Coaching for Leaders

John Kotter: That’s Not How We Do It Here! On this episode, John Kotter, author of That’s Now How We Do It Here!*, and many other bestselling books on organizational change, shares how to succeed with leadership and management. 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, Dean of Teaching and Learning and Professor of Business and Management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, she was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. Bonni is the author of The Productive Online and Offline Professor: A Practical Guide*. Question from Marcelo I am from Brazil and I would like to let you know that since January I’ve been listening your podcast and I think it’s fantastic. Even though I’ve had great experiences in leadership, your podcasts have been changing my perspective. Don’t you think that instead of considering someone as a leader we should recognize people who have good human relations? Because of this skill, people start to follow you, but on the other hand, you are still learning and you also follow someone. Leading Change* by John Kotter Question from Lea We have two departments which have been merged in November last year but the new team are still not working together – they seem to be stuck in their old teams. We have tried team building, changes their seats etc. and yet they are not integrated. I know it has not been that long since November, but how would you handle this case? The Four Unique Types of Teams, with Susan Gerke (episode 138) How To Maximize Team Performance, with Susan Gerke (episode 139) How to Create Team Guidelines, with Susan Gerke (episode 192) Question from Toni I have recently had the wonderful experience of listening to your podcast and now I am hooked. I’m writing to find out what you would recommend as a wonderful organization to join for leadership development. Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you. Toastmasters Association for Talent Development OD Network Coaching for Leaders Academy Audio question from Ranjan The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, with Susan Cain (episode 44) Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking* by Susan Cain Question from Guto Until last year I used to be at the top of the organization and was always directly linked to directors or owners. Today I find myself in an intermediate position as the second manager. I’m a hard time dealing with this, because sometimes I feel that my manager does not want to solve the problems and likes to go to others, but people who are neither managers nor knowledgeable are dealing with the situations. Talking to a trusted person, she told me to put aside and learn to manage. How can I discover the technique to be managed and at the same time influence within the organization? Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Chase Carey: Chasin’ Meditation Chase Carey, author of Chasin’ Meditation*, teaches us how to reduce stress using the practice of meditation. Quotes Meditation isn’t about what happens in meditation; it’s all about what happens in your external life. —Chase Carey Just because you have a thought doesn’t mean you have to pay attention to it, and it doesn’t mean you have to come up with a conclusion or emotional response to it. —Chase Carey If you’re a business leader, a coach, or a professional, you need some space just to be quiet. —Chase Carey Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Zvi Band, CEO of Contactually, discusses innovative approaches to one-on-one meetings and their transformative effects on team dynamics. He emphasizes the importance of structured communication to build relationships and boost employee morale. Band shares how technology can enhance networking, offering practical tips for managing relationships intentionally. He explores the balance between logical metrics and emotional company culture, advocating for transparency and proactive engagement to foster a positive workplace environment.

