Coaching For Leaders

Elizabeth Cousens: UN Foundation Elizabeth is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the United Nations Foundation, leading the Foundation’s next generation of work to support the United Nations. She is a diplomat and thought leader who has worked on the frontlines of peace processes, played an influential role in UN policy innovations from peacebuilding to the Sustainable Development Goals, and helped build public-private partnerships to solve global challenges at scale. Before joining the Foundation, Elizabeth served for several years at the U.S. Mission to the UN in New York. She was Principal Policy Advisor and Counselor to the Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations and later served as the U.S. Ambassador to the UN Economic and Social Council and Alternate Representative to the UN General Assembly. In this conversation, Elizabeth and I discuss the short and long term goals of the UN Foundation. In addition, we explore how Elizabeth’s team raised $200 million in the fac

David Hutchens: The Storytelling Leader David Hutchens help leaders find and tell their stories. Stephen M.R. Covey says, “David has the ability to convey key messages in a way that is both simple and profound.” He has taught the Storytelling Leader program all over the world at some of the most influential organizations — and he’s written many books, including most recently the Circle of the 9 Muses* and The Leadership Story Deck*. He is the co-creator with Susan Gerke of the GO Team program. In this conversation, David and I explore the importance of storytelling, especially during uncertain times. David teaches us the framework of the kinds of stories leaders can tell for continuity, novelty, and transition. Leaders can use one of all of these frameworks to help connect and inspire during difficult times. Key Points The continuity story highlights identity, values, and founding principles — things that will never change. Example: What’s a time we held our values, even though it came with a cost? The

Michael Byrne: Silverman Shin & Byrne Michael is an attorney and partner at Silverman Shin & Byrne in New York, one of the largest minority owned law firms in the State of New York. Michael’s primary areas of focus include tort and commercial litigation defense. He serves clients in a broad range of matters, including attorney malpractice, personal injury torts, insurance, business formation, securities and cyber liability claims. He is a member of the New York State Bar Association and of several committees. Michael is also a member of the Puerto Rican Bar Association and the Defense Research Institute. He provides legal advice to various civic associations and youth ice hockey organizations in Long Island. He’s also a member of the Coaching for Leaders Academy. Key Points Trying to do everything yourself in leadership is like mowing a lawn with a pair of scissors. A critical shift for leaders to make is “time of possession” in the conversation. Work to have the other party speaking more. The answers

Robbie Kellman Baxter: The Forever Transaction Robbie helps companies leverage subscription pricing, digital community and freemium to build deeper relationships with customers. She has been quoted on business issues in the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Consumer Reports, and many others. She has created and starred in eight video courses in collaboration with LinkedIn Learning on business topics ranging from innovation to customer success and membership. She is the author of The Membership Economy*, a book that has been named a top 10 marketing book of all time by BookAuthority. She recently released her new book, The Forever Transaction: How to Build a Subscription Model So Compelling, Your Customers Will Never Want to Leave*. In this conversation, Robbie and I discuss the shift to subscriptions and memberships in many industries in recent years. We address implications for leaders who are considering strategy on making changes to how they do business — as well as some of the tactical steps. Fin

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 Kierstin asked for suggestions (books, individuals) for starting her leadership journey — and also how to navigate leading people who are older than her. Bridgette wondered if we had suggestions on funding priorities, vision, and bringing others into leadership roles. Michael asked our advice on handling confrontations between departments. Resources Mentioned The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations* by James Kouzes and Barry Posner How to Win Friends and Influence People* by Dale Carnegie The Empowered Manager: Positive Political Skills at Wo

Michael Hyatt: The Vision-Driven Leader Michael is the Chief Executive Officer and founder of Michael Hyatt & Company. He has scaled multiple companies over the years, including a $250M publishing company with 700+ employees and his own leadership development company that has grown over 60% year over year for the past 4 years. Under his leadership, Michael Hyatt & Company has been featured in the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing companies in America for three years in a row. He is also the author of several New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling books, including Platform*, Living Forward*, Your Best Year Ever*, and Free to Focus*. He enjoys The Double Win with his wife of 40+ years, five daughters, and nine grandchildren. He recently released his newest book: The Vision-Driven Leader: 10 Questions to Focus Your Efforts, Energize Your Team, and Scale Your Business*. In this conversation, Michael and I discuss where to start once you’ve created an initial vision. Michael invites u

