The Leadership Enigma

Dr. Gautam Gulati is a physician entrepreneur and world-renowned keynote speaker focused on using unconventional and contrarian techniques to drive innovation in health.By being a "sponge to the world", Dr.G has an uncanny ability to identify problems, spot trends, and uncover patterns that most others miss.He uses a personal mantra called GO.BE.DO. to serve as a guiding filter for his life decisions - GO to interesting places, BE with interesting people, and DO interesting things. Dr. G chats with me about spotting trends as the "observation of the accelerated present" and innovation as the "uncommon arrangement of common ideas". We chat about the three characteristics of leaders found in most organizations who often resist change: the Chameleon, the Ostrich, and the Sea Squirt. This episode is packed full of actionable advice for leaders on how to create a culture of innovation. Using provocative stories, Dr. G shares with us a few contrarian techniques we can all apply to think differently as innovative leaders of our organizations - including what it means to live in our customers' reality, how to create small acts of meaning, and why we need to beware of the super chickens. This episode is packed full of useful and inspirational advice. You won't want to miss it!To learn more about Dr.G's work or to book him as a motivational speaker, visit: www.iamdrg.com.To learn more about his new venture called The Well Home, visit: www.thewellhome.coTo listen to his award-winning storytelling audio docuseries on human resiliency, visit: www.superhumans.healthConnect with Dr.G on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/gautamgulati, and follow him on Twitter @drgautamgulatiWatch & 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.

Hidde de Vries is the founder of Recharge, a former Googler and the author of “Work Smart, Play Smart’ which he released in the UK live on this podcast episode. Hidde recalls losing his business, his income, his girlfriend and his flat as the catalyst for his journey to avoid burnout and depression. It was only when Hidde was full time at Google and loving his work did he start to reconsider how he could best manage is own energy and vitality and so he used himself as an experiment for what became his Recharge Programme. As humans we know we can work hard, and with the new technologies around us, we also have the ability to literally work ourselves to death! Sustainable performance is more than just wellbeing, it’s about empowering people to work smarter which in turn allows people to regulate all the various internal and external energisers that allow us to improve our ability to be productive in all that we do in order to improve our ‘live life balance.’The pandemic eroded even more boundaries between our working life and our personal life. Many of us travelled from the bedroom to the laptop on the kitchen table back to the bedroom in order to do it all over again the next day. As many organisations attempt to tackle what flexibility means for their people, the critical component is trust. Leaders must switch their mindset to output, as opposed to hours, location and depersonalised ways of workingWatch & 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.

Lisa Hurley is a writer, TV host, Podcaster and Activist. We met when both of us were separately featured in Podcaster Inc Magazine. As soon as I heard Lisa's story, this episode became a priority. We are two totally different people who share a passion for trying to add value and positivity in the world. Our curiosity allows us to see our commonality and human spirit for positive change. Lisa explains how she deals with being an introvert, and how she created her podcast, The Introverted Sisters to stay connected to her sister in Barbados during the global pandemic. However, her purpose to speak up at injustice became too strong for her introversion after the murder of George Floyd. That day became a moment in time when we all asked ourselves some profound questions. What do we stand for in the world? How can we be a force for good? How can we be an ally to each other and leverage our collective to lead an inclusive life? How can our innate human curiosity serve our ability to understand what we don't know? This was an episode that was created by chance and served to prove how strangers become friends one conversation at a time. 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.

Rob Lilwall is a National Geographic Adventurer and author. Rob's first expedition was a 35,000 mile bike ride from Siberia to London where he had to survive months of minus 40 degree weather and being knocked off his bike twice. He then deiced to walk from Mongolia to Hong Kong followed by his decision to trek across the Taklamakan (desert of death) by himself. Rob is a true example of an ordinary chap completing extraordinary tasks. Rob made the transition from geography school teacher to international adventurer in order to overcome his fears, lack of confidence and desire to grow up. This is a fast paced episode where Rob describes how he overcame his own imposter syndrome, how having a growth mindset allowed him to learn through adversity and when faced with what initially seemed like an insurmountable problem, he would take a step back and just think and reflect in order to reframe and innovate. Rob definitely hasn't finished his adventures yet but he understands the power of also saying no and how grit, determination and resilience live inside all of us waiting to be unleashed with the right motivation.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.

Simon Leslie is the CEO of Ink Global, the world's largest publisher of in-flight magazines..........that was until the global pandemic arrived. Simon is also the author of a number of books including 'Equanimity - Diary of a CEO in Crisis' which he wrote during the challenges of the pandemic. Simon has been a serial entrepreneur all his life striving to do things better, differently and in a culture that rewards behaviours as well as results. The pandemic almost destroyed the company that Simon had spent 27 years building and developing. His recent experiences were a deeply personal voyage of discovery, courage, vulnerability and reflection. Simon describes how he 'kept feeding his positive dog' and how the pandemic years proved to be the most valuable learning experience of his career to date. We talk about recognising weak signals, the power of culture, what 50 global speakers did to help a CEO in crisis and how the fact that having a leadership title does not make any of us leaders, just as if standing in a car park doesn't mean we are a car!! Enjoy this deeply personal, heart warming and insightful 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.

