Coaching For Leaders

Sönke Ahrens: How to Take Smart Notes Sönke Ahrens is the creator of Take Smart Notes, a project dedicated to helping students, academics and nonfiction writers get more done - ideally with more fun and less effort. He has spent years researching and experimenting with different note-taking systems and his settled on a methodology called Zettlekasten. Sönke is a writer, coach, and academic -- and also the author of the bestselling book, How to Take Smart Notes: One Simple Technique to Boost Writing, Learning and Thinking - for Students, Academics and Nonfiction Book Writers*. In this conversation, Sönke and I discuss how to move past the practice of simply reading and highlighting by beginning to seek meaning. We explore how you might create a system for doing this and how external scaffolding can help. Plus, we explain what notes might look like and how you can use them for an ongoing conversation with yourself — and perhaps others. Key Points Move past details and look for meaning. As we become famil

Alisa Cohn: From Start-Up to Grown-Up Alisa Cohn has been named the Top Startup Coach in the World by the Thinkers50 Marshall Goldsmith Global Coaches Awards and has been coaching startup founders to grow into world-class CEOs for nearly 20 years. She was named the number one “Global Guru” of startups in 2021, and has worked with startup companies such as Venmo, Etsy, DraftKings, The Wirecutter, Mack Weldon, and Tory Burch. She has also coached CEOs and C-Suite executives at enterprise clients such as Dell, Hitachi, Sony, IBM, Google, and many more. Marshall Goldsmith selected Alisa as one of his Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coaches – a gathering of the top coaches in the world – and Inc. named Alisa one of the top 100 leadership speakers. Her articles have appeared in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and Inc. and she has been featured as an expert on Bloomberg TV, the BBC World News and in The New York Times. She is the author of From Start-Up to Grown-Up: Grow Your Leadership to Grow Your Business*. In this con

Michael Bungay Stanier: How to Begin Michael Bungay Stanier distills big, complex ideas into practical, accessible knowledge for everyday people so they can be a force for change. His books have sold over a million copies, and The Coaching Habit was a Wall Street Journal bestseller. His TEDx Talk on Taming Your Advice Monster has been viewed more than a million times. Michael is the founder of Box of Crayons, a learning and development company that helps organizations transform from advice-driven to curiosity-led action. His new book is titled How to Begin: Start Doing Something That Matters*. In this conversation, Michael and I discuss how to make progress when starting something new. We explore the value in looking back at what you’ve already done to support you on what’s next. Plus, Michael highlights the key principles in running effective experiments that transition into new practices. Key Points Fire bullets at the start. Then, fire cannonballs. Discover what your history reveals about your futur

Jennifer Moss: The Burnout Epidemic Jennifer Moss is an award-winning journalist, author, and international public speaker. She is a nationally syndicated radio columnist, reporting on topics related to happiness and workplace well-being. She is also a freelance writer whose articles have appeared in HuffPost, Forbes, the Society for Human Resource Management, Fortune, and Harvard Business Review. Jennifer’s prior book, Unlocking Happiness at Work, received the distinguished UK Business Book of the Year Award. She also sits on the Global Happiness Council. She is the author of The Burnout Epidemic: The Rise of Chronic Stress and How We Can Fix It*. In this conversation, Jennifer and I explore a few misconceptions about burnout — and also how curiosity and empathy can help to reduce it. We discuss a few key questions leaders can ask to gain insight on how to help. Plus, we detail how to avoid confirmation bias through generic interactions. Key Points Self-care doesn’t cure burnout. Curiosity increases e

Andrew Warner: Stop Asking Questions Andrew Warner is an entrepreneur and host of the Startup Stories podcast, where he uncovers the secrets of the world’s best founders. Over the course of 2,000+ episodes, Andrew has interviewed everyone from Barbara Corcoran, to Gary Vaynerchuk, to the founders of Airbnb. After building two startups of his own—one successful and one that failed—Andrew started Mixergy as a way to learn from other entrepreneurs. Today, Mixergy is a place where successful people teach ambitious upstarts through interviews, courses, masterclasses, and events. He is the author of Stop Asking Questions: How to Lead High-Impact Interviews and Learn Anything from Anyone*. In this conversation, Andrew and I discuss what he’s learned about getting people to talk from thousands of hours of interviews and research. We explore some of the key tactics that he uses to help people open up in a genuine way. Plus, we discuss some common questions to avoid that may work against your goal to connect well wit

