Leadership Biz Cafe with Tanveer Naseer

How many of us would be happy knowing the high point of our career was that we were good at just getting through the day?Unfortunately, that’s the reality leaders need to recognize as the focus of today’s leadership becomes less and less about achieving long-term goals and more about just putting out fires and ‘getting things done’.While this certainly makes us look good from a day-to-day perspective, it also leaves us with little to point to as a true accomplishment and reflection of who we were and what we did as a leader.No doubt this is why biographies and stories of successful leaders continue to capture our curiosity and imagination. After all, their leadership example is what we all aspire to be like – in our own way, of course.But how we can be our own version of an exceptional leader when all we focus on are things that while urgent, are not important to achieving something lasting and meaningful? Something that changes things for the better, or at least opens the door for others to affect that kind of changeIn this edition of my Leadership Espresso Shot series, I describe that one thing exceptional leaders never forget has to be at the forefront of everything they say and do.It’s something that each and every one of us can make a part of our leadership focus, provided that we’re willing to make the effort of not letting the demands of our day-to-day dictate where we put that long-term focus. The lens through which we need to keep looking out through if we are to achieve something remarkable, something great.So I hope you’ll take a short break from dealing with your day-to-day work tasks to listen to this episode, and gain inspiration for how you can be your own version of that exceptional leader your employees and team need you to be. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What do Uber, Apple, Netflix, and AirBnB share in common in terms of the successes they’ve achieved? According to my guest in this episode of my Leadership Biz Cafe podcast, what these and other successful companies share in common is that they’re all experience disruptors.And he has a framework based on studies in consumer behaviour, behavioural psychology, and marketing analytics that can help any organization become their own version of an experience disruptor.Allen Adamson is an expert in branding, experience creation, and innovation strategy. Over the course of his career, he’s worked as a marketing executive at Unilever, held senior management positions at iconic advertising firms, including Ogilvy & Mather and DMB&B, and has worked companies like Accenture, GE, FedEx, HBO, Marriott, MetLife, P&G, Sony, and Verizon.He’s authored four books, and it’s his latest one, “Seeing the How: Achieving Market Advantage by Transforming the Stuff We Do, Not the Stuff We Buy”, that I wanted to talk with Allen about.Over the course of this episode, Allen and I discuss:What is experience innovation and moving past our assumptions of what our customers want.Why a singular focus is the critical key to creating a successful consumer experience.How to use our company’s strengths to meet the unique expectations of our customer base.What kind of partnerships with other companies you should consider to strengthen the consumer experience you can offer.Why getting closer to your customer is less about proximity and more about bringing more empathy to your consumer experience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The podcast reflects on favorite moments and insights from past guests in 2023. Topics include the importance of leaders taking care of employees and fostering community, addressing loneliness in remote work, embracing change, and measuring success.

If I were to ask your employees if your organization is ready to navigate the next global crisis, what would they say?As much as we’d like to think we’re prepared for whatever crisis comes our way, the pandemic and subsequent global supply chain crises clearly proved many organizations are vastly under-prepared to handle any kind of global crisis, let alone internal ones that risk upending our well-laid plans.So what can leaders do? How can you ensure your organization will fare better when the next storm arrives at your doorstep?In this episode of my “Leadership Biz Cafe” podcast, I spoke with a leader who not only successfully navigated his company through two major crises, but who’s developed a practical guide any leader can put into practice right now to help them prepare for the next crisis.James Burstall is the CEO of Argonon, a major international TV production company based in London, with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Liverpool, and Glasgow. His company has produced a number of popular shows, including House Hunters International, Hidden Potential, Lost Treasures of Egypt, Attenborough and the Mammoth Grave, and The Masked Singer UK.James has worked as an executive producer and producer-director for broadcasters all over the world, and has been featured in the Financial Times, Guardian, Variety, Deadline and Daily Telegraph to name a few.I’ve invited James to join me on my podcast to talk about his book, “The Flexible Method: Prepare To Prosper In The Next Global Crisis”, which offers a practical guide for leaders based on James’ own experience, as well as the crisis management experience of several other successful leaders, on how to prepare for the next crisis that will inevitably arise.Over the course of our conversation, James and I spoke about:The importance of calm and purposeful leadership and how to accomplish this during a crisisIn times of crisis, what and how leaders should be communicating to their teamHow organizations can become more adaptable to external change while still holding true to their valuesHow to use a crisis as an opportunity to tap into the collective creativity of your employeesIf you want to make sure your organization is truly prepared for that next global crisis waiting just around the corner, make some in your day to listen and learn how this successful leader helped his organization to not just survive, but thrive under the pressures and fallout of two major global crises. