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

Martin Gonzalez, creator of Google’s Effective Founders Project and a renowned lecturer on entrepreneurship, dives into the complexities of team dynamics in startups. He discusses the parallels between charismatic leadership and cult dynamics, revealing how challenges can foster team cohesion. Martin emphasizes that human interactions are just as important as tech for startup success. He introduces the 'Bonfire moment' concept to enhance teamwork and explores fostering innovation while maintaining high standards within organizations.

Send us a textDr. Carla Ortega Santori is the Strategic Initiatives Manager at the Doerr Institute for New Leaders. Prior to this, she developed learning and development strategies at a leading healthcare company in Puerto Rico. Carla has worked as an Executive Recruiter and volunteered as an AmeriCorps VISTA.She holds a Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Carlos Albizu University and a B.A. in Psychology from Villanova University. Her doctoral dissertation studied the psychometric properties of the Passion for Work scale in a Puerto Rican population.Dr. Dennis McCunney works in the Center for Student Success at East Carolina University and serves as an adjunct faculty member in political science and adult education. He started at ECU in 2012 as director of the Volunteer and Service-Learning Center, where he expanded the center’s scope to include leadership education, global learning, and civic engagement programming. He led ECU’s first effort to become classified as a Leadership for Public Purpose university through the American Council on Education. His professional and research interests include public service and leadership development, organizational development, intercultural/global learning, and campus-community partnerships. He serves on the leadership team for the NASPA Spirituality and Religion Knowledge Community and on the board of directors for Amizade, a fair trade learning nonprofit.A Quote From This Episode"HigherLed is a learning network that creates the conditions for continuous improvement in the areas of leadership education and development (Led) in higher education to help create more and better Leaders for our society."Resources Mentioned in This EpisodeWebsite - HigherLedWebsite - Doerr InstitueBog Post - Zone of Proximal Development Book - Comfort Crisis by Michael EasterTelevision Show - The BoysTelevision Show - The BearVideo - Thriller by Michael Jackson About The International Leadership Association (ILA)The ILA was created in 1999 to bring together professionals interested in studying, practicing, and teaching leadership. Register for ILA's 26th Global Conference in Chicago, IL - November 7-10, 2024.About  Scott J. AllenWebsiteWeekly Newsletter: ♻️ 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 textAs Trove’s Chief Executive Officer, Amjed Saffarini guides the organization from both a growth and customer-centric perspective, building a nationally recognized, award-winning family office that focuses on exceptional outcomes and outstanding client service. As a board member and CEO, he leads a team of experts who serve as trusted advisors for our families and are helping to build, manage, and grow the company. Amjed’s focus is to deliver a flawless and highly valued experience for our clients by ensuring excellence across all aspects of the company, including family office services, lifestyle management, business advisory, and tax services. By bringing new ideas, processes, and technologies to industries such as education, cybersecurity training, and now family office, Amjed has built a career transforming organizations and delivering successful outcomes. With experience leading growth teams, companies, and serving on multiple boards, he knows the value of communication, coaching, and mentoring to deliver purposeful and successful companies. Amjed earned a Bachelor of Science in Cell Biology and Neuroscience from Rutgers University. He is a Board Leadership Fellow at the National Association of Corporate Directors.A Quote From This Episode"You give them something really interesting to work on as a problem set, and then you keep making the problems harder and harder and harder...they're always seeking that next challenge. They're leveling up, and we've effectively gamified their work experience because of that. But, at the same time, they're working on projects that are not just gamified, but they're gamified and really interesting."Resources Mentioned in This EpisodeBook - Peak by Ericsson & PoolBook - Comfort Crisis by EasterConcept - Zone of Proximal Development by Vygotsky About The International Leadership Association (ILA)The ILA was created in 1999 to bring together professionals interested in studying, practicing, and teaching leadership. Register for ILA's 26th Global Conference in Chicago, IL - November 7-10, 2024.About  Scott J. AllenWebsiteWeekly Newsletter: The Leader's EdgeBlogMy 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, ♻️ 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 textPeter Moustakerski is CEO of Family Office Exchange (FOX), the premier resource for families managing private enterprises and family wealth across generations. For over 30 years, FOX has been recognized as the industry’s most exclusive, innovative, and influential community for peer networking and learning, and has provided independent insights, expert guidance, and practical solutions to complex problems related to family transitions and family wealth.​Peter has spent more than 25 years as a C-level strategist and executive in various industries, including wealth management, capital markets, and technology. He is a former family office executive and FOX member, management consultant, and entrepreneur. He has served as a strategy, innovation, and growth leader for several private and public companies and founded two start-ups in New York City and China.​Before joining FOX, Peter served as Chief Operating Officer of the family office of the founder of Bridgewater Associates, where he worked closely with the principal family members to envision and oversee the redesign of the family office strategy and day-to-day operations to better serve the family's evolving needs. Peter holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BS in Computer Science and Engineering from Zhejiang University in China, and is proficient in Mandarin, Russian, and Bulgarian.​Before that, Peter was a management consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton, advising many of the world’s top C-suite leaders, and a strategy executive at UBS, leading all growth and transformation initiatives for the bank’s wealth management organization.​Most recently, Peter was Chief Strategy Officer of News America Marketing, a former News Corp. subsidiary, where he built and led the Corporate Strategy and M&A function and led the company’s successful carve-out and sale to a private equity sponsor. Two Quotes From This Episode"At the end of the day, if you think about time as your most valuable asset, the ultimate capital, the ultimate equalizer for all of us is time, and complexity is the enemy of time. It just eats up time and other resources."“At FOX, we consider it a core value and a major part of our mission to help our members—and the entire industry—see around corners, especially when significant change is afoot.”Resources Mentioned in This EpisodeBook - The Fourth Turning is Here by HoweBook - Principles for Dealing with The Changing World Order by DalioBook - Thinking Fast and Slow by Kahneman About The International Leadership Association (ILA)The ILA was created in 1999 to bring together professionals interested in studying, practicing, and teaching leadership. Register for ILA's 26th Global Conference in Chic ♻️ 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. Megan Reitz, an Associate Fellow at Saïd Business School, specializes in transformative dialogue and leadership. She discusses fostering 'spaciousness' in workplaces, balancing productivity with reflection. The importance of psychological safety and open communication is emphasized, highlighting how power dynamics affect dialogue. Reitz shares insights on collaborative leadership, encouraging curiosity and vulnerability. Additionally, she reflects on influential works and the significance of mindfulness practices, offering resources for further exploration.

