The Leadership Enigma

Chris Samsa is a positive psychologist and one of the founding directors of The Neuro Leadership Institute and has personally worked with Carol Dweck in the arena of Growth Mindset and Psychological Safety. A Positive Psychologist focuses on your strengths and what is ‘right’ with you as opposed to just developmental areas. Chris advises that all of us must find out we are naturally good at and do more of it. Through neuroplasticity of the brain we are a collection of habits and behaviours; thinking habits, emotional habits and physical habits. Chris explains that all of us move continually between a growth and a fixed mindset. Nearly all of us have a bias for a fixed mindset due to our experiences growing up. Language is the key to how we travel between Growth and Fixed Mindset including how we deal with ‘Radio Me’ or the Inner Critic. The most powerful word that we can deploy is the word ‘YET’ as it transforms a fixed mindset statement into a growth mindset statement. Chris outlines the 5 F’s of how our minds deal with threat: Fight, Flight, Freeze, Flock and Fawn and the issue of cut-throat competitiveness. We discuss the Psychological Safety Index which is a tool to measure Psychological Safety in organisations. The 4 key pillars are:1.     Inclusion and diversity. You can have a diverse organisation but not have inclusion. Diversity is having a seat at the table, inclusion is having a voice at the table. When you have true inclusion and diversity, team members feel able to speak up and they can contribute to the group.  2.     Attitude to risk and failure. Research discovered that the more successful teams made mistakes with a view to owning those mistakes and identifying the learning as opposed to apportioning blame. Poor performing teams spend too much time and energy covering up mistakes. 3.     Willingness to help: Pro social behaviours are exhibited and increased when Psychological Safety is in place. 4.     Open conversation (equal turn taking) this is all about people having the sense their voice matters and will be heard. Watch & Subscribe: 👀 https://www.youtube.com/@theleadersenigma/videosListen & Subscribe: 🎙️ https://open.spotify.com/show/5NSnRyHzPmyY5OWhGzKU5Pwww.leadersenigma.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Carol Kauffman is Harvard Faculty, author, global speaker, leadership advisor and coach, who Marshall Goldsmith has described as the world’s Number 1 Leadership Coach. This episode is an amazing insight into the life and work of Carol as we explore who Carol is and what drives her day to day in her work with some of the most senior and influential leaders in the world. Carol is committed to bringing the best out of people including herself. Her strong personal purpose is to be ‘a conduit for joy, the sword of truth to care for and challenge the powerful, galvanise their goodness so that they can change the world.’ Carol gives an incredibly candid insight into her family life with a genius for a sister, a mother with strong values and a father who was a sociopath and CEO of his own company who tried with all of his might to corrupt Carol’s thinking and approach to life. Thankfully Carol realised that this advice was not to be her path of truth, focus and impact in the world.  Carol describes herself as an average student and her role as coach allows her massive permission to tell the truth to power and coach the fearful into achieving incredible results. Carol during her childhood was exposed to a rich variety of people from the rich and powerful of Monte Carlo to the Head of the Mob! She realised that the more you are in the spotlight, the less it is about you. Her role as coach is never to shame but to bring joy into the experience and care deeply before challenging someone to help improve their personal development. Human Centred Leadership capabilities are absolutely core for any leader to be a Force for Good. This is one of the reasons that Carol always asks her clients “who do you want to be right now?’ as who you are will ripple out through your organisation. Carol explains the importance for all leaders to be coaches as it will allow them to establish positive relationships and be their best. This kind of interaction creates high profit and engagement and an environment of autonomy and psychological safety which changes how an entire organisation can run and meet challenges when being disrupted.  Carol also gives me coach training 101. A good coach must be able to do the following: 1.     Be a view to the future2.     Focus on the skills of the other person3.     Help navigate the person forward with questions (Carol shares her key questions in this episode) and positive confrontation Carol is set to launch her new book ‘Real Time Leadership – Find Your Winning Moves When the Stakes Are High’ available from February 2023. In the book and episode, she outlines her M.O.V.E. approach to winning and the three dimensions of leadership.  I even asked Carol for advice to play a tennis final, which I won. Thank you, Carol. Don’t miss this incredible episode. Visit www.carolkauffman.com for a sneak peak of the book. Watch & Subscribe: 👀 https://www.youtube.com/@theleadersenigma/videosListen & Subscribe: 🎙️ https://open.spotify.com/show/5NSnRyHzPmyY5OWhGzKU5Pwww.leadersenigma.