Coaching for Leaders

Kim Scott: Radical Candor Kim Scott is a co-founder of Candor, Inc. She has been an advisor at Dropbox, Kurbo, Qualtrics, ReelGoodApp, Rolltape, Shyp, Twitter, and several other Silicon Valley companies. She is the author of the book Radical Candor: Be a Kickass Boss without Losing your Humanity*. Key Points Show you care at a personal level. You can’t build a relationship that’s not personal. In order to care personally for someone, you have to bring your whole self, not just your “business” persona. Sometimes we get so focused on the work that we forget there’s actually a person doing the work. Begin by soliciting feedback, not by giving it. To get feedback, come up with a go-to question like “Is there anything I could do or stop doing that would make it easier to work with me?” Resources Mentioned Radical Candor* by Kim Scott Radical Candor podcast Book Notes Download my highlights from Radical Candor in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes Start With Why, with Simon Sinek (episode 223) How to Manage Abrasive Leaders, with Sharone Bar-David (episode 290) How to Get the Ideal Team Player, with Patrick Lencioni (episode 301) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Patrick Lencioni, author of The Ideal Team Player, discusses the importance of hiring team players who are humble, hungry, and smart. He emphasizes the difficulty in teaching hunger, the need for unconventional interviews, and the high cost of hiring someone with misaligned values. Lencioni's insights provide practical tips for recognizing and cultivating essential virtues in team dynamics.

Dave Stachowiak: Coaching for Leaders Tom Henschel, host of The Look & Sound of Leadership podcast, executive coach at Essential Communications, and friend of Dave, interviews him on the growth of Coaching for Leaders and how he developed his voice. Key Points When trying to do something that helps others, remember that it’s not about you—don’t worry about you, worry about them. The best way to build a connection with people is to get really curious about them. You have to make the decision to listen. If you don’t have a lot of time to listen, figure out how much time you do have and make the decision to be totally present in that short time. Listening is an attitude, not a set of skills. View failure as data rather than an identity. Resources Mentioned The Look & Sound of Leadership podcast The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, with Susan Cain (episode 44) How to Steal the Show, with Michael Port (episode 219) Failing Forward * by John Maxwell Introduction to Powerful Listening (episode 1) The Lean Startup* by Eric Ries Related Episodes Six Mistakes That I Have Made Podcasting (episode 57) Three Steps to Take After You Conduct a Survey, with Bonni Stachowiak (episode 150) What This Show is About (episode 197) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Tim Sanders: Dealstorming Tim Sanders was the Chief Solutions Officer at Yahoo! and later, the company’s leadership coach. He is the author of four books, including the New York Times bestseller Love Is the Killer App: How To Win Business & Influence Friends* and his new book Dealstorming: The Secret Weapon That Can Solve Your Toughest Sales Challenges*. Key Points Every big thing we try to do is not just the one thing, it’s a lot of smaller things put together. You no longer sell to just one decision-maker, you have to sell to an entire team or a committee. When selling, you’ll probably never meet most of the people need to influence. Somebody in the company you’re selling to needs to be your advocate. Leaders should always have a mentee because it’s a great leadership habit, not because it’s an HR program. The best mentors expect nothing in return. If you assume people are acting with the best intentions, you’re going to be a much happier leader. Resources Mentioned Dealstorming: The Secret Weapon That Can Solve Your Toughest Sales Challenges* by Tim Sanders Love Is the Killer App: How To Win Business & Influence Friends * by Tim Sanders Related Episodes The Surprising Truth About Influencing Others, with Daniel Pink (episode 84) How to Collaborate Across Organizations, with Kirsten Foot (episode 215) How to Actually Move Numbers, with Chris McChesney (episode 294) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

This discussion dives into a variety of tools to boost productivity and learning. Scheduling apps like Doodle and TimeTrade simplify planning. The capture technique for task management helps manage commitments effectively. Blinkist offers quick book insights for busy minds, while SaneBox organizes emails by importance. The Overcast app enhances podcast listening with customizable playback speeds. Social media platforms are explored for their role in expanding professional networks and sharing valuable content.

