
Coaching for Leaders
Leaders aren’t born, they’re made. This Monday show helps you discover leadership wisdom through insightful conversations. Independently produced weekly since 2011, Dr. Dave Stachowiak brings perspective from a thriving, global leadership academy, plus more than 15 years of leadership at Dale Carnegie. Bestselling authors, expert researchers, deep conversation, and regular dialogue with listeners have attracted 40 million downloads and over 250K followers on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Activate your FREE membership to access the entire leadership and management library at CoachingforLeaders.com
Latest episodes

Aug 13, 2018 • 36min
365: The Starting Point for Mindfulness, with Michelle Maldonado
Michelle Maldonado: Mindfulness
Michelle is Founder and CEO of Lucenscia, a human potential and business strategy firm dedicated to developing leaders and organizations with positive impact in the world. Michelle is a faculty member and Meta-Coach for Daniel Goleman's inaugural Emotional Intelligence Coaching Certification Program. Her work has been featured by the Human Capital Institute, the Mindful Leadership Summit, Leadership Excellence, and Chief Learning Officer.
Key Points
Mindfulness is paying attention to what’s happening in the present moment — in the body, in the mind, in the external environment — with an attitude of curiosity and kindness.
What are you thinking, and how is that impacting your interaction with the person before you?
There is a different quality of experience when you’re paying attention to what’s happening.
The easiest way to get started with mindfulness is to focus on your breathing.
Bonus Audio
Michelle on Clarity and Resilience
Resources Mentioned
Emotional Intelligence Coaching Certification
Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute
Lucenscia (Michelle’s firm)
Flourish by Martin E. P. Seligman*
In Group vs Out Group with David Eagleman *
Recommended Reading
Unconscious Bias: Turning Discovery and Awareness Into Action and Impact
Finding the Space to Lead: A Practical Guide to Mindful Leadership* by Janice Marturano
Search Inside Yourself: The Unexpected Path to Achieving Success, Happiness* by Chade-Meng Tan
The Emotional Life of Your Brain: How Its Unique Patterns Affect the Way You Think, Feel, and Live — and How You Can Change Them* by Richard Davidson and Sharon Begley
Mindfulness for Beginners: Reclaiming the Present Moment — and Your Life* by Jon Kabat-Zinn
The Mindful Day: Practical Ways to Find Focus, Calm, and Joy From Morning to Evening* by Laurie Cameron
Creating Mindful Leaders: How to Power Down, Power Up, and Power Forward* by Joe Burton
Related Episodes
Have Conversations That Matter, with Celeste Headlee (episode 344)
Enhance Your Self-Awareness, with Daniel Goleman (episode 353)
The Path of Humble Leadership, with Edgar Schein and Peter Schein (episode 363)
Discover More
Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Aug 6, 2018 • 37min
364: Finding Courage to Lead and More Questions, with Bonni Stachowiak
Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed
Bonni Stachowiak is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, a professor of business and management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, Bonni was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. She joins me monthly to respond to listener questions.
Questions
Garfield asked about how to lead a team that doesn’t have enough to do.
Kevin wondered how his disability might be affecting his ability to lead his team.
Roland asked for advice on working for a disengaged leader.
Jane wanted to know if she should stay with her organization if there’s no clear path forward to make things better.
Resources Mentioned
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People* by Stephen Covey
Scrum
Seth Godin’s blog
Leading Change* by John Kotter
Our Iceberg is Melting* by John Kotter and Holger Rathgeber
Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway* by Susan Jeffers
Related Episodes
How to Tame Your Inner Critic, with Tara Mohr (episode 232)
How to Succeed with Leadership and Management, with John Kotter (episode 249)
How to Actually Move Numbers, with Chris McChesney (episode 294)
How to Create a Vivid Vision, with Cameron Herold (episode 345)
Discover More
Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

10 snips
Jul 30, 2018 • 36min
363: The Path of Humble Leadership, with Edgar Schein and Peter Schein
Edgar Schein and Peter Schein: Humble Leadership
Ed Schein is Professor Emeritus of MIT’s Sloan School of Management. He is the author of many books and publications, including the new book Humble Leadership*. Peter Schein is the cofounder and COO of the Organizational Culture and Leadership Institute and co-author of Humble Leadership*.
Key Points
The problems today’s leaders face are becoming more and more complex, and leaders can no longer be expected to know all the answers.
All people are vulnerable in one sense because nobody knows everything.
The value systems of many companies do not incentivize managers to get the most out of their teams, instead of rewarding managers for playing up to management.
