Coaching for Leaders

Latest Episodes:

471: How to Say No Without Saying No, with Lois Frankel May 25, 2020

Show notes

Lois Frankel: Nice Girls Don’t Speak Up or Stand Out Lois Frankel is the President of Corporate Coaching International, and is a bestselling author, executive coach, and an internationally-recognized expert in the field of leadership development for women. She has appeared on Larry King Live, The Tavis Smiley Show, The Today Show, and many other places to discuss her New York Times bestselling books, Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office*, Nice Girls Don’t Get Rich*, and Nice Girls Just Don’t Get It*. She has served diverse clients such as The Walt Disney Company, Amgen, The World Bank, McKinsey & Company, Inc., Northrop Grumman, and many others. Her newest audiobook just released is titled Nice Girls Don’t Speak Up or Stand Out: How to Make Your Voice Heard, Your Point Known, and Your Presence Felt*. In this conversation, Lois and I discuss why saying no is so important, key tactics in doing it with professionalism and grace, and some useful language we can leverage. We also explore why we end up saying yes to work that others don’t really care that much about and how we can be our own worst enemy on saying yes. Key Points In response to an invitation: As much as I would love to attend, my calendar is already over-scheduled for that week. In response to a statement that may have some truth to it but that won’t change your position: Be that as it may, it doesn’t change the fact that I’m not able to provide you with a loan at this time. In response to someone asking you to do something that actually benefits them more than you: Thank you for thinking of me. Unfortunately, I am not able to take advantage of your kind offer. In response to someone you care about and to whom who you genuinely wish you could say yes: If I could I would. I really value our relationships and wish the situation was different. In response to someone asking for yet another favor: Although I’ve been able to help you out in the past, this time I just don’t have the bandwidth. In response to a somewhat unreasonable request: I’m sure you understand that I receive many similar requests and that I’m just not able to be of help at this time. In response to someone who uses flattery to get you to accept their request: I’m flattered and at the same time I’m not able to accept your gracious offer. When you are genuinely sorry that you must decline: I’m so sorry that this isn’t going to work out. I hope it might in the future. Resources Mentioned Nice Girls Don't Speak Up or Stand Out: How to Make Your Voice Heard, Your Point Known, and Your Presence Felt* by Lois Frankel Related Episodes Unconscious Mistakes Women Make, with Lois Frankel (episode 386) Why Men Are Heard and Women Are Liked, with Lois Frankel and Tom Henschel (episode 392) How to Negotiate When Others Have Power, with Kwame Christian (episode 416) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

470: How to Build an Invincible Company, with Alex Osterwalder May 18, 2020

Show notes

Alex Osterwalder: The Invincible Company Alex is obsessed with making strategy, innovation, and entrepreneurship simple, practical, and applicable. He invented the Business Model Canvas, co-founded Strategyzer.com, and lead authored Business Model Generation which sold a million copies in 30 languages. He’s one of the top-ranked management thinkers in the world by Thinkers50. He is the author of the book, The Invincible Company: How to Constantly Reinvent Your Organization with Inspiration From the World's Best Business Models*. In this conversation, Alex and I explore the distinction between exploration and exploitation that invincible organizations must hold in tandem. Alex teaches us the five most common myths of the innovation journey and what leaders can do to compete and stay relevant in a changing world. Key Points Myths of the innovation journey: Myth 1: The most important part of the innovation and entrepreneurship journey is to find and execute the perfect idea. Myth 2: The evidence will show you a clear path forward why you systematically test ideas. The solution will magically emerge if you just test and adapt your idea often enough. Myth 3: A small number of big bets will lead to a large return. Myth 4: The skills required to explore a new business and to manage an existing one are pretty similar. Business is business. Myth 5: Innovation teams are renegades or pirates that are out to disrupt the old business. They need to operate in stealth mode to survive inside a company. Invincible Companies constantly reinvent who they are and where and how they compete in order to stay relevant and ahead. Resources Mentioned The Invincible Company: How to Constantly Reinvent Your Organization with Inspiration From the World's Best Business Models* by Alex Osterwalder Innovation Project Scorecard: Evidence Trumps Opinion Related Episodes How to Transform Your Limitations Into Advantages, with Mark Barden (episode 207) The Way to Nurture New Ideas, with Safi Bahcall (episode 418) How to Start Seeing Around Corners, with Rita McGrath (episode 430) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