David Nihill: Do You Talk Funny? David Nihill, author of Do You Talk Funny?: 7 Comedy Habits to Become a Better (and Funnier) Public Speaker*, teaches us how to practically engage our audiences with humor. Quotes Humor isn’t a nice-to-have; it’s a must-have. —David Nihill If there’s embarrassment in there, there’s humor in there. It’s just about whether you’re willing to talk about it. —David Nihill The end of laughter is followed by the height of listening. —Jeffrey Gitomer Resources FunnyBiz Example of rule of 3 with President Barak Obama GIFS for follow up emails Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Joe Knight: Financial Intelligence Joe Knight, co-author of Financial Intelligence*, teaches us how to improve our own financial intelligence, so we can influence within organizations more effectively. He is a highly regarded finance and business literacy keynote speaker, trainer, and published author. Quotes Those who understand [financial statements] are the vast minority of people who are moving up in the corporate environment. —Joe Knight One of the problems with fraud is that you have these companies reporting profit, but it wasn’t real profit, and it was never converting to real cash. —Joe Knight Wall street, other investors, and banks have shifted to looking at cashflow as a concrete, tangible number. —Joe Knight It’s important never to lose sight of the fact that cash flow almost eliminates the possibility of fraudulent financial reporting. —Joe Knight We’re not trying to create high-level financial people; we’re trying to decode [financial statements] for the rest of us. —Joe Knight Resources Business Literacy Institute The 100 Best Business Books of All Time HBR Tools: Return on Investment (ROI) by Joe Knight HBR Tools: EBITDA by Joe Knight HBR Tools: Business Valuation by Joe Knight Resources for Business Literacy Institute: Online Financial Intelligence Training Financial Concepts Dictionary Take the Financial Intelligence Assessment 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, Dean of Teaching and Learning and Professor of Business and Management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, she was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. Bonni is the author of The Productive Online and Offline Professor: A Practical Guide*. Question from Tiffany Last week I got a phone call offering me a great position. I was not looking for a job, and I had no intentions of leaving anytime soon. But after reading the job description, it really seems like a job I would love. After speaking with them, I learned the position would offer much better pay, benefits, retirement, a year-end bonus, and it’s also offering to pay to send me back to college to further my education. Taking into account just what I would gain career-wise, it’s a no-brainer. But when I think of the organization I’m leaving behind and what it stands to lose, my heart breaks. I don’t want to disappoint all the people I’ve worked with by leaving so soon. I don’t want people to feel I’m abandoning the mission or my values. That said, I am under no obligation to stay. My question to you is this: How can I communicate my reasons for leaving without them viewing me as a sell out? Is it wrong that I feel so much guilt for leaving? In a way, I don’t think I should have to disclose my reasons, because it’s very personal, but on the other hand I wouldn’t have this new opportunity without my time there. Any advice or guidance would be so appreciated. The Empowered Manager* by Peter Block 7 Steps to Take Before You Quit Your Job by Michael Hyatt Finding the Career That Fits You* The Ultimate Guide to Using Your Strengths to Get Hired* Question from Stephen I have been leading a small nonprofit for about 18 months in my first executive role. One of the (many) areas in which I need to improve is in making time for coaching my core staff, rather than having conversations consistently around ongoing tasks, deadlines, etc. I would like to make time (weekly, monthly, quarterly?) where I sit down with them one on one for a set period of time and we talk about how they want to improve, why, and make a plan together for doing so. Can you recommend some resources where I can get advice on establishing a coaching routine and culture, setting expectations to make it fruitful, how often to set the meetings, etc.? Asian Efficiency Do This for a Productive Week (episode 180) The Weekly Review (Teaching in Higher Ed podcast) Question from Lauren I’m a director-level product manager (software) at a large diversified industrial company and I’ve recently been given an amazing opportunity to build a new vertical business unit with a small team of great folks from across the business. My mentor (and someone who probably had a lot to do with my new opportunity) is a very senior exec and I just found out that he and I are going to meet consultants next week which means I’m going to have a lot of 1:1 time with him. I adore and deeply respect this guy – he’s one of those rare leaders who is scary-smart, has accomplished really big things but is also a genuinely nice person. Getting informal time with him is a huge opportunity for me to learn more about the market, the company, and leadership in general. I would love nothing more than to sit there with a notepad and interrogate him, but that’s probably not a great idea! Can you offer any advice on good ways to utilize conversations with 2- and 3-level-up executives? I don’t want to annoy him, and I don’t want to ask questions whose answers he isn’t in a position to share, but I feel like it would be ludicrous to waste the opportunity on casual conversation. Question from Sarah I am a department manager for Walmart and going to school for business. Would retail be good on a resume? I have a lot of fun and the experience is very challenging. I have most troubles with the elderly and plan on reading the millennial manager book from you podcast. Seven Principles for Leading People Older Than You, with Bonni Stachowiak (episode 59) Managing the Millennials* by Chip Espinoza Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Joel Comm: Twitter Power 3.0 Joel Comm shares strategies from his book, Twitter Power 3.0: How to Dominate Your Market One Tweet at a Time*, to help us discover how to use Twitter to support leadership development. Quotes The crazy, mundane tweets actually turn out to be one of the areas that more people connect with because we can relate to the silly things … it provides real human connection. —Joel Comm When we talk about search, people immediately go to Google … but Twitter is actually one of the greatest search engines on the web. —Joel Comm Authenticity is the key word; people are tired of being marketed to. —Joel Comm The question shouldn’t be, “How do I use Twitter to market?” The question should be, “How do I reach into this audience … and bring value to them?” —Joel Comm Twitter is the watercooler of our time. —Joel Comm Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

David Marquet, former captain of the USS Santa Fe, discusses his journey from leading the worst-performing ship to the best by empowering his crew. He emphasizes that great leaders avoid giving orders, allowing their team to take initiative. Marquet highlights the importance of decision-making authority for employee engagement and how treating people like leaders fosters more leaders. He also shares insights on embracing uncertainty and the transformative power of actions over thoughts in leadership development.

Andy Kaufman: People and Projects podcast Andy Kaufman is the host of the People and Projects podcast and an expert on project management. He joins me in this conversation to explore how to influence a large number of stakeholders. Quotes If we’re honest here, there are some stakeholders that we don’t even want to involve … Even for the difficult people, we have to find a way to involve them. It helps manage their expectations, and it helps manage our expectations. —Andy Kaufman Hope is not a good strategy. Hope is a wonderful thing for mankind, but it’s a terrible thing for projects. —Andy Kaufman If I don’t sufficiently think through who I’m impacting, or who could impact us, I’m not going to manage their expectations. —Andy Kaufman I mistake keeping someone informed for keeping them satisfied. —Andy Kaufman Listen to the other person’s story so well that you can say it as well as them. —Donny Ebenstein Resources Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader* by Herminia Ibarra I Hear You: Repair Communication Breakdowns, Negotiate Successfully, and Build Consensus…in Three Simple Steps* by Donny Ebenstein Essentials of Project Management by Andy Kaufman (use coupon code coachingforleaders-50) Advanced Project Management by Andy Kaufman (use coupon code coachingforleaders-50) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.