Coaching for Leaders

Brenda Bernstein, Founder of The Essay Expert and author of the best-selling book on LinkedIn profiles, shares her expertise on maximizing LinkedIn for networking. She emphasizes the importance of personalizing connection requests and contributing valuable content. Brenda highlights the platform’s visibility in Google and offers strategies for showcasing professional influence. She also discusses using LinkedIn for student internships, reinforcing that LinkedIn is more than a resume—it's about building authentic connections and engaging actively with others.

Tom Henschel: The Look & Sound of Leadership Tom Henschel of Essential Communications grooms senior leaders and executive teams. An internationally recognized expert in the field of workplace communications and self-presentation, he has helped thousands of leaders achieve excellence through his work as an executive coach and his top-rated podcast, The Look & Sound of Leadership. In this conversation, Tom shares the strategies he uses to help executive leaders benefit from 360 degree feedback. You will discover the right mindset to enter into, effective ways to process 360 degree feedback, and what to do going forward. Key Points A 360 gives you feedback from people above you, your peers, and people below you. 360s can be career transformative. A 360 almost always goes alongside coaching. 360s are not a performance management tool. If 360s are not done well, they can become dangerous and people are very cautious giving real feedback. Don’t try to figure out who said what. Instead, focus on the overall themes. The results of a 360 generally should not be totally new information for receivers. They’ve probably already heard the feedback before. Bonus Audio How to select your 360 raters A few of Tom’s best 360 stories Resources Mentioned DiSC Inventory Myers-Briggs Type Indicator StrengthsFinder Related Episodes Three Steps to Soliciting Feedback, with Tom Henschel (episode 107) How to Improve Your Coaching Skills, with Tom Henschel (episode 190) How to Grow Your Professional Network, with Tom Henschel (episode 279) Executive Presence With Your Elevator Speech, with Tom Henschel (episode 316) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Liz Wiseman: Rookie Smarts Liz Wiseman is listed on the Thinkers50 ranking and named as one of the top 10 leadership thinkers in the world and recipient of the 2016 ATD Champion of Talent Award. She is the author of three best-selling books, including Multipliers* and Rookie Smarts*. Key Points When we’re outside of our area of expertise, we have a leaner’s advantage that helps us think outside the box. When veterans look at tough situations, they look inside. Rookies look to the outside, which often makes them more flexible and creative. It’s more critical to be able to access what’s in other people’s heads than to keep everything in your own. In today’s fast-paced world, we’re constantly doing things that have no precedent. In this environment, it’s better to be a quick learner than to try to know everything. When we make mistakes but admit and then fix them, we end up with even happier customers and stakeholders. It’s good for you to say yes to things you don’t totally know how to do because it keeps you in a healthy rookie mindset. Resources Mentioned Living and Working With Child-like Wonder (Liz’s TED talk) Rookie Smarts* by Liz Wiseman Multipliers* by Liz Wiseman Book Notes Download my highlights from Rookie Smarts in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes How to Get Way Better at Accepting Feedback, with Sheila Heen (episode 143) How to Manage Former Peers, with Tom Henschel (episode 257) How to Lead Part-Time Staff, with Chris Deferio (episode 289) How to Deal With the Diminishers, with Liz Wiseman (episode 305) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed Bonni 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 from listeners Craig asked about how to influence his organization to restart events that were previously helpful but have been abandoned. Marlon asked if it’s appropriate to consider leadership development as a focus for the workplace or only during your personal time. Robin asked for a recommendation on a certification or training that would help position her for a next step in adult career and talent development. Eric was curious about options for accredited, leadership development certificates at lower cost. Resources Mentioned Teaching in Higher Ed Association for Talent Development The 12 Week Year* by Brian Moran and Michael Lennington Leadership vs. Management episode from The Look & Sound of Leadership podcast by Tom Henschel The Sound of Leadership and Management from The Look & Sound of Leadership podcast by Tom Henschel Related Episodes How to Succeed with Leadership and Management, with John Kotter (episode 249) How to Deal with Opponents and Adversaries, with Peter Block (episode 328) Six Tactics to Achieve Extraordinary Performance, with Morten Hansen (episode 337) MemberCast 7: 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.

