If there's one aspect of today's workplaces most of us could do without, it's office politics. And yet, the simple truth is you need to master it to grow your career. Unfortunately, for most women, this is easier said than done. So how can they overcome this hurdle and become more valued contributors to their organization? Renowned executive coach Bonnie Marcus shares how in this episode of Leadership Biz Cafe.Bonnie is a renowned executive coach who specializes in helping women decode their organization's culture in order to not only help them advance in their careers, but become stronger contributors to their organizations goals. In fact, since 2014, Bonnie has been recognized by Global Gurus as one of the top 30 coaches in the world.In addition to her coaching work, Bonnie has been a regular contributor to Forbes, as well as having her work appear in Fortune, Business Insider, Huffington Post, Psychology Today, and Fast Company. In this episode, Bonnie and I talk about her book “The Politics of Promotion: How High-Achieving Women Get Ahead and Stay Ahead”, which although geared towards women, offers some practical insights for men and women leaders who are invested in helping their employees succeed and grow.Over the course of our conversation, Bonnie and I discuss:Why navigating the world of office politics is more challenging for women than it is for men.The 4 stages to becoming more politically savvy at work.Addressing the contradiction between women expecting to be recognized for their work while at the same time not appreciating what unique value proposition they bring to the table.What women get wrong about building relationships and networking.Again, although Bonnie's work is directed at women, I can tell you I found both her book and the insights she shared in this episode illuminating and informative. In fact, I've given my copy of her book to my wife to read and will be getting copies for my daughters as well. So do take the time to check this episode out because as leaders, it's incumbent on us to better understand how we can help all of our employees bring their best and full efforts to the work they do.Also, as I mentioned in the show, I'd would really appreciate it if you could share this episode or any other episode of my leadership podcast with your employees and colleagues. We're looking to grow our audience even more and it would really help in supporting this show if you could help spread the word.https://open.spotify.com/episode/2PB3LuGqb8UG1hjXbREK0X?si=Agc1wyo-SYqzo6ne69C5oQNoteworthy links:Buy Bonnie's book "The Politics of Promotion" on Amazon (or Amazon.ca for Canadian readers).Learn more about Bonnie's work at her website: BonnieMarcusLeadership.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When it comes to improving our leadership skills, there's an understandable tendency to seek insights on how to succeed at leadership. But what about taking a closer examination at how we lead to better understand the ways that we fail at leadership? It's something I explore through one leader's example in this episode of the Leadership Biz Cafe podcast.If I were to ask you right now to think of the name of a leader, what names come to mind? Many times when I ask this question in my leadership keynotes or training sessions, the typical answers I get are Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela, Winston Churchill, Malala Yousafzai, Richard Branson, and Mother Teresa. Invariably, the reason why these individuals are on top of mind for so many people is because each of them in their own way serves as inspiration for how to face adversity or challenges and come out stronger and better in the end.Of course, as I remind my audience in this exercise, as much as we should make note of those leaders who overcame various challenges to achieve their vision, we should also be mindful of those leaders whose personal actions and behaviours, and for some outright hubris, lead them astray and ultimately their downfall as leaders of their organization.One of the more recent examples of this kind of leadership failure is former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn. Under Winterkorn's leadership, Volkswagen manipulated their car software to make it appear as though their cars met various international emissions standards. While Winterkorn has claimed he had no knowledge this was going on, the fact remains as CEO, Winterkorn's actions and behaviours lead to a culture where such dishonest practices could be employed, ultimately leading to both financial losses as well as an erosion of consumer trust in the Volkswagen brand.However, in this edition of Leadership Espresso Shot, rather than focus on such a high profile leadership example as Winterkorn's, I'd like to share a more personal example of a leader I once worked with as it will show how it's often not these major violations of trust (and the law) that can lead to us to fail as leaders. Rather, it's often everyday actions and behaviours we are taking that end up taking away any chances we may have to succeed at leadership.So do check out this episode and learn from the example of this leader to make sure you're not just putting measures in to succeed at leadership, but you're also this critical area where so many fail when it comes to effective leadership.Again, as a reminder, if you've been enjoying my podcast, please help support it by sharing this or other episodes with your colleagues or team. One of the easiest ways to do this is simply to share a link to my show's podcast page where they can listen to all of the episodes to date on that page, as well as find links to subscribe to listen to my podcast on iHeartRadio, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more.It's a small ask, but you'll be doing me and this show a big service. Thanks for your help in supporting this leadership podcast.https://open.spotify.com/episode/7GIcsL3mzNedNP1unQXCNZ?si=8db52f3ded274c0a Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's