Category Archives: Podcast

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501: Discover Who You Already Are, Who You Want to Be, and How to Ensure Others See You That Way with Aliza Licht

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Today’s guest, a former fashion executive, successfully turned her communications expertise into a multimedia brand and consultancy. And today, you and I have the privilege of learning from her years of experience.

Her name is Aliza Licht, and her latest book is called On Brand: Shape Your Narrative, Share Your Vision, Shift Their Perception.

How you show up in person, over email, and on social media, Aliza says, communicates your personal brand. That brand deserves thoughtful cultivation and crafting as you shape your narrative, build your network, grow your confidence, and plot your future.

This book is for the new graduate seeking their first job, the middle manager looking to level up, the executive who wants to become more notable, the entrepreneur building from scratch, the person who wants to pivot to a new career, the social media influencer who is their own brand—it’s for anyone who wants to affect the way people perceive them and feel proud when they hear the words “that’s so on brand for you.”

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

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500: Listen to This or Die with Ray Edwards

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Today’s guest is special to me in so many ways. I’ve admired him for over a decade. The way he carries himself, the kindness he shows to other people, and his ability to appreciate that anyone who crosses his path might have something to teach him, are just some of his more admirable qualities.

ray edwards

Today’s episode is, at its core, about change. It’s about understanding that when things don’t go as planned, the right response might be to change your beliefs about the outcome and what it’s meant to teach you.

For Ray, this bared itself out in the form of a Parkinson’s diagnosis in 2011, something he kept secret for several years.

He eventually came to realize that a technique he uses to persuade people to make a decision to buy a product or service could be used to help us (and Ray) change how we view our circumstances, allowing us to live a far more fulfilling life in the process.

If you feel like there’s something missing in your life, this book may hold the answer.

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

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499: Decision-Making, Project Management, and Workplace Engagement with Gerald Leonard

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The topic of project management has been the focus of only two other episodes of Read to Lead that I can think of: Episode 101 with Cesar Abeid, and Episode 277 with Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez.

Gerald Leonard

Frankly, it’s a topic that doesn’t get covered nearly often enough. Today, I work to change that a bit.

Our featured book is by Gerald J. Leonard and is called, A Symphony of Choices: How Mentorship Taught a Manager Decision-Making, Project Management, and Workplace Engagement—and Saved a Concert Season.

The book delivers a fascinating narrative following one Jerry Hall, the new Symphony Orchestra manager at a prestigious symphony concerned about the challenging plans for an upcoming season. In the book, you’ll watch him connect with a former college professor and learn the skills necessary to successfully manage his way through these unprecedented times in his business and personal life.

Does he have all skills necessary for effective decision-making and managing a major symphony’s portfolio of projects? Will his fear of succumbing to daunting challenges prevent him from succeeding?

Of course, you’ll need to read Gerald’s book for the answers. I can assure you it is well worth your time.

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

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498: How to Win with Clarity-Fueled Communications with Steve Woodruff

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I’ve yet to meet my guest today in person, but we live less than 30 minutes from one another. I think I need to work harder at changing that soon.

steve woodruff

His name is Steve Woodruff, and this will make his second appearance on the podcast; his first being about five years ago in Episode #243.

Steve’s new book, released just last week, is called The Point: How to Win With Clarity-Fueled Communications.

Clarity-fueled communications, Steve says, is the practice of using the fewest words to make the biggest impact. His book unveils how the overloaded human brain wants information packaged, and how to craft brain-friendly messages that break through the noise.

From email to sales pitches, from workshops to resumes, Steve’s Clarity Fuel Formula is the universal recipe for communications success. The Point includes four simple actions and eight compelling shortcuts that can be used by anyone to get to the point and get others on the same page.

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

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497: How to Create Self-Leading Teams That Win with Kyle Buckett and Chris Mefford

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One is a retired Navy SEAL. The other is an award-winning business executive. Together they’ve built a company called Culture Force. Dare I say both the company and their new book is a force to be reckoned with.

Kyle Buckett and Chris Mefford

Their new book (released August 29, 2023), has quickly become a favorite among those in my Read to Lead Community online. It’s easy to see why.

Leadership as it is, just isn’t working. Say Chris and Kyle, despite the countless seminars, courses, and management books designed to hone good leaders, over 79% of employees leave their jobs due to poor leadership. Why is this happening? Chris and Kyle argue that organizations need more than just leaders. They need successful teams.

Both Chris and Kyle are passionate about how our leadership model has failed and spotlight a new work culture that actually works. In their book, they draw on the SEAL model and on their decades of knowledge and experience coaching industry leaders to answer the question: what makes a productive team? The surprising truth is that behind every successful team is a cadre of empowered, self-starting employees.

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

Join in on our chat below

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