Leadership Biz Cafe with Tanveer Naseer

Over the course of the pandemic, we’ve all had to get used to dealing with significant changes to the way we work and live. But that doesn’t mean we’ve necessarily become more comfortable with change. So is there some way that leaders can promote change which is both impactful and not as difficult a burden for their employees? According to change expert and guest for this episode of my podcast “Leadership Biz Cafe”, Jake Jacobs, there is and it’s one that any leader in any industry can apply right now.For the past 35 years, Jake has worked in 61 different industries, from high tech to manufacturing, helping organizations and their teams deal with all kinds of change, from culture change to strategy implementation. He’s also written several books on the subject, including his latest “Leverage Change - 8 Ways To Achieve Faster, Easier, Better Results”*, which is what Jake and I talk about in this episode.In this episode, some of the areas Jake and I cover include:What is “leverage change” and how it differs from conventional thinking around change.Why it’s important in any change initiative to balance continuity of what was done in the past with where you need to go next.How to transform your perspective of change resistors so they can help improve and fuel genuine change over incrementalism.How leaders can know when they need to lead from the front and when they need to hand over the lead to their employees to ensure a successful outcome.How to make change part of your employees’ everyday work and not an add-on to their existing tasks/responsibilities.If you enjoy this episode, please do share it with your colleagues and friends. And if you haven’t already done so, I’d appreciate it if you could rate and write a quick review on your favourite podcast platform. It’s a great way to help support this podcast so we can continue to bring you these insightful conversations on how to improve the way you lead.https://open.spotify.com/episode/2dvfsNx0t5KfoKmBisFY4xNoteworthy links:Visit Jake’s website to learn more about his work and to get his offer mentioned during the episode: jakejacobsconsulting.com.Buy Jake’s book “Leverage Change” on Amazon.**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.

There’s an annual tradition that plays out this time of the year for most leaders where they split their focus between making sure they close out whatever goals or plans they had for the last quarter, and looking ahead to the next year and what need to be the new priorities going forward. Thanks to the pandemic, though, there’s been a number of other issues which have understandably drawn a lot of the attention and focus of today’s leaders - from the adverse impacts of on-going supply chain issues to the unrelenting demands for greater control over when and where employees get their work done.But there’s another equally important factor leaders need to be mindful of, something that I explore in detail in this latest edition in my Leadership Espresso Shot series. And that is understanding how we go about fostering relationships and leading people in this digital age.So as you work on winding down your team and organization’s efforts for this year, and mapping out the key areas of focus for your leadership next year, I hope you’ll take a few minutes to listen to this episode from my leadership podcast to gain an appreciation for how to build and sustain relationships with those you lead - whether it’s virtually or in person - to help bring out the best in those you lead.And if you haven’t already done so, I’d appreciate it if you could rate and review my leadership podcast “Leadership Biz Cafe” on your favourite podcast platform to help support my show.https://open.spotify.com/episode/6fPrHjA5Q5dGTWt3LyPufB Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Even before the global pandemic struck, many organizations and their leaders were limiting themselves to a short-term view at the expense of achieving any of their long-term goals. So how do leaders move past the current and persistent short-termism that’s often driven by a fear-based mindset, and instead embrace a more long-term, hopeful view for what the future might bring? That’s focus of my conversation with renowned business strategist John Hagel.Over the past 40 years that John has worked in Silicon Valley, John has been a successful entrepreneur, a senior executive at Atari, the founder and leader of the Deloitte Center for the Edge, not to mention also being the co-chair of the Global Future Council on the Future of Platforms and Systems at the World Economic Forum.John’s writings have been published in many respected publications, including The Economist, Fortune, Forbes, The New York Times, and the Harvard Business Review to name but a few. He’s also the author of eight books, including his latest “The Journey Beyond Fear: Leverage The Three Pillars of Positivity To Build Your Success”*, which I sit down with John to speak about in this episode.Over the course of this episode, John and I speak about:Why the personal narrative we create for ourselves about what we want to achieve needs to have an outward focus on what matters to those around us.How an institution’s narrative is different from its stated purpose, and how leaders can go about creating one.The kind of passion leaders should be encouraging to drive success.Why we need to rethink our understanding and approach to learning if we are to fuel innovation and growth.It’s a thought-provoking conversation with someone who’s been on the forefront of looking ahead at what the future might bring, so I hope you’ll check this episode out. And as always, if you enjoyed this or past episodes and you haven’t already done so, I’d like to ask you a favour in rating and reviewing my leadership podcast on your favourite streaming service.https://open.spotify.com/episode/4gqBjfVDr5iumPuxPlDSxgNoteworthy links:Buy John's book "The Journey Beyond Fear" on Amazon.*Learn more about John's work: johnhagel.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.