become a reality of today's workplace that many of us feel swamped with demands on both our time and attention. But is the problem less a question of how we manage our time and more about how to better manage what we pay attention to? That's the idea I'll be exploring further with international speaker and trainer Maura Nevel Thomas in this episode of “Leadership Biz Cafe”.Maura is the most widely-cited authority on attention management, in addition to her work on productivity and work-life balance. Her insights on attention management have been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, and Huffington Post, and she's also a regular contributor to the Harvard Business Review. She's the author of three books, including her latest “Attention Management – How To Create Success And Gain Productivity Every Day”, which serves as the focus of this episode.Overthe course of our conversation, Maura and I talk about:How attention management differs from all the other time management strategies out there – and why this one actually improves productivity in the long run.The four different types of attention management and how to balance when to use them.How being in a state of “flow” allows us to do our best work. Why our ability to do our best work is dependent on allowing our minds to rest and wander.The biggest hurdle leaders face in learning to manage their attention instead of managing their time.Now if you’ve been enjoying my leadership podcast, I’d be grateful if you could share my podcast with your colleagues or your team. The best way to do this is to share a link to the podcast page on my website, where they can find all past episodes of my podcast, as well as links to subscribe on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and more.Taking the time to get the word out about my leadership podcast will help me to continue to bring more of these insights into how you can succeed at leadership.https://open.spotify.com/episode/11RmgzEyxxV2MWP0BipYMM?si=3bff10fda5f24ea8Noteworthy links:Buy “Attention Management – How To Create Success And Gain Productivity Every Day” on Amazon (or Amazon.ca for Canadian listeners). Learn more about Maura's work at maurathomas.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most people who choose to become leaders do so with the best of intentions because they naturally want to succeed. So why is it still common to hear people saying they left not because of their organization, but because of their boss? That's the question I get to the heart of with leadership expert Victoria Roos Olsson in this episode of “Leadership Biz Cafe”.Victoria Roos Olsson is a senior leadership consultant working with FranklinCovey, as well as a keynote speaker and author. She has lead learning and development organisations for large corporations across Europe and the Middle East. In fact, learning is one of her key interests and she loves to learn new things, as well as passing on knowledge to see others grow. She is also the co-author of the book “Everyone Deserves a Great Manager”, which is the focus of this episode. Among the topicsVictoria and I discuss:Why one-on-one meetings are so critical to leadership success – provided you have the right mindset about how you approach them.Five energy drivers leaders can employ to boost their energy in meetings in order to be more present and engaged.The importance of taking not just small breaks, but longer ones during our work week so that we can renew and recharge and really bring our best efforts to our leadership.What signs to look out for to know it's time to ease off the drive to get things done and take a moment to catch our breaths before that next big wave of demands hits our shore.The truth about current leadership development practices in most organizations today – and how it's setting up the next generation of leaders to fail.As I mention in this episode, if you've been enjoying my leadership podcast, I'd appreciate it if you could share my show with your colleagues or your team. Just direct them to check out the podcast page on my website, where they can listen to every episode of my podcast, of if they prefer, find links to subscribe on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and more. By helping us get the word out about this show, you can help us continue to bring more of these insights into how you can succeed at leadership.https://open.spotify.com/episode/32woFDmHuqK5RSWfx9etj3?si=23cfccaa5c7649bbNoteworthy links:Buy Victoria's book “Everyone Deserves a Great Manager” on Amazon (or Amazon.ca for Canadian listeners).Learn more about Victoria's work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever worked for a leader who inspired you to do your best work? Why were they able to? What was their secret? It's a question I aim to answer by sharing a personal story of working for one such leader in this latest installment of Leadership Espresso Shot for this 50th episode of my leadership podcast, “Leadership Biz Cafe”.If you're like me, you've probably had your share of horrible to mediocre bosses and if you're lucky, you've also had a few bosses who truly exemplified what it means to be a leader. And maybe luckier still, that working for these bosses not only allowed you to do some of your best work, but also helped you learned a little bit about yourself and where your real purpose lies.I can honestly say I'vehad the good fortune of working for two such leaders and althoughit's been many, many years since the time I work under theirleadership, their example and the lessons they taught me aboutleadership and how I can make a difference still echo and influencethe work I do today.And so, to celebratethe 50th episode of my leadership podcast, I'm not onlyunveiling a brand new theme for my show, but I'm using this as anopportunity to share a story about one of these leaders and what washis secret to inspiring the best from his employees. Indeed, if Iwere to put together a