Coaching for Leaders

Latest Episodes:

651: Getting Better at Reading the Room, with Kirstin Ferguson Oct 23, 2023

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Kirstin Ferguson: Head & Heart Kirstin Ferguson is a company director, columnist, keynote speaker, and executive coach. Beginning her career as an officer in the Royal Australian Air Force, Kirstin has held roles that have included chief executive officer of an international consulting firm, and acting chair and deputy chair of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. She has sat on boards of both publicly-listed and privately-listed companies for more than a decade. Kirstin has a PhD in leadership and in 2021 was named one of Thinkers50’s top thinkers to watch. In 2023, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for her significant service to business and gender equality. She writes a weekly column on leadership and work in the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, and is also a contributor to the Australian Financial Review and to Forbes. She is the author of Head & Heart: The Art of Modern Leadership*. It’s often apparent when someone else doesn’t a read a room, but much harder to see it in ourselves. In this conversation, Kirstin and I discuss how we can do a better job of either literally or figuratively reading the room. Plus, we explore several of the actions leaders can take to do a better job at being more proactive at moving beyond their own perspective. Key Points Memory is different than perception. A study by Adrian de Groot shows that chess grandmasters reply more on the former for reading things quickly. Perception is an ongoing process vs. something any of us arrive at. A study of medical residents shows four ways we tend to approach situations: stalled, fixated, adaptive, or vagabonds. Vagabonds in particular look at a wide range of possibilities, but don’t fully explore or rule out paths forward. Zoom out to seek broad input. That’s especially important when the stakes are high. Also important is to get perspective outside of your industry. Reading books from different disciplines is one starting point. Leaders needs to also recognize that people in the room are reading you as well. There’s an element of partnership that shapes how the room moves forward. Resources Mentioned Head & Heart: The Art of Modern Leadership by Kirstin Ferguson Head & Heart Leader Scale by Kirstin Ferguson Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes How to Start Seeing Around Corners, with Rita McGrath (episode 430) Leadership in the Midst of Chaos, with Jim Mattis (episode 440) The Way to Get Noticed by Key Stakeholders, with Daphne E. Jones (episode 614) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

650: Where Senior Leaders Can Better Support Middle Managers, with Emily Field Oct 16, 2023

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Emily Field: Power to the Middle Emily Field is a partner at McKinsey & Company. She works with leaders to shape data-driven organizational strategies designed to achieve business objectives, establish talent management as a distinctive advantage, and secure the human resources function as a driver of business value. Emily has worked with companies across industries, leading initiatives to transform the way organizations work. She puts particular emphasis on helping to establish a talent-first approach, instilling a high-performance culture, and adopting effective people-analytics approaches. She is the co-author along with Bill Schaninger and Bryan Hancock of Power to the Middle: Why Managers Hold the Keys to the Future of Work*. As anybody who’s worked in middle management can attest, it’s one of the hardest jobs you’ll ever have. Too often we take middle management for granted, but organizations that learn how to better support middle managers can leverage their power and expertise to do a lot of good. In this conversation, Emily and I highlight the challenges of middle management, the unique value the middle managers bring to organizations, and the steps senior leaders can take to better support middle managers. Key Points Middle managers often have less power and control than the people who report to them. This results in them not feeling like they are set up for success. The “player-coach” model of managers doing individual contributor work can be useful, but it’s critical for organizations to be mindful that the work is uniquely suited for a manager to do. Rather than promoting the best middle managers out of their roles, promote from within. Reward top middle managers who decide to make their positions a destination, not just a waypoint. As technology and AI changed the nature of work, middle managers are uniquely qualified to know how to best rebundle jobs and redistribute talent. A key question for senior leadership to answer: What do we want middle managers to be doing? Resources Mentioned Power to the Middle: Why Managers Hold the Keys to the Future of Work* by Emily Field, Bill Schaninger, and Bryan Hancock Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes How to Multiply Your Impact, with Liz Wiseman (episode 554) How Top Leaders Influence Great Teamwork, with Scott Keller (episode 585) The Questions to Help Figure Out Hybrid and Remote Work, with Jim Harter (episode 646) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