If there’s one consistent thread in the debate over remote work, it’s how leaders who want their employees to return to the office argue that collaboration can’t occur unless people are working in the same space. But in each of these cases, there’s a glaring oversight on the part of these leaders. Namely, what are these leaders committing to doing or creating in order to facilitate a collaborative work environment?In this latest Leadership Espresso Shot, I make the case that leaders can’t just assume that because their employees are working in person that they are working collaboratively. Indeed, most of us are familiar with the problems of organizational silos, which is often driven by ‘office politics’, not to mention internal competition for limited resources or the attention of those in decision-making roles.To that end, I share 3 simple, but critical steps every leader should implement to ensure that their leadership inspires collaboration, and not conflict, within their organization. From the on-going protests to measures being put in place to stem the tide of the COVID-19 pandemic, to the recent revelations from internal Facebook documents of how that platform promoted divisive content for monetary gain, you don’t have to look far to see division and examples of an us vs. them mentality.That’s why I hope you’ll take a few minutes to listen to this latest installment of my Leadership Espresso Shot series to know how you can use your leadership to counter this wave of negativity to drive organizational growth and success for many years to come.And if you enjoyed this episode, I’d like to encourage you to share it with your network, and to also rate and review my podcast on your favourite podcast platform to help support my show.https://open.spotify.com/episode/5V8A9jDjB9ljbChyhhJT8n Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you’re a leader who leads from the so-called messy middle, I'm sure there are times where you feel how the challenges you face are uniquely different from those other leaders have to face. As it turns out, those leading from the middle do face both unique challenges - as well as opportunities other leaders don’t have access to - as a result of their having to lead down, up and at times, across the organization.Thankfully, in this episode of my podcast, “Leadership Biz Cafe”, I’ll be speaking with a seasoned executive who’s first hand experience and research has lead to a powerful and insightful playbook to help those who lead from the middle.Scott Mautz is not only a former Procter & Gamble senior executive, but he wrote a popular leadership column on Inc.com, serves as faculty at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business for Executive Education, and the CEO/founder of Profound Performance, a keynote, leadership training, and coaching company.Scott is also a good friend of mine who’s written three books, his latest being the brilliant “Leading From The Middle - A Playbook For Mangers To Influence Up, Down, and Across The Organization."Over the course of this episode, Scott and I talk about his latest book “Leading From The Middle” where we look at:The 5 unique challenges those who lead in the middle face and how they can be transformed into opportunities for growth.The limitation that comes from a servant leadership mindset and what leaders in the middle need to adopt instead.The 7 skills those who lead in the middle need to adopt if they are to succeed as leaders.How those who lead in the middle can address the growing issue of employee burnout.A powerful model that will help leaders in the middle to gain more influence with their bosses.As I mentioned at the end of this episode, this year marks the 10th year of my leadership podcast, and it’s been truly gratifying to have so many insightful guests on my show for such a milestone. And I’m sure it won’t be surprising to hear this episode is one of my favourite conversations of this year because I not only got to talk about leadership with an insightful thought leader, but I got to talk to a good friend as well.So I hope you’ll check this episode out and if you enjoy it, please leave a comment here or subscribe, rate, and write a review where you prefer listening to your favourite podcasts.https://open.spotify.com/episode/5eZk6LHdqygmyDWbFZ2W6dNoteworthy links:To get your FREE 30-page companion book to “Leading From The Middle”, visit - scottmautz.com/freetools.Buy Scott’s book “Leading From The Middle” on Amazon.*Learn more about Scott’s work - scottmautz.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.

