Christy Wright: Take Back Your Time Christy Wright is a #1 bestselling author, personal growth expert, and host of The Christy Wright Show. She’s also the founder of Business Boutique, which equips women to make money doing what they love. She loves helping women chase their version of success. She's the author of Take Back Your Time: The Guilt-Free Guide to Life Balance*. In this conversation, Christy and I explore how to get practical about what’s important, each day. We discuss effectives ways to use timeframes to establish priorities for ourselves — and how those same timeframes can help us turn off work. Key Points Establishing priorities moves you from a place of feeling like a failure to a place of feeling real success. Most of us are clear on our fixed priorities, but we’re less intentional about the flexible priorities that tend to be more practical in daily life. Consider establishing priorities through the timeframes of seasons, weeks, and days. Having clear priorities helps you not only be productive — but makes it easier to turn it off when it’s time to stop. Resources Mentioned Take Back Your Time: The Guilt-Free Guide to Life Balance* by Christy Wright Related Episodes The Way to Stop Spinning Your Wheels on Planning (episode 319) Align Your Calendar to What Matters, with Nir Eyal (episode 431) How to Be Present, with Dave Crenshaw (episode 511) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Johnny Taylor, Jr.: Reset Johnny Taylor, Jr. is President and CEO of SHRM, the Society for Human Resource Management. Johnny is frequently asked to testify before Congress on critical workforce issues and authors a weekly column, "Ask HR," in USA Today. Johnny was chairman of the President's Advisory Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities and served as a member of the White House American Workforce Policy Advisory Board during the Trump Administration. He is the author of the new book Reset: A Leader’s Guide to Work in an Age of Upheaval*. In this conversation, Johnny and I highlight the current challenges in discovering talent and the populations that have been historically overlooked. We discuss what SHRM’s research and experience are showing to help leaders make better decisions on finding talent. Plus, we explore how to best handle incentives, so that we create the kind of culture that we will value inside our organizations. Key Points Both line managers in organizations and human resource professionals agree: finding a deep enough talent pool is a big problem. Historically, attracting overlooked talent felt right, but may not have been essential to be competitive. Those times are ending for most organizations. Studies show that organizations who discover talent in older workers, differently abled workers, veterans, the formerly incarcerated, people of color, and LGBTQ populations see positive, long-term results. The incentives for finding overlooked talent often are transactional. To ensure sustainability, leaders must establish this as a value in their organizations. Resources Mentioned Reset: A Leader’s Guide to Work in an Age of Upheaval* by Johnny Taylor, Jr. Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes How to Get the Ideal Team Player, with Patrick Lencioni (episode 301) Hire the Formerly Incarcerated, with Shelley Winner (episode 447) How to Support Women of Color, with Minda Harts (episode 506) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Dave Williams: Leadership Moments from NASA Dave is an astronaut, aquanaut, jet pilot, emergency physician, scientist, CEO, and bestselling author. He is the former Director of Space & Life Sciences at NASA’s Johnson Space Center and has flown in space twice on Space Shuttles Columbia and Endeavour. Dave holds the Canadian spacewalking record and was the first Canadian to live on the world’s only undersea research habitat. He is the recipient of six honorary degrees, the Order of Canada, and the Order of Ontario. Along with Elizabeth Howell, he is the author of Leadership Moments from NASA: Achieving the Impossible*. In this conversation, Dave and I discuss some of the key events from NASA’s history since its inception. We highlight three principles that Dave has uncovered in his research of interviews with NASA leaders over the years. Plus, a few practical tips that can help all of us lead teams more effectively. Key Points Introspection is a key and necessary practice for all leaders to hold — and often pays off in unexpected ways. Speaking up and listening up are critical values that helped support many of the NASA successes over the years. Cultural norms, such as senior leaders showing up regularly at all levels of the organization, can help ensure that communication is actually happening. NASA is an example of the movement away from a single, heroic leader and towards leadership, followership, and teamwork. Resources Mentioned Leadership Moments from NASA: Achieving the Impossible* by Dave Williams and Elizabeth Howell Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes An Astronaut’s Guide To Life On Earth, with Chris Hadfield (episode 149) Find Courage to Speak When It Matters Most, with Allan McDonald (episode 229) The Path Towards Trusting Relationships, with Edgar Schein and Peter Schein (episode 539) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Kwame Marfo Kwame Marfo is a director at Genentech in the San Francisco area. He is a graduate of the Coaching for Leaders Academy. He joins me in this episode to share how personal values can align intentionally with career choices. Key Points Kwame’s dad inspires the work he does today for others. An effective way to connect with others is to ask what