649: How to Begin Leading Through Continuous Change, with David Rogers Oct 09, 2023

Show notes

David Rogers: The Digital Transformation Roadmap David Rogers is the world’s leading expert on digital transformation, a member of the faculty at Columbia Business School, and the author of five books. His previous landmark bestseller, The Digital Transformation Playbook, was the first book on digital transformation and put the topic on the map. David has helped companies around the world transform their business for the digital age, working with senior leaders at many of the largest corporations and he's been featured in The New York Times, The Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Economist. In his newest book, The Digital Transformation Roadmap*, David tackles the barriers behind the 70% of businesses that fail in their own digital efforts and offers a five-step roadmap to rebuild any organization for continuous digital change. Most of us have heard that leading change requires highlighting a problem, deciding on a clear vision, and then cascading that vision down. In this conversation, David and I discuss how those actions alone often result failed outcomes. Instead, we highlight what a shared vision really is and how we can do a better job of helping the entire organization respond better to change. Key Points Most digital transformations fail because they focus too much on technology and not enough on the actual organizational challenges. Selling a problem is negative urgency. It’s important as a component of change, but insufficient alone. Successful change leaders also embrace positive urgency. A north star helps leaders and their organizations get clear on the “why” instead of simply the “what.” Once defined, thoughtful debate on measurement brings alignment and empowerment. It’s a mistake for vision to only come from the top. Vision should exist at every level. Avoid thinking about vision as cascading down. If anything, vision should be cascade up. How conversation happens at each juncture will define how well this works — or doesn’t. Resources Mentioned The Digital Transformation Roadmap* by David Rogers The Digital Transformation Playbook* by David Rogers David Rogers on Digital newsletter Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes How to Pivot Quickly, with Steve Blank (episode 476) Engaging People Through Change, with Cassandra Worthy (episode 571) Doing Better Than Zero Sum-Thinking, with Renée Mauborgne (episode 641) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

648: What Vulnerable Leadership Sounds Like, with Jacob Morgan Oct 02, 2023

Show notes

Jacob Morgan: Leading With Vulnerability Jacob Morgan is a trained futurist and one of the world’s leading authorities on leadership, the future of work, and employee experience. He speaks in front of tens of thousands of people each year and his content is seen over a million times annually. He is the best-selling author of five books: The Future Leader, The Employee Experience Advantage, The Future of Work, and The Collaborative Organization. He speaks at over 50 conferences a year including TED Academy which is one of the largest TED events in the world. Jacob provides advisory and thought leadership services to organizations around the world. He has created tons of educational videos and articles found at Great Leadership With Jacob Morgan and host of the Great Leadership with Jacob Morgan podcast. He’s the author of the new book, Leading With Vulnerability: How to Unlock Your Greatest Superpower to Transform Yourself, Your Team, and Your Organization. Most of us have heard that we should show vulnerability, but we don’t necessary know how to do this in the workplace. In addition, many leaders mistakenly show vulnerability without connecting it back to leadership. In this episode, Jacob and I explore where leaders go wrong, discuss how to do better, and demonstrate exactly what real vulnerability sounds like. Key Points Vulnerability + Leadership = Vulnerable Leadership. While this equation may seem obvious, many leaders mistakingly lean into vulnerability without also articulating leadership. Vulnerability without leadership can land awkwardly and potentially calls to question your credibility as a leader. Go beyond just admitting a mistake; share what was learned from that mistake. In the same way, talk about personal challenges for the purpose of connecting, creating trust, and relating to others. Ask yourself this question as a starting point for ensuring you are also leading: “What’s my reason for sharing what I’m about to share?” Vulnerability for leaders is not the same as it is for everybody else. Resources Mentioned Leading With Vulnerability: How to Unlock Your Greatest Superpower to Transform Yourself, Your Team, and Your Organization by Jacob Morgan Great Leadership With Jacob Morgan Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes Use Power for Good and Not Evil, with Dacher Keltner (episode 254) How to Use Power Responsibly, with Vanessa Bohns (episode 551) The Four Storytelling Mistakes Leaders Make, with David Hutchens (episode 553) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

