Coaching for Leaders

Latest Episodes:

571: Engaging People Through Change, with Cassandra Worthy Mar 14, 2022

Show notes

Cassandra Worthy: Change Enthusiasm Cassandra Worthy enables organizations and individuals to grow through major change and significant shift by harnessing the power of emotion. Whether undergoing a merger, acquisition, start-up, explosive growth, or significant contraction, the strategies and tools of Change Enthusiasm are motivating and energizing workforces worldwide. Her consulting firm was birthed from the pain and challenges she overcame as a corporate executive. Cassandra’s client base spans the Fortune 500, including Procter & Gamble, Allstate, Jones Lang LaSalle, Centene Corporation, ConferenceDirect, and WeWork. She's a chemical engineer by training and also brings over a decade of M&A experience distilled down into the critical leadership traits required to lead with exception during times of change and trans-formation. She's the author of Change Enthusiasm: How to Harness the Power of Emotion for Leadership and Success*. In this conversation Cassandra and I explore the critical importance of emotion in the change process. We detail some of the key places where leaders often miss opportunities to prioritize employee well-being. Then, Cassandra shares some practical steps leaders can take that will help employees better recognize signal emotions so they can eventually find opportunity and choice during the change process. Key Points Many leaders tend to diminish or ignore negative emotions during change. Actively doing that may prevent employees in getting to a place where they see opportunity — and eventually choice. Beware focusing too much attention on vision, roles, and responsibilities — and not enough on employee well-being and fulfillment. The change process is like driving in a car. The structure of the process is the vehicle itself and the people are their fuel. Have discussion about handling change a regular item in 1:1 agendas and team meetings. Leaders can enter into the opportunity that change provides by sharing their own emotions. One way to do this is to be explicit in conversation about what is genuinely inspiring you about the change. Resources Mentioned Change Enthusiasm: How to Harness the Power of Emotion for Leadership and Success* by Cassandra Worthy Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes How to Build Psychological Safety, with Amy Edmondson (episode 404) The Way Innovators Get Traction, with Tendayi Viki (episode 512) Overcome Resistance to New Ideas, with David Schonthal (episode 557) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

570: Effective Hybrid Team Management, with Hassan Osman Mar 07, 2022

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Hassan Osman: Hybrid Work Management Hassan Osman is a director at Cisco Systems (his views are his own) where he leads a team of project and program managers on delivering complex projects across the world. He’s also served as a management consultant at EY, where he led projects and programs for the largest enterprises. Hassan the author of several Amazon bestselling books about team management, including his most recent book, Hybrid Work Management: How to Manage a Hybrid Team in the New Workplace*. In this conversation, Hassan and I examine the new reality and popularity of the hybrid workforce. Many leaders are now managing teams that are both co-located and remote, with individual team members regularly migrating between the two. We explore useful practices that will help you support effective teamwork and progress, regardless of physical location. Key Points Recent statistics from many sources are indicating that a majority of employees desire (and are beginning to expect) some kind of hybrid work arrangement. Lead with a remote first culture so that there isn’t a two-tier class of employees in your organization. Conduct all meetings online, regardless of the location of attendees. Use technology to provide a seamless experience whether somebody is co-located or remote. Batch meetings together and, if possible, align work days to allow from in person interactions, when ideal. Be cognizant of offline decisions. Involve remote employees in conversation that start offline and inform them about updates and decisions that might have occurred outside virtual interactions. Resources Mentioned Hybrid Work Management: How to Manage a Hybrid Team in the New Workplace* by Hassan Osman Hybrid Work Management: How to Manage a Hybrid Team (Udemy course) The Couch Manager (Hassan's site) Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes Effective Delegation of Authority, with Hassan Osman (episode 413) Transitioning to Remote Leadership, with Tammy Bjelland (episode 509) How to Engage Remote Teams, with Tsedal Neeley (episode 537) Hyflex Learning (Teaching in Higher Ed podcast) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

569: The Way to Make Struggles More Productive, with Sarah Stein Greenberg Feb 28, 2022

