In times of uncertainty, the most important thing leaders need to do is make sure their team’s goals are directly tied to their organization’s noble purpose. But how do we do that? How do we make sure we connect the ‘what’’ of our days to the ‘why’ that defines our future? In this edition of my “Leadership Espresso Shot” series, I share three questions leaders should be asking themselves to ensure they’re staying on track to achieving their shared purpose, and not drifting off-course towards employee disengagement and dissatisfaction. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the face of rapid change and disruption, organizations everywhere find themselves in a race to not only preserve their market share, but discover the next big opportunity that will given them the keys to future growth and innovation.And according to my guest in this episode, that opportunity can be attained when leaders understand how to plan for and implement Big Bets.John Rossman is the former Amazon executive who played a key role in the launching of Amazon Marketplace, and is a sought-after expert on digital transformation, leadership, and business reinvention. I’ve invited him to join me on my “Leadership Biz Cafe” podcast to talk about his latest book, “Big Bet Leadership”.In this conversation, John shares an unexpected, but powerful model that will help leaders and their organizations move past the current tide of incrementalism and instead aim for that moonshot that will define their organization – much as Amazon Marketplace has done for Amazon – in the years and decades to come.Noteworthy links:Buy John’s book “Big Bet Leadership” on Amazon*Learn more about John’s work: johnrossman.comLink to John’s free ebook: Rossman’s Business Manifesto for Competitive Advantage Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if your organization's most powerful leadership asset is something you see every day but never really notice? In this Leadership Espresso Shot, I share a personal story that reveals how simple traditions can be the drivers of organizational success.Whether you're leading a small team or a large organization, this episode will change how you think about those simple traditions and the roles they play in helping your employees to achieve their goals.Listen now to learn about three reasons why leaders should celebrate their organization’s traditions so they can harness their hidden power to drive success. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What would make a successful and profitable leader, who had a self-described “dictator” style of leadership, embrace love as a business strategy? What compelled this transformation and what lessons can we learn to drive organizational transformation that fuels growth and long-term success?In this episode of my “Leadership Biz Cafe” podcast, I welcome president and CEO of Softway, Mohammad Anwar, so we can talk about his Wall Street Journal bestseller “Love as a Business Strategy – Resilience, Belonging & Success”.Through our conversation, Mohammad shares how attending a sporting event made him realize the key to driving organizational success is love, and helped him create a 6-step framework that he used at his company – and is now helping other companies deploy – to transform their toxic workplace cultures into ones where employees succeed and thrive.As Mohammad points, it’s critical that we learn the difference between “building a team of all-stars and an all-star team.” Check out this episode to learn why love is a business strategy and how it can help your organization succeed in achieving its goals. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join me for this year-end retrospective episode featuring some of the most powerful insights shared by my guests on the Leadership Biz Cafe podcast in 2024.From Robin Sharma's revelations about humility and success, to Marshall Goldsmith's transformative exercise on unlocking our potential, this episode provides valuable guidance and insights that will help you prepare for the challenges ahead:Robin Sharma on the surprising connection between humility and lasting successShaara Roman on culture communication and talent retentionBob Sutton on the ripple effects of leadership actionsScott Mautz on fostering genuine risk-takingShelmina Abji on strategic prioritization for leadersMarshall Goldsmith on breaking through self-imposed limitationsSo listen to this episode to get inspiration and actionable insights to help you elevate your leadership effectiveness in 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are you striving for the elusive “work-life balance” and finding it’s not quite working?In this episode of Leadership Biz Cafe, I welcome back my friend, and fellow leadership expert (and Canadian) Dan Pontefract to discuss his book, “Work-Life Bloom: How to Nurture a Team That Flourishes“, where he argues work-life balance is a misleading and at times harmful concept.As Dan puts it, work and life aren’t opposing forces, but distinct entities that interact and influence one another.Over the course of our conversation, Dan and I discuss:Why the concept of work-life balance is flawed.The four work-life personas of his “Work-Life Bloom” model.The importance of trust, belonging, and feeling valued at work to employees thriving at work.Why agency is crucial to empowering employees.Tune in to learn more about Dan’s Work-Life Bloom model with its four different personas that shape our work and life selves, and why we need to let go of trying to find that work-life balance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever thought about your leadership values?Understanding what your values are – of what matters to you and how you want your employees to view your leadership is critical to not only helping your employees understand your motivations, but to creating clarity during times of uncertainty and change.That’s why for this Leadership Espresso Shot I want to share a three step process to help you identify what your leadership values are, how to put those leadership values into action, and how to communicate your leadership values to your team and solicit feedback.Tune in to discover how defining your leadership values can empower you to lead with clarity and purpose. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I spoke with GiANT co-founder Jeremie Kubicek about his book “The Communication Code” and the communication framework he developed with his business partner Steve Cochram to help people become more effective communicators.The “Communication Code” framework involves applying five key “code words” – care, celebrate, clarify, collaborate, and critique – that can help transform how we interact with others by helping us shift the focus from what we’re trying to say, to what those we lead need to hear from us.What’s important for us to understand is that effective communication is about more than just transmitting information – it’s about understanding and meeting the expectations the other person has in that moment. As Jeremie pointed out during our conversation, we tend to make assumptions about what other people want, when we should be taking the time to understand their true expectations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Navigating the challenges of a controlling boss can be tough, but there are strategies to thrive. Aligning your initiatives with your boss's objectives can help you gain traction. Building a supportive network is crucial for personal and professional growth. Changing your perspective on the situation can also improve workplace dynamics. By prioritizing goals over conflict, you can enhance productivity and create a more stable environment. Success is possible, even under demanding leadership!

A troublesome and persistent issue facing organizations today is their inability to develop and promote women to leadership positions where they can play a key role in the decision-making process.But as my guest in this episode of my Leadership Biz Cafe podcast points out, this doesn’t mean there aren’t things women can do to make the case in their organization to promote them into leadership roles.Shelmina Abji is a former IBM vice-president, philanthropist, angel investor, and active gender and racial equality advocate.I invited Shelmina to join me on my show not only to share her inspiring story of growing up in a rural village in Tanzania to being one of the first visible minority women to hold the position of vice-president at IBM, but to talk about her book, “Show Your Worth: 8 Intentional Strategies For Women To Emerge As Leaders At Work."Just as she does in her book, Shelmina shares a powerful, empowering, and honest message for how women – and in particular visible minority women – can address the current obstacles – both within the organizations and themselves – that impede their ability to, as Shelmina puts it, “create higher levels of value at your maximum capacity.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.