Category Archives: Leadership

Posted on

Episode #133: Breaking the Trust Barrier with JV Venable

How Leaders Close the Gaps for High Performance

by

jv venableToday’s guest, JV Venable, has done some pretty amazing things during the course of his life.

He is a graduate of the USAF’s Fighter Weapons School (Top Gun anyone?), and he’s flown fighter aircraft all over the world.

He has led individuals, teams, and organizations as large as 1,100 people at the highest ends of performance and risk in both peacetime and combat, including serving as the commander and demonstration leader of the USAF jet demonstration team, the Thunderbirds.

I know, right?

He is also an inspirational speaker, seminar leader, and coach on building high-performance teams, and his new book is Breaking the Trust Barrier: How Leaders Close the Gaps for High Performance.

Join in on our chat below

Subscribe: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

Continue Reading »

Posted on

Episode #131: The Startling Effect Others Have On You…And What to Do About It

With Dr. Henry Cloud, author of The Power of the Other

by

Dr. Henry CloudMost leadership coaching focuses on helping leaders build their skills and knowledge, and close gaps in their performance.

That’s great, but not enough.

Clinical psychologist, author, and international speaker Dr. Henry Cloud believes that the best performers draw on another vital resource: personal and professional relationships that fuel growth and help them surpass current limits.

In fact, Dr. Cloud says that while popular wisdom suggests that we should not allow others to have power over us, the reality is they do, for better or worse. We don’t have a choice whether or not others have power in our lives, but we can choose what kinds of relationships we want.

Dr. Cloud’s latest book (he’s written over 30 –  including New York Times bestsellers) is The Power of the Other: The startling effect people have on you, from the boardroom to the bedroom and beyond – and what to do about it.

Join in on our chat below

Subscribe: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

Continue Reading »

Posted on

Episode #130: Success at Work Through Improv

With Cathy Salit, author of Performance Breakthrough

by

cathy salitThe relatively new science of Performative Psychology is one with which I’m quite fascinated.

It is, according to EastSideInstitute.org, “a shift from a natural science-based and individualistic approach to understanding human life, to a more cultural and relational approach.”

For 20 years, today’s guest has been creating custom workshops that artfully blend techniques from theatrical performance with this new science with dramatic results.

Cathy Salit is the CEO and founder of Performance of a Lifetime, a consulting firm specializing in helping leaders and companies with the human side of business and strategy.

She is a sought-after speaker and executive coach who has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, and Wired.  And, she is also the author of Performance Breakthrough: A Radical Approach to Success at Work.

Listen to our chat below

Subscribe: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

Continue Reading »

Posted on

Episode #129: Creating Extraordinary Change

A conversation with Adam Braun of Pencils of Promise

by

adam braunI am pleased to present to you today my conversation with Adam Braun, founder of Pencils of Promise.

This was the interview that at one point was feared to be lost forever. Thankfully, the computer and internet Gremlins smiled upon us and saw fit to return to us what was rightfully ours.

Pencils of Promise is an award-winning organization that has broken ground on more than 350 schools for children in poverty around the world. In 2015, Adam served as the Director of the Global Education Platform, an initiative conceived by the UN Special Envoy for Global Education to accelerate breakthroughs in learning innovation.

He has also been featured as a speaker at The White House, the United Nations and the Clinton Global Initiative. And, he’s been named to Business Insider’s 40 Under 40, Wired Magazine‘s 50 People Who Are Changing the World, and was selected as one of the World Economic Forum’s original ten Global Shapers.

Today, Adam and I talk about how an ordinary person (like you, for example) can create extraordinary change. His book is called The Promise of a Pencil, and his story is a fascinating one.

Listen to the audio below

Subscribe: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

Continue Reading »

Posted on

Episode #128: The Mindfulness Edge with Matt Tenney

by

matt tenneyOver the last several years, I’ve heard a lot about the concept of Mindfulness.

What it was I couldn’t say for sure as, anytime I came across the topic either in my reading or in conversations with others, I lost interest and changed the subject. The reasons why are a mystery really. I’d concluded somewhere along my path that mindfulness was, in the words of Han Solo, a bunch of “mumbo jumbo.” “That’s one of those new age concepts,” I thought. “That’s not for me.”

Then I came across the work of Matt Tenney. At first, I was put off again. What could a middle-aged, been-around-the-block-a-few-times guy like me learn from a young, fit, good-looking, obviously ‘born with a silver spoon in his mouth’ guy like Tenney? Turns out, quite a bit.

In this case, obvious would be a euphemism for, “Look at me and all the ASSumptions I keep making!”

So, yeah. Matt’s been teaching mindfulness since 2002, and his clients include Wells Fargo, Marriott, Keller Williams, The Four Seasons, and many other companies, associations, and universities. Oh, and in his spare time, he writes books.

The book we discuss today is his second one, released in March. It’s called The Mindfulness Edge: How to Rewire Your Brain for Leadership and Personal Excellence Without Adding to Your Schedule.

Listen to the audio below

Subscribe: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

Continue Reading »