books and podcasts they are listening to. This value of curiosity also came from Kwame’s dad. Getting diversity of leadership experience is useful to expand beyond an industry perspective. Establishing a vision gives clarity to what’s most important. Journaling has helped Kwame reflect on his life and illuminate gaps that lead to action. Don’t trust the summary. Resources Mentioned UnCommon Law Related Episodes Start With Why, with Simon Sinek (episode 223) Craft a Career to Fit Your Strengths, with Scott Anthony Barlow (episode 424) How to Create Your Personal Vision (free membership required) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Dave Stachowiak: Coaching for Leaders In August of 2011, I started Coaching for Leaders as a small, side project. Ten years later, the show — and the community around it — have grown beyond my wildest expectations. In this conversation, my friend Scott Anthony Barlow of Happen to Your Career celebrates the 10-year anniversary of Coaching for Leaders by interviewing me about my journey. Key Points I originally started the podcast as a side project to support a future transition into academia. Three things that I focused on at the start that are still central today: useful conversations, audio quality, and consistency. Focusing on quality and depth of conversations is more valuable than trying to hit everything. I realized at some point that I needed to make an affirmative choice to grow the side project into a business. Although I had considered a transition away from Dale Carnegie for years, my actual departure was (ironically) a non-event. Behavior change is a painful but necessary step in the learning process. There are two ways to bring light into the world. One is to be the light — the other is to reflect it. Bonus Audio What I've Learned About Learning Resources Mentioned Happen to Your Career Related Episodes How to Transform Your Limitations Into Advantages, with Mark Barden (episode 207) Tom Henschel Interviews Dave (episode 300) What High Performers Aren’t Telling You, with Scott Anthony Barlow (episode 466) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Juliet Funt: A Minute to Think Juliet Funt is a renowned keynote speaker and tough-love advisor to the Fortune 500 who is regularly featured in top global media outlets, including Forbes and Fast Company. She is the founder and CEO of The Juliet Funt Group, helping business leaders and organizations to unleash their full potential by unburdening talent from busywork. She has earned one of the highest ratings in the largest leadership event in the world, and she has worked with brands such as Spotify, National Geographic, Costco, Pepsi, Nike, and many more. Her new book is titled, A Minute to Think: Reclaim Creativity, Conquer Busyness, and Do Your Best Work. In this conversation, Juliet and I explore the four assets that many leaders bring to the workplace — and when taken too far, how these assets become risks. Juliet shares four questions we can ask of ourselves (and perhaps of others) that will surface where to start with finding space. Plus, we discuss some of the practical steps leaders can take to influence a culture of margin with their teams. Key Points The science is showing what many of us have experienced intuitively: space itself helps us to explore and expand possibility. Key assets can, if overused, become risks. These risks manifest in four ways: overdrive, perfectionism, overload, and frenzy. Four questions are useful starting points for controlling risk: When the risk is overdrive, the question is: Is there anything I can let go of?  When the risk is perfectionism, the question is: Where is ‘good enough’, good enough? When the risk is overload, the question is: What do I truly need to know? When the risk is frenzy, the question is: What deserves my attention? Resources Mentioned The Busyness Test A Minute to Think: Reclaim Creativity, Conquer Busyness, and Do Your Best Work* by Juliet Funt Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes The Power of Solitude, with Mike Erwin (episode 308) How to Change Your Behavior, with BJ Fogg (episode 507) How High Achievers Begin to Find Balance, with Michael Hyatt (episode 522) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Edgar Schein and Peter Schein: Humble Inquiry Edgar Schein is Professor Emeritus of MIT's Sloan School of Management. He is the recipient of the Distinguished Scholar Practitioner Award from the Academy of Management, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Leadership Association, and the Lifetime Achievement Award in Organization Development from the International OD Network. Peter Schein is COO of the Organizational Culture and Leadership Institute. He provides counsel to senior management on organizational development challenges facing private and public sector entities worldwide. He is a contributing author to the 5th edition of Organizational Culture and Leadership and co-author of Humble Leadership and The Corporate Culture Survival Guide. The pair co-founded the Organizational Culture and Leadership Institute and have written several books together, including two in the Humble Leadership series. They’ve recently released the second edition of Humble Inquiry: The Gentle Art of Asking Instead of Telling*. In this conversation, Edgar, Peter, and I explore the four relationship levels and invite leaders to move professional relationships from level 1 to level 2. A key entry point for this is to artfully reveal some of the things we tend to conceal. We discuss some practical steps to take — and the benefit for leaders and organizations. Key Points The four relationship levels: Level –1: Domination/exploitation Level 1: Transactional (professional distance) Level 2: Personal (openness and trust) Level 3: Intimacy We all conceal things. A useful way to build a relationship is for people to open up more of their concealed selves. A relationship is dance — improv if you will. We need to be willing to share the mic with the other party. Open-ended questions like, “What’s different today?” can help people to show up in the way they want to. Traditionally, we expected the person with more status to take the first step. That doesn’t necessarily need to be the case. Notice your own motivations, interventions, and contributions to the relationship. Resources Mentioned Humble Inquiry: The Gentle Art of Asking Instead of Telling* by Edgar Schein and Peter Schein The Organizational Culture and Leadership Institute Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes The Path of Humble Leadership, with Edgar Schein and Peter Schein (episode 363) How to Ask Better Questions, with David Marquet (episode 454) Your Leadership Motive, with Patrick Lencioni (episode 505) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Mark Goulston: Talking to Crazy Mark Goulston is a Founding Member of the Newsweek Expert Forum and a Marshall Goldsmith MG100 Coach, who works with founders, entrepreneurs and CEOs in dealing with and overcoming psychological and interpersonal obstacles to realizing their full potential. He is the host of the My Wakeup Call podcast and was a UCLA professor of psychiatry for more than twenty years and is also a former FBI hostage negotiation trainer. One of his many bestselling books is Talking to 'Crazy': How to Deal with the Irrational and Impossible People in Your Life*. In this conversation, Mark and I discuss some of the key principles that are effective in diffusing difficult or irrational behavioral. When that behavior is coming from someone who seems to be a know-it-all, we explore three steps that will help you guide them towards better behavior. Key Points In his book, Mark writes about know-it-alls: They don’t say, “People think I’m a jerk, and I need to change my behavior.” Instead, they say, “People dislike me because they’re stupid and incompetent.” This convinces the know-it-alls that they need to double down on quashing the spirits of their victims. If you treat people like they are nuts are you are not, they will just bite down deeper on their thinking. Lean into their irrationality to change the dynamic. Most people react to know-it-alls by becoming defensive or sullen. You’re better to take to opposite approach. Start by genuinely recognizing the talents and know-it-all brings to the workplace. Lead a conversation about behavior change with them by first leading with a genuine compliment about their talents. Once that is established, describe how their actions are self-defeating in a way that reinforces the strength you’ve highlighted. Resources Mentioned Talking to 'Crazy': How to Deal with the Irrational and Impossible People in Your Life* by Mark Goulston My Wakeup Call podcast with Mark Goulston Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes How to Listen When Someone Is Venting, with Mark Goulston (episode 91) How to Manage Abrasive Leaders, with Sharone Bar-David (episode 290) Where You May Be Provoking Anxiety, with Erica Dhawan (episode 528) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Tsedal Neeley: Remote Work Revolution Tsedal Neeley is a professor at the Harvard Business School. Her work focuses on how leaders can scale their organizations by developing and implementing global and digital strategies. She has published extensively in leading scholarly and practitioner-oriented outlets and her work has been widely covered in media outlets such as the BBC, CNN, Financial Times, NPR, The Wall Street Journal, and The Economist. She was named to the Thinkers50 On the Radar list for making lasting contributions to management and is the recipient of many other awards and honors for her teaching and research. She is the author of Remote Work Revolution: Succeeding from Anywhere*. In this conversation, Tsedal and I explore what the research shows us about productivity and fear around remote work. We highlight three key principles that leaders can lean in on in order to engage remote teams better. Plus, Tsedal provides practical examples on how almost any leader can put these principles into action. Key Points The research has been clear for decades that employees are more productive working remotely. Surveillance software and services are almost always a poor direction for leaders and organizations. Leaders should structure unstructured time for informal interactions — and should be the ones who initiate these conversations. Emphasize individuals and individual differences, even more so than you might in person. Avoid referring to people by their membership in subgroups. In addition to not shutting down conflict, leaders in remote settings need to force it, so the best ideas can emerge on the team. Resources Mentioned Remote Work Revolution: Succeeding from Anywhere* by Tsedal Neeley Tsedal Neeley’s website Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes How to Build Psychological Safety, with Amy Edmondson (episode 404) Transitioning to Remote Leadership, with Tammy Bjelland (episode 509) The Way Out of Major Conflict, with Amanda Ripley (episode 529) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Jonathan Raymond, founder of Refound, discusses the importance of starting with role purpose in one-on-ones. Emphasizes elevation, curiosity, and flexibility in meetings. Few managers excel at this but small improvements yield big results in retention.