The Leadership Podcast

Kathy Steele, CEO of Red Caffeine Marketing + Technology, discusses her career and bouncing back from a business crucible. After overcoming numerous challenges, her re-launched business is now profitable and growing. She has created an intentional culture with people who share a purpose, and key core values. Kathy pursues agile solutions with a think-tank approach, and how leaders don't ignore the importance of shared values amongst the team. Key Takeaways [5:01] Kathy had a business divorce four years ago that led her to found a new business based on things she believed. To reboot her business she focused on purpose, mission, vision, core values, and the tenets of operating the business. Investing in culture helped triple business revenues in four years.[8:46] Culture Club serves to share financial results, project wins, things that could be improved, education and motivational keynote speakers. [11:14] Kathy embraces open book operations and the 'small giants' philosophies as the right way to do business. After the unfavorable business divorce, Kathy saw transparency as an essential factor in a profitable business. Within the first year, they exceeded sales projections and became debt-free. [17:54] Kathy displayed vulnerability to bring her team together to rally around the financial challenges they faced in the first year, and improve the ways they do things, through gaming elements and mini-games. One game involved time-tracking — time loggers against non-loggers.[21:42] When something doesn't go well, Kathy investigates how she can be more clear about delivering on expectations.[23:40] Kathy depends on a solid go-to-market framework so sales aligns with production and delivery.[25:44] Growth of complexity within the company creates collaboration and teamwork challenges. Kathy aspires to agile solutions for problems, using a think-tank approach. [30:23] Kathy contrasts her younger business self with her leadership approach today. She credits mentors (including her husband) that fueled her successes. [34:30] Running a business is more difficult than Kathy ever imagined and at any stage, there are many different challenges. Seek people who share your values. Website: RedCaffeine.com Twitter: @RedCaffeineInc Twitter: @KathySteele Facebook: Red Caffeine Inc. LinkedIn: Kathy Steele Forbes: "What's In Your 'Stack?' It's Not Just MarTech Driving Business Today" Forbes: "Your Growth Goals Are Unrealistic Unless You Create A Company Growth Engine" B2Community: "Wake Up! How to Create a More Engaged Workplace Culture" Quotable Quotes "It became critically important to me that I founded … a new business … established on things that I believed." "I just honestly don't know why more businesses don't operate 'open book' or embrace the small giant philosophies." "You've got young people working for you; what kind of gift do you give them, to teach them the reality of finance?" "When things don't go well, I really do feel that … there's something that I haven't been clear about." "I really discounted how much values meant until I went through that business divorce." Bio Kathy Steele is passionate about people, serious about business growth, and loves to help the underdog cause in her community. She is fortunate to "do it all" in her role as CEO of Red Caffeine Marketing + Technology. She is the company visionary overseeing growth, strategic partnerships, and employee engagement. Kathy speaks and writes about being an entrepreneur and how marketing impacts business. She is a contributor to Forbes and Business 2 Community. She has delivered keynote presentations, and workshops on branding, marketing, and building business culture. She also has a relentless enthusiasm for great causes, donating her time and expertise to industry groups and non-profit organizations. She is on the Advisory Board for Enterprising Women, an Executive Council Member for the Executive Breakfast Club, Chicago's Local Group Leader for the Small Giants Community, and a Great Game of Business Practitioner. She likes to foster relationships with leaders who share her strong focus on business ethics, social responsibility, and economic sustainability. The Red Caffeine team has contributed over $200,000 in time, talent, and monetary donations to causes in their community since 2014. Red Caffeine, Marketing + Technology is a digital agency that fuels the growth of market-leading brands. To speed up growth demands building a brand that customers want to work with, and employees want to work for. They believe establishing a clear business purpose aligns internal teams and will boost sales. They partner with marketing, sales, and HR teams to create strategies that have both financial and operational impact. Red Caffeine works with recognizable brands like Mitsubishi, Amazon, Elk Grove Village, Baird & Warner and some amazing companies you may not have heard of but manufacturer the products you use every day. In her leisure, Kathy spends time with her wonderful husband, their four grown children, and is "Gigi" to two amazing grandkids. She enjoys a competitive game of tennis, traveling to exotic locations, and being just good enough to golf some of the world's most breathtaking courses. Books mentioned in this episode The Great Game of Business: The Only Sensible Way to Run a Company, by Jack Stack and Bo Burlingham Small Giants: Companies That Choose to Be Great Instead of Big, by Bo Burlingham Teaming: How Organizations Learn, Innovate, and Compete in the Knowledge Economy, by Amy C. Edmondson