Muriel Wilkins: Coaching Real Leaders Muriel Wilkins is Managing Partner and Co-founder of Paravis Partners. She is a C-suite advisor and executive coach with a strong track record of helping already high performing senior leaders take their effectiveness to the next level. She is also the host of the Harvard Business Review podcast, Coaching Real Leaders and is the co-author, with Amy Su of Own the Room: Discover Your Signature Voice to Master Your Leadership Presence*. Prior to entrepreneurship, she served on the senior team of U.S. News & World Report and also did marketing and strategy work at Accenture and The Prudential. Muriel has been recognized by the Washington Business Journal as one of Metro-DC area’s Top Minority Business Leaders. In this conversation, Muriel and I reflect on our recent client work in order to surface some of the current struggles leaders are facing. We discuss a few trends we’re seeing in relation to diversity, the great resignation, binary thinking, and human relations. Plus,

Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed Bonni is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, Dean of Teaching and Learning and Professor of Business and Management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, she was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. Bonni is the author of The Productive Online and Offline Professor: A Practical Guide*. Listener Questions Lucus asked us for advice on his reading habits as he makes the transition to CEO. Elizabeth wondered the best way to address issues where experienced employees appear resentful about her giving them direction. Beth sent us a question about drawing the line between being a friend and a manager. Resources Mentioned 13 Crucial Books That Every Leader Should Know Drive* by Daniel Pink Readwise Day One Seven Principles for Leading People Older Than You, with Bonni Stachowiak (episode 59) How to Manage Former Peers, with Tom Henschel (episode 257) Three Steps t

David Schonthal: The Human Element David Schonthal is an award-winning Professor of Strategy, Innovation & Entrepreneurship at the Kellogg School of Management where he teaches courses on new venture creation, design thinking, healthcare innovation and creativity. In addition to his teaching, he also serves as the Director of Entrepreneurship Programs and the Faculty Director of the Zell Fellows Program. Along with his colleague Loran Nordgren, David is one of the originators of Friction Theory – a ground-breaking methodology that explains why even the most promising innovations and change initiatives often struggle to gain traction with their intended audiences – and what to do about it. He is the author with Loran of The Human Element: Overcoming the Resistance That Awaits New Ideas*. In this conversation, David and I discuss how leaders can do a better job at helping others overcome resistance to a new idea. We explore the distinction between friction and fuel — and why leaders tend to miss opportunities

Jodi-Ann Burey: End Imposter Syndrome in Your Workplace Jodi-Ann Burey is a sought-after speaker and writer who works at the intersections of race, culture, and health equity. Her TED talk, “The Myth of Bringing Your Full Authentic Self to Work,” embodies her disruption of traditional narratives about racism at work. Jodi-Ann is also the creator and host of Black Cancer, a podcast about the lives of people of color through their cancer journeys. She is the author, with Ruchika Tulshyan, of two recent Harvard Business Review articles: Stop Telling Women They Have Imposter Syndrome and End Imposter Syndrome in Your Workplace. In this conversation, Jodi-Ann and I challenge that notion that imposter syndrome is something that an individual should address alone. Instead, we invite managers and organizations to begin to consider their own contributions to “imposter syndrome” and how we can work together with employees to help everybody move forward. We highlight several key actions that managers can take to begin

Sukhinder Singh Cassidy: Choose Possibility Sukhinder Singh Cassidy is a leading technology executive and entrepreneur, board member, and investor with twenty-five years of experience founding and helping to scale companies, including Google, Amazon, and Yodlee. Most recently, she served as president of StubHub, which thrived under her leadership and sold in 2020 right before the pandemic for $4+ billion. She is the founder and chairman of the Boardlist and has been profiled in Fortune, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, Business Week, and The New York Times, among others. She has been named one of Elle’s Power Women, one of the Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company, and one of the Top 100 People in the Valley by Business Insider. She is the author of Choose Possibility: Take Risks and Thrive (Even When You Fail)*. In this conversation, Sukhinder and I discuss how to handle a transition in a way that works for both you and the organization you’re leaving. We discuss the value of proactive communica

