424: Deep Purpose is the Heart and Soul of High-Performance Companies with Ranjay Gulati

When you end an interview with a Harvard Business School professor and he tells you your questions made him think, it kinda makes your day (or maybe your week, your month, your year, or, perhaps your life)!

Though we may not see eye-to-eye on all the issues he presented, I consider the chance to chat with him extremely rewarding and fulfilling.

The professor I’m talking about is Ranjay Gulati. He’s written numerous books, his latest of which is called Deep Purpose: The Heart and Soul of High-Performance Companies.

He says few business topics have aroused more skepticism in recent years than the notion of corporate purpose, and for good reason. Too many companies deploy purpose, or a reason for being, as a promotional vehicle to make themselves feel virtuous and to look good to the outside world.

Some, he says, only have foggy ideas about wha tpurpose is and conflate it witih stratgy and otehr concepts like “mission,” “vision,” and “values.”

Ranjay takes readers inside some of the world’s most purposeful companies to understand the secrets to their successes.

I hope you’ll click the play button below to learn more about Ranjay and his work. For a summary, just keep scrolling.

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423: How to Grow Your People to Grow Your Company with Whitney Johnson

When a guest who’s been on the podcast more than any other guest recommends another author to you, your ears perk up quite bit.

Whitney Johnson

That was the case for me when four-time guest Liz Wiseman suggested I meet author Whitney Johnson.

I am so thankful to Liz for that introduction because her new book came to me at just the right time. It’s called Smart Growth: How to Grow Your People to Grow Your Company, and it’s a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller.

Growth is a goal, Whitney says.

Helping people develop their potential—enabling them to articulate can become the self they want to be, are capable of being, and that best serves them and others in the short and long-term—is what we as individuals and leaders strive toward. 

But how do we grow? It turns out it happens in a predictable way, which means we can understand where we are in our growth and chart a way forward.

As individuals grow, so do organizations and societies. Growth is learning put into action—action that betters the world as we better ourselves and our small niches, both personal and professional, within it. Growth occurs when learning is internalized—when we try something new and invest the effort to move it from being something we do to something we are.

I hope you’ll click the play button below to learn more about Whitney and her work. For a summary, just keep scrolling.

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420: A Radical New Approach to Greater Success and Fulfillment with Brian Moran and Michael Lennington

One of my favorite productivity books ever is one called The 12 Week Year: How to Get More Done in 12 Weeks Than Others Do in 12 Months by Brian Moran and Michael Lennington.

brian moran and michael lennington

Though I didn’t get a chance to interview them about that book when it came out, I was delighted when a publicist reached out to me recently about interviewing about their brand new book!

It’s called Uncommon Accountability: A Radical New Approach to Greater Success and Fulfillment.

In it, Brian and Michael compellingly argue for a positive and affirming conception of accountability—one that stands for personal ownership of one’s goals, actions, and progress. 

They show you how to harness the power of accountability, with all of its built-in potential to enable growth and learning, improve well-being, reduce stress, and drive results.

Whether you are an individual looking to better your career, increase your income of improve your relationships, or a leader trying to inspire your team to accomplish what they are capable of, this book will show you how to powerfully shift your view of accountability and dramatically improve your results, and your life.

I hope you’ll click the play button below to learn more about them and their work. For a summary, just keep scrolling.

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418: How Truly Great Leaders Unleash Greatness in Others with Stephen M. R. Covey

Today I welcome back for the third time – and the second time in less than a year – one of my favorite authors. He’s got a brand new book out (released last week) and I can’t wait to tell you more about it.

stephen m. r. covey

My guest is none other than Stephen M. R. Covey, whose previous books include The Speed of Trust and Smart Trust, both #1 Wall Street Journal bestsellers.

His brand new book is called Trust & Inspire: How Truly Great Leaders Unleash Greatness on Others.

Stephen M. R. Covey has made it his life’s work to understand trust in leadership and organizations. In this new book, he makes the compelling argument that even though our world has changed drastically, our style of leadership has not.

Most organizations, teams, schools, and families today still operate from a model rooted in “Command & Control,” focusing on positional power, hierarchies, and rigid compliance. But because of the shifting demographics of the workforce, the changing nature of work itself, and the choices we now have for where and how to work, this old approach to leadership is both outdated, and irrelevant.

I hope you’ll click the play button below to learn more about Stephen and his work. For a summary, just keep scrolling.

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416: The Extraordinary Unordinary You with Simone Knego

Sometimes you record an interview and it gets mangled by the technology. Something beyond your control goes wrong. It happens.

simone knego

Then, sometimes, the person responsible for recording the conversation forgets to click the record button. Yep. I did that. The second time in nine years.

But, thankfully, most people are really forgiving. That’s certainly an apt description of Simone Knego, who, upon learning of my slip up, graciously agreed to do it all over again. And, you know what, it turned out even better. A blessing in disguise.

I’m delighted to share with you about her new book. It’s called The Extraordinary Unordinary YOU: Follow Your Own Path, Discover Your Own Journey.

In it, Simone shares that what you do matters and it inspires others. And, by sharing your story, you can motivate and encourage those around you – and in doing so, change the world.

I hope you’ll click the play button below to learn more about Simone and her work. For a summary, just keep scrolling.

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