Tricia Halsey, Founder & Executive Director of the Big Idea Project, discusses with Jan and Jim how she learned the value of coaching. She was coached as a swimmer to step out of her comfort zone and learned that extending your reach you extend your potential. The Big Idea Project, fueled by Generous Leadership®, is a scholastic project to help students develop leadership skills. Students are mentored to perform meaningful service that creates positive change. For Tricia, leadership is not a set of skills for accomplishment, but a mindset of generosity directed toward building the potential of others. Key Takeaways [2:38] Michelangelo said, "I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free." Tricia sees opportunities the same way, and her most important aspiration is building up people. [4:38] Tricia's favorite building story is one of her first successes, as a high school swim coach. She wanted the team to become better people first and better swimmers second. She sees the potential in people and calls it forth. She coached an awkward JV team into breaking 12 school records and winning in the league for the first time in school history. They all moved to Varsity in one year. [8:36] Tricia credits her high school swimming coach for calling out leadership within her at a young age. Tricia saw a leadership gap and said something has to change. Bosses that think of themselves a lot are not the leaders that people want to follow. [11:52] Tricia elaborates on the courage of forgetting yourself and your fears and looking at building up the people around you and on your team into better people who do better work. The paradigm of generous leadership consists of deeply held beliefs that affect what we think, feel, and do. Generous leadership has a core of empathy. It involves how you see yourself, others, and your place in the world. [13:55] Tricia quotes a post by Simon Sinek, from Leaders Eat Last: "Leaders are the ones who run headfirst into the unknown. They rush toward the danger. They put their own interests aside to protect us or to pull us into the future. Leaders would sooner sacrifice what is theirs to save what is ours. And they would never sacrifice what is ours to save what is theirs. This is what it means to be a leader." [15:30] Generous leadership is soul care — mind, heart, and doing (will). You change that level of being by working. Tricia teaches generous leadership through The Big Idea Project in a semester of service learning, moving from knowledge to behavior change. Students go through an experience that is so challenging that it rocks them and makes them redefine themselves, serving others with real needs. [19:02] Tricia introduces business leaders into the classroom as mentors and resources for the teachers. The students have a presentation night, using real-life business skills in their projects. The projects involve real service, such as working with a homeless family to see what they need, rather than researching homelessness online. Business leaders help the students execute the project. [24:29] Coaching is helping people develop their potential. Coaching is learned from other coaches. The Big Idea Project forces students to take up their responsibility. Coaches do not do the work for the students. They see, guide, and help where there's a lack of skills, but the best coaches let the students flounder a bit to become stronger. The student presentation is the moment of truth. [32:19] Tricia shares a recent story of what she learned in starting The Big Idea Project and the busyness that was involved. Busyness keeps you from who you need to be. She got physically sick and had to pull back and unplug for a few months in another country. Give yourself some rest. Be a good person, and you'll be an influencer. Lead from being good in a needed way. Website: BigIdeaProject.org Facebook: Big Idea Project LinkedIn: Big Idea Project LinkedIn: Tricia Halsey Quotable Quotes "I see potential; I see opportunity; I see destiny almost as destiny's calling." "When you care about people and you call them forth, they will rise, if they know that you care about them." Leadership is not about you. It is fundamentally other-centered. It takes courage to set self aside and look at others. Generous leadership is abundantly giving of yourself so that others can be better people who do better work. You can't give out of a place of abundance if you're constantly looking inward. Generous leadership has three facets: how you see yourself, how you see others, and how you see your place in the world. Service learning is going out and solving a problem that affects somebody else. Deep beliefs can foster behavior change if a change is desired. Our goal in life should be always to grow and do better. We need to look at what our actions are saying about our head and our heart. "In all social spheres, we need new leaders. I'm calling leaders to stand up for a new brand of leadership." "What wake are you leaving behind in your life? We need the wake of generous leaders." Bio Tricia Halsey is Founder & Executive Director of Big Idea Project. First and foremost, Tricia is a builder. She has worked with nonprofit organizations and for-profit companies to build organizational capacity, identity, culture, strategy, programs, product, and teams. Tricia, along with her husband Bryan, created the Big Idea Project in 2009 for Columbine High School. The success of the Project led to the launch of the Big Idea Project organization in 2014 to provide hands-on transformational leadership experiences to youth through a train-the-trainer program with high schools. Tricia is the thought leader of the Generous Leadership® paradigm, a leadership approach that requires empathy and the courage to move past self for the sake of elevating others. Big Idea Project utilizes Tricia's Generous Leadership® paradigm to prepare our next generation of generous leaders who lead lifelong impact on their families, communities, and careers. Books mentioned in this episode Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't, by Simon Sinek

Kimberly Jung, CEO and Co-Founder of Rumi Spice, shares her inspiring story of seizing a business opportunity in Afghanistan that also addressed social issues. She realized her military training and her business school knowledge could be used to help Afghan farmers find economic success, and to provide opportunities for Afghan women to excel economically while retaining their culture. Kimberly exemplifies the dedication required, and rare feat, to create a market. Key Takeaways [2:29] Kimberly describes her experience entering West Point. Her immigrant parents had wanted her to go to an Ivy League school but Kimberly's West Point perspective changed their hearts. [5:13] Kimberly was deployed as a Platoon Leader in Afghanistan when she met Emily Miller. When they ended their tours, they observed that the future of Afghanistan would not be reached through force but through the economic empowerment of business. [6:21] Kimberly and Emily both went to business schools. Another veteran told them about an Afghan farmer with no market for his saffron. Kimberly decided to start a business partnership with Afghan farmers to import saffron. She invited a business advisor to Afghanistan and met with 12 Pashto farmers. Instead of body armor and weapons, she wore a scarf. [8:11] The farmers were growing some of the best saffron in the world but they had no resources for food safety, packaging, marketing, selling, or distributing the crop. 80% of Afghans are farmers. [10:10] Afghan women are vital to the saffron industry. They traditionally prepared the flowers at home. Kimberly explains how renting appropriate facilities with the right equipment improved food safety and how providing a safe workplace with direct wages improved women's economic standing. [13:43] Most problems are economic until one has met basic needs. Kimberly describes how The Plant, in the Southside of Chicago, is becoming a self-sustaining, beautiful community, bringing together the Southside and the Northside over food. Rumi's warehouse is in The Plant.