Bonus Audio
Transparency, Openness, and Safety
Resources Mentioned
Humble Leadership* by Edgar and Peter Schein
Organizational Culture and Leadership Institute
Related Episodes
How to Be a Non-Conformist, with Adam Grant (episode 238)
Turn Followers Into Leaders, with David Marquet (episode 241)
How to Increase Your Conversational Intelligence, with Judith Glaser (episode 271)
How to Be a Happier Person, with Neil Pasricha (episode 334)
Discover More
Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Jul 23, 2018 • 36min
362: Grow Beyond What is Safe, with John Corcoran
John Corcoran: Rise25
John Corcoran is a recovering attorney, writer, and former speechwriter to both President Bill Clinton and the Governor of California. Throughout his career, John has worked in Hollywood, the heart of Silicon Valley, and ran his own law firm in the San Francisco Bay Area catering to small business owners and entrepreneurs. He is also the creator of Smart Business Revolution, Rise25, and the Smart Business Revolution podcast.
Key Points
You have to place a premium on relationships, no matter what industry you’re in.
Many people resist pivoting because of the relationships they might leave behind.
If you’re not hearing No very often, you’re not trying hard enough.
If you get No’s, it means you’re on the cusp of a new level.
Resources Mentioned
Rise25
Smart Business Revolution
Smart Business Revolution podcast
Related Episodes
How To Create Your Personal Networking Plan, with John Corcoran (episode 106)
Six Ways to Recover From a Bad First Impression, with John Corcoran (episode 169)
Get ROI From Professional Associations, with John Corcoran (episode 209)
Discover More
Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Jul 16, 2018 • 35min
361: The Truth and Lies of Performance Management, with Michael Bungay Stanier
Michael Bungay Stanier: The Coaching Habit
Michael Bungay Stanier is the founder of Box of Crayons, a company best known for teaching 10-minute coaching so that busy managers can build stronger teams and get better results. He’s the author of The Coaching Habit*, a Wall Street Journal bestseller that’s been the #1 coaching book on Amazon since its release.
Key Points
If you become more coach-like, you’ll be able to have more impact without working as hard.
Every culture is different, so they’ll require different systems.
Focus less on performance appraisals and more on coaching conversations.
There is a natural tension between the organization as a machine and the human beings who work there.
Resources Mentioned
The Truth & Lies of Performance Management report
The Coaching Habit* by Michael Bungay Stanier
Report Notes
Download my highlights from The Truth & Lies of Performance Management in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes
These Coaching Questions Get Results, with Michael Bungay Stanier (episode 237)
The Way to Stop Rescuing People From Their Problems, with Michael Bungay Stanier (episode 284)
Five Steps to Hold People Accountable, with Jonathan Raymond (episode 306)
Discover More
Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Jul 9, 2018 • 39min
360: Reply All to Conversations With Listeners
Dave Stachowiak: Coaching for Leaders
Dave shares relevant dialogue from recent interactions with Coaching for Leaders listeners.
Key Points
“The beginning of wisdom is the definition of terms.” -Socrates
“You can have everything in life you want if you’ll just help enough other people get what they want.” -Zig Ziglar
Leadership is where you are going. Management is how to get there.
Mentoring should be a two-way street. The mentor should be getting as much insight and wisdom as the mentee.
Real selling is providing solutions to problems and building relationships.
At the root of every human conflict is unclear expectations.
Bonus Audio
How to Manage a Sales Organization
Resources Mentioned
Getting Things Done* by David Allen
Todoist
Things
OmniFocus
LearnOmniFocus.com*
Full Focus Planner*
Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Address
How I Became The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Financial Intelligence* by Joe Knight
The 100 Best Business Books of All Time* by Jack Covert, Todd Sattersten, and Sally Haldorson*
Youtility* by Jay Baer
Law 101* by Jay Feinman
Let's Get Real or Let's Not Play* by Mahan Khalsa and Randy Illig
The Coaching Habit* by Michael Bungay Stanier
Dave’s GoodReads
Dealstorming* by Tim Sanders (Bonus Audio)
Related Episodes
What Is Coaching and Why It’s Different From Other Development Tools (episode 4)
To Sell is Human, with Daniel Pink (episode 84)
Getting Things Done, with David Allen (episode 184)
How to Create Team Guidelines, with Susan Gerke (episode 192)
How to Make Deep Work Happen, with Cal Newport (episode 233)
These Coaching Questions Get Results, with Michael Bungay Stanier (episode 237)
How to Succeed with Leadership and Management, with John Kotter (episode 249)
The Way to Stop Rescuing People From Their Problems, with Michael Bungay Stanier (episode 284)
How to Actually Move Numbers, with Chris McChesney (episode 294)
How to Lead Top-Line Growth, with Tim Sanders (episode 299)
The Path to Start Leading Your Team, with John Piñeiro (episode 349)
The Value of Coaching Certifications (MemberCast 5)
Discover More
Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Jul 2, 2018 • 31min
359: Handling Idea Theft and More Questions, with Bonni Stachowiak
Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed
Bonni Stachowiak is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, a professor of business and management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, Bonni was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. She joins me monthly to respond to listener questions.
