What's Next! with Tiffani Bova

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova.    This week, I’m excited to re-share a conversation with retired U.S. Army colonel and Silicon Valley investor Peter Newell.   Pete is the co-founder and managing partner of BMNT, an investment company that provides early-stage investment to companies developing technology for the commercial market that has relevant applications in solving national security problems. He is a co-author of Hacking for Defense, a platform that merged the rapid problem-solving techniques curated on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan with a lean startup methodology developed by Steve Blank in Silicon Valley. Pete is a former Army Ranger who has received numerous military awards and decorations, including the Silver Star and the Presidential Unit Citation. It's an honor to have Pete on the show to discuss innovation, deploying, and forward-thinking.   THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… leaders interested in identifying and fixing problems and wanting to move their teams and companies forward with an innovation focus.   TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… this episode is all about bringing the battlefield to the boardroom and re-engineering the problem. Your role as a leader is not to sell products. Your role as a leader is to identify the problem and guide your team and your customers to an innovative solution. Lack of investment in understanding the problem is what ultimately leads us to failure.   WHAT  I  LOVE  MOST… I love the concept of innovation exhaustion and the difference between “innovators,” “makers,” and “hackers.” I love that distinction along with the thinking around deploying an idea and making sure you design what people are actually looking for–thinking about the customer. It's necessary to be innovation-focused if we want to keep pushing ourselves, our people, and our companies forward.   Running time: 34:52   Subscribe on iTunes   Find Tiffani Online: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn   Find Pete Online: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn  

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova.    I have a special treat for this show. We have not one, but actually two guests.    The first is Martin Gonzalez. He is the creator of Google’s Effective Founders Project, a global research program that decodes the factors that enable startup founders to succeed. He also works closely with Google’s engineering and research leaders on org design, leadership, and culture challenges.   Joining him is Josh Yellin, who co-founded Google's first Startup Accelerator and spearheaded its growth, reaching founders in 70 countries. Along with Martin, he co-founded Google's Effective Founders Project, and he recently spent four years as Chief of Staff at Google Brain and is presently an organizational leader at Google DeepMind.    Martin and Josh are the authors of a new book called The Bonfire Moment.    THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… founders of startups who want to avoid common pitfalls.    TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… research shows that 65% of startups will fail due to people issues - not the product development, resourcing, or any of the other challenging parts of being a founder. In this episode, Martin and Josh share how they face the people issues head-on and have trained thousands of founders through Bonfire Moment workshops.    Key takeaways:  Startups thrive when people issues are addressed alongside product and market challenges Structured reflection helps startups solve hidden problems Addressing people issues early on fosters long-term growth and stability Finding a co-founder should be a slow and deliberate decision Self-awareness is a critical character trait for founders to develop   WHAT I LOVE MOST… Josh and Martin’s recommendation to not using the “maverick mindset” on the organizational side of things. Lean into innovative ideas for your product of service but rely on best practices when approaching leadership.    Running Time: 30:34   Subscribe on iTunes   Find Tiffani Online: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn   Learn More About Martin and Josh:  The Bonfire Moment Website   Book: The Bonfire Moment  

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova.    This week I am very excited to bring back my first episode with an NFL coach, Michael Lombardi!    Michael is an American Football Executive and Media Analyst with over 30 years of experience who enjoyed front-row access to football titans Bill Walsh, Al Davis, and Bill Belichick. He was an assistant to the coaching staff of the New England Patriots and is a former Analyst for the NFL network. He previously served as an NFL executive for the San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns, Philidelphia Eagles, and Oakland Raiders.     THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… anyone who loves football and wants a masterclass in leadership and culture building.     TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… culture is key. In an organization like football, the role of the Head Coach goes beyond making calls, training players, or winning games. It’s the culture that the Head Coach develops that will ultimately determine how successful that team is. The same is true of business; it starts with your leadership and the culture set by that leadership. But, you can’t sit around and wait for it to develop, you have to be deliberate about building your team’s culture if you expect to be successful.    You have to figure out and know who you are as a person, as a team, as a business, and develop a plan to establish that culture as a leader. It starts with self-evaluation and planning. Whether you are 18 or 80, being self-aware and knowledgeable in your craft will make you a leader worth following, because you can develop a culture worth being a part of.    WHAT  I  LOVE  MOST… Michael talks about the importance of self-evaluation in culture-building and working at the things that make you struggle, not merely following the “best light.” When you are good at self-evaluating, you are better prepared to grow and change with your industry and your craft.    Running Time: 36:32   Subscribe on iTunes   Find Tiffani Online: Facebook  Twitter  LinkedIn    Find Michael Online: Twitter  Michael’s Book  Michael on The Ringer 

Jeff Wetzler, Co-CEO of Transcend, shares insights on the power of asking questions. He discusses barriers to asking questions, quality question criteria, his five-step Ask Approach, and creating a culture of question-asking in organizations. The episode emphasizes the importance of building the question-asking muscle and creating safety for question askers.