[17:23] Trust is earned in Afghanistan by building a reputation over time. The reputation of Kimberly's Afghan partners allowed Rumi to become the largest private employer of Afghan women, assuring them a safe place to work and allowing them to carry on in their culture and customs, and it also preserves the women's reputations. Afghan women want economic opportunities, sewing machines, and medical supplies to care for their families.[24:18] A partnership like Rumi can't be run as a side business. Either you're all in, or you're not in at all. Entrepreneurism is not for people with other priorities. Strategy is all about setting priorities. You can have it all, just not all at once. Kimberly credits West Point and her Army leadership experience with giving her the resilience and ability to make choices that prepared her to run Rumi as an entrepreneur. [28:52] Kimberly and Emily faced catastrophic failure when their loan got pulled back. They had no way to pay the farmers. They worked through it. Kimberly is learning how to listen to the people who work for Rumi, accept their input, and check her ego. Website: RumiSpice.com Saffron: RumiSpice.com/saffron-products Twitter: @Rumi_Spice Facebook: RumiSpiceCo Quotable Quotes We felt the way to a sustainable future for Afghanistan was not through force but through economic empowerment. What will you do with your one wild and precious life? Drop by drop a river is made. — Dari saying You cannot say you're dedicated to the future of Afghanistan and these farmers if you're going to have another job. "This is not Americans managing things in Afghanistan. This is an American partnership with our Afghan partners." Bio Kimberly Jung is CEO and co-founder of Rumi. Since leaving the military, Kim and her co-founders feel there is unfinished business to support Afghanistan and its people, so they founded Rumi to work directly with Afghan farmers to import exceptionally high-quality saffron in a for-profit enterprise in partnership with the farmers. In Afghanistan, Rumi has hired 384 Afghan women, organized three processing facilities, and has over 90 farmers in their network. Rumi saffron now graces the tables and kitchens of Michelin and Relais & Chateaux establishments across the world. Prior to her civilian ventures, Kim was an Engineer Officer who led a route clearance platoon in the Wardak and Ghazni provinces of Afghanistan in 2010-2011. She also served with provincial reconstruction teams as a female engagement team member to help empower Afghan village women. She holds a Professional Engineering license in Mechanical Engineering from the State of California, and she graduated with her MBA from Harvard in 2015. She earned her Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering from the U.S. Military Academy in 2008.

Mark C. Crowley, author of Lead from the Heart: Transformational Leadership for the 21st Century, shares his story of why he treats people with extraordinary compassion. He's a keen observer of why atypical management behavior can be effective for creating high-performing teams. He believes we need fundamental leadership change to meet the employment needs of the future workforce. Key Takeaways [1:43] Mark explains his leadership background. [3:32] Practical experience leads to success. [6:23] His unconscious pivot was to give back to those who worked for him. [7:36] Mark started to give people the things he had missed in his life. His teams responded in the most profound ways with extraordinary success. For twenty years he led with heart. One day someone pointed out to him that he had a very different way of managing people. Mark asked what they meant. That observation opened his eyes. [8:37] Mark started to explore this new understanding and to refine his behaviors to be even better. He researched and validated his own observations and why they worked. People respond to leadership from the heart by developing loyalty and achieving great things. [12:45] The world trends toward focusing on data and information-based decisions. Daniel Kahneman wrote that after the rational analysis, ask your heart to weigh in. Insight will tip the decision one way or the other. Use data to drive operations. When it comes to people, use emotional currency to drive behavior. [15:28] If you could save big money and drive earnings with layoffs, the data and the mind would say to do it, but the heart would consider the effect on the people you let go, and the effect on the morale of the people who remain. [18:51] There is a real connection between emotion, stress, and the heart. Extreme stress and loneliness accelerate heart problems. People don't just want autonomy. They also want association and collaboration. Make people feel safe, with a trusting relationship with you, and they will routinely do extraordinary work for you. Mark tells audiences, love your people. [32:38] Gallup surveys show no improvement in engagement in 15 years. We need to invest in people to reinvent leadership. Gallup says two-thirds of managers today lack the ability and talents to manage and influence people effectively. Website: MarkCCrowley.com Twitter: @MarkCCrowley LinkedIn: Mark C. Crowley Facebook: Lead From The Heart Quotable Quotes "The pivot that I made unconsciously was to then give back to people who worked for me." "Feelings and emotions drive human behavior and performance." "When I say, lead from the heart, it's not metaphorical. It's literal." Low-performing people put