Show notes

Sarah Stein Greenberg: Creative Acts for Curious People Sarah Stein Greenberg is the Executive Director of the Stanford d.school. She leads a community of designers, faculty, and other innovative thinkers who help people unlock their creative abilities and apply them to the world. She speaks regularly at universities and global conferences on design, business, and education. Sarah holds an MBA from Stanford's Graduate School of Business and also serves as a trustee for global conservation organization Rare. She is the author of the book Creative Acts for Curious People: How to Think, Create, and Lead in Unconventional Ways*. In this conversation, Sarah and I discuss the reality that all of us face with real learning: uncomfortable struggle. We detail some of the typical pattens that occur with struggle and how we can almost predict it at certain points. Plus, we discussed what Sarah and her colleagues have discovered about we can do to make the most of the struggles we regularly face. Key Points Part of the process of creativity almost always feels terrible. The “trough of despair” is hard, but also essential. Struggle helps us learn better. There’s a sweet spot between what you already know well and what seems impossible. That middle zone is productive struggle. It’s helpful to set expectations in advance when innovating or creating that discomfort is an indicator that you’re moving forward. When people are in the midst of struggle, shifting the focus from thinking and talking to actually doing can often illuminate the best, next step. Productive struggle often comes at predictable moments. When it does, scaffolding and models can help move us along to get to where we need to go. Resources Mentioned Creative Acts for Curious People: How to Think, Create, and Lead in Unconventional Ways* by Sarah Stein Greenberg Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes Growth Mindset Helps You Rise From the Ashes, with Jeff Hittenberger (episode 326) Help People Learn Through Powerful Teaching, with Pooja Agarwal (episode 421) The Value of Being Uncomfortable, with Neil Pasricha (episode 448) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

568: How to Attract Attention, with Michael F. Schein Feb 21, 2022

Show notes

Michael F. Schein: The Hype Handbook Michael F. Schein is the founder and president of MicroFame Media, a marketing agency that specializes in making ideabased companies famous in their industries. His writing has appeared in Fortune, Forbes, Inc., Psychology Today, and Huffington Post, and he is a speaker for international audiences spanning from the US to China. He is also the creator of the popular Hype Book Club, which provides regular recommendations of books about hype artists and hype strategies. Michael is the author of The Hype Handbook: 12 Indispensable Success Secrets From the World's Greatest Propagandists, Self-Promoters, Cult Leaders, Mischief Makers, and Boundary Breakers*. In this conversation, Michael and I explore his research on hype and how we can benefit from lessons throughout the history of human influence. We examine what we can learn from both positive and negative examples to discover how to brand ourselves better. Michael then invites us to frame the messaging about our own work to align with these human tendencies though a lens of genuine care and authenticity. Key Points We've evolved through history to seek guidance from those who appear miraculous. Surprise and worthiness are two indicators of what people perceive as miraculous vs. simply chance. The elements of your narrative are faders on a mixing board. Raise and lower different elements of the story to get the right mix. Make a list of strengths and weaknesses and don’t mention your weaknesses for a week. Reframe how some of your weakness might be strengths. Develop your story using the elements of theatre. Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes The Four Critical Stories Leaders Need For Influence, with David Hutchens (episode 148) Get Noticed Without Selling Out, with Laura Huang (episode 480) How to Actually Get Traction From Leadership Books, with Nicol Verheem (episode 549) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

567: How to Lead and Retain High Performers, with Ruth Gotian Feb 14, 2022

Show notes

Ruth Gotian: The Success Factor Ruth Gotian has been hailed by the journal Nature and Columbia University as an expert in mentorship and leadership development. In 2021, she was selected as one of 30 people worldwide to be named to the Thinkers50 Radar List, where she was described as a “Prolific mentor and educator, leading important research into the secrets of success.” She is a semi-finalist for the Forbes 50 Over 50 list and has coached and mentored hundreds of people throughout her career. In addition to being published in academic journals, Ruth is a contributor to Forbes and Psychology Today, where she writes about optimizing success. She is the Chief Learning Officer in Anesthesiology and former Assistant Dean of Mentoring and Executive Director of the Mentoring Academy at Weill Cornell Medicine, where she is a faculty member. Ruth is the author of The Success Factor: Developing the Mindset and Skillset for Peak Business Performance*. In this conversation, Ruth and I discuss how leaders can genuinely connect with (and retain) their top performers. We explore the difference these employees make in organizations and what’s unique about how they approach work and their careers. Ruth then suggests a number of practical steps to engage high performers genuinely to develop them well and benefit the entire organization. Key Points High achievers can produce up to 400 percent more than the average employee. Promotions, diplomas, and awards may be starting points for high performers, but they are not ending points. Leading high performers well requires you to align with their intrinsic motivation. Offer high performers opportunities for exposure with visibility to senior leadership, strengths assignments, and decision-making. Provide autonomy to high performers. For them, the chase is as exciting as the win. They fear not trying more than failing. Recognize that internal professional development programs may not be sufficient for the demands of high performers. Support external opportunities they identify and connect with them during and after those experiences to further their learning (and yours). Bonus Audio How to maximize the benefit of sending high achievers to conferences Resources Mentioned The Success Factor: Developing the Mindset and Skillset for Peak Business Performance* by Ruth Gotian Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes Six Ways Teaching Adults is Different than Teaching Kids (episode 3) What High Performers Aren’t Telling You, with Scott Anthony Barlow (episode 466) How to Multiply Your Impact, with Liz Wiseman (episode 554) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