If you’re in the leadership space, it’s hard not to notice the ongoing debate over remote working versus getting everyone to return to the office. While every industry and organization has to decide for themselves what’s the best approach to take for everyone involved, there’s been a number of key points that are glaringly missing from these discussions.In this latest edition of my Leadership Espresso Shot series, I wanted to address one of these, namely what kind of workplace environment are you nurturing through your leadership? Is it one that’s driving future success or is it one moored in pushing mediocrity?In a recent interview on CNBC, Dell Technologies Chairman & CEO Michael Dell made the following statement:“Through this last 18 months, we all sort of learned work is something we do, it’s not a place.”Right now, unfortunately, a lot of the discussion around remote work is focusing on work being about where and when, instead of what and why. I hope you’ll check out this episode to discover why this approach will lead to mediocrity instead of the long-term success we all hope to achieve through our efforts as leaders.https://open.spotify.com/episode/6LVf4VwSCdBlkELys9PI5z Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you enjoy reading interviews of CEOs sharing what shapes their understanding and approach to leadership, chances are you’ve probably read one of the over 500 interviews Adam Bryant wrote for his popular New York Times column, “Corner Office”.I’ve been an avid reader of Adam’s column for many, many years so I was delighted when his publicist reached out to me to say Adam was interested in appearing on my podcast, “Leadership Biz Cafe”.For those who might not be familiar with Adam’s work, in addition to writing the “Corner Office” column, Adam wrote the New York Times bestseller “The Corner Office: Indispensable 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”. On this episode of my leadership podcast, Adam and I sit down to talk about his latest book, “The CEO Test - Master The Challenges That Make or Break All Leaders”*, which he he co-wrote with former Amgen CEO Kevin Sharer.Over the course of my conversation with Adam, some of the topics we discuss include:How leaders can create a simple plan that keeps their focus on their “big idea” despite the numerous distractions and demands for their time and attention.How to ensure your organization’s culture and its stated values reflect the everyday reality in your workplace, as opposed to an aspirational concept.4 simple, but powerful questions that lead to more effective team building and collaboration.How to truly listen to others so people are willing to freely share their insights on what’s going right and what’s really going wrong.https://open.spotify.com/episode/21iswjhjWPsz37R31nsguRAs I mentioned at the end of this episode, if you enjoy this or past episodes of my podcast, I’d appreciate it if you could subscribe, rate, and review my podcast on the app you use to listen to my podcast.Notable links:Learn more about Adam's current work at The ExCo Group.Buy Adam's book "The CEO Test" on Amazon**sponsored link that helps to support this podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It seems like every day there’s a new article tackling the issue of work from home (WFH), either focusing on leaders and their organizations who are embracing this new approach to work, or those who insist the only way forward is for all employees to return back to the office. But as these debates continue over WFH, it seems like many have forgotten the real purpose of leadership, which is why I decided to address it in this edition of my Leadership Espresso Shot series on my “Leadership Biz Cafe” podcast.Part of what served as inspiration for this episode has been numerous conversations I’ve had over the past several months with VPs and other senior leaders in various industries as part of a series of leadership roundtable discussions I moderated. Over the course of these discussions, we examined a wide range of issues – from the impact of AI and other emergent technologies on how employees will work and collaborate, to the issue of hybrid work environments.I won’t give away what I share in this episode, but I can tell you that by the end of this episode, it’s my goal that you’ll not only be reminded about what’s the real purpose of leadership, but you’ll have a new sense of motivation and enthusiasm for how to approach your role in these challenging and uncertain times.https://open.spotify.com/episode/3V8o1zelYv9D6fGBiovNLhIf you enjoy this or previous episodes of my leadership podcast, I'd like to ask you if you could subscribe, rate, and review my podcast on your preferred platform to help support my show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When it comes to conversations around curiosity in today’s workplace, the focus tends to be on how it helps to drive innovation. But as my guest Dr. Shannon Minifie points out in this episode of my leadership podcast, when leaders unleash the full power of curiosity in their organization, they can also empower learning and development, as well as strengthening organizational resilience.Shannon is the CEO of Box of Crayons, a Canadian consultancy firm that works with organizations to help them create a curiosity-led organizational culture. Recently, she published the white paper “From Trouble Maker to Change Maker - How To Harness Curiosity To Build Resilience and Innovation”, which provides a framework for how leaders can unleash curiosity in their organization.Over the course of this episode, Shannon and I discuss:Why we need to rethink our understanding of curiosity if we are to successfully tap into it to drive innovation and growth.How embracing a curious mindset can encourage a sustainable learning environment in your workplace.Using curiosity to become more introspective to help us become more empathetic so that our employees feel heard and understood.How to use curiosity to become more resilient and adaptive to unforeseen changes.If you enjoyed this or other episodes of my podcast, I’d like to ask you to rate and review my show on your preferred podcast platform.https://open.spotify.com/episode/4gp6WmFgSU2EYbKjoRysh0Noteworthy links:Download a copy of Shannon’s white paper - “From Trouble Maker to Change Maker - How To Harness Curiosity To Build Resilience and Innovation”.Listen to - How To Make Learning More Effective | Leadership Espresso Shot #6. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the interesting, but not surprising findings to come out of this current global pandemic is how much people have appreciated being able to have breaks in their work day to just take a break, unwind, and maybe spend some time with their family. In fact, a big reason why we’re seeing an unrelenting demand from employees everywhere to have a hybrid work environment is because we’ve all seen how creating flexibility in the way we work benefits us - both professionally and personally.In this episode of my Leadership Espresso Shot series, I share 4 key benefits leaders gain by creating space in their workday not just for their mental well-being, but also to help improve the way they lead.Now it’s understandable that so many organizations are struggling with how to create a hybrid work environment in their workplace, in large part because it reflects that internal struggle we’ve all been dealing with for years. Where on the one hand, we feel this need to keep pushing forward, to just get things done, and on the other, this need to just stop a take a moment so we can take stock of things and what we really should be working on, if not simply to catch our breath.It’s my hope that in listening to this episode you’ll appreciate why creating space within your workday is key to ensuring you’re not just moving forward, but moving forward with a true sense of direction and purpose.https://open.spotify.com/episode/7cXO4aDnrdDUWZEfJJfFNV Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.