647: Holding People Accountable Without Authority, with Bonni Stachowiak Sep 25, 2023

Show notes

Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed Bonni is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, Dean of Teaching and Learning and Professor of Business and Management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, she was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. Bonni is the author of The Productive Online and Offline Professor: A Practical Guide*. Listener Questions Lisa asks about the best ways to hold others accountable when you don’t have positional authority. John wonders about our perspective on dealing with narcissists in the workplace. Patrick is curious how we might (or might not) mediate a conflict between two employees. Priya notices the focus on underperforms in organizations and asks how this tendency might get shifted a bit. Resources Mentioned The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People* by Stephen R. Covey The Success Factor* by Ruth Gotian The 6 Types of Working Genius* by Patrick Lencioni Related Episodes How to Handle a Boss Who’s a Jerk, with Tom Henschel (episode 164) How to Influence Many Stakeholders, with Andy Kaufman (episode 240) How to Benefit From Conflict, with Susan Gerke (episode 263) How to Lead Meetings That Get Results, with Mamie Kanfer Stewart (episode 358) How to Lead and Retain High Performers, with Ruth Gotian (episode 567) How to Help Team Members Find the Right Work, with Patrick Lencioni (episode 610) How to Start Better With Peers, with Michael Bungay Stanier (episode 635) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

646: The Questions to Help Figure Out Hybrid and Remote Work, with Jim Harter Sep 18, 2023

Show notes

Jim Harter: Culture Shock Jim Harter is Chief Scientist for the Workplace at Gallup. He has led more than 1,000 studies of workplace effectiveness, including the largest ongoing meta-analysis of human potential and business unit performance. He's the bestselling author of 12: The Elements of Great Managing, Wellbeing: The Five Essential Elements, Wellbeing at Work and the #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller It’s the Manager. Jim has also published articles in many prominent business and academic journals. He's also the author now of Gallup's book with Jim Clifton titled Culture Shock: An unstoppable force is changing how we work and live. Gallup’s solution to the biggest leadership issue of our time*. Virtually every professional team is navigating some aspect of return to office and how that works best for their organization. In this conversation, Jim and I highlight the key findings from Gallup that have emerged in the data since the pandemic started. Plus, we explore the questions that managers can ask in order help this transition work better for everyone. Key Points Managers should consider these key questions to help employees and teams move towards smart autonomy: Which parts of your job can you do best at home? Which parts of your job can you do best at the office? When have you created exceptional value for our customers? When do you feel most connected to our organization’s culture? In addition: Less than 5% of people in the United States worked from home in 2019. Today the number is six times larger and nearly seven in 10 full-time employees in the United States prefer some type of remote work arrangement. Number of days in the office is important, but matters less than other factors. Most associated with high levels of employee engagement is the practice of a work team deciding together (the option companies used the least). Splitters and blenders represent two different ways of approaching work and the populate tends to divide equally on this preference (even across generations). Knowing where people land will help engage them better in the workplace. Managers account for 70% of the variance in team engagement. A key habit for a manager is one meaningful conversation per week with each employee. Less important is the time of interaction and more important it the quality. Smaller amounts of time discussion recognition, goals, and strengths can be more impactful than more time that doesn’t do this. Resources Mentioned Culture Shock: An unstoppable force is changing how we work and live. Gallup’s solution to the biggest leadership issue of our time* by Jim Clifton and Jim Harter Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes Gallup Findings on the Changing Nature of Work, with Jim Harter (episode 409) How to Engage Remote Teams, with Tsedal Neeley (episode 537) Effective Hybrid Team Management, with Hassan Osman (episode 570) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

645: How to Rehearse Before a Presentation, with Jacqueline Farrington Sep 11, 2023