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Clarke Murphy is a CEO and Board Advisor and author of ‘Sustainable Leadership’. He hosts The Redefiners podcast. Leaders are faced with global growth, changing demographics of the workforce, constant change, digital transformation, automation, globalisation and more, and therefore lead in the transformation as opposed to the replacement business. Clarke explains that sustainability is the broad umbrella for the 17 Sustainable Development Goals decided in 1998-1999 and not just climate change.Sustainable leaders are essential for all organisations and Clarkes research has identified four key elements: 1.    Multi-Level Systems Thinking - which allows a leader to think conceptually about the depth of complexity they operate in. 2.    Stakeholder Inclusion – will you include your competitors. Regulators and employees into the conversation to solve a sustainable issue. This takes guts and followership.3.    Disruptive Innovation – questioning own beliefs and learning from failure with humility and listening skills in abundance 4.    Long Term Activation – when hit with failure, can you keep moving long beyond the moment. Clarke also introduces us to LQ: The ability for a leader to always learn especially from the younger generations within the organisation.Sustainability is a non-negotiable for all leaders and not just a compliance or tick box exercise. Leaders must look at their organisations and identify what are their commitments to sustainability and understand how they measure their actions over multiple years. The journey starts with one step. Clarke provides numerous examples of companies getting this right and the value they are creating both internally and externally. You will also have to decide if you are a 100%er, a Moon Shooter or a Fence Sitter. Creating a better world is an obligation for every leader and every organisation. Take the first step. Sustainable Leadership – Lessons of Vision, Courage, and Grit from the CEOs Who Dared to Build a Better World is available from Amazon. Watch & Subscribe: 👀 https://www.youtube.com/@theleadersenigma/videosListen & Subscribe: 🎙️ https://open.spotify.com/show/5NSnRyHzPmyY5OWhGzKU5Pwww.leadersenigma.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Traci Fenton is the CEO of WorldBlu with a personal purpose and passion to help 1 billion people live, lead and work in freedom rather than fear. We have never lived in a time with so much fear and Traci has dedicated the last 25 years of her professional life in service of helping leaders and organisations in over 100 countries. WorldBlu has certified organisations across the world for 17 years who embrace freedom centred leadership principles. Those organisations have experienced an average of 700% greater revenue growth over a three-year period compared to S&P 500 indexed companies. Traci was raised in a spiritual family, both parents were teachers and Traci realised as a young 10-year-old girl that her purpose was about helping other people which later developed into giving power to people so that they can be free and live their full potential and infinite worth. Organisations across the world have a responsibility to be a force for good and create the conditions for everyone to be their best. When companies operate democratically it ripples out to increase the level of peace, economic prosperity and civil engagement for that organisation.The bedrock for Freedom at Work is based on Mindset. Leaders must handle fear day to day.  Traci explains we have approx. 60,000 thoughts per day. 80% of those thoughts are the same thoughts that we had the day before and 95% of those thoughts are negative and fear based. Traci helps leaders with her five-step process to recognise their fears and overcome them. The 5 questions are:1.    What are you afraid of?2.    Why are you afraid? 3.    So what would you do if you were not afraid?4.    How would you feel without that fear?5.    Why is it ok to let the fear go?In this episode Traci also outlines the 3 pillars of Freedom Centred Leadership. Power, Love and the powerful concept of Ubuntu. Listen to the full episode for more details. www.worldblu.com‘Freedom at Work’ is available on Amazon. Watch & Subscribe: 👀 https://www.youtube.com/@theleadersenigma/videosListen & Subscribe: 🎙️ https://open.spotify.com/show/5NSnRyHzPmyY5OWhGzKU5Pwww.leadersenigma.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Laurie Sudbrink is the author of GRIT and CEO of Unlimited Coaching. Her work is her passion based on being a middle child with 13 siblings from a blended family. Grit was something she was taught at a young age and now she works on a daily basis with leaders across multiple organisations helping people work better together. Laurie’s passion to help others is partly based on the loss of two of her brothers to suicide leaving her questioning and seeking her personal purpose. Laurie decided her response was not just about being ‘gritty’ it was about living her purpose and giving authentically. Laurie realised life would never be the same after these tragedies and so her journey started to define GRIT for herself and others and to always learn and grow from every situation in life. When the going gets tough, the tough get going, which is unsustainable. G.R.I.T.Generosity – the ability