Shaun Rozyn, an executive educator with nearly two decades of experience, discusses transformative journeys in leadership development. He emphasizes the need for emotional intelligence and adaptability in a tech-driven world. The conversation navigates challenges leaders face, including crises and the moral dilemmas involved. Shaun critiques traditional management education and promotes innovative approaches like AI and virtual reality. He also examines the essential collaboration between academia and corporate training to address real-world leadership challenges.

Dr. Mansour Javidan is a globally recognized executive educator and bestselling author, currently leading the GLOBE 2020 project on cultural change and leadership. He shares fascinating insights on the interplay of culture and leadership, emphasizing the need for cultural awareness. The discussion covers the evolution of gender equality, challenges of globalization, and the complexities of digital transformation in the workforce. Javidan also highlights curiosity as a vital leadership trait and explores the implications of current global shifts.

Kate Bennis, a professional actor and clinical social worker, shares her unique approach to empowering authentic communication. She discusses how theater techniques foster agility and creativity in public speaking, enabling individuals to connect deeply with their audiences. Kate reflects on inclusive leadership, emphasizing that effective communication creates value in human interactions. Her experiences coaching leaders at renowned organizations offer invaluable insights into the transformative power of genuine expression in both personal and professional settings.

Dr. Dave Ulrich, a distinguished professor at the University of Michigan and a partner at the RBL Group, shares his insights on leadership. He emphasizes the power of diverse perspectives and the necessity of a customer-centric culture in driving organizational success. The conversation also explores the transformative role of AI and the importance of a growth mindset for future challenges. With intriguing anecdotes and practical strategies, Ulrich distills complex leadership concepts for real-world application, inspiring listeners to embrace ongoing learning.

Send us a textFounder, CEO, and president of EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute Brandon Edwin Chrostowski is renowned for changing culinary and hospitality training—in and out of the nation’s prisons—while preserving French cooking traditions. His mission-driven effort to train and staff former prison inmates at his flagship French restaurant and nonprofit has created a national model for re-entry and an educational pipeline for formerly incarcerated to learn the discipline and skill of fine dining.Under Chrostowski’s leadership, the EDWINS program boasts an extraordinary one percent recidivism rate, a testament to the efficacy of its approach. More than a CEO, Chrostowski is a catalyst for change, providing over one hundred formerly incarcerated adults with free culinary and hospitality arts training each year. Since its inception in 2007, the program has evolved into a multifaceted initiative, including Edwins Too—a culinary incubator and community kitchen; EDWINS Butcher Shop and Bakery and Diner; a Second Chance Life Skills Center with housing and wraparound services; EDWINS Family Center, a nonprofit offering free daycare to Institute students during class hours; on-site programs at Grafton Correctional Institute and Cuyahoga County Juvenile Detention Center; and a groundbreaking virtual curriculum reaching over 400,000 inmates in prisons across the country.A culinary virtuoso, Chrostowski’s journey began with classical training as a chef and sommelier. He honed his skills at distinguished fine dining establishments in Paris, New York, and Chicago, including Lucas Carton, Chanterelle, Picholine, Le Cirque, and Charlie Trotter’s. His culinary prowess has been celebrated with numerous accolades, including being a 2022 James Beard Award Semifinalist and a 2023 James Beard Finalist. Recognition also extends to the 2023 Jim Brown Changemaker Award, IFMA’s 2020 Silver Plate, CNN’s 2016 Heroes, and the prestigious Crain’s “40 under 40” Awards.A proud alum of CIA, Chrostowski holds an associate degree in culinary arts and a bachelor’s degree in business and Restaurant Management. He resides in Cleveland with his wife Catana and their children, Leo, Lilly, Lynx, and Lander.A Quote From This Episode"It's not like you come into a kitchen, and they say, 'Listen, this is how you're going to figure it out,' they just give you a task and you gotta figure it out."Resources Mentioned in This EpisodeFilm: Knife SkillsTV: CBS This Morning CNN HeroAbout The International Leadership Association (ILA)The ILA was created in 1999 to bring together professionals interested in studying, practicing, and teaching leadership. Register fo ♻️ 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.