Your Best Manager

While it sounds really nice to say that your people are your number one responsibility... it's actually not true. Now, before you shoot me, I do believe that your people are extremely important! In fact, without taking good care of your people, it's going to be very difficult to build a successful career or business. But they are not your number one responsibility. In fact, if you cannot fulfill your number one responsibility than you can't take care of your people. In today's show, I'll explain what your REAL number one responsibility is. I'll also share with you why I don't fully agree with Simon Sinek, and I'll tell you why I believe it's advantageous to be an entrepreneur... or at least act like one. Show Notes: http://yourbestmanager.com/49-managers-people-not-number-one-responsibility

Cassie Whitlock is the Director of Human Resources at BambooHR, which is the No. 1 online HR software for small and medium-sized businesses. She has a Master’s degree in Human Resources and a BS in Business Management with an Accounting emphasis. Having worked with accounting and HR teams, she understands the importance of aligning HR priorities with business objectives. She is passionate about developing individual talent and creating productive teams. Cassie loves to spend time with her family and is a proud mother of two children and one great son-in-law. Show Notes: http://yourbestmanager.com/cassiewhitlock

Jason Kveton has been in the restaurant business for about 25 years and is currently the Owner and Director of Success for 3 Culver’s Restaurants. He, of course, recognizes that in order to have a successful restaurant, you need to provide good food, but Jason believes that it’s really all about the people - his team members and his customers. Jason is passionate about leadership and people development and has recently started an online business called “Culture Cards” which are small handwritten thank you notes based on five “Serve” core values that help the team building process: Serve, Enthusiasm, Respect, Vision, and Excellence. Show Notes: http://yourbestmanager.com/jasonkveton

At first, I was tempted to title today's episode "Monday Morning Motivation" but I thought that might be a little too cliche and to be honest, I associate that phrase with temporary talk about "believing in yourself" which feels good for a couple of days and then wears off. On today's show: I introduce a new podcast series that's kicking off next week I tell some listeners to get lost (maybe I shouldn't have said that) I explain how to answer three important questions   Show Notes: http://yourbestmanager.com/46-three-questions-must-answer-want-lead-others   You know, one thing I've discovered recently is that it doesn't matter what time I set my alarm for, I don't enjoy getting out of bed each morning. 5 AM, 7 AM, 10:30 AM... If my alarm is what's waking me up, I'm not happy. Maybe this means that I need to get one of those fancy alarm clocks that slowly brighten your room while birds chirp to signal that it's time to seize the day. Regardless, I know a few things that are true. My bed is warmer than the a

Born and bred in Calgary, Alberta, Shawn Freeman is the founder of TWT Group. After completing a degree in Computer Science at the University of Calgary and a Masters degree in Management Science, Shawn worked in IT for several big companies before leaping off the corporate ladder in 2011 to start his own shop. He founded TWT Group with the goal of making IT easy instead of infuriating. He generously lends his IT skills to several Calgary non-profit organizations, including Youth Central in the Kahanoff Conference Centre. Shawn is also a thought leader and has contributed about technology and entrepreneurship to major global publications including The Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, Inc., Notable, and Forbes. Show Notes: http://yourbestmanager.com/shawnfreeman

Mark Deterding is the President & CEO of Triune Leadership Services and has built a reputation as a trusted expert in Servant Leadership. He has successfully led many companies and teams through culture change as the leader of the organization. Mark now has a successful practice that develops cultures of Servant Leadership within organizations and provides coaching to executives and emerging leaders. He is also the author of Leading Jesus’ Way: Become The Servant Leader God Created You To Be. Mark brings an effective blend of actionable process, proven tools and expertise in guiding leaders to implement a culture of Servant Leadership. Show Notes: http://yourbestmanager.com/markdeterding

Do you ever wish you could just start over? Clean the slate or turn back time and just