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever had the experience dealing with after-sales support where you not only get the runaround, but you spend days just trying to get someone on the phone to acknowledge your problem?That’s the situation my wife and I had to content with when we contacted a major retailer about an issue with our newly purchased recliner sofa.While on the surface, this would seem like a problem with customer support, the truth is this experience reveals a far more problematic issue that every leader should be making a concerted effort to avoid.That’s why for this edition in my Leadership Espresso Shot series, I wanted to use this experience to illustrate four questions leaders should be asking themselves to evaluate whether their actions are setting up their employees to succeed … or whether it’s only serving to create silos within their organization.As many of us begin to look ahead to what we want to achieve in 2024, this is the ideal moment to reflect on what you can improve on to better support and empower your employees.Reflecting on these four questions is a great place to begin that process.https://open.spotify.com/episode/3sW5PjEKfOPbUcfZBUsb9F?si=0d84d94a36a04cd7 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the explosive growth of AI and other emergent technologies, it’s not surprising to see many organizations focusing on digital business transformation. Unfortunately, many leaders are making a critical mistake in their strategy, something I discuss and explore with my guest Kamales Lardi in this episode of my “Leadership Biz Cafe” podcast.Kamales is an award-winning digital transformation expert and the CEO and founder of Lardi & Partner, a global digital and business transformation firm. Kamales is a Teaching Fellow at Durham University Business School and she served as the first Chair of the Forbes Business Council of Women Executives.Kamales is also the author of the best-selling book, “The Human Side Of Digital Business Transformation”. I’ve invited Kamales to join me on the show to talk about what leaders need to do to successfully drive digital transformation in their organization, starting with a better understanding of what digitization, digitalization, and digital transformation really mean.https://open.spotify.com/episode/2YiSRbRw9MO52WCxho7POt?si=9617020b52174b98Noteworthy links:Buy Kamales’ book “The Human Side of Digital Business Transformation” on Amazon*Check out Kamales’ Digital Transformation School resource: dbxschool.comLearn more about Kamales’ work: kamaleslardi.comListen to my interview with IMD Director Michael Wade – Successfully Navigating Change In A Digital World*sponsored link that helps to support this podcast. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Does your organization encourage a sense of curiosity? According to a survey in the Harvard Business Review, 83% of leaders say they do, but barely half of their employees would agree.Far from being something that's 'nice to have', encouraging a sense of curiosity in your workplace is going to become increasingly critical, not only to ensure better agility and adaptability in an ever uncertain world, but also because the burgeoning use of AI in organizations will lead to a shift towards more creativity-focused work.Seen from this vantage point, it becomes clear that your ability to promote curiosity in your organization is fast becoming a critical factor to your organization’s long-term success and viability.So how can leaders ensure they are in fact encouraging curiosity in their organization?In this latest instalment in my Leadership Espresso Shot series, I share four steps leaders can take that will help them create a culture of inquisitiveness in their organization. By putting these four steps into practice, you will not only help create conditions that ignite the curiosity and imagination of your employees, but you’ll also have the added bonus of fostering deeper, more meaningful relationships with those you lead.https://open.spotify.com/episode/0pKBIxe9bSIsF1tR13s2h4?si=_GdTbSmVRiCFeF0Oa_yiQg Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“One of the biggest stumbling blocks for organizations is an unwillingness to be brutally honest about the challenges they face.”There’s no question leadership is becoming a more challenging role than it was 5-10 years ago. The rapid pace of change, the on-going uncertainties, even the very nature of the way we work have made being a leader a more strenuous and stressful job.But another factor that’s making it challenging for people to succeed at leadership is that many people in leadership roles today haven’t asked themselves a critical question before taking on the role – why do you want to be a leader?This