469: See What Really Matters, with Greg McKeown May 11, 2020

Show notes

Greg McKeown: Essentialism Greg McKeown is the author of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less*. His book is frequently listed as #1 Time Management book on Amazon and challenges the core assumptions about achievement to get to the essence of what really drives success. His writing has appeared in or been covered by The New York Times, Fast Company, Fortune, HuffPost, and many others. He is among the most popular bloggers for the Harvard Business Review and LinkedIn’s Influencers group: averaging a million views a month. In this conversation, Greg and I discuss why success can be such a poor teacher and how to avoid what Jim Collins calls, “The undisciplined pursuit of more.” We explore how the principles of journalism can help us arrive at what’s essential and why journaling may be the place to start. Key Points Being a journalist of your own life will force you to stop hyper-focusing on all the minor details and see the bigger picture. Success is a poor teacher and may lead to the undisciplined pursuit of more. Essentialists listen for what is not being explicitly stated. They read between the lines. Nonessentialists hear what is loud. Essentialists listen for the signal in the noise. Journaling is a useful practice to begin reviewing what is coming up in your life and discovering the leads you may be missing. Make time every 90 days to review and determine what’s next. Resources Mentioned Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less* by Greg McKeown Essentialism podcast Simple Productivity: How to Accomplish More With Less with Greg McKeown Book Notes Download my highlights from Essentialism in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes Getting Things Done, with David Allen (episode 184) How to Make Deep Work Happen, with Cal Newport (episode 233) Six Tactics for Extraordinary Performance, with Morten Hansen (episode 337) Finding Joy Through Intentional Choices, with Bonni Stachowiak (episode 417) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

468: When to Show Emotion, with Bonni Stachowiak May 04, 2020

Show notes

Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed Bonni Stachowiak is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, a professor of business and management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, Bonni was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. She is the author of The Productive Online and Offline Professor: A Practical Guide. Listener Questions Matt wondered when it’s appropriate to show emotion during a difficult time. Selah asked our advice about communication strategies through COVID-19. Amber wanted to know what she could do to support a manager who is causing stress for others during the pandemic. Resources Mentioned Netflix Special: The Call to Courage with Brené Brown Hope for the Flowers* by Trina Paulus Related Episodes Start With Why, with Simon Sinek (episode 223) What to Do With Your Feelings, with Lori Gottlieb (episode 438) How to Balance Care and Accountability When Leading Virtually, with Jonathan Raymond (episode 464) How to Lead a Virtual Team, with Susan Gerke (episode 465) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

467: The Fiscal Realities of Crisis, with Andrew Carroll May 02, 2020

Show notes

Andrew Carroll: CFOAndrew Andrew is a CPA and consultant at CFOAndrew who advises leaders and businesses on financial questions and change. He supports organizations in navigating taxes, investments, insurance, business strategy, operations, mergers and acquisitions, and accounting. Key Points Know the difference between deferred demand and lost demand and consider that in your strategy going forward. Leverage is meant to protect a business, not save it. Hedging is the most important thing you can do with your money. Business owners and leaders should consider unemployment programs and, in The United States, Emergency Sick Pay, Economic Injury Disaster Loan Emergency Advance, and the Paycheck Protection Program. Use the formula P=40 to 70, in which P stands for the probability of success and the numbers indicate the percentage of information acquired. Once the information is in the 40 to 70 range, go with your gut. -Colin Powell Resources Mentioned CFOAndrew Related Episodes Improve Your Financial Intelligence, with Joe Knight (episode 244) How to Approach Corporate Budgeting, with Jody Wodrich (episode 355) Four Rules to Get Control of Your Money, with Jesse Mecham (episode 356) Dumb Things Smart People Do With Money, with Jill Schlesinger (episode 396) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

466: What High Performers Aren’t Telling You, with Scott Anthony Barlow Apr 27, 2020

Show notes

Scott Anthony Barlow: Happen to Your Career Scott Anthony Barlow is the founder of Happen to Your Career. He’s been featured on CNBC, Yahoo, CareerBuilder, Fast Company, and Huffington Post and various colleges and universities as a top expert on career happiness. He's held executive roles in human resources, business development, and career coaching. Scott is the host of the Happen to Your Career podcast, featuring the career stories of many successful professionals. He and his team have worked with over 25,000 people to help them stop settling, find their signature strengths, and start doing meaningful work they are enamored with. Key Points High performers leave organizations because: Work is no longer meaningful. They’ve accomplished their goals and now they’re looking for much more meaningful work, projects and challenges. Flexibility and autonomy are missing. The “when” and “how” people work is becoming incredibly important. They have outgrown the role. They perceive that just because they’ve outgrown the role that there is no where else to go in the organization. What leaders can do: Help candidates find what’s meaningful for them. Create opportunities to work when and how they want. Help people create their own role. Resources Mentioned Finding the Career That Fits You (Scott’s FREE 8-Day Video Course) The Ultimate Guide to Using Your Strengths to Get Hired Related Episodes How to Figure Out Your Career, with Scott Anthony Barlow (episode 259) Three Steps to Great Career Conversations, with Russ Laraway (episode 370) Effective Delegation of Authority, with Hassan Osman (episode 413) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

465: How to Lead a Remote Team, with Susan Gerke Apr 20, 2020

Show notes

Susan Gerke: GO Team Susan Gerke has been the president of Gerke Consulting & Development. She has worked with global teams and has certified facilitators around the world to deliver management, leadership, and team offerings. Susan is co-creator of GO Team, a training suite for organizations to power team performance. Key Points Out of sight sometimes means out of mind. Perception of communication will be less than you think. Interactions over the phone/video feel more formal than they do in person, at least at the start. You don’t find out about things virtually as quickly as you do face to face. Figure out how to make space for different kinds of styles and personalities. A virtual environment tends to amplify these differences. Remember to have expectation setting conversations with family members. Some people will call you every day and some people won’t ever reach out proactively. That’s normal — find a pattern that works for each relationship. Resources Mentioned GO Team Survey results: community input on leading/working virtually Related Episodes The Four Unique Types of Teams, with Susan Gerke (episode 138) How to Create Team Guidelines, with Susan Gerke (episode 192) How to Balance Care and Accountability When Leading Virtually, 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.