Show notes

Jacqueline Farrington: The Non-Obvious Guide to Better Presentations Jacqueline Farrington has over 20 years experience as a change maker, empowering leaders and their teams to spark transformation and innovation through communications. Known for her direct, yet supportive and science-backed approach, Jacqueline works with senior and board-level leaders as the founder and president of Farrington Partners. She blends her experience in the performing arts, vocal pedagogy, communications, psychology, and organizational and executive coaching to help her clients find unique communication solutions. Her clients include multinationals such as Amazon and Microsoft, as well as startups and nonprofits. She proudly served for many years as TEDxSeattle’s Senior Speaker Coach, where she sourced, vetted, and prepared speakers for yearly sold-out audiences. She was thrilled to see several speakers from that event move on to the global TED stage. In addition to teaching at Yale, she has lectured and taught at the London Business School, Rutgers University, and Imperial College. Jacqueline in the author of The Non-Obvious Guide to Better Presentations: How to Present Like a Pro (Virtually or in Person)*. We all know we should practice before a big presentation, but how you practice makes a big difference on whether you just feel more prepared…or actually are. In this episode, Jacqueline and I explore how to rehearse so you perform better. Key Points A presentation is a performance. Just like any performance, how you rehearse is critical for your success. Great presenters look relaxed and natural and unrehearsed because they have practiced over and over again. Internalizing your talk is like driving home. You know the route so well, you can take any turn you want and still arrive at the same house. Use a memory palace to recall point during your presentation. This also provides and easy path to adjust timing and content when changes inevitably come. Create controlled stress for yourself during rehearsals. This surfaces where to get better and also helps you respond more effectively when actual stresses come up when presenting. Review your work objectively to decide how to improve your message. It’s helpful to think about watching a recording of someone else so that you can better surface what to change. Resources Mentioned The Non-Obvious Guide to Better Presentations: How to Present Like a Pro (Virtually or in Person)* by Jacqueline Farrington Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes How to Engage With Humor, with David Nihill (episode 245) The Way to Influence Executives, with Nancy Duarte (episode 450) The Way to Make Sense to Others, with Tom Henschel (episode 518) 3 Better Ways to Start a Presentation (Dave’s Journal) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

644: Help Your Team Embrace Growth Mindset, with Eduardo Briceño Sep 03, 2023

Show notes

Eduardo Briceño: The Performance Paradox Eduardo Briceño is a global keynote speaker and facilitator who guides many of the world’s leading companies in developing cultures of learning and high performance. Earlier in his career, he was the co-founder and CEO of Mindset Works, the first company to offer growth mindset development services. Previously, he was a venture capital investor with the Sprout Group. His TED Talk, How to Get Better at the Things You Care About, and his prior TEDx Talk, The Power of Belief, have been viewed more than nine million times. He is a Pahara-Aspen Fellow, a member of the Aspen Institute’s Global Leadership Network, and an inductee in the Happiness Hall of Fame. He is the author of The Performance Paradox: Turning the Power of Mindset Into Action*. Many of us have heard the invitation in recent years to have a growth mindset — but how do you establish this for an entire team? In this episode, Eduardo and I explore his research on systemizing the learning zone to help teams perform at the highest levels. Plus, we explore tactical shifts that managers can make in order to align intention with reality. Key Points In order for teams to performance at top levels, they need to spend intentional time in both the performance zone and the learning zone. Internal competition can hold back teams from learning — and can over focusing on the present instead of the future. Systemizing the learning zone helps build a culture where this is expected and normal. Setting expectations for feedback, role plays, and study groups are a few of the many ways organizations can do this. Eliminate forced ranking systems, as they often over-perpetuate a culture of performance only vs. performance and learning together. Include learning goals in professional development, not only performance goals. This normalizes and systemizes the learning zone as a critical part of work. Resources Mentioned The Performance Paradox: Turning the Power of Mindset Into Action by Eduardo Briceño How to Get Better at the Things You Care About by Eduardo Briceño (TEDx talk) Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes Six Tactics for Extraordinary Performance, with Morten Hansen (episode 337) How to Build Psychological Safety, with Amy Edmondson (episode 404) The Way to Make Struggles More Productive, with Sarah Stein Greenberg (episode 569) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