Steve Dennis, bestselling author and retail expert, discusses the importance of making bold leaps over incremental changes to navigate industry disruption. He emphasizes embracing discomfort, managing fear, and incorporating both bold moves and incremental changes in response to evolving markets. The podcast delves into technological advancements impacting retail, leadership lessons for business success, and the role of ego in limiting innovation.

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova.    I have the honor and pleasure of welcoming Ty Wiggins to the show today. He advises leading companies on leadership transitions and executive onboarding to ensure more expedient paths to effectiveness. His new book, The New CEO, is based on original research and candid conversations with world-leading CEOs. In the book, Ty offers a backstage pass to nailing your first year as a leader and sometimes CEO, whether it's your first, second, or third time in the role.   THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… leaders who want to learn from the experiences of the most successful CEOs.    TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… stepping into the role of CEO is a big step, whether it’s your first time or not. After working with many CEOs on their transitions, Ty has picked up on patterns and lessons. In this episode, he underscores the nuanced nature of CEO transitions and the need for thoughtful, strategic approaches to leadership. Key takeaways:  The significance of early actions and decision-making during the first 12 to 24 months of a CEO's tenure. The two most common regrets CEOs have about their transitions. How to strike a balance between addressing immediate challenges and investing in long-term growth. How to navigate the complexities of organizational culture and communication.   WHAT I LOVE MOST… the decisions you make at the senior leadership level end up somewhere. They aren’t just problems solved in the boardroom. Ty asks the question, “Is your decision landing well? Is it theoretical, or is it actually helping?”. Add these questions into your decision-making process to understand the full effect.    Running Time: 30:56   Subscribe on iTunes   Find Tiffani Online: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn   Find Ty Online: Website  LinkedIn    Ty’s Book:  The New CEO: Lessons from CEOs on How to Start Well and Perform Quickly (Minus the Common Mistakes)  

Experienced corporate leader Andrew Grill and host discuss digital disruption, personal branding, and workplace culture. They highlight the importance of being digital, navigating the gig economy, and the shift towards experiential selling. Andrew emphasizes the need to build personal brands while working for employers and shares his expertise on thought leadership.

Guest Marga Hoek, a visionary on sustainable business, discusses using technology for societal impact and how businesses can drive change. Focus on embracing technology for global challenges while driving business growth. Highlight statistic that 69 of top economies are businesses, not countries. Explore robot teachers in education, digital innovation, sustainable development goals, and technology for positive impact.

Jeremy Utley, Director of Executive education at Stanford's d.school, shares insights on creativity and innovation. He challenges listeners to go beyond their first idea, embrace diverse inputs for problem-solving, and cultivate an innovative culture. The podcast emphasizes the importance of thinking outside the box and exploring new possibilities to foster creativity.

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova.    This week, I’m excited to share a replay of a great conversation with Maria Konnikova.    Maria graduated from Harvard and earned her Ph.D. in psychology from Columbia. She’s written two New York Times bestsellers: The Confidence Game and Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes. While she had zero poker experience before her first trip to Las Vegas in the fall of 2016, she has now won multiple tournaments, including the PCA National Championship, and finished second at an Asian Pacific Tour, Macau event.    THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… those looking to be confident when facing change.    TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE… you might think that it’s all about luck when it comes to being successful in life, but Maria differs. The old adage that luck is opportunity and preparedness meeting sounds great in theory but is only applied to positive aspects of people’s lives.      Luck just happens. It’s not personal. It’s not about a linear career path that led you to a moment of success. In fact, successful people often come from the outside.  They have a true advantage because their mind is more flexible; they are not hemmed in by convention to behave in a certain way. They are free from preconceptions.    IF YOU’RE A BUSINESS LEADER… be willing to make good decisions right now and being willing to change later. Many leaders don’t want to change once they've already invested significant resources into a project, but change will always come.     IF YOU’RE A STUDENT (OR PARENT OF A STUDENT)… Maria encourages you to read fiction and poetry. Get curious about the world, beyond your current interests and skill-sets. Consider what you’ll learn from taking the “outsider” courses that make you more curious.     WHAT I LOVE MOST… the marriage of psychology, game theory and poker that uncovers insights to be a better leader and change agent. Being an outsider may come with challenges, but having a fresh perspective on the established set of wisdom may be the key to unlocking the unmet potential in yourself and your company.      Get uncomfortable - seriously, it makes you (and your business) better.    Running time: 42:17   Subscribe on iTunes   Find Tiffani Online: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn   Find Maria Online: Website  Twitter  Facebook