Kristen Hadeed: Permission to Screw Up Kristen Hadeed is the founder and CEO of Student Maid, a successful cleaning company that hires college students. She is the author of the book Permission To Screw Up*, in which she tells the stories of her biggest mistakes in leadership. Key Points The best thing you can do when you screw up is to admit it—and then people will start trusting you. Failure is the best way to learn. If you never admit to your failures, people start to think you’re hiding something and begin to lose trust. By admitting your mistakes, you give everyone else the permission to admit theirs. Resources Mentioned Permission To Screw Up* by Kristen Hadeed If Love Is a Game, These Are the Rules* by Cherie Carter-Scott Book Notes Download my highlights from Permission to Screw Up in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes How To Lead The Millennials, with Chip Espinoza (episode 158) The Way to Stop Rescuing People From Their Problems, with Michael Bungay Stanier (episode 284) Four Steps to Get Unstuck and Embrace Change, with Susan David (episode 297) Ideas Worth Stealing From Top Entrepreneurs, with Dorie Clark (episode 318) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Morten Hansen: Great at Work Morten Hansen is a management professor at University of California, Berkeley. He is the coauthor with Jim Collins of the New York Times bestseller Great by Choice and the author of the new book Great at Work: How Top Performers Do Less, Work Better, and Achieve More*. Key Points The Six Tactics: Carve out the 15 Chunk it Measure the soft Get feedback Dig the dip Confront the stall point Other Points: Focus on one skill you want to prove. Meetings should only be for debate, not status updates. Having a coach is great, but often you can coach yourself if you only focus on one thing at a time. Resources Mentioned Great at Work* by Morten Hansen Great by Choice* by Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen Book Notes Download my highlights from Great at Work in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes Five Effective Ways to Train the People You Lead (episode 31) Why It’s Essential To Struggle With Learning (episode 157) Create the Best Place to Work, with Ron Friedman (episode 181) Essentials of Adult Development, with Mindy Danna (episode 273) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Edith Eger: The Choice Edith Eger is one of the few living Holocaust survivors to remember the horrors of the camps. Today, at 90 years old, Edie is a renowned psychologist and speaker who specializes in treating patients with traumatic stress disorders. She is author of the recently published book, The Choice: Embrace the Possible*. Key Points It’s not what happens in life, it’s what we do with it. The power we have is to choose to respond, not react. Sometimes seemingly insignificant worries are emblematic of greater pain. If you hate a person, they don’t suffer — you do. There’s nothing wrong with anger, it’s how you channel it. Underneath anger is a lot of pain. Resources Mentioned The Choice: Embrace the Possible* by Edith Eger Man’s Search for Meaning* by Viktor E. Frankl Book Notes Download my highlights from The Choice in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes Everyday People, Extraordinary Leaders: Olivia Klaus (episode 103) Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do, with Amy Morin (episode 204) How to Overcome Obstacles, with Collins Osayamwen (episode 281) Growth Mindset Helps You Rise From the Ashes, with Jeff Hittenberger (episode 326) 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.

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 Lindsay asked about coaching new leaders to give feedback to former peers. Meena asked about how to find her motivation during a difficult time. Lana asked about software to track development plans online. Stefanie asked about using assessments to uncover blind spots effectively. Williams wondered how to end a successful leadership position well. Resources Mentioned Analyzing Performance Problems* by Robert F. Mager and Peter Pipe On the folly of rewarding A while expecting B by Steven Kerr How to Stop Worrying and Start Living* by Dale Carnegie Getting Things Done* by David Allen The Five Dysfunctions of a Team* by Patrick Lencioni DiSC Overview StrengthsFinder Lead Through Strengths with Lisa Cummings Thanks For the Feedback* by Sheila Heen and Douglas Stone Managing Transitions* by William Bridges Difficult Conversations* Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, and Sheila Heen Related Episodes How to Get Way Better at Accepting Feedback, with Sheila Heen (episode 143) Getting Things Done, with David Allen (episode 184) How to Manage Former Peers, with Tom Henschel (episode 257) Leverage StrengthsFinder for Your Team, with Lisa Cummings (episode 293) The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, with Daniel Pink (episode 332) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Neil Pasricha: The Happiness Equation Neil Pasricha is a top-rated leadership keynote speaker, New York Times bestselling author, and positive psychology researcher focused on the relationship between happiness and leadership in business. He leads The Institute for Global Happiness. Neil has written five New York Times and #1 international bestsellers including: The Book of Awesome*, Awesome is Everywhere*, and The Happiness Equation*. His books have been on bestseller lists for over 200 weeks and sold millions of copies. Key Points Retirement can be a shock for people, but having a sense of purpose makes it much easier to handle. We need to take the stigma off demotions, because for some people it’s a better match to their stage of life. As people get older, they work less. It shouldn’t be a shame for them to earn less. Social media solutions: No screens in the first or last hour of day. Put your charger as far away from your bedroom as possible. Turn off notifications on your phone, or put your phone on airplane mode. Happiness should be a starting point, not a destination. The best time of day to check email is 9-10 am and 4-5pm. If you’re only doing the urgent tasks, your never doing the important ones. Resources Mentioned The Happiness Equation* by Neil Pasricha Irresistible* by Adam Alter Abundance* by Peter H. Diamandis and Steven Kotler Book Notes Download my highlights from The Happiness Equation in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes The Secret To Happiness (episode 134) Five Ways to Avoid Living With Regret, with Allison Clarke (episode 171) How to Engage With Humor, with David Nihill (episode 245) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Greg Hall: Fix Your System Greg Hall has 20 years experience as a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and Director of Data Analytics for a Fortune 500 company. He coaches business owners and executives to capture personal data analytics to achieve goals and reduce the stress that comes from sustained productivity. Key Points The more data we can bring to a problem, the better we’re able to see the solution. “A problem well defined is a problem half solved.” Before jumping into a problem you need to invest time to gather information about it. An easy way to start with personal data analytics is to just write down the time and the activity. And when you switch activities, update the record. You can’t create a budget if you don’t know how much you’re spending. It’s the same thing with planning: how can you plan if you don’t where you’re spending your time. First, assess how much work you have. Then, honestly ask yourself how much capacity for work you have. The hard work of fixing a problem is defining it well. You can’t plan out your interruptions, but you can plan for them: you don’t know when they’ll happen, but you do know how often they tend to happen and how long they typically take. Resources Mentioned How to Stop Worrying and Start Living* by Dale Carnegie Related Episodes The 5-Step Strategy for Solving Problems, with Michael “Coop” Cooper (episode 160) How to Solve a Really Big Problem, with Teresa Chahine (episode 292) How to Leverage People Analytics, with Jenny Dearborn (episode 323) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.