643: How to Make a Better Impression on Camera, with Mark Bowden Aug 28, 2023

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Mark Bowden: Winning Body Language Mark Bowden is a world-renowned body language expert, keynote speaker, and bestselling author. Voted three times by Global Gurus’ as the #1 Body Language Professional in the world, Mark’s unique GesturePlane™ system of nonverbal communication helps audiences maximize the power of using their own body language to stand out, win trust, and gain credibility every time they communicate. As the founder of communication training company TRUTHPLANE®, Mark’s live and virtual keynote speeches and training prove invaluable to business leaders and teams from influential companies including Zoom, Shopify, Toyota, KPMG, American Express, the US Army and NATO; and prime ministers of G7 nations. His bestselling books on body language and human behavior are: Winning Body Language*, Winning Body Language for Sales Professionals*, Tame the Primitive Brain*, and Truth & Lies, What People are Really Thinking*. His highly acclaimed TEDx talk The Importance of Being In-Authentic continues to reach millions of people, as does his own YouTube Channel. Most professionals are on video more these days than they ever thought they would be. As a result, making the best first impression on camera is more essential to our work than ever before. In this conversation, Mark and I explore several of the key principles that will help us start better in virtual interactions. Key Points We make judgment calls very quickly depending on how someone shows up visually. It's your duty to influence and persuade — and we all do this in some way already to change outcomes. While we’re used to viewing content on screen (television, movies, YouTube) we aren’t used to interacting and collaborating on screen. Use video in short, consistent ways. Tools like Loom can help us do on camera what we already know works well in person: regular interaction. Your smile can set the tone for an interaction and it’s important to use a visual aid to remind you of this if you’re staring at black boxes on screen. Bring your gestures into the camera frame. Gestures that match the cadence and rhythm can help connect your audience with your message. Resources Mentioned Winning Body Language* by Mark Bowden Truth and Lies*: What People Are Really Thinking by Mark Bowden and Tracey Thomson The Importance Of Being Inauthentic by Mark Bowden (TEDx talk) Best Tips for Virtual Presentations by Mark Bowden (YouTube) Mark Bowden on LinkedIn Related Episodes These Coaching Questions Get Results, with Michael Bungay Stanier (episode 237) The Way to Influence Executives, with Nancy Duarte (episode 450) The Way to Make Sense to Others, with Tom Henschel (episode 518) Moving Towards Meetings of Significance, with Seth Godin (episode 632) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

642: How Generational Learning and Working is Changing, with Mauro Guillén Aug 21, 2023

Show notes

Mauro Guillén: The Perennials Mauro Guillén is Professor of Management and Vice Dean at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. An expert on global market trends, he is a sought-after speaker and consultant. He combines his training as a sociologist at Yale and as a business economist in his native Spain to identify and quantify the most promising opportunities at the intersection of demographic, economic, and technological developments. His online classes on Coursera and edX have attracted over 100,000 participants from around the world. He has won multiple teaching awards at Wharton, where his presentation on global market trends has become a permanent feature of over fifty executive education programs annually. His book on 2030: How Today’s Biggest Trends Will Collide and Reshape the Future of Everything was an instant Wall Street Journal bestseller and he's now the author of The Perennials: The Megatrends Creating a Postgenerational Society*. Many of us grew up in a world where life was divided into three stages: school, work, and retirement. Traditional ways of thinking about credentialing and ways to transition in the workforce are also changing. In this conversation, Mauro and I explore what has changed and how we can shift our thinking and actions to stay relevant in a new world of work. Key Points The sequential model of life is no longer as relevant as it was a generation ago. Life span, health span, and technology are massively affecting how we think about generations. It’s no longer a correct assumption that entry level positions are going to be only filled people in their twenties coming out of school. Intergenerational learning is an opportunity that many institutions and organizations still miss. Embracing this will increasingly help us stay relevant. Traditional credentials will still hold value, but it will be assessed in the context people's ability in learning how to learn. Intergenerational differences are real, they do not necessarily result in different values, attitudes, and behaviors in the workplace. There is lots of heterogeneity that our stereotypes conceal. Resources Mentioned The Perennials: The Megatrends Creating a Postgenerational Society* by Mauro Guillén Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes How to Lead a 100-Year Life, with Lynda Gratton (episode 266) Essentials of Adult Development, with Mindy Danna (episode 273) How to Help People Engage in Growth, with Whitney Johnson (episode 576) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

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