464: How to Balance Care and Accountability When Leading Remotely, with Jonathan Raymond Apr 13, 2020

Show notes

Jonathan Raymond: Good Authority Jonathan Raymond is the founder of Refound, where he and his team work with organizations to create a company culture based in personal growth. He’s the author of the book Good Authority: How to Become the Leader Your Team Is Waiting For*. Jonathan’s team recently released The Good Accountability course* to help leaders have great feedback conversations with their teams. If you are working to get better at accountability, it’s the most useful framework I know of to balance care for people and accountability for results. In this conversation, Jonathan and I discuss the Accountability Dial, how it’s most useful when leading virtually, and the importance of taking the first step. Key Points You don’t get to look good and grow at the same time. Assume positive intent, regardless of where you are on the accountability dial. The Accountability Dial: The Mention: In real-time (if possible), pull them aside to offer an observation about an undesired behavior. The Invitation: Provide 2-3 examples of how that behavior is a pattern or theme they can work on. The Conversation: Use your weekly one-on-ones to dive into how the pattern is holding them back. The Boundary: Collaborate together to decide next steps and set a timeline for making a change. The Limit: Before giving up, have one more heart-to-heart to give them a final chance for meaningful change. Resources Mentioned The Good Accountability course* Good Authority: How to Become the Leader Your Team Is Waiting For* by Jonathan Raymond Refound (Jonathan’s firm) Book Notes Download my highlights from Good Authority in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes Five Steps to Hold People Accountable, with Jonathan Raymond (episode 306) Effective Delegation of Authority, with Hassan Osman (episode 413) How to Start Managing Up, with Tom Henschel (episode 433) The Way to Be More Self-Aware, with Tasha Eurich (episode 442) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

463: Leadership Through Massive Change, with Elizabeth Lilla Apr 11, 2020

Show notes

Elizabeth Lilla: Metro Stars Gymnastics Elizabeth Lilla is the owner of Metro Stars Gymnastics. With her husband Erik, she has owned and operated gymnastics facilities for 13 years. She was named the Nebraska Occupational Therapy Association's Practitioner of the Year for developing the Special Stars Program at her facilities. Liz has previously served as the USA Gymnastics Nebraska State Chair, and loves sharing the sport of gymnastics with boys and girls of all ages. She is also a member of the Coaching for Leaders Academy. In this conversation, Liz shares the struggle of owning a small business that had to close its physical doors due to COVID-19. She tells the story of her business, the struggle in leading change in recent weeks, and their early success in pivoting to Metro Stars Online. Key Points Metro Stars Gymnastics has a long success story of serving kids and families for 13 years, until COVID-19 shut their doors. Liz and Erik made the difficult decision to retain their full-time staff and pay salaries, despite having almost no revenue incoming. Working to innovate quickly, Liz and their leadership team tested a new, online instruction format to help kids and families stay engaged during this difficult time. Metro Stars Online has already connected with hundreds of customers and, more importantly, allowed kids to stay connected to the important work of physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Resources Mentioned Metro Stars Online Related Episodes How to Be a Non-Conformist, with Adam Grant (episode 238) How to Start Seeing Around Corners, with Rita McGrath (episode 430) How to be Diplomatic, with Susan Rice (episode 456) The Power of Why Over How, with Gina Bianchini (episode 460) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

462: How to Interview Better, with Bonni Stachowiak Apr 06, 2020

Show notes

Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed Bonni Stachowiak is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, a professor of business and management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, Bonni was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. She is the author of The Productive Online and Offline Professor: A Practical Guide*. Listener Questions Toni asked about the best way to deal with people who don’t want to grow. Russ wanted our opinion on the best way to interview potential new hires. Sami wondering about the best way to utilize personality assessments. Laura asked our opinion on taking a step back in compensation for a job position she really wants. Resources Mentioned StrengthsFinder training for individuals and teams* (use code CFL10 for a 10% tuition discount) How the Best Bosses Interrupt Bias on Their Teams by Joan Williams and Sky Mihaylo Related Episodes How to Get the Ideal Team Player, with Patrick Lencioni (episode 301) How to Challenge Directly and Care Personally, with Kim Scott (episode 302) Get Smart About Assessments, with Ken Nowack (episode 371) How to Motivate Leaders, with John Maxwell (episode 452) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

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