list of the best work I've ever done, some ofthe work I did for this leader would definitely be near the top ofthat list.And a reminder, these Leadership Espresso Shot installments are exactly what visual this name inspires – these are short, concentrated doses of leadership insights and inspiration that while short in duration, nonetheless pack a powerful punch in helping you to strengthen your leadership craft.So check out the 50th episode of my leadership podcast and if you enjoy it (as well as past episodes of my show), please be sure to share it with others to help spread the word about my podcast.https://open.spotify.com/episode/5avUslXiXME7AljyFMXic2?si=0ba3d15e2f1a4d4b Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Digital transformation has become a key focus for many organizations. But is the focus leaders put on digital transformation too limited and consequently leading organizations to miss out on the real potential of digital transformation? That's the focus of my talk with Cisco Chair and IMD Director, Michael Wade in this episode of my podcast, "Leadership Biz Cafe".Michael Wade is the Cisco Chair in Digital Business Transformation and a Professor of Innovation and Strategy at IMD Business School. He is also the Director of the Global Center for Digital Business Transformation, an IMD and Cisco Initiative. Before that, Michael was the Academic Director of the Kellogg-Schulich Executive MBA Program in Canada.Michael has been named one of the top ten digital thought leaders in Switzerland and he has published works on a variety of topics, including digital business transformation, innovation, strategy, and digital leadership. He’s the author of more than thirty case studies and eight books, his latest being “Orchestrating Transformation: How To Deliver Winning Performance with a Connected Approach to Change”, which serves as the focus of my conversation with Michael for this episode.Over the course of our conversation, Michael and I discuss:The one mistake a majority of leaders make when it comes to digital transformation.What's behind the high rate of failure seen with most digital transformation initiatives.The four types of change and where digital transformation fits in.What's a transformation orchestra and how it applies to the way today's organization operates.Don't forget to visit my podcast page where you can listen to all episodes of my podcast, as well as find links to subscribe on iHeartRadio, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more, as well as links to the show notes for every episode.And if you’re enjoying my podcast, please share it with your colleagues, your team and your boss so that others in your organization can benefit from these insights as well.https://open.spotify.com/episode/6QAvqN05fogzahx7S0o01o?si=f4e36ed3cb3f4c41Noteworthy Links:Buy "Orchestrating Transformation" on Amazon (or Amazon.ca for Canadian listeners). Learn more about Michael's work at orchestratingtransformation.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If someone were to ask you what 3 personal lessons do you attribute as being key to your success, what would you say? It's a question I've been asked and I thought it would be fun to share the answers in this 10th edition of Leadership Espresso Shot on my leadership podcast, “Leadership Biz Cafe”.Of course, the motivation behind this being the theme of this episode is not simply because this is the 10th episode in this Leadership Espresso Shot series. Rather, as I've mentioned previously here on my blog, I've been in a celebratory mood around the fact that my leadership firm, Tanveer Naseer Leadership, has celebrated its 10 year anniversary alongside reaching the 10 year milestone in writing for my award-winning and internationally acclaimed leadership blog.When we come upon such important milestones, there should naturally be a desire to not only celebrate the achievements, but to also reflect on what it took to get there. Of what hard-earned lessons were revealed that made the journey possible and success attainable. Of course, when you achieve success, it's only natural for people to want to learn what you've learned, of what insights you can impart that might help them better understand and navigate their own path towards their own version of success and fulfillment.And so, given the alignment of so many milestones for my company, my leadership blog, and my leadership podcast, I wanted to share something that's been inspired by the many conversations I've had with attendees of my leadership keynotes and corporate training sessions who were curious to learn the journey I took to get to where I am today professionally. In some ways, one could also say it's a bit of a behind the scenes look at the realities of running a long-running leadership blog and podcast.And rest assured, there's definitely a couple of heaping teaspoons of actionable advice that you can put into use right now. Put altogether, there's no question this episode lives up to that idea of being a concentrated dose of leadership insights and advice, if not also a compelling reason to take a few minutes out of your day to give this a listen to learn how you can improve the way you lead going forward.https://open.spotify.com/episode/0fTZ1FwBs8dewjWd8YSYDU?si=8ccc978063844959 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Creating alignment in your organization's various processes is critical to being able to achieve your long term goals? But what about creating alignment in terms of how you relate to one another? And how do you go about achieving that? CEO and author Susan Steinbrecher describes how in this latest episode of my leadership podcast, “Leadership Biz Cafe”.Susan is a business consultant, licensed mediator, and the president and CEO of Steinbrecher And Associates, Inc. a management consulting firm. She's an Inc.com columnist and has been featured in The New York Times and Entrepreneur.com. Susan is also the author of 3 books, including