503: Leadership Lessons Drawn From the Wisdom of Mom with Valerie Cockerell

Over 500 episodes in, and it’s still possible for there to be firsts. This episode brings with it a special milestone; one that includes having featured—for the first time—three members of the same family.

valerie cockerell

In previous episodes I’ve enjoyed having on Lee Cockerell and Dan Cockerell (father and son, respectively) to talk about their books.

Today, I’m pleased to welcome Lee’s daughter-in-law, and Dan’s wife, Valerie Cockerell.

Valerie’s new book is called Manage Like a Mother: Leadership Lessons Drawn From the Wisdom of Mom.

Leadership doesn’t have to be complicated, Valerie says. Mothers have known this all along as they practice their own no-nonsense form of leadership.

In Manage like a Mother, Valerie shares common-sense principles for anyone seeking to be an effective leader. She explains how raising children, nurturing their development, multitasking as only a mother does, managing conflicts, dealing with teenagers and being a great role model are some of the essential skills that leaders can easily apply to their professional working environments—with proven success. 

You don’t need to look much further than your own childhood to know what works and what doesn’t. Valerie’s book shows you how applying moms’ best practices can reap the best results for any organization.

I hope you’ll click the play button below to learn more about Valerie and her 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

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.

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480: The Case for Good Jobs with Zeynep Ton

Two years ago, my 81-year-old mother, fell in love with Turkish culture. Credit Turkish men. Suffice to say, there’s not a Turkish movie or soap opera she hasn’t seen at least twice. She’s even teaching herself the language.

zeynep ton

This means, of course, that possibly for the first time ever, she’ll be excited to give one of my episodes a listen because Turkey is from where my guest today originally hails.

Her name is Zeynep Ton (Zeynep, according to my mother, is a popular girl’s name in Turkey. It’s even the name of a leading character on one of her “shows.”).

And Zeynep’s new book, released just a few weeks ago, is called The Case for Good Jobs: How Great Companies Bring Dignity, Pay & Meaning to Everyone’s Work.

From healthcare facilities to call centers, fulfillment centers to factories, and restaurants to retail stores, companies are struggling to find or keep workers, Zeynep says, because the jobs they offer are low-paying, stressful, and provide little chance for growth and success.

Workers want good jobs, and many leaders want to provide them.

But they don’t think they can offer higher pay and more motivating work without hurting the bottom line. Most business leaders want to win with customers, but their companies are hobbled by a host of service and operational problems largely driven by high employee turnover—turnover that’s partly driven by low pay.

With expertise drawn from spending time on the front lines with workers and their managers, Zeynep knows what’s keeping most companies mired in mediocrity and how implementing a good jobs system makes them more competitive, more resilient, and more likely to attract and retain loyal customers and dedicated employees.

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

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393: You CAN Change Other People with Peter Bregman and Howie Jacobson

It’s not often that I get the chance to sit at the feet of two incredibly smart as part of an interview. Today, however, is just such a day.

peter and howie

My guests are Peter Bregman and Howie Jacobson PhD. They’re the authors of the new book You CAN Change Other People: The Four Steps to Help Your Colleagues, Employees – Even Family – Up Their Game.

They rely on over 50 years of collective professional experience to show you exactly what to say to influence those around you for the better.

No one wants to be changed, but change and personal growth are critical to success, and more importantly, to a fulfilled life. 

Their new book is a must-read for anyone who wants to improve their impact with coworkers, family members, and everyone in between.

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

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392: Stimulate Greater Engagement and Productivity with Roy Heintz

I have Jamey Lutz to thank for introducing me to today’s guest. Jamey himself was a guest not that long ago.

Roy Heintz

I enjoyed talking with him immensely, so when he recommended I look into the work or Roy Heintz, I listened.

Roy is a professional speaker who has been impacting crowds all over the world for over 30 years.

His dynamic and entertaining style has made him a much sought-after speaker for leaders, corporations, teams, and organizations.

He has been synonymous with “Championship Success” as a business leader, basketball coach, television analyst, and professional speaker, and his influence across diverse audiences has been evident worldwide.

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

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