to give and receive with a feeling of abundance and a focus on servant leadership. Respect – When we know and accept ourselves we align our behaviours on a daily basis and practice our ability to self-respect. Also, we must respect others whilst challenging our own thoughts and beliefs that drive our actions. Integrity – Aligning to your truth and being authentic to your personal purpose. All leaders cast a shadow and we must also consider our congruence. Truth – It all starts inside us, knowing yourself and accepting ourselves with objectivity. The DISC tool is a useful resource for all leaders to uncover their truth. Be curious about yourself. For your free GRIT assessment: www.lauriesudbrink.comWatch & Subscribe: 👀 https://www.youtube.com/@theleadersenigma/videosListen & Subscribe: 🎙️ https://open.spotify.com/show/5NSnRyHzPmyY5OWhGzKU5Pwww.leadersenigma.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Luke is a former U18’s England rugby player who has devoted his life to working with athletes from Premiership and Championship football teams, elite rugby, GB skateboarding, weightlifting and disadvantaged young adults in relation to mindfulness and mental wellbeing. The link between mental health and performance is now well known and something every leader must consider for him or herself and their teams. Luke had a very goal driven attitude and was always searching for external validation, however two players from his peer group who went on to play professional rugby took their own lives and this was the catalyst for Luke to focus on the power of mindfulness and mental health for 6 years with the London Buddhist Centre which in turn deepened his need to change the image of mental health in the workplace. Meditation was at the core of Luke’s work, where he understood the ability to balance the nervous system and also find meaning by creating space for refection. Luke focuses on the human being as opposed to the human achieving and you may be surprised as to the single greatest result of mindfulness for athletes and business leaders that Luke reveals. The pandemic forced people into different routines with different pressures and mental health became more of a reality for all of us. All leaders need to forward think their own and their team’s mental health and away from purely goal driven approaches for a more balanced drive, increased self-awareness and performance. Luke also shares a very personal story of how a single question asked of him by a schoolchild forced him to question the whole process and application of mindfulness. 10 minutes of mindfulness or meditation a day for 6 months can change the neuro pathways and build mental muscle mass, Enjoy www.mindfulpeakperformance.com/leadersWatch & Subscribe: 👀 https://www.youtube.com/@theleadersenigma/videosListen & Subscribe: 🎙️ https://open.spotify.com/show/5NSnRyHzPmyY5OWhGzKU5Pwww.leadersenigma.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jay Bousada is the CEO and Founder of Thrillworks who have been creating digital acceleration solutions for clients for over 23 years. Jay was originally a structural engineer with a passion for problem solving and an entrepreneurial approach that has always sought to locate self-imposed boundaries and proactively problems solve in an ever-changing world. Jay created the concept of Self-Imposed Expiry Dates in 2017 which was a point in time when the business was making money, but he felt it wasn’t growing and learning. This process allowed Jay and his team to challenge their own internal policies and ways of working in quick time and change with agility. For example, every recurring meeting expired after 3 months unless all agreed that value was still being generated. This simple concept prevented lethargy and a laissez faire attitude to running yesterday’s solution to today’s problems. Expiry Dates was a forcing function that allowed the organisation to stop, reflect and assess relevance, importance and impact. As a leader, self-imposed expiry dates allows the organisation to constantly reflect and react to change, but it requires the leader to avoid the minutia and move from the dancefloor to the balcony in order to see the business in a more holistic and enterprise way. The Pandemic was a shared experience for all of us but it expired what we all knew about business! Overnight face to face working expired, travel expired, office working expired. We all had to do business differently overnight to the day before. This speed of change is now a fact for leaders in the modern era of the 4th Industrial Revolution. The application of Expiry Dates allows leaders and businesses to always be in state of readiness to avoid irrelevance in a world that changes overnight.  Enjoy this episode. www.thrillworks.comWatch & Subscribe: 👀 https://www.youtube.com/@theleadersenigma/videosListen & Subscribe: 🎙️ https://open.spotify.com/show/5NSnRyHzPmyY5OWhGzKU5Pwww.leadersenigma.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan Priestley is a serial entrepreneur currently leading 7 companies, author of multiple books and proud father of three. A key person of influence  as a business leader creates a compelling vision with energy and purpose beyond just profit whilst also attracting amazing talent who create real value so that the business takes on a life of its own. Examples include Microsoft and Apple who have gone from strength to strength beyond their original iconic founders. Dan outlines 5 critical features, for any Key Person of Influence. Firstly, the ability to Pitch your vision.  