Category Archives: Leadership

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205: How to Achieve Success, Create Balance, and Experience Fulfillment

With Paula Brown Stafford and Lisa T. Grimes

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Later this week, the world will celebrate International Women’s Day. What’s that you ask?

In short, it’s a “strong call to #PressforProgress motivating and uniting friends, colleagues and whole communities to think, act and be gender inclusive.”

What better way to celebrate and observe this day than to welcome to the show two internationally successful businesswomen, each with about 30 years of real world of experience.

Paula and Lisa

As it turns out, they have a brand new book out this week as well. It’s called Remember Who You Are: Achieve Success, Create Balance, Experience Fulfillment.

They are Paula Brown Stafford and Lisa T. Grimes, former competitors turned colleagues, friends and, eventually, co-owner so Habergeon, they consulting company.

I hope you’ll join us as we dive into success, balance, and fulfillment. Oh, and to enter to win a copy of their new book, share the tweet embedded below, and leave a comment at the bottom of this post as to why you’d like a copy. The answer I deem most compelling will win. 😉

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203: How to Leave a Legacy (a Tribute to My Father)

Born January 14, 1937 | Passed away February 12, 2018

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Monday, February 12, I got the phone call everyone dreads. My father, aged 81, had passed away in his sleep that morning.

What I’ve learned since my father’s passing was the incredible impact he had on everyone he encountered. I knew him as a generous, kind, compassionate and loving man. What I failed to realize was how far his well-lived life managed to reach.

jeff brown

In the week since his passing, the stories continue to come in. What particularly intrigues me is the impact he had on my childhood friends. People who remember his impact decades later; enough to want to pay their respects and share their memories. It’s been nothing short of amazing.

This episode is my feeble attempt to convey what I believe to be the secret to legacy. Every little action we take individually is just that. Little.

However, as they accumulate over the course of our lives, they compound. As they do, their impact grows exponentially.

Take any single day from my dad’s life, and you’ll see ordinary. The accumulation of those days, however, is nothing short of extraordinary.

I invite you to join me as I honor my dad.

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201: 9 Secrets to Creating a Successful Future

With Skip Prichard, author of The Book of Mistakes

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I’d heard the name before. In fact, we are even “connected” – whatever that means – on several social media platforms.

But, when former Read to Lead guest Kary Oberbrunner asked if I’d like an introduction to Skip Prichard, I said “absolutely!” I mean, I knew Skip, but I didn’t really KNOW him.

skip prichard

That introduction led to Skip and I chatting about his latest book and a potential spot on the show. You and I are the beneficiaries of that generous introduction by Kary. Skip’s book has quickly become a favorite of mine.

It’s a business parable, a la Pat Lencioni, Og Mandino, Bob Burg, Andy Andrews or Mark Schinnerer. And, it’s one of my favorite business parables in some time. I absolutely loved it and I think you will too. It comes out today and is called The Book of Mistakes: 9 Secrets to Creating a Successful Future.

The book takes you on a rather inspiring journey that follows an ancient manuscript with powerful lessons inside; lessons that will transform your life.

I hope you sit in with us as we discuss Skip’s book together.

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200: A Look Back at 5 Killer Books on Public Speaking and Effective Communication

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Wow, what a road this has been. Over 4 1/2 years after the podcast began, episode 200 is here. It has been an incredibly rewarding journey.

I’ve decided to take a look back over the last 100 episodes and feature 5 episodes that centered around one of my favorite topics.

episode 200

These episodes each touch on a topic I think is so important, I ask a question related to it of nearly every guest that comes on the show.

I’m talking about communicating, relating, and, more specifically, public speaking. The art of public speaking and the ability to relate effectively to other people is as important, in my view, as any skill you can hone. In fact, if I weren’t doing the Read to Lead podcast, I’d likely be doing a public speaking-related show. Maybe someday. 

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Episode #199: Hiring, Firing, and Creating an Amazing Team Culture

With Chris Mefford

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Today marks a first in at least two ways. My guest appears on the show for the first time. And it is – to my knowledge – the first time a guest has appeared whose book came about, in part, by my personal encouragement and prodding.

Chris Mefford has been a long time friend, and I am as excited as anyone to see his hard work come to the masses.

chris mefford

That book is called Hiring, Firing, and Creating an Amazing Team Culture: A Practical Guide for Leaders in a Hurry.

Chris is the former Senior Vice President at Henry Cloud Productions, and former Vice President of Dave Ramsey Event Productions.

If you need help with understanding how to hire, even fire, hold your team accountable, and build a winning culture in your company, no matter the size, then Chris is here to help.

Join in on our chat below

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