Questions
Emily asked about how to deal with the overwhelming feeling of wanting to improve on everything at once that’s discussed on the show.
Bartel asked about what he could do to keep his boss from stealing his ideas.
Colin asked how he could develop and maintain a growth-oriented mindset without the formal support of his organization.
Resources Mentioned
Coaching for Leaders Academy
FeedForward from Marshall Goldsmith
Life Styles Inventory from Human Synergistics
The Empowered Manager* by Peter Block
Related Episodes
Ideas Worth Stealing From Top Entrepreneurs, with Dorie Clark (episode 318)
How to Deal with Opponents and Adversaries, with Peter Block (episode 328)
Six Tactics to Achieve Extraordinary Performance, with Morten Hansen (episode 337)
Seven Steps to Landing Professional Development Funding (MemberCast 7)
Discover More
Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

25 snips
Jun 25, 2018 • 40min
358: How to Lead Meetings That Get Results, with Mamie Kanfer Stewart
Mamie Kanfer Stewart: The Modern Manager
Mamie Kanfer Stewart is a managerial excellence expert, executive coach, author of Momentum: Creating Effective Engaging and Enjoyable Meetings*, and host of The Modern Manager podcast. She loves helping managers apply the best thinking on human behavior and flourishing in how they lead themselves and their teams.
Key Points
There are six reasons to have meetings: connect, align, decide, ideate/brainstorm, plan, and/or produce.
Set an outcome for the meeting and structure the agenda accordingly.
Approach other leaders for clarity when the purpose of the meeting is not apparent.
Consider the impact of unnecessary participants in meetings and decide in advance who needs to be consulted, informed, and engaged.
Maximize all attendees time by providing clear meeting invitations and concise instructions on pre-work or pre-reading to be completed.
Resources Mentioned
Momentum: Creating Effective Engaging and Enjoyable Meetings* by Mamie Kanfer Stewart and Tai Tsao
The Modern Manager podcast
Related Episodes
How to Lead an Offsite, with Tom Henschel (episode 377)
How to Create Meaningful Gatherings, with Priya Parker (episode 395)
Moving Towards Meetings of Significance, with Seth Godin (episode 632)
Discover More
Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Jun 23, 2018 • 36min
357: How Personal Clarity Engages Others, with Jeff Phipps
Jeff Phipps
Jeff Phipps is the Managing Director and General Manager for ADP in the UK and Ireland. He’s used what he’s discovered from this podcast to deliver business results, not just in financial terms, but in significant improvements to associate engagement.
Key Points
Jeff’s three pillars of management:
Have a lifelong journey of learning.
Commit to diversity.
Be clear about the role your business plays in society.
Related Episodes
Create Behavior That Lasts, with Marshall Goldsmith (episode 196)
Start With Why, with Simon Sinek (episode 223)
How to Make Deep Work Happen, with Cal Newport (episode 233)
Turn Followers Into Leaders, with David Marquet (episode 241)
How to Engage With Humor, with David Nihill (episode 245)
How Women Make Stronger, Smarter Choices, with Therese Huston (episode 255)
Discover More
Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Jun 18, 2018 • 38min
356: Four Rules to Get Control of Your Money, with Jesse Mecham
Jesse Mecham: You Need a Budget
Jesse Mecham is the CEO and Founder of You Need A Budget* (YNAB). He’s on a mission to help people stop living paycheck to paycheck, get out of debt, and save more money. He recently released his book by the same name, You Need a Budget*, a Wall Street Journal Bestseller.
Key Points
Be as vigilant with your money as you are with your time.
Constraints allow us to be creative. When your options are endless, you’re frozen.
Most people’s monthly budgets underestimate actual long-term expenses.
Your emergency fund should be for more than just things you forgot to plan for.
Budgeting is about looking forward and actively adjusting.
The Four Rules for Budgeting:
Give Every Dollar a Job
Embrace Your True Expense
Roll With the Punches
Age Your Money
Bonus Audio
Handling allowances with your kids
Resources Mentioned
You Need A Budget* (YNAB)
A Beautiful Constraint* by Adam Morgan and Mark Barden*
The Opposite of Spoiled* by Ron Lieber
Book Notes
Download my highlights from You Need A Budget in PDF format (free membership required).
Related Episodes
How to Transform Your Limitations Into Advantages, with Mark Barden (episode 207)
How to Manage Your Money, with Jill Schlesinger (episode 322)
Six Tactics to Achieve Extraordinary Performance, with Morten Hansen (episode 337)
Discover More
Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.