onto a high-performing team become better performers. Bio Mark C. Crowley is the author of Lead From The Heart: Transformational Leadership For The 21st Century and his mission is to fundamentally change how we lead people in workplaces around the globe. Mark is a regular contributor to Fast Company Magazine and has been published in USA Today, Reuters, The Huffington Post and the Seattle Times. His two most recent LinkedIn Pulse articles have been read well over a million times. His book is now being taught in five American universities, including the educational Ph.D. program at Brandman University in California. Before writing his book, Mark spent over 20 years in senior leadership roles within the dog-eat-dog world of Financial Services, where he was named leader of the year. Quite untraditionally, Mark proved that caring about people, and thereby positively affecting employee's hearts, had a remarkable effect on driving sustained engagement, loyalty, and productivity. New and breakthrough medical research Mark draws upon in his book now proves that the heart is actually the driver of optimal human performance. A leadership pioneer, Mark shows us that leading from the heart is the most informed and enlightened thing a manager or organization can do. Books mentioned in this episode Lead From The Heart: Transformational Leadership For The 21st Century, by Mark C. Crowley Thinking, Fast and Slow, by Daniel Kahneman Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul, by Howard Schultz and Joanne Gordon Is It Worth Dying For?: How To Make Stress Work For You — Not Against You, by Robert S. Eliot Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, by Daniel H. Pink

Summary & Ideas for Action Erik Wahl is an internationally recognized artist, TED speaker, bestselling author, and a sought-after corporate speaker. Erik's on-stage painting and performance seamlessly becomes a visual metaphor to the core of his message: Encouraging organizations toward profitability through innovation and superior levels of performance. He discusses with Jim and Jan the thought leadership that differentiates him from Powerpoint presenters and concludes with a vision for unity at work and in our communities. Key Takeaways [4:11] The psychology of performance depends on attention. Erik's audience has seen hundreds of presentations. To differentiate himself, Erik doesn't simply present, he prepares a real-time improv experience with lights, cameras, audio, painting, technology, and other techniques to engage the audience. He gives the audience actionable takeaways using the tools of live theater. [5:25] Through unique channels Erik creates 'aha' moments and 'wow' experiences to show audiences how to implement leadership, teamwork, differentiation, innovation, and creativity a little differently. [6:11] The ability to adapt is the most needed strength for leaders. No system will work in perpetuity. There will always need to be an adaptation as circumstances change. Change is constant. Expand consciousness. Think differently. Master complexity at a higher level. Step back and see the landscape from a bigger picture view. [8:03] Look at ways to elevate your value proposition and build authenticity into your relationships with employees and customers. Disrupt yourselves to differentiate from the competition. Erik's core pillars fall under the umbrella of thinking differently, the psychology of performance, and the ability to adapt. [9:25] Erik discusses current thinking and 'Thinking 2.0.' Our trained thinking is pragmatic, logical, and practical. It represents standardization and Six Sigma. It is transactional rather than interactive. The problem is that we get stuck in systems that become out-of-date. To adapt to new circumstances we need think in new ways and find new rhythms. Understand the rules to reshape the rules. [14:02] Science has necessary but finite and limited functions. EQ, art, and intuition are all now more important than ever. [16:53] School has standardized children's thinking. It is important to learn to think but also to have a fluidity to come up with more than one right answer. The more operationally efficient we become, the more danger we have of losing potential and possibilities. We need an increased element of fluidity in our learning systems and business systems. [21:02] As leaders, the ability to read people is incredibly valuable. Because of the business costs of failed decisions, leaders are often more comfortable with tried and true formulas rather than adaptation. Leaders walk a balance between strength and authenticity; analytics and emotional intelligence. [23:44] Creativity requires rational systematic thought. Creatives need to learn more about the marketplace and how to add value to get market share. [25:31] As an athlete, Erik learned mental toughness was to endure pain and hardship. Now he believes the highest level of mental toughness is the ability to control emotion in the face of uncertainty, danger, and fear, to be unflinchingly calm in the face of the most challenging situations, and to know when to move quickly. [27:25] There is disruption, fear, anger, and social injustice in the world. We need to address these issues properly to unify. We need to know when to stand down. As a CEO, when you talk less and listen more, you demonstrate empathy and grace that is more helpful now than it was 30 years ago. Be tolerant of everyone's input for a better unified tomorrow. The more unity, the more people will sacrifice for the good. [32:53] Combining multiple generations in the workplace involves meshing the ideals of meritocracy and hierarchy with authenticity and autonomy. CEOs need to know how the younger generation thinks, to get their attention and guide them in leadership strategies. Quotable Quotes "Create 'wow' experiences that show the message as much as tell it." The more operationally efficient we become, we risk losing potential and possibilities. Understand the rules to reshape the rules. A leader must balance between confidence and humility and between analytics and creativity. Creativity without discipline is like a river without banks. Diversity in the workplace involves meshing the ideals of meritocracy and hierarchy with authenticity and autonomy. Website: TheArtOfVision.com/the-spark-and-the-grind Website: TheArtOfVision.com Twitter: @ErikWahl Facebook: Erik