566: Ways to Pay Attention Better, with Amishi Jha Feb 07, 2022

Show notes

Amishi Jha: Peak Mind Amishi Jha is Director of Contemplative Neuroscience and Professor of Psychology at the University of Miami. With grants from the Department of Defense and several private foundations, she leads research on the neural bases of attention and the effects of mindfulness-based training programs on cognition, emotion, resilience, and performance in education, corporate, elite sports, first-responder, and military contexts. She launched the first-ever study to offer mindfulness training to active duty military service members as they prepared for deployment. Her work has been featured in many outlets including TED, NPR, and Mindful Magazine. In addition, she has been invited to present her work to NATO, the UK Parliament, the Pentagon, and at the World Economic Forum. She is the author of Peak Mind: Find Your Focus, Own Your Attention, Invest 12 Minutes a Day*. In this conversation, Amishi and I explore the importance of our attention and why harnessing it is essential for leaders. We dive into the neuroscience and how our brain is similar to a computer in how much we can hold at one time. Plus, Amishi provides us several practical starting points if we wish to do a better job of placing our attention in the most useful places. Key Points Attention is powerful, fragile, and trainable. Our working memory is like the RAM inside a computer — there’s only so much we can hold at a time. You experience what’s in your working memory, even if that doesn’t correlate to what’s right in front of you. If your working memory is full, it blocks the ability to encode or whatever you are trying to learn. A key tactic is to be aware of what’s in your working memory — and what you choose not to rewrite. Mindfulness practice can provide the white space for the space in our working memory that we need. Resources Mentioned Peak Mind: Find Your Focus, Own Your Attention, Invest 12 Minutes a Day* by Amishi Jha Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes How to Know What You Don’t Know, with Art Markman (episode 437) How to Be Present, with Dave Crenshaw (episode 511) Help Your Brain Learn, with Lisa Feldman Barrett (episode 513) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

565: How to Discover What People Want, with Tiziana Casciaro Jan 31, 2022

Show notes

Tiziana Casciaro: Power, for All Tiziana Casciaro is a professor of organizational behavior at the Rotman School of Management of the University of Toronto. Her research on interpersonal and organizational networks and power dynamics has received distinguished scientific achievement awards from the Academy of Management and has been covered in the New York Times, Washington Post, Financial Times, and many other outlets. Tiziana advises organizations and professionals across industries and has been recognized by Thinkers50 as a management thinker most likely to shape the future of how organizations are managed and led. She is the author with Julie Battilana of Power, for All: How It Really Works and Why It's Everyone's Business*. In this conversation, Tiziana and I explore the reality that many leaders face: the desire to discover what people want — but the challenge of actually determining this. Even when intentions are good, employees may not have the self-awareness to articulate what they what. We detail what the research shows us about what most people care about — and the practical steps we can all take in our organizations to surface this through familiarity and similarity. Key Points To be powerful in a relationship, it means having control over resources the other person values. Even if asked, people don’t always tell you what they need — either because they don’t trust you or because they aren’t self-aware. Much of the research literature concludes that almost all people have two basic needs: safety and self-esteem. To discover what people want, you need to earn trust. Competence and warmth two ways this happens. When forced to choose between the two, most people prefer warmth. To build warmth (and trust) use two key sources of interpersonal liking: familiarity and similarity. The six resources that address our basic needs of safety and self-esteem: Material resources Morality Achievement Status Autonomy Affiliation Resources Mentioned Power, for All: How It Really Works and Why It's Everyone's Business* by Julie Battilana and Tiziana Casciaro Power, for All website Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes Three Steps to Great Career Conversations, with Russ Laraway (episode 370) How to Use Power Responsibly, with Vanessa Bohns (episode 551) How to Reduce Burnout, with Jennifer Moss (episode 561) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

