I agree with you—it means I’m here, I’m listening, and I’m building thoughtfully on what you’ve said.”“Follow the follower: Great leaders pay close attention to those they lead, because those people are actively teaching you how to lead them.”“As a leader, my job isn’t to have the right answer; it’s to find the right answer by fostering real collaboration.”Resources Mentioned in This Episode Improvised Dialogues: Emergence and Creativity in Conversation by R. Keith SawyerThe Wisdom of Crowds by James SurowieckiAbout 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 textAnthony Amunategui is the founder of CDO Group, a national commercial construction firm he started almost 25 years ago with a small group in his basement. Today CDO Group has worked with some of the world’s largest brands to build an estimated one million square feet of retail space per year. Anthony has a true passion for discovering what makes people successful in business and in life. He loves having conversations about what the future holds for us personally and professionally and the adventures that shape that journey.A Quote From This Episode"The entrepreneur of the future will be tasked with finding those still spaces to do the mental exercises - to find that mental fitness that's going to drive their success."Resources Mentioned in This EpisodeAnthony's Podcast - Future FactoryBook - AA Big Book 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.