David Burkus: Pick a Fight David’s work is changing how companies approach innovation, collaboration, and leadership. He is the award-winning author of four books and offers a fresh perspective on how to improve our organizations and build better teams by blending the most current research in psychology, sociology, economics, and network science. His books have been translated in more than a dozen languages and his work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, USAToday, Fast Company, and more. He has consistently been named one of the world’s top business thought leaders by Thinkers50 and his TED Talk has been viewed over 2 million times. He is the author of the audiobook, Pick a Fight: How Great Teams Find a Purpose Worth Rallying Around*. In this conversation, David and I discuss why picking a fight is a powerful motivation, but important to do with wisdom. Most organizations won’t benefit from starting fights with rivals. Instead, discover one of three fights that will support a

Laura Huang: Edge Laura Huang is an associate professor at the Harvard Business School. Her research examines interpersonal relationships and implicit bias in entrepreneurship and in the workplace. She is the creator of #FindYourEdge, an initiative dedicated to addressing inequality and disadvantage through personal empowerment. Her award-winning research has been featured in the Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Forbes — and she was named one of the 40 Best Business School Professors Under the Age of 40 by Poets & Quants. She’s the author of the book Edge: Turning Adversity into Advantage*. In this conversation, Laura and I discuss the value of constraints, why hard work isn’t enough, and the reason you’re not selling out when reclaiming an awareness of yourself. We also explore why it’s essential for you to be able to tell your story. Key Points “Be yourself” is sometimes bad advice. You’re not selling out when you reclaim an awareness of yourself. Bring value — and also be s

Emily Leathers: Emotional Leadership Emily is an executive coach and software engineering manager. She has led teams and advised other managers for years. She’s seen the difference a truly passionate leader and manager can make for their team and the world around them. Like a lot of managers and coaches, she’s had a front row seat to the patterns that cause a lot of leaders to overwork and over stress. She is the author of the guide The 7 Leadership Lies and she’s the host of the Emotional Leadership podcast. She’s also a member of the Coaching for Leaders Academy. In this conversation, we discuss some of the common lies that leaders tend to tell themselves that lead to frustration and impostor syndrome. Then, we explore better ways to frame these beliefs, to lead with more confidence and effectiveness. Key Points Lie #1: I’m supposed to do everything I, my manager, or my team can think of. Truth: A leader’s job is about prioritization - and that means prioritizing how we spend our own time as well. Lie #

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 Joseph asked our opinion about this HBR IdeaCast on StrengthsFinder: Stop Focusing on Your Strengths Matt asked about using personality assessments when coaching an athletic team. Mike wondered the best way to approach conducting internal podcast interviews of employees. Resources Mentioned Brené Brown: The Call to Courage (Netflix special) StrengthsFinder Stronger Teams training for individuals and teams (use code CFL10 for a 10% tuition discount) Blubrry podcast hosting Related Episodes How to Know What to Ask, with Andrew Warner (episode 198) How Teams Use StrengthsFinder Res

Pat Flynn: Let Go Pat Flynn is a father, husband, and entrepreneur who lives and works in San Diego, California. He owns several successful online businesses and is a professional blogger, keynote speaker, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. He’s the host of the Smart Passive Income and AskPat podcasts, which have earned a combined total of over 60 million downloads, multiple awards, and features in publications such as The New York Times and Forbes. Pat is the author of the book Let Go: How to Transform Moments of Panic into a Life of Profits and Purpose. You can find him at Smart Passive Income. pull out changed mind on. keep first answer, delete second answer. Key Points Plans are good and necessary to have, but they shouldn’t be written in stone. When the unexpected happens, keep moving. If you find yourself leading an organization and the future is uncertain, don’t say or pretend otherwise. A core value of Pat’s organization: embrace the process. Resources Mentioned Online Business