Liz Wiseman: Impact Players Liz Wiseman is a researcher and executive advisor. She is the author of the New York Times bestseller Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter*, The Multiplier Effect: Tapping the Genius Inside Our Schools*, and Wall Street Journal bestseller Rookie Smarts*. She is the CEO of The Wiseman Group, a leadership research and development firm headquartered in Silicon Valley. Her clients include: Apple, Disney, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Tesla, Twitter, and many others. Liz has been listed on the Thinkers50 ranking and named one of the top 10 leadership thinkers in the world. She is a former Oracle executive, who worked over the course of 17 years as the Vice President of Oracle University and as the global leader for Human Resource Development. Liz is the author of Impact Players: How to Take the Lead, Play Bigger, and Multiply Your Impact*. In this conversation, Liz and I discuss the mindset that’s most useful in making real traction in an organization. Plus, we explo

David Hutchens: Story Dash David Hutchens helps leaders find and tell their stories. He works with leaders around the world to find, craft, and tell their most urgent stories for the purpose of creating shared meaning, preserving culture, disseminating learning, and speeding change in organizations. He has taught the Storytelling Leader program at some of the most influential organizations — and he’s written many books, including the Circle of the 9 Muses* and The Leadership Story Deck*. He is the co-creator with longtime friend of the show Susan Gerke of the GO Team program. He's also the author of the new book, Story Dash: Find, Develop, and Activate Your Most Valuable Business Stories...In Just a Few Hours*. In this conversation, David and I revisit the power of storytelling and highlight where many leaders go wrong. We explore the common mistakes that David sees in his work all over the world. Plus, we invite listeners into a few practical actions that will help stories land with better impact. Key Poin

Minda Harts: Right Within Minda Harts is the founder and CEO of The Memo and an advocate for women of color in the workplace. She is a sought-after speaker and thought-leader, frequently speaking on topics of advancing women of color, leadership, diversity, and entrepreneurship. She was named a LinkedIn Top Voice for Equity in the Workplace and was honored as one of BET’s Future 40. She has been a featured speaker at TEDx Harlem, Nike, Levi's, Bloomberg, Google, SXSW, and many other places. She is an adjunct assistant professor of public service at NYU. She also hosts Secure the Seat, a career podcast for women of color. Minda is the author of the bestselling book The Memo* and now her new book Right Within: How to Heal From Racial Trauma in the Workplace*. In this conversation, Minda and I discuss the daily actions that managers can do to support inclusion in the workplace, especially for women of color. We explore the unfortunate realities of systemic racism that still show up in many workplaces and how w

Vanessa Bohns: You Have More Influence Than You Think Vanessa Bohns is a social psychologist, an award-winning researcher and teacher, and a professor of organizational behavior at Cornell University. Her writing and research has been published in top academic journals in psychology, management, and law and has also been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, and NPR's Hidden Brain. Her book is titled You Have More Influence Than You Think: How We Underestimate Our Power of Persuasion, and Why It Matters*. In this conversation, Vanessa and I explore the conclusions of research: we often don’t recognize our own power. We detail some of the common patterns that leaders should watch for in their work. Most importantly, we discuss the practical steps that almost anybody can take to use power more responsibly. Key Points Power can lead people to underestimate their words and actions. A powerful person's whisper can sound more like a shout to the person they have power ov

Dorie Clark: The Long Game Dorie Clark has been named one of the Top 50 business thinkers in the world by Thinkers50, and was recognized as the #1 Communication Coach in the world by the Marshall Goldsmith Leading Global Coaches Awards. She is a consultant and keynote speaker and teaches executive education at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and Columbia Business School. Dorie is the author of the bestselling books Entrepreneurial You, Reinventing You, and Stand Out which was named the #1 Leadership Book of the Year by Inc. Magazine. She has been described by the New York Times as an “expert at self-reinvention and helping others make changes in their lives.” She is a frequent contributor to Harvard Business Review and is now the author of her latest book, The Long Game: How to Be a Long-Term Thinker in a Short-Term World*. In this conversation, Dorie and I discuss how to win the long game, even when things look bleak today. We examine the typical timelines that most professional should expect in