Welcome to Episode 100. Renée Elliott is the founder of Planet Organic and co-founder of Beluga Bean. Renée has devoted her working life to offering and supporting a life of wellbeing. She built Planet Organic on the basis of being able to offer healthy food to create healthy lifestyles. Her passion is laser focused on helping entrepreneurs and business owners understand their 'Whole Self Leadership' potential. We chat about the need to KNOW yourself, BE yourself and MANAGE yourself. Renée explains three important lessons in relation to our wellbeing. Firstly wellbeing is individual, secondly that our wellbeing is made up of our physical, occupational, psychological, economic, social and spiritual spheres. Thirdly that our wellbeing is constantly in flux. This episode is a wonderful example of a strong successful leader who manages to balance and promote self awareness and vulnerability combined with a strong human centred approach to all that she does. Renée even asks me some questions and it becomes very obvious I need to go on her course! Enjoy. 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.

Tony O'Driscoll is a Professor at Duke University and author of his recent book "Everyday Superhero." Tony's work is at the cutting edge of modern day leadership as we discuss the challenge for organisations to transform in perpetuity and the absolute need to understand that people make an organisation stop or go. We also discuss the necessity for leaders to create clear and compelling narratives for change to engender followership and mitigate the status quo. Tony chats thorough his People Centric Transformation Model so leaders understand how they can nudge the culture towards the 4A's of Aspiration, Autonomy, Accountability and Alignment. In a world of constant change, Tony explains how the hierarchy no longer works and leaders need to embrace and catalyse the network to create resilient and captive organisations. We also talk through Tony's Centre Leader Model which demonstrates the power and effectiveness of the inside- out approach to change by harnessing the 'dynamo' centre of any organisation that sits at the interface between Strategy and Results, Culture and Change. You can get the resources we talk about by visiting tonyodriscoll.comEnjoy this valuable 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.

Chester Elton is one of the world’s leading authorities on leadership and culture having spoken in over 45 countries. He is a 7 time Wall Street Journal Best Seller a 5 Times New York Times Best Seller. He is part of the Marshall Goldsmith 100 and the King of Gratitude. Chester shares his personal journey that led to the writing of his recent books, “Anxiety at Work and “Leading with Gratitude”One of the key strategies to deal with anxiety at work is to maximise our ability to be grateful as we can’t hold two emotions simultaneously.Anxiety is a huge problems for all leaders. Pre pandemic figures recorded 18% of employees stated they were experiencing anxiety issues that prevented them working properly. After the pandemic that figure rose to 30%. And in those employees in their 20’s and 30’s that figure jumps to 42%. The stigma re mental health is still a prevailing issue.Chester shares his rule of three in dealing with anxiety: Firstly normalise the conversation, secondly, de-stigmatise the issue and thirdly use empathy not sympathy. Chester shares the powerful difference between sympathy and empathy and the impact each will have.We also discuss the question as to whether as humans we are anti-fragile? The answer may surprise you.In relation to gratitude Chester explains how top athletes have managed to tame their inner critic and all have positive mantras. We can all re-train our inner critic by asking ourselves what would our best friend say to us in this moment?The power of gratitude is very real for all leaders. It is a discipline to be practiced as we engage peoples hearts and minds. As you lead, we must understand that you will say things to people that you will never remember but they will never forget. Be kind, be generous, be grateful. Next time you are with your family at the dinner table ask the following three questions to practice the skill:1. What was the best part of your day?2. Who are you grateful for who is not at the table?3. Who are you grateful for at the table who has not been thanked yet?This episode is compelling, enjoy every second.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.

Jay Goldman is the co-founder and CEO of Sensei Labs, a New York Times best-selling author of ’The Decoded Company', HBR contributor and TedX Speaker. Jay chats to me about the need for speed in our organisations and in our leadership especially as the global pandemic was a ‘forcing function’ that delivered 10 years of digital transformation in just 2 years.A successful company exists within a virtuous cycle of being able to find and attract the best people which creates an environment that allows them to do their best work, which delivers products and services that are loved by customers, which leads to more revenues and funding to attract more talent.  We also talk about Minimal Loveable Products and how behaviours of both employees and customers have changed which therefore requires leaders to continue to challenge and rewire norms in the workplace and beyond. Jay also provides some great advice as to how a leader can approach decision making in ambiguity by separating decisions that are ‘one way’ doors from those that have ‘two way’ doors.  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.

Howard Tiersky is the CEO of From The Digital Transformation Agency and Wall Street Journal best selling author of "Winning Digital Customers The Antidote to Irrelevance."In this episode we discuss how leaders and organisations have navigated the accelerated digital environment in order to understand changing customer needs and behaviours in order to avoid becoming irrelevant. Howard explains to me how organisations that are not digital natives such as Starbucks and Taco Bell have thrived and embraced technology and changing customer behaviours. We also chat about evolutionary psychology as a primary reason for people being resistant to change and the digital leader super powers such as 'Super Vision' and an ability to 'Speak All Languages" as critical components for success. 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.