Susan David: Emotional Agility Susan David is a psychologist on the faculty of Harvard Medical School; cofounder and codirector of the Institute of Coaching at McLean Hospital; and CEO of Evidence Based Psychology. She is the author of the bestselling book Emotional Agility: Get Unstuck, Embrace Change, and Thrive in Work and Life*. Key Points Showing Up: Instead of ignoring difficult thoughts and emotions or overemphasizing ‘positive thinking’, facing into your thoughts, emotions and behaviors willingly, with curiosity and kindness. Stepping Out: Detaching from, and observing your thoughts and emotions to see them for what they are — just thoughts, just emotions. Essentially, learning to see yourself as the chessboard, filled with possibilities, rather than as any one piece on the board, confined to certain preordained moves. Walking Your Why: Your core values provide the compass that keeps you moving in the right direction. Rather than being abstract ideas, these values are the true path to willpower, resilience and effectiveness. Moving On: Small deliberate tweaks to your mindset, motivation, and habits — in ways that are infused with your values, can make a powerful difference in your life. The idea is to find the balance between challenge and competence, so that you’re neither complacent nor overwhelmed. You’re excited, enthusiastic, invigorated. Resources Mentioned Emotional Agility: Get Unstuck, Embrace Change, and Thrive in Work and Life* by Susan David Emotional Agility Quiz 3 Ways to Better Understand Your Emotions Related Episodes Ten Ways to Pick Yourself Up When You’re Beaten Down (episode 85) How to Lead Through Uncertainty and Change, with Jacqueline Farrington (episode 224) How to Increase Your Conversational Intelligence, with Judith Glaser (episode 271) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Lolly Daskal: The Leadership Gap Lolly Daskal is the CEO of Lead From Within and was designated a Top-50 Leadership and Management Expert by Inc. magazine. She is the author of the the new book The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness*. Key Points If the situation isn’t working, what can you change about yourself? Ask yourself what type of person you need to be in a situation. There are aspects of ourselves that come out in times of stress. When you’re aware of your actions, you can choose how you’re going to act in the next moment. Allow your employees to teach you. Resources Mentioned The Leadership Gap The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness* by Lolly Daskal Related Episodes The Way to Make New Behaviors Stick, with Marshall Goldsmith (episode 196) How to Tame Your Inner Critic, with Tara Mohr (episode 232) Use Power for Good and Not Evil, with Dacher Keltner (episode 254) 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 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 is the author of The Productive Online and Offline Professor: A Practical Guide*. Questions Richard asked about how to practically influence on an executive team. Edwin asked about how to handle the situation when someone is fired. Isabeau asked about considerations to give when leading people who are parents. Tad asked about how to improve his skills as a program manager. Resources Mentioned Leadership and Self-Deception* by The Arbinger Institute Drive* by Daniel Pink The Empowered Manager: Positive Political Skills at Work* by Peter Block Essentialism* by Greg McKewon Deep Work* by Cal Newport 13 Crucial Books That Every Leader Should Know Coaching for Leaders Academy Related Episodes Three Steps to Soliciting Feedback, with Tom Henschel (episode 107) How to Make Deep Work Happen, with Cal Newport (episode 233) How to Succeed with Leadership and Management, with John Kotter (episode 249) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Learn about the 4 Disciplines of Execution by Chris McChesney, focusing on important metrics, scoreboards, and accountability. Explore classic business methodologies, simplify strategic goals, and understand the difference between leading and lagging indicators for goal achievement. Hear insights from Chris McChesney on effective execution and leadership.

Lisa Cummings: Lead Through Strengths Lisa Cummings is the founder and CEO of Lead Through Strengths, a firm that exists to help people find and use their strengths at work. Lisa and her team serve large teams and organizations to help them leverage the results of the CliftonStrengths (formerly StrengthsFinder) assessment. She is also the host of the popular Lead Through Strengths podcast. Many organizations utilize the StrengthsFinder assessment, but few leaders go beyond a brief discussion and perhaps asking employees to share their results with peers. In this conversation, Lisa and I discuss how she helps leaders and teams leverage StrengthsFinder results and how to utilize them for ongoing coaching and talent development. Key Points Understanding another person’s strengths can help you work better with them. CliftonStrengths (formerly StrengthsFinder) conversations should not just happen one day a year, they should be discussed and thought about often. Ask employees, “How did you use your strengths yesterday?” Think of a CliftonStrengths (formerly StrengthsFinder) session as a starting point for an ongoing conversation, not just a one-time event. Partner with people who are strong where you’re weak. Resources Mentioned CliftonStrengths (formerly StrengthsFinder) assessment Lead Through Strengths podcast Lead Through Strengths website resources The Ultimate Guide to Using Your Strengths to Get Hired* StrengthsFinder 2.0* by Tom Rath Soar with Your Strengths* by Donald O. Clifton Related Episodes The Value of the StrengthsFinder Assessment, with Steve Dosier (episode 89) How to Interpret Your StrengthsFinder and CliftonStrengths Results, with Steve Dosier (episode 90) How to Figure Out Your Career, with Scott Anthony Barlow (episode 259) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.