Wahl LinkedIn: Erik Wahl YouTube: Erik Wahl Vimeo: The Art of Vision Bio Erik Wahl is an internationally recognized artist, TED speaker, and No. 1 bestselling author. His breakthrough experience as an artist and entrepreneur has translated into making him one of the most sought-after corporate speakers on the circuit today. On stage, Erik's keynote experience creates a dynamic multidimensional metaphor for how to systematically embrace innovation and risk. His message: disruption is the new normal and businesses must embrace creativity in a wholesale fashion or risk being left behind. Erik's presentation inspires organizations to be increasingly agile and outlines how to use disruption as a competitive advantage. Some companies will be disrupted; others will choose to be the disruptor. Choose wisely. His new book, The Spark and the Grind, activates the essential components of translating ideas into action. His breakthrough thinking has earned praise from the likes of top influencers in both art and business. Erik's previous book, a bestseller called Unthink, was hailed by Forbes Magazine as the blueprint to actionable creativity, and by Fast Company Magazine as "provocative with a purpose." The Warhol of Wall Street, the Renoir of ROI, the Picasso of Productivity, the Jobs of ... well, Jobs. Erik discovered an alarming truth early in his career as a partner in a corporate firm — organizations that encouraged the mental discipline of creativity did better than those that did not put innovation as a priority mission. So he set out to challenge companies to change their way of thinking. In the meantime, inspired by street art, he became an acclaimed graffiti artist — though he has since stopped selling his work for personal gain, and instead uses his art to raise money for charities. His keynote is where his passion for business growth and art converge into a fascinating performance. Erik's list of clients includes AT&T, Disney, London School of Business, Microsoft, FedEx, Exxon Mobil, Ernst & Young, and XPrize. Books Mentioned on the Show The Experience Economy, by B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ, by Daniel Goleman Unthink: Rediscover Your Creative Genius, by Erik Wahl The Spark and the Grind: Ignite the Power of Disciplined Creativity, by Erik Wahl

Rear Admiral Kerry Metz (USN, Ret.) started his career as a Navy SEAL, and eventually served as the first commander of Special Operations Command North. In this discussion, Kerry talked about career success, career setbacks, and how "you can't be a shiny penny without a few wire brushings!" Kerry shares his 5 H's when it comes to leadership: honor, honesty, humility, humor, and happiness. He discusses the differences and similarities between the military, sports teams, business, and the shared commonality regarding leadership. Listen in to gain insights from a modern-day, intellectual warrior. Key Takeaways [3:01] Kerry progressed as a SEAL from the tactical area, through operational roles, and then to the strategic level as an admiral. The Special Forces, SEALs, and Rangers are tests for the human body and mind to do 10 times more than they think they can. [5:48] A good team requires a common purpose or mission. Next, comes a shared experience or sacrifice. Everyone contributes to the best of their ability. These are the ingredients for a high-performing team. [7:33] Kerry talks about sacrifice in a startup. Employees sacrifice high salary for shares. Founders are often on the road more than most executives, for a later payoff. Sacrificing now gives you future options. [9:25] Kerry discusses how Naval officers achieve rank. Evaluations are not only for what they have done, but also their potential. Leadership is developing the leaders behind you. If something happens to you, the one behind you has to step up and take your place. [13:29] Kerry talks about his advancement. He was passed over for Lieutenant Commander once, but not the second time. When he was up for Commander, it also took two times. But he made One Star Admiral before his contemporaries. Kerry follows five 'H's: Honor, Honesty, Humility, Humor, and Happiness. [21:13] Military groups fight in a mission to win or lose; sports teams play a game to win; but business can be a long slog. He cites Admiral Jim Stavridis, who said to be open, honest, and collegial, and Admiral Michael Mullen, who said to listen, learn, and lead. Leaders who apply these principles will lead well. [25:49] Competition among peers is healthy if it is balanced with cooperation. Leaders should lead people the way they need to be led. Some need a push, some need a pat on the back. Tell the contributors how they are doing, and what they need to do to be on the mark. [29:44] In 1989, Kerry tells a hard leadership lesson he learned as the Team Commander of SEAL Team One when they deployed to the Philippines. [37:27] Put people in the right spot for them, nurture them, and empower them, and they will surpass your expectations and surprise you with their achievements. [41:42] No one starts at the top. He would like to help others have a smoother ride, go further, and go faster. The world needs leaders to handle complexity. LinkedIn: Kerry M. Metz Navy Bio: Navy.mil/navydata/bios/navybio_ret.asp?bioID=655 Interview: Defensemedianetwork.com/stories/interview-with-rear-admiral-kerry-m-metz-us-navy Hall of Valor: Valor.militarytimes.com/recipient.php?recipientid=315229 Quotable Quotes Whatever you can do, think 10 times that. You are capable of it. Don't let someone else determine where you're going. You determine where you're going. Stay on that path. You're going to get through that obstacle. You've just got to keep trying. A high-performing team has a common purpose, a shared sacrifice, and everyone contributing to their best ability. "A good leader can get the most of his personnel even that aren't going all the way to the top." The bottom line is sustained superior performance. If something happens to you, the one behind you has to take your place. If they're not ready, then that's your fault. "If you're doing something that you absolutely hate, my suggestion is, do something [about it]." "You can't be a shiny penny without a few wire brushings, and I got more than my share." The simplest solution is not always the best if there are unknown factors. Always listen to input. Bio Rear Adm. Kerry Metz holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Denver. He completed courses at the Air Command and Staff College, the Armed Forces Staff College and the Defense Language Institute. Commissioned via the Aviation Officer Candidate School in October 1984 and after a very brief time in aviation, he was assigned to the surface fleet where he served on USS Enhance (MSO 437). Transferring to Naval Special Warfare, he completed Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training with Class 149 in April 1988. He served in both Naval Special Warfare and Joint Special Operations assignments. Previous commands include a Naval Special Warfare Task Unit, a Joint Task Force, Naval Special Warfare Group 11, and six Naval Special Warfare Reserve Units. His service overseas includes multiple deployments to Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Metz served as the first commander of Special Operations Command North, a subordinate unified command of U.S. Special Operations Command under the operational control of U.S. Northern Command. Promoted to rear admiral in October 2011, he served first as the deputy commander and then as interim commander of Special Operations Command Central from September 2011 to July 2013. Books mentioned in this episode Authentic Leadership: Rediscovering the Secrets to Creating Lasting Value, by Bill George The Littlest Green Beret: On Self-Reliant Leadership, by Jan Rutherford Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis, by J. D. Vance Devotion: An Epic Story of Heroism, Friendship, and Sacrifice, by Adam Makos When Breath Becomes Air, by Paul Kalanithi Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World, by William H. McRaven Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman, by Yvon Chouinard The Death of Expertise: The Campaign Against Established Knowledge and Why it Matters, by Thomas M. Nichols Letters from a Stoic, by Lucius Annaeus Seneca Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything, by Joshua Foer Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World, by General Stanley McChrystal and Tantum Collins Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, by Simon Sinek The Secret Knowledge of Water: Discovering the Essence of the American Desert, by Craig Childs Younger Next Year: Live Strong, Fit, and Sexy — Until You're 80 and Beyond, by Chris Crowley and Henry S. Lodge

Seth Stephens-Davidowitz is a quantitative data scientist and the author of Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are. In this discussion, Seth explains how philosophy and economics led him to data science and his passion for uncovering human traits through internet behavior. Seth says his work is what we can learn about people from data searches and other online behavior, because everyone leaves something on the internet. He concludes that we should theorize less, and let the data speak more. Key Takeaways [3:26] Seth studied philosophy, economics, and data science. He explains how they connect. His work at Google involved advertising effectiveness and search behavior modeling. The book Everyone Lies examines what we learn about people from their internet behavior. [4:41] Seth writes and studies as his curiosity leads him. Success is one topic he explores. He downloaded Wikipedia to study Baby Boomers. Geography matters, because he found famous people were mostly from cities, college towns. [9:58] Seth hopes people learn from his work the value and use of big data, and to make better data-based decisions. He also hopes more young people will enter this field of study, as there is much more to learn about human behavior. [12:03] Seth considers Christian Rudder, author of Dataclysm, to be on the right path with big data. Undergraduate students are more likely to favor analyzing Facebook data over running an experiment with 20 subjects in a group. [15:32] Seth contrasts his findings on success with the book Grit. He cites statistics of height and likelihood of becoming an NBA player. Malcolm Gladwell, in Tipping Point, says once a threshold is met other factors matter. Seth rebuts the threshold theory. A player over 7' tall has a one-in-five chance of playing in the NBA. Every inch doubles the chance. A 6'8" player has double the chance of a 6'7" player. [19:00] The book Everybody Lies uncovers more racism than people are willing to admit and other attitudes people express in their Google questions that they would not ask another person. [19:21] One of the biggest revolutions in business is A/B testing. Facebook does more experiments in a day than the FDA does in a year. Seth points out that making general rules from A/B testing is fallacious. Seth is considering writing a book on A/B testing. He A/B tests his life. Try different things and pay attention to what does work, and what doesn't work. [29:38] Facebook 'Likes' correlate to IQ. Higher IQ people like Mozart and curly fries. Seth sees how employers can find more about prospects through big data. Twitter: @SethS_D Website: http://sethsd.com Quotable Quotes "I actually think I'm a compulsively honest person, to a fault." "It's not really necessarily who you are; it's where you're born, or when you're born." "A lot of the book is also just about how conventional wisdom is so frequently wrong." Industry, bloggers, and undergraduates are exploring big data better than academics. Facebook does more experiments in a day than the FDA does in a year. Google is a modern confessional. Theorize less, and let the data speak more. Bio Seth Stephens-Davidowitz has used data from the internet — particularly Google searches — to get new insights into the human psyche. A book summarizing his research, Everybody Lies, was published in May 2017 by HarperCollins. Seth has used Google searches to measure racism, self-induced abortion, depression, child abuse, hateful mobs, the science of humor, sexual preference, anxiety, son preference, and sexual insecurity, among many other topics. He worked for one-and-a-half years as a data scientist at Google and is currently a contributing op-ed writer for the New York Times. He is designing and teaching a course about his research at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he will be a visiting lecturer. Seth received his BA in philosophy, Phi Beta Kappa, from Stanford, and his Ph.D. in economics from Harvard. In high school, he wrote obituaries for the local newspaper, the Bergen Record, and was a juggler in theatrical shows. He now lives in Brooklyn and is a passionate fan of the Mets, Knicks, Jets, Stanford football, and Leonard Cohen. Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are, by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz Books mentioned in this episode Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are, by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz Thinking Fast and Slow, by Daniel Kahneman Dataclysm: Love, Sex, Race, and Identity--What Our Online Lives Tell Us about Our Offline Selves, by Christian Rudder Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, by Angela Duckworth The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, by Malcolm Gladwell Leadership BS: Fixing Workplaces and Careers One Truth at a Time, by Jeffrey Pfeffer

