Coaching for Leaders

Learn how to achieve focused success in a distracted world with Cal Newport's rules for Deep Work. Train your brain to focus, set aside time for deep work, and make a move to signal your commitment to concentration. Discover the value of deep work in a competitive economy and explore practical strategies for prioritizing intense focus.

Tara Mohr: Playing Big Tara Mohr is an expert on women’s leadership and well-being. She is the author of Playing Big: Practical Wisdom for Women Who Want to Speak Up, Create, and Lead*, named a best book of the year by Apple’s iBooks. Tara is the creator and teacher of the global Playing Big leadership program for women, and of the Playing Big Facilitators Training for coaches, therapists, managers, and mentors. Your worst critic is probably yourself. In this conversation, Tara joins Dave to show you how to tame your inner critic. Actions to overcome your inner critic Write down your inner critic’s most commonly voiced lines. Create a character that suits your inner critic’s voice, and then picture it when you hear the voice. Look at the voice with compassion, trying to understand what your safety instinct is afraid of. Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Janine Lombardi: J9 Leading Solutions On this week’s episode, Janine Lombardi provides a framework for how we can all get better results through effective energy use. Quote Part of a succession planning strategy is to have the role that you’re grooming people to take be attractive to them … We’re no longer going to see people stepping into leadership roles that are not attractive. —Janine Lombardi Ways to fuel mental energy Create a Gratitude Journal Relive a positive experience for two minutes a day Thank someone for something each day. Ways to fuel physical energy Get better sleep Eat healthily Take breaks often Resources Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time by Tony Schwartz and Catherine McCarthy 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*. Audio Question from Ian The Way to Lead After a Workplace Loss, with Andrew Stenhouse (episode 142) Audio Question from Nigel Question from Jennifer My company has two marketing departments. One is customer marketing which is more account focus and supports specific account managers. Account managers love them because they are their right hands. The other marketing department is consumer/brand marketing where I am in. We set corporate programs and brand strategies. I find myself constantly having to remind the sales team that we work for the same company with the same goal in mind. Some of them can be very critical about the new products and programs we developed because they are not tailored made for their specific accounts. Lately, some of them have been complaining about the new product launch timing. I am struggling with the situation because I want to support them as much as I can, but I cannot give them everything they want all the time. I read the below. Do you have any additional suggestions/actions I can take? I want to join them on sales calls to experience 1st hand what they are experiencing. I created a marketing pitch that I believe the buyers will like to hear and the sales team may not be able to articulate. I want to add value to the call. I thought they will be excited. I was wrong. None of them seems to like the idea. I really don't know what to do about it at this point. Ending the War Between Sales and Marketing by Philip Kotler, Neil Rackham, and Suj Krishnaswamy 5 Ways to Stop Teams From Fighting Question from Steve The book Flow which I read about two months ago was a great read, Mihaly describes the book as the first one written on the topic of flow specifically tailored for a wider audience as opposed to scholars of flow. I found it tough reading at times but having been introduced to the concept prior to reading the book, flow itself is an unmistakable feeling to experience and something that I get a lot of through writing which would deeply shock my high school English teachers today. I've often wondered if there is a lack of flow within business and job roles which leads to inefficiency and problems with micromanagement being one of these and then the constant disruption of phone, email, personal devices etc, what do you think? Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World* by Cal Newport Question from Hanan I am Hanan, from Saudi Arabia. I've been listening to your episodes and very curios to see more from you in future. I really appreciate the efforts and amazing thoughts and resources that you deliver. I admire you, and I have learned a lot from these episodes. So thank you very much. I have a question. I've grown in a place where men and women are separated in almost all life aspects (like family gathering, schooling, university, and sometimes work). But, there has been considerable change in the country towards allowing women to work where she wants, this is at the policy level. At the practice level, I think we "women", still need a lot of skills and qualities to be able to work in environment dominated by men. And even a lot more of leadership skills to be able to lead or acting as successful leaders in such environments. So, do you have any advice or resources that could help handle cultural issues? Note, due to the separation, misunderstanding is very common between men and women in everywhere. International Higher Education in the 21st Century (Teaching in Higher Ed)

Allan McDonald, former program manager for the Solid Rocket Boosters during the Challenger disaster, dives into the critical choices that led to one of NASA's darkest days. He reveals the intense pressure he faced before the launch and discusses the chilling details that unfolded that fateful night. McDonald emphasizes the importance of ethical decision-making and the necessity of speaking up in challenging situations. His reflections on leadership and accountability resonate deeply, making a compelling case for the lasting impact of decisions made under pressure.