Nicol Verheem: Teradek Nicol Verheem is a globally recognized leader and innovator, senior business executive, serial entrepreneur, and prolific angel investor. He has been recognized for his impact in the film industry with a lifetime achievement award from the Society of Camera Operators and an Academy Award for Sciences and Engineering, also known as a Technical Oscar. He was also recently recognized with the Innovator of the Year Award from the leading business journal in Orange County, California. Nicol currently serves on the Executive Management Board of The Vitec Group, as the Divisional CEO of Creative Solutions, and as the CEO of Teradek. As a technology leader, his is responsible for the strategy, roadmap, and execution of Teradek’s highly recognized high tech video products driving more than $100M annual revenue -- with dominant market share across the globe. He is also a member of the Coaching for Leaders Academy. In this conversation, Nicol and I discuss how to take the ideas you hear in books

Ashley Brundage: Empowering Differences Ashley Brundage is the Founder and President of Empowering Differences. She's overcame homelessness, harassment, and discrimination and then, while seeking employment at a major financial institution, she self-identified during the interview process as a male to female transgender woman and subsequently was hired. She was offered a position and started as a part time bank teller and worked in various lines of business before moving to VP of Diversity & Inclusion in less than 5 years. Since beginning transitioning in 2008, she has worked tirelessly to promote awareness and acceptance of gender identity and expression. She serves on the Corporate Advisory Council for the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce. In 2019, she was voted on the National Board of Directors for GLAAD and has also been named one of Florida’s Most Powerful and Influential Women from the National Diversity Council. She is the author of Empowering Differences: Leveraging Differences to Impact Change*.

Carey Nieuwhof: At Your Best Carey Nieuwhof is a former lawyer, a bestselling leadership author, a podcaster, and the CEO of Carey Nieuwhof Communications. He speaks to leaders around the world about leadership, change, and personal growth. He writes a widely read leadership blog at CareyNieuwhof.com and also hosts the top-rated Carey Nieuwhof Leadership podcast. He’s the author of At Your Best: How to Get Time, Energy, and Priorities Working in Your Favor*. In this conversation, Carey and I explore the reality that so many of us face in both our personal and professional lives: spending time with the wrong kind of people. We discuss how to notice we’re not helping, how to limit time, and what to do when a conversation needs to happen. Plus, we make the invitation to proactive do what often gets missed: spending time with the right people more consistently. Key Points The people who want your time are rarely the people who should have your time. Many leaders give too much time and attention away to peop

Connson Locke: Making Your Voice Heard Connson Locke is Professorial Lecturer in Management at the London School of Economics, where she teaches Leadership, Organizational Behaviour, and Negotiation and Decision Making. She has over 30 years experience as an educator, coach, and consultant working all around the world. Her highly popular Guardian Masterclass ‘Developing your presence, power and influence’ regularly sells out. Connson is the recipient of a number of teaching awards from the London School of Economics. She's also the author of Making Your Voice Heard: How to Own Your Space, Access Your Inner Power, and Become Influential*. In this conversation, Connson and I explore the challenging situation that many professional experience: speaking up. We discuss several key tactics that Connson has surfaced in her research to do this more effectively. Plus, we highlight several of the lessons Connson has discovered in her own experience that will help us (and others) do this with more success. Key Points

Christy Wright: Take Back Your Time Christy Wright is a #1 bestselling author, personal growth expert, and host of The Christy Wright Show. She’s also the founder of Business Boutique, which equips women to make money doing what they love. She loves helping women chase their version of success. She's the author of Take Back Your Time: The Guilt-Free Guide to Life Balance*. In this conversation, Christy and I explore how to get practical about what’s important, each day. We discuss effectives ways to use timeframes to establish priorities for ourselves — and how those same timeframes can help us turn off work. Key Points Establishing priorities moves you from a place of feeling like a failure to a place of feeling real success. Most of us are clear on our fixed priorities, but we’re less intentional about the flexible priorities that tend to be more practical in daily life. Consider establishing priorities through the timeframes of seasons, weeks, and days. Having clear priorities helps you not only