question serves as the starting point for my conversation with best-selling author Adam Bryant about what those interested in taking on the leadership reins need to prepared for in this latest episode of my “Leadership Biz Cafe” podcast.Adam is probably best known for his New York Times column, “The Corner Office”. He’s also the best-selling author of “The Corner Office: Indispensible and Unexpected Lessons from CEOs on How To Lead and Succeed” as well as “Quick and Nimble - Lessons From Leading CEOs on How To Create a Culture of Innovation”.Adam was a guest on my podcast two years ago when we talked about his book “The CEO Test - Master The Challenges That Make or Break All Leaders” and I’m delighted to welcome him back so we can talk about his latest, “The Leap to Leader: How Ambitious Managers Make the Jump to Leadership”.Adam and I had a frank and fascinating conversation about the realities of what it takes to move into a leadership role. But even those in leadership positions will benefit from hearing what Adam has to say.I hope you’ll make some time to give this episode a listen, and do let me know what you think.https://open.spotify.com/episode/2x8e0p2X20HeVwe63t69NB?si=46193fe60a454f71Noteworthy links:Buy Adam’s book “The Leap to Leader” on Amazon*Learn more about Adam’s work - adambryantbooks.comListen to my previous conversation with Adam – Episode #91: Adam Bryant | Mastering Challenges That Make Or Break All Leaders*sponsored link that helps to support this podcast. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Few issues have captured the attention and focus of leaders over the past few years as the ongoing debate over whether to allow employees to work remotely or demand they return to office (RTO).And because it’s a contentious issue, there’s invariably numerous articles and studies out there which are meant to clarify things, but which honestly probably make the situation more ambiguous than it needs to be.But what’s especially troubling about this growing push by many organizations to overlook employee concerns and issue RTO mandates is that leaders are sending out a message that will negatively impact their leadership for many years to come.That’s why in this latest episode in my Leadership Espresso Shot series, I challenge leaders to rethink what they’re focusing on right now if they are to not only help their employees in today’s uncertain economic environment, but create the conditions to ensure their collective growth and success in the future as well.So I hope you’ll take 10 minutes out of your day to give this episode a listen. Although there's a bit of tough love in what I share, I think it's nonetheless something every leader needs to hear right now.And I'd love to know what you think and especially what suggestions you might have for how leaders can better address the growing demands employees have for organizations to adapt and evolve the way they approach work.https://open.spotify.com/episode/2JU7CzlL1RzSkcpWmfeeTS?si=5d4e7808bd974535Noteworthy link:Listen to Leadership Espresso Shot 29 - Why Leadership Should Be Hard Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’ve all seen the studies that have shown how a diverse workforce leads to better productivity, increased profits and market share, and greater creativity and innovation.But with so many positive outcomes related to diverse workforces, why are so many organizations failing to attract and retain a diversified workforce – including in the senior leadership ranks? What are we getting wrong and what should we be doing differently?According to my guests on this episode of my “Leadership Biz Cafe” podcast, Bertina Ceccarelli and Susanne Tedrick, the key is understanding how to use innovation principles to drive an organization’s DEI efforts.Bertina is the Chief Executive Officer of NPower, one of the most successful non-profits in North America committed to helping young adults and military-connected individuals launch tech careers. And Susanne is the author of "Women of Color in Tech" and a cloud computing technical trainer for Microsoft.Together, they co-authored the book “Innovating For Diversity – Lessons from Top Companies Achieving Business Success through Inclusivity”, which makes the compelling case for why diversity and innovation are not just interconnected, but how innovation can actually help organizations succeed in their DEI initiatives.Of course, to succeed in these efforts, we first have to get a better understanding of what these terms of diversity, equity and inclusion really mean.And I’m grateful to Bertina and Susanne for not only helping to bring clarity to this in our conversation, but for also providing practical advice for how leaders can succeed at creating a more diverse workplace that will not only benefit their organization, but also those their organization serves.No matter what you might think about diversity in today’s workplaces, I want to strongly encourage you to give this episode a listen as I’m sure some of what Bertina and Susanne share in this conversation will surprise you and definitely give you some food for thought.https://open.spotify.com/episode/47U7MrcuCKe7ktRhJplt0y?si=0b6b810c9af84b8dNoteworthy links:Buy Bertina and Susanne’s book “Innovating For Diversity” on Amazon.*Learn more about Bertina’s work - npower.orgLearn more about Susanne’s work - susannetedrick.com*sponsored link that helps to support this podcast. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.