564: Make Your Reading More Meaningful, with Sönke Ahrens Jan 24, 2022

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Sönke Ahrens: How to Take Smart Notes Sönke Ahrens is the creator of Take Smart Notes, a project dedicated to helping students, academics and nonfiction writers get more done - ideally with more fun and less effort. He has spent years researching and experimenting with different note-taking systems and his settled on a methodology called Zettlekasten. Sönke is a writer, coach, and academic -- and also the author of the bestselling book, How to Take Smart Notes: One Simple Technique to Boost Writing, Learning and Thinking - for Students, Academics and Nonfiction Book Writers*. In this conversation, Sönke and I discuss how to move past the practice of simply reading and highlighting by beginning to seek meaning. We explore how you might create a system for doing this and how external scaffolding can help. Plus, we explain what notes might look like and how you can use them for an ongoing conversation with yourself — and perhaps others. Key Points Move past details and look for meaning. As we become familiar with something, we may start believing we understand it. Real thinking requires external scaffolding. It's not so much about saving information, but in making connections between the information. Your notes need not be long or numerous, but should spark (and continue) future conversations with yourself. Resources Mentioned How to Take Smart Notes: One Simple Technique to Boost Writing, Learning and Thinking - for Students, Academics and Nonfiction Book Writers* by Sönke Ahrens Take Smart Notes Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes How To Create a Personal Knowledge Management System, with Bonni Stachowiak (episode 129) Help People Learn Through Powerful Teaching, with Pooja Agarwal (episode 421) How to Use Cognitive Psychology to Enhance Learning (Teaching in Higher Ed) How to Enhance Your Credibility (audio course) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

563: When You Need to Fire Someone, with Alisa Cohn Jan 17, 2022

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Alisa Cohn: From Start-Up to Grown-Up Alisa Cohn has been named the Top Startup Coach in the World by the Thinkers50 Marshall Goldsmith Global Coaches Awards and has been coaching startup founders to grow into world-class CEOs for nearly 20 years. She was named the number one “Global Guru” of startups in 2021, and has worked with startup companies such as Venmo, Etsy, DraftKings, The Wirecutter, Mack Weldon, and Tory Burch. She has also coached CEOs and C-Suite executives at enterprise clients such as Dell, Hitachi, Sony, IBM, Google, and many more. Marshall Goldsmith selected Alisa as one of his Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coaches – a gathering of the top coaches in the world – and Inc. named Alisa one of the top 100 leadership speakers. Her articles have appeared in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and Inc. and she has been featured as an expert on Bloomberg TV, the BBC World News and in The New York Times. She is the author of From Start-Up to Grown-Up: Grow Your Leadership to Grow Your Business*. In this conversation, Alisa and I discuss the difficult reality that most leaders need to face: saying goodbye to an employee. We detail the mindset you need in preparation for letting someone go. Alisa also helps us with specific language that will help you follow-though on a conversation and help everybody move on — and move forward. Key Points Our human tendency is often to side-step problems that we need to address. By the time you take action to fire somebody, you are likely months late. Just because someone was effective in the role previously (or in the last role) doesn’t mean their role is right for them today. It’s helpful to be prescriptive in conversations leading up to firing on exactly your expectations — and the actions the other party has agreed to. There’s no way to fire someone without it being awkward and painful. You’ll need to make peace with that before you take action. Resources Mentioned From Start-Up to Grown-Up: Grow Your Leadership to Grow Your Business* by Alisa Cohn Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes How to Challenge Directly and Care Personally, with Kim Scott (episode 302) How to Build Psychological Safety, with Amy Edmondson (episode 404) How to Balance Care and Accountability When Leading Remotely, with Jonathan Raymond (episode 464) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

562: How to Make Progress When Starting Something New, with Michael Bungay Stanier Jan 10, 2022

Show notes

Michael Bungay Stanier: How to Begin Michael Bungay Stanier distills big, complex ideas into practical, accessible knowledge for everyday people so they can be a force for change. His books have sold over a million copies, and The Coaching Habit was a Wall Street Journal bestseller. His TEDx Talk on Taming Your Advice Monster has been viewed more than a million times. Michael is the founder of Box of Crayons, a learning and development company that helps organizations transform from advice-driven to curiosity-led action. His new book is titled How to Begin: Start Doing Something That Matters*. In this conversation, Michael and I discuss how to make progress when starting something new. We explore the value in looking back at what you’ve already done to support you on what’s next. Plus, Michael highlights the key principles in running effective experiments that transition into new practices. Key Points Fire bullets at the start. Then, fire cannonballs. Discover what your history reveals about your future self. It will open up a window to who you are that will help you when moving on something new. When experimenting, don’t make the experiment bigger or more complex than it needs to be. Avoid putting too much risk in the experiment or investing too much in its success. We have the most learning when we’re struggling with something. Resources Mentioned How to Begin by Michael Bungay Stanier How to Begin overview Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes The Way to Stop Rescuing People From Their Problems, with Michael Bungay Stanier (episode 284) How to Become the Person You Want to Be, with James Clear (episode 376) How to Nail a Job Transition, with Sukhinder Singh Cassidy (episode 555) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

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