Steve Blank: The Startup Owner's Manual Steve Blank is a Silicon Valley serial-entrepreneur and academician. He is recognized for developing the Customer Development methodology, which launched the Lean Startup movement. Steve is also the co-founder of E.piphany. His Google Tech talk, The Secret History of Silicon Valley, offers a widely regarded insider's perspective on the emerging Silicon Valley's start-up innovation. He’s also published three books: The Four Steps to the Epiphany*, Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost, and The Startup Owner's Manual*. Key Points What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger. -Friedrich Nietzsche To pivot quickly: Create a MVP (Minimal Viable Product) or MVS (Minimum Viable Service). Conduct customer discovery: validate your idea by speaking with existing/potential customers about the new product/service. Do rapid testing: get your work into the hands of existing/potential customers quickly. Don’t try to get it perfect right out of the gate. Refine your offering: use fast

Stacey Barr: Practical Performance Measurement Stacey Barr is a specialist in strategic performance measurement and evidence-based leadership. She is the creator of PuMP®, a performance measurement methodology that routinely transforms measurement cynics into its greatest advocates. Stacey is also the author of two books, Practical Performance Measurement: Using the PuMP® Blueprint for Fast, Easy, and Engaging KPIs, and Prove It!: How to Create a High Performance Culture and Measurable Success. In the conversation, Stacey and I explore the struggles of holding people accountable for quantitative results, including behaviors that often lead to unintended consequences. Instead, she invites leaders to hold people accountable for monitoring, interpretation, and action. Key Points Holding people accountable for quantitative results tends to lead employees to: Choosing measures of what they are already good at Choosing easy targets Manipulating the numbers to make the measures look good Having lots of ex

Elena Kornoff: Surf City Still Works Elena Kornoff is a founder partner of Surf City Still Works, an independent craft distillery dedicated to supporting talented artists and sharing the spirit of California. She’s been a listener of the show the past few years and now a member of the Coaching for Leaders Academy. In this conversation, Elena and I discuss the massive disruption that COVID-19 made to their business and how her team responded with flexibility in a time of change. We also explore how to be a leader and still be yourself, despite our common perception of leadership. Plus, the invitation from Elena to ask for help when you need it. Key Points Surf City Still Works is an independent craft distillery founded in 2017 to support talented artists and share the spirit of California. Past failures are an important teacher in how to pivot quickly. Successful leaders may show up as inspiring and charismatic — and they also are supportive and quiet. Research shows that both styles can lead well. W

Simon Sinek: The Infinite Game Simon Sinek is an unshakable optimist. He is best known for popularizing the concept of WHY, which he described in his first TED Talk in 2009. That talk went on to become the second most watched TED Talk of all time, today surpassing 50 million views. His interview on millennials in the workplace propelled his name to be the fifth most searched term on YouTube in 2017. Simon is the author of five bestselling books, including Start With Why*, Leaders Eat Last*, and his newest book, The Infinite Game*. In this conversation, Simon and I discuss why he doesn’t believe these are unprecedented times, the difference between a finite and infinite game, and the distinction between a why and a just cause. We also detail how to uncover a just cause and five standards that an effective just cause must meet. Key Points Our products and services are some of the things we use to advance our cause. They are not themselves the cause. -Simon Sinek A just cause embraces five standards: For so

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*. Key Points Be apparent about the purpose of your meeting: connect, align, decide, ideate/brainstorm, plan, or produce. Discover more from Mamie Kanfer Stewart. You need to be more apparent and intentional about timing, transitions, and facilitation in an online meeting than with an in-person one. Use a service like BombBomb* for video messages that don’t require live interaction. Unless background noise or size of the meeting prevents it, invite people to “unmute” so you can have richer dialogue without interruption. Alert people if they have audio issues. Get headsets for your team, if possible. We use and

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 y

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

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. Succ

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 Raymon