All entrepreneurs need to pitch their business into existence. Dan explains that sharpening your pitch in the market is always going to be better than trying to sharpen your pitch in your mind. Secondly Publishing content in order to be a voice so that you can be found, heard and understood as regards what you want to be known for. Next is Product innovation with an ability to understand ideation and know when a minimal viable product must be pressure tested in the market place. Fourthly is raising Profile and taking accountability for getting out into the world and lastly is the ability to create Partnerships and joint ventures which can lead to explosive growth.  There has never been a better time to lead without authority and have a voice to create change and become a force for good as a Key Person of Influence. Even the most experienced and senior need to consider how they are a Key Person of Influence above and beyond their role and title leaving a legacy for sustainable growth, impact and value. Dan also refers to his mentor who wisely said to him ‘we’re not forward engineering the past, we are reverse engineering the future’ Don't miss this episode. Watch & Subscribe: 👀 https://www.youtube.com/@theleadersenigma/videosListen & Subscribe: 🎙️ https://open.spotify.com/show/5NSnRyHzPmyY5OWhGzKU5Pwww.leadersenigma.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Thompson is the CEO and Co-founder of The Diversity Movement with over 20 years of experience of building and selling companies. He passionately describes himself as a lifetime ‘competitive learner’ who pays attention to what he needs to do personally in order to create lasting relationships. As the son of a football coach (American football) he always understood how the individual can hustle with humility in order to be part of a bigger and successful collective. Donald spends his life looking for the good and commonality in each relationship that he builds.  Donald describes how he helps senior leaders make workplaces better beyond just a social justice campaign by linking it to the tangible outcomes that matter to the c-suite. A diverse workforce creates real impact numbers in conjunction to an organisation creating a powerful and meaningful brand and force for good with DE&I being a critical construct of human decencyDonald provides a real example as to one organisation changing their performance reviews and mentorship which led to an increase in 200% of number of people of colour in their high-performance category. Leaders must create inclusive language that resonates with all whilst setting reasonable goals for DE&I in the context of understanding what your organisational culture is ready for which in turn avoids false promises. Loyalty is an active relationship infrastructure that creates an environment of openness, safety, and a source of powerful feedback and learning. Don’t miss this inspiring episode. Get Donald’s new book: ‘Underestimated: A CEO’s unlikely path to success’ based on a number of deeply personal and inspiring recollections of a man who is a true force for good in the face of prejudice and adversity. For free resources, please visit:www.thediversitymovement.comWatch & Subscribe: 👀 https://www.youtube.com/@theleadersenigma/videosListen & Subscribe: 🎙️ https://open.spotify.com/show/5NSnRyHzPmyY5OWhGzKU5Pwww.leadersenigma.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fraser Edwards is the co-founder and CEO of Cheqd. The business was created in 2021 and has already received 2 rounds of funding and has a valuation in excess of $40 million. Fraser is an amazing example of a young entrepreneur who has leveraged his education, life experiences and failures.Fraser comes from a long line of engineers, mother (mechanical), father (civil), uncle (chemical) and two half-brothers, one a civil engineer and one an architect. Fraser’s approach to life and business is rooted in his previous experiences which included crazy and unworkable business projects, the loss of his father at the tender age of 18 and being slow to capitalise on another great business idea that he watched another capitalise on. This didn’t stop Fraser and his business partner from starting Cheqd which focuses on Self Sovereign Identify and the issue of surveillance capitalism. This could be a game changer for every business with customers. Surveillance Capitalism is explained by Fraser as ‘if you’re not paying for the product, you are the product.’. He provides a number of real-life examples for us to understand the gravity and importance of what happens to our personal data. Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) is set to become a Government driven approach which may fundamentally change the behaviour of customers in relation to the privacy and the creation and use of personal data. The power is set to shift. Don't miss this episode. www.cheqd.ioWatch & Subscribe: 👀 https://www.youtube.com/@theleadersenigma/videosListen & Subscribe: 🎙️ https://open.spotify.com/show/5NSnRyHzPmyY5OWhGzKU5Pwww.leadersenigma.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.