S. Yvonne Scott is the Chief Information Officer of Crowe Horwath, LLP. In this discussion, Yvonne shares her thoughts on how leaders can let their team members shine by providing opportunities for others to grow and succeed. She presents the 5 C's of her leadership practice and 6 styles of leadership she applies. She believes teaming is the new leadership. Key Takeaways [5:18] With the end in mind, what is most important to you — what you accomplished, or what you started? A good leader is like a drop of water that makes an impact, but the ripples are carried forth by the body of the company. Yvonne's legacy is the opportunities she leaves for those she leads. [6:49] Yvonne leads with five C's — Competence, Confidence, impact on Colleagues, impact on Company, and impact on Community. The little things you do define you as a leader. Your people carry forward the opportunities you start for them. [8:58] To rely on the ripple effect, you use the opportunity to influence others, but it's important not to micromanage how something gets done. Delegation magnifies your team beyond your own abilities. Yvonne credits her parents for modeling the necessity of delegation as they prepared her to become self-sustaining and independent. [13:14] Yvonne had a mentor, Chuck, who promoted her, as a 24-year-old, to a manager role, against the strong warning of his own boss. If she had failed, Chuck would have been done. That was Yvonne's launching pad for her career. She learned from him that as a leader you have to be brave and place confidence in others. [20:28] As Yvonne started her career she viewed diversity as the demographic differences between who we are. Now she expands it to include how we think and our ideals. Opportunity isn't limited. Bringing someone new to the table doesn't displace an established person from the table. Let people in who challenge the status quo, and push against the rules. Bring in people from different disciplines. [26:44] Leaders need to let other people shine. Their job is to create people that can create value. If the leader always gets the credit, they are not empowering their team. Being a leader is not a spectator sport, but you're in the game with a lot of other people. [30:11] Yvonne says teaming is the new leadership. She uses the Tour de France as an example. On the org chart, even those who have no reports still lead by thought and action to effect change in their areas. A team is an ecosystem. [35:48] Yvonne discusses 6 leadership styles — Directive, Coaching, Visionary, Affiliative (trusting), Participative, and Pace-setting. Each style has its application, and good leaders will have a balanced portfolio of styles. A leader needs to know what style to use for each person and situation. [40:11] Pacesetting is an art — knowing your team, and how much they can be stretched and pushed without breaking them. A leader needs to know the difference because the high performers will not admit when it's too much. Email: Yvonne.Scott@crowehorwath.com LinkedIn: S. Yvonne Scott Website: CroweHorwath.com Article: "Why a Diversity of Perspectives Matters," by S. Yvonne Scott and Chelsea Stoner I.C.Stars: ICStars.org Quotable Quotes A good leader impacts an organization like a drop of water onto a pond. The leader disappears as the ripple expands. "My legacy is really about, 'How many opportunities have I created for other people, for their success?'" Develop competence, grow confidence, impact colleagues, impact your company, and impact your community. Augmentation is all about amplifying your effect. Being a leader is not a spectator sport. Teaming is the new leadership. A leader's job is to figure out what style of leadership will work best for each individual and situation. You have to know when you're stretching someone and they're growing — and when they're breaking. Books mentioned in this episode The Kindness Diaries: One Man's Quest to Ignite Goodwill and Transform Lives Around the World, by Leon Logothetis The Kindness Diaries on Netflix The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time, by Arianna Huffington "Leadership that Gets Results," by Daniel Goleman, Harvard Business Review Bio S. Yvonne Scott is the Chief Information Officer of Crowe Horwath, LLP. With over 3,600 staff located across more than 30 offices around the world, Crowe is the eighth largest accounting firm in the United States. She joined Crowe in 2008 and is responsible for directing all aspects of the firm's information systems related activities, as well as the firm's Project Management Office. She is a member of the firm's Management Team and is a key contributor the firm's transformation, growth, innovation, and women's initiatives. Yvonne currently serves as the Vice Chair of the board of directors of i.c. stars, a non-profit organization that prepares inner-city youth for careers in information technology and a dedication to community involvement and leadership. She also serves on customer and industry event advisory boards. Yvonne holds a Master's degree in Business Administration from Northern Illinois University and a Bachelor of Science degree in General Management and Accounting from Purdue University. In addition, Yvonne has published articles in professional journals, frequently presents on IT leadership at professional association meetings and supplier conferences, and has served as a CIO panelist at several conferences and seminars. She is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a Certificate in Data Processing.

Leon Logothetis is a global adventurer, speaker, philanthropist and has a series streaming on Netflix called, the Kindness Diaries. He discusses his metamorphosis from an extremely shy person to a fearless world traveler who relied on kindness from strangers to help him on his journey. On the outside, Leon had everything. On the inside, he felt he nothing. Leon believes the crazy ideas can be the best ideas, and it's is about smiling at the world and seeing what happens when the world smiles right back at you. Listen in to learn how to how connecting with yourself, is what helps you connect with others through compassion and empathy to realize… it's not about you! Key Takeaways [2:01] Leon had dreams of adventure, but grew up to be a broker. Unsatisfied and depressed, he continued in place until he watched the movie, The Motorcycle Diaries. His adventurous desires were reawakened and he quit his job and traveled the world, relying on kindness for support. The kindness of people became a large part of his journey. [5:28] While hitchhiking across America, Leon experienced extraordinary acts of kindness. He concluded that all people have kindness, but they need to connect to it. There is a generosity of spirit in Americans that is not portrayed in the media. [8:24] Leon's emptiness came from being bullied as a sensitive boy. As he grew, he allowed society to guide his decisions, but it was pain and depression that forced him to break free and start a life of adventure. He advises people to share their pain with one person who will listen without judgment. Leon made commitments to fix himself, and come to a place of kindness and empathy. [16:31] When you are really seen, you feel it. You feel that the other person actually gets who you are. Social media is not a substitute for human-to-human connection to truly feel each other's energy. [23:33] Kindness is not weakness. Leon offers the example of Muhammad Ali, as a man who touched people's lives with kindness from the heart. You can be strong and still be kind. [25:00] Trust comes by intuition. You find yourself in a situation and you quickly determine if it's a safe situation or not. If not, you extricate yourself as quickly as you can. If it's a safe situation, then you try to connect with the person by finding something in common that interests you both deeply. [31:07] Leon gives to people who need help from his own resources. He creates opportunities for people to grow, develop, and flourish. He works to empower people. [38:27] Leon's most unexpected situation came in Pittsburgh. He asked a man in the park if he could stay in his home that night. The man turned out to be homeless, but he said, stay with me tonight, and I will feed you, and protect you. Leon's rational mind said no, but his intuition told him to do it. He learned you don't have to have a lot on the outside to have a tremendous amount on the inside. [41:09] After their night outside, Leon was able to offer the man an apartment and an opportunity to go to cooking school. Tony accepted and took the opportunity. They changed each other's lives. Leon learned from him to see the kindness inside a person, and not just what is outside. Tony has made some serious mistakes since then, but he is working his way back from them. [44:05] Leon knows he's not a perfect person. He's relatable because he's just like you. He says human nature makes us all the same. Facebook: @LeonLogothetis Twitter: @LeonLogothetis Website: LeonLogothetis.com Netflix: The Kindness Diaries on Netflix

Brett Mitchell is the Music Director of the Colorado Symphony. He discusses leadership and teamwork, and how the best orchestras don't just play with each other… they play for each other. He considers trust to be the first step to leadership and shares his philosophy and methods. He talks about the discipline of music, and how music theory can inform innovation, leadership and teamwork. Key Takeaways [2:51] As a young music director, Brett works consciously at leadership. [4:29] Brett's last position was with the Cleveland Orchestra, one of America's Big Five orchestras. He started there in awe of the training and skill of the elite musicians. Brett learned that the better the orchestra, the more they want to be led. The musicians make music with each other and the conductor helps guide them, but does not dictate to them. The conductor is the arbiter of taste. [10:06] Leonard Bernstein did a video with the Vienna Philharmonic, conducting them with his facial expressions alone in supreme trust and joy. Brett attributes his own career to the path Leonard Bernstein blazed for American orchestral conductors. [16:20] The Conductor leads an orchestra; the Music Director is responsible for the artistic side; the Executive Director is responsible for the business side; the Maestro is a teacher. Brett studies the score, learns everybody's part, listens to the orchestra, teaches the orchestra what the composer is saying through the score, and guides them through the execution of the score. [26:38] John Williams' film scores gave Brett the inspiration to study composition. Brett discusses how he and the staff at Public Radio Station WCLV happened to create the award-winning documentary on John Williams' Star Wars movie scores, The Score Awakens. [34:33] Brett is also on a guest conductor series. Trust comes from being reliable, getting right to work, showing you are prepared, and being authentic. The goal is not a flawless performance, but a performance as close as humanly possible to being flawless with passion. Beethoven said a wrong note is nothing, but to play without passion is inexcusable. [43:00] Brett talks about dealing with mistakes during a performance. The conductor needs to find the mistakes that will not fix themselves, and correct and direct for them. Twitter: @MaestroMitchell Facebook: @brettmitchellconductor Instagram: @maestromitchell LinkedIn: Brett Mitchell Website: BrettMitchellConductor.com Website: ColoradoSymphony.org