David Hutchens: Circle of the 9 Muses If you’ve found telling stories awkward in leadership, David Hutchens shows us how to leverage practical storytelling for results. Quotes The most important part of the work [of storytelling] is all the stuff that happens after a story is told. When you tell a story, that’s not the end of a conversation, it’s the beginning. —David Hutchens Instead of me saying, “Hey, this story is important,” I always ask the audience why it’s important, and let them make a case for it. And they always do. —David Hutchens When a group starts having meaning-making conversations together, they’re surprised at the feeling of connection that it creates. —David Hutchens You can stumble and stutter your way through the story, but if it’s the right story, and if it’s connected to the work that matters to us, then it can be transformational. —David Hutchens Resources Mentioned GO Team program* Leadership Story Deck* by David Hutchens Circle of the 9 Muses: A Storytelling Field Guide for Innovators and Meaning Makers* by David Hutchens David’s email: David@DavidHutchens.com Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Chip Espinoza: Millennials Who Manage Chip Espinoza shares wisdom from his new book, Millennials Who Manage: How to Overcome Workplace Perceptions. Chip is the Co-author of Millennials@Work: The 7 Skills Every Twenty-Something Needs to Overcome Roadblocks and Achieve Greatness At Work and Managing the Millennials: Discover the Core Competencies for Managing Today’s Workforce. He is also Academic Director of the Organizational Psychology program at Concordia University Irvine. Quotes The major challenge [millennials] have in getting to the next level is their lack of patience. —Chip Espinoza It’s not the people that are against us that are going to hold us back from achieving what we want; it’s the people who love us the most. —Chip Espinoza The number one challenge of moving from a peer worker to being a boss is a redefinition of a relationship with their peers. The second greatest challenge is the fear of disappointing the person who promoted them. —Chip Espinoza Resources Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ by Daniel Goleman Google’s Quest to Build a Better Boss by Adam Bryant 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 joins me monthly to respond to listener questions. Question from Maurice Are there any resources out there on energy and leadership? With that I don't mean the energy which seeps out you as you struggle through the day, but rather the energy which you project in any given situation. I volunteered at a dog shelter for a year. During that year I devoured any and all episode of 'The Dog Whisperer'. I discovered that being aware of one's energy before entering a scene had impact. In this case on dogs, their reaction to me and their attitude in general. I strongly believe this awareness of one's energetical state impacts humans as well. So, in February of this year I became a dad. Being aware of how sensitive small children are, I tried to be conscious of my energy around him as well. It worked! Usually in the way, that he tends to fall asleep in my arms. I've found a way to create a pool of calm energy around me. Some might call it: centered, or grounded. I'm confident that the purposeful use of our inner energy has a deep impact on our environment. This sub conscious communication fascinates me hugely. Do you, or does Bonni, know of any resources on this topic? Question from Lisa Thank you for the coaching for leader's podcasts, they helped me to get my first manager role which I will start in January 2016! I have a question which I hope you might be able to assist with. The team leader (who I will be reporting to) was speaking at our team Christmas party about how the work we do just isn't really a worthwhile job, and while you are on your deathbed you aren't going to be thinking about it (for background, we deal with legal claims against a government agency). The fact that he holds that view isn't great, but I think sharing it with your team is plain wrong! I want team members to know that they do important work which is worth being passionate about. How do you recommend dealing with this attitude in the most professional way? Question from Ian Six months ago I started a new position and have implemented a fair number of changes to the team to improve performance, metrics, and customer services. Most initiatives have been well received, we are definitively making progress and everyone is now seeing the benefits. To capitalize on the credibility that this has afforded me, I have begun the next phase of revitalizing the department by conducting monthly goals/coaching sessions with each individual. The point here is to keep them on task with their professional goals, encourage them to develop personal goals, and to continually work with them on time management, team building, and to continually refine their "Why" (a topic I was very interested in on episode 223). As part of this process I want to provide them with some good reading, podcasts, or other resources for honing these skills, but I have been coming up short. There are no shortage of leadership/management books and podcasts but I am looking specifically for resources that are geared towards promoting personal and professional development for staff. My normal go-to's for staff reading have been, Raving Fans and Gung Ho by Ken Blanchard, but I was looking for more resources to offer my team for professional development. Resources Real Magic* by Wayne Dyer The Power of Intention* by Wayne Dyer Power vs. Force* by David Hawkins Flow* by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi What Search Dogs Teach About Engagement, with Jan Frazee (episode 25) How to Improve Your Coaching Skills, with Tom Henschel (episode 190) Start With Why* by Simon Sinek 7 Habits of Highly Effective People* by Stephen Covey

Bill George: Discover Your True North On this episode, we learn how to discover your true north with Bill George, one of America’s most seasoned business leaders. Bill is a senior fellow at Harvard Business School and the former Chairman and CEO of Medtronic, the world’s leading medical technology company. He is the author of several bestselling books including True North*, Authentic Leadership*, and most recently Discover Your True North*. Quotes Your life story defines your leadership. –Bill George Leadership is your choice, not your title. –Bill George Leadership can be lonely, and the only way to overcome that loneliness is to surround yourself with truth tellers and people who care about you. –Bill George Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Jacqueline Farrington: Executive Coach On this week’s show, Jacqueline Farrington teaches us how to lead through times of uncertainty and change. Jacqueline works with senior and board-level leaders. She specializes in helping executives create high-impact personal brands and communication strategies, with particular focus on cross-generational and cross-cultural communications. Key Points 70% of all major organizational changes fail 20% of employees will support your change from the start Book: First Break all the Rules* by Marcus Buckingham Quotes People often have the perception that organizational change is about change management and not change leadership. The distinction is that while they both deliver change, change management is about the processes that we use. Change leadership is about the vision, creating a sense of urgency, and speaking to the hearts and minds of your employees. —Jaqueline Ferrington Generally, when an organization introduces change, 20% of employees will support the change. But the rest, 80%, are either fence-sitters or active resisters, and often leaders forget about that. —Jaqueline Ferrington Often, leaders look at their change champions, and think, “Ah, I don’t really have to pay attention to these people because they really believe in it, they’re driving it.” But if those people begin to feel ignored or that they aren’t being used to support the change, they can become highly disengaged. —Jaqueline Ferrington Leaders often approach change from their perspective, not from their followers’ perspective. —Jaqueline Ferrington Recommendations Book: Your Brain at Work* by David Rock Book: The Progress Principle* by Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer Book: Overcoming Immunity to Change* by Robert Kegan Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.