The Global Leadership Podcast

It is an understatement to say that Deb Liu’s rise to CEO of Ancestry.com is “unique.” From growing up as a child of Chinese immigrants in South Carolina (where she was often told to “Go back to where she came from”), to navigating gender imbalance in the tech industry, to an ongoing battle with imposter syndrome, Deb has met challenges with wisdom, grace, and a gentle perseverance. In this conversation with Paula Faris, you can hear Deb share her personal reactions to the challenges (and blessings) of her career, and specific tips, tools, and structures that she uses to arrange her life for continued growth.  

Goals. Practically all of us have them, but most of us also struggle to consistently achieve them. New York Times bestselling author Jon Acuff is passionate about helping people get better at reaching their dreams, and we recently sat down with him to hear about how his work impacts his personal life. Join us for this wide-ranging and lighthearted conversation as Jon shares about a variety of topics, from how he evaluates the viability of his various creative ideas, to how he constructively deals with fear and chaos in his life, and what it’s like to work on his latest book with his daughters.  

How does one go from being a lawyer, with a sure and safe career path, to becoming an innovative entrepreneur and launching a successful coffee franchise in a nation that is known for drinking tea? Sahar Hashemi’s story is a testimony to the power of action, perseverance, and to being unwilling to settle for a life where you cannot thrive. If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to be an entrepreneur, listen as Sahar shares the essential (but simple) behaviors that can help anyone (or any organization) develop—and maintain—a startup mentality.

What do leaders get wrong about human performance and motivation? How can leaders help their people to better navigate uncertainty? Social Psychologist Dr. Heidi Grant-Halvorson regularly explores these kinds of questions, and in this conversation with team member Jason Jaggard, she shares insights from her work in the science of leadership, and also some personal “hacks” for working through the process of writing books.  Whether you’re an aspiring author, or a leader seeking to more effectively motivate your team, this is a must-listen episode!

What does it take to run the largest HR organization in the world? How does one become prepared for that kind of responsibility? To kick off our 7th season, Lori Herman, one of our hosts and Executive Producer of the Global Leadership Summit, sits down with Johnny C. Taylor, President and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Join us as Johnny shares key moments from his leadership journey, the importance of cultural clarity in his leadership, and other insights designed to help us understand “the person behind the leader.”  

Is leadership about taking people somewhere, or is it about shaping people in powerful ways? In a recent talk, author, fashion designer, and pastor Erwin Raphael McManus shared the tremendous capacities of human beings—our inherent genius and the ability to create futures. While many of us end up believing a lesser story and forget about our creative power, Erwin shows how leaders can help people recover their faith in their God-given creative capacity and suggests a couple critical, practical tools to unlock your genius.

What if learning to focus simply on what you’ve been called to do could enhance your leadership and influence? In this conversation, entrepreneur, illustrator, and advocate Danielle Coke, shares all the different ways “finding her simple” has impacted her calling, her craft, and her leadership. Listen as this young leader shares her insights on “going viral”, knowing when to step back as a leader, and what it takes to keep creativity flowing in her life.

charity: water Founder and CEO, Scott Harrison understands the power of story. In this conversation with Trey McKnight, not only does Scott share how he uses stories for greater impact, but he also shares his own personal story of transformation: how he went from a New York City night club promoter and partier to non-profit CEO, and even how some of his skills as a promotor contributed to charity: water’s success.

What if there was one skill you could learn that would impact everything about your leadership potential? Author, executive coach, and organizational psychologist, Dr. Tasha Eurich talks with Jason Jaggard about why self-awareness is a “must have” for leaders and provides some simple but effective tools for increasing this leadership competency. Join us as we learn more about the “meta skill for the 21st century.”

It’s tempting to think that something like “charisma” is innate, something you are born with (or not). However, in this episode, CEO and author, Vanessa Van Edwards shows how we can purposefully dial up our own charisma to increase our effectiveness as leaders. In this conversation with GLN CEO and President, Tom De Vries, Vanessa previews her new book Cues: Small Signals, Incredible Impact and shows us how aligning our non-verbal cues can tangibly and practically increase our personal leadership charisma.