her latest “Meaningful Alignment: Mastering Emotionally Intelligent Interactions at Work and in Life”, which is the focus of this episode.Over the course of thisepisode, Susan and I discuss:What is meaningful alignment and why it's as critical to your success as a leader as achieving alignment in your value chain, business processes, etc.What positive (and negative) impacts arise from addressing meaningful alignment to the way you lead.How to balance the current need for more rapid responses against the competing need for making time to understand why your employees perform/behave the way they do.How a person's intention is different from their behaviour and how you can go about separating our perception of these two. A powerful 6 step technique leaders can use to better manage their employee's emotions in those difficult, but necessary conversations.Check out my podcast page where you can listen to all episodes of my podcast, as well as find links to subscribe to my show on iHeartRadio, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and more, as well as links to the show notes for every episode.And if you're enjoying my podcast, please share it with your colleagues, your team and even your boss so that others in your organization can benefit from these insights as well.https://open.spotify.com/episode/6vlKfyd40cEVl34ghWzVe0?si=f247d1360f4b4435Noteworthy Links:Buy Susan's book “Meaningful Alignment” on Amazon (or Amazon.ca for Canadian listeners). Take the Interpersonal Dialogue Assessment for free at MeaningfulAlignment.com. Learn more about Susan on her website: steinbrecher.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Without question, one of the skills to succeed at leadership is being an effective communicator. And one of the best ways to communicate a vision is through the use of storytelling. So how can we use this tool more effectively? That's the focus of this latest episode of my leadership podcast “Leadership Biz Cafe”.Of course, being both a keynote speaker and writer, the art of storytelling and using stories to convey an idea or concept is something I'm quite familiar with. In fact, I've had quite a few conference attendees either email me or come up to me at a conference or meeting and share with me how a particular idea I shared all those months an even years ago that I shared in one of my talks has stuck with them because of the story I used to illustrate the message I wanted to impart to my audience.I even remember a dinner conversation with the CEO of a healthcare organization following my corporate training session with various leaders in his organization and how he complemented me on my use of stories to not simply illustrate a big picture perspective, but to pull out concrete actions his leaders could take today based on what they learned through hearing that story.As he told me 'in my 30 years working as a leader, I don't remember anyone getting excited at the sight of a pie chart or graph. But you share with them a story about how they're helping our company to make a difference and you can't help but feel the energy rise in the room. You can't get them to care unless you talk to them about what they care about.'As such, I'm sure it'll come as no surprise that I've decided to share with you a personal story of a team leader I worked with who's experiences proposing a new change initiative within our organizations reveals 3 simple steps any leader can take to tap into the power of storytelling in this latest installment of my Leadership Espresso Shot feature.And just as a reminder, Leadership Espresso Shot are short episodes that pack a powerful leadership lesson meant to be either a daily dose of leadership inspiration, or practical steps you can put into action today.These segments are inspired by some of the ideas I share in my leadership keynotes or corporate training events. So in addition to giving you a concentrated dose (hence espresso shot) of thought provoking content of ideas to consider, they also give you a glimpse into my offerings through my keynotes and corporate training engagements.And with that, hit the play button below and learn from one leader's experience of how you can use storytelling to improve the way you lead.https://open.spotify.com/episode/2vplva3D5fIprXOWJMuMXw?si=fa8e1bb809344eaa Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the key responsibilities of leaders is helping their employees to achieve their goals. And yet, with all the distractions and increased demands we face, sometimes this is easier said than done. Thankfully, Warren Buffet has shared a surprisingly simply strategy to successfully achieve our goals, a strategy I share in this episode of my podcast, “Leadership Biz Cafe”.Obviously, I don't want to give it away here on my blog as I'd rather you listen to this edition of show's feature “Leadership Espresso Shot”, which as the name infers are these short, but powerful segments that dive right in and give you some wonderful insights to improve the way you lead your team and organization.And at only 11 minutes long, this episode is the perfect length to listen to as you go get a fresh cup of coffee (or tea for those tea drinkers out there) to either start your day or to keep the day going strong.On a side note, I have to say I'm delighted by the response this new feature has been getting from my audience. As we're fast approaching episode #10 of this feature, it's wonderful to see how much listeners are enjoying these segments in between interviews with thought leaders and experts whose insights can help you succeed at leadership.So thanks again for all the notes and comments and especially questions you'd like answered (keep them all coming!) and with that, get ready to hit play on this latest installment of “Leadership Espresso Shot” on my podcast “Leadership Biz Cafe”. Enjoy!https://open.spotify.com/episode/5NsysO7bNI8QcsZOVBFFcM?si=2211d0b9c8094bb2 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.