Greatness Podcast

Helen Reddy performed the lyrics "I am a woman, hear me roar" in 1971. Decades later, are women being heard at work? We invited Carrie Arnold, Executive Coach and Principal of The Willow Group, and author of Silence and Sidelined, as a guest on the Greatness Podcast to discuss the topic. Her extensive research underlies her great suggestions for how to understand when your voice is being suppressed at work and what to do about it. 

Have you ever had the feeling that what you're doing isn’t good enough? You might be suffering from Imposter Syndrome, an internal belief that you are not as capable as others believe you to be. Alison Shamir, speaker, coach, and entrepreneur specializing in imposter syndrome and confidence, joined the Greatness podcast to share her expertise. After 15 years of working in the tech and media industry, Alison decided to become a full-time coach and speaker after her own experiences of Imposter Syndrome and her tips are spot on. 

Networking is great, but community building to create support, collaboration, mentorship, and accountability is incredibly valuable, especially if you are growing your own business. Kristine Monroe, founder of Business Bosses Who Brunch, joined the Greatness Podcast to talk about the organization she created to build community. I've come to realize the importance of these strong relationships.

Leadership is not just a work thing, it's a life thing. I'm fascinated by the science of positive psychology and how to leverage it as a leader. Jackie Insinger joined the Greatness Podcast to discuss her new book, Spark Brilliance, and her extensive research on the topic. Jackie discusses her framework of "platinum leadership", treating other people how THEY want to be treated. And I love this quote -  "brilliance is who you are and how you choose to show up". 

What would you do with your life if you weren't afraid? A question I've often pondered. Kate Osborne joined the Greatness podcast to discuss her viewpoints on this, shaped by her travel to 36 countries after university and her experience of being mentored by one of the first major Coca-Cola shareholders. Her point - we're here for 4,000 weeks - what are we going to do with these weeks? How do you stretch yourself to the growth zone by traversing the fear zone? Critical thinking skills, the ability to create our own unique, original thoughts, are essential to this journey. Kate also shares her top three tips for great leadership.

Few industries exhibited as much agility during the pandemic as the hospitality industry. As a fifth-generation hospitality/construction leader, Sarah Treadway, President/CEO of Stout Street Hospitality, joined the Greatness podcast to discuss how they kept every hotel open after dropping from 600 to 86 employees in March 2020 in an effort to take care of as many of their employees as possible. Sarah shares amazing insights on leadership and how her organization maintains a "family culture"; on her strategies for overcoming imposter syndrome as she balances her role as mom to four young children; and on how her company is investing in their greatest asset, their people, via strategies such as paying for the higher education of all dependents. Sarah traveled 5300 miles in a camper van to stay connected to her people throughout the pandemic. She is an outstanding leader, a fellow DU MBA, and a wonderful mother. 

Few people are as focused upon transforming the leadership and culture of the construction industry as Barb Jackson (www.barbarajackson.com). Barb joined the Greatness podcast to share her observations on an industry that she describes as "full of noble, hardworking, well intended people" but that is at times "visionless", focusing upon management instead of leadership. Barb's Women Building Change Leadership Program, and her new podcast, Stirring Up Dust, are two excellent resources for those interested in leading transformation in our industry. 

When was the last time you asked yourself "where could I be wrong in my assumptions?" During my PhD course in Scenario Planning with Dr. Thomas Chermack I gained tremendous respect for scenario planning as a tool to imagine possible futures. But that's only half the story. Developing scenarios is critical, but what happens next and how you utilize these scenarios to drive decision making is critical to provide value. Dr. Chermack joined the Greatness podcast to share insights from his most recent book on the topic, Using Scenarios.

Hey working moms (and dads) - what are your superpowers?! I wrote my book, 8 Steps to Being a Great Working Mom, because I realized that many moms think "I don't have it together" and that they are the only ones feeling this way. Gladys Simen joined the Greatness podcast to share her work with moms. Her passion is driven by her own experience of feeling this way. Gladys shares amazing tips on how to have the courage to take "bold steps" to recharge yourself and claim your superpowers.

Women represent less than 3% of the trade population in Australia - such an opportunity to leverage this talent pool, especially given the trade shortages we are experiencing in the construction industry. Jane Sydenham-Clarke, Chair of the Board of Tradeswomen Australia, joined the Greatness podcast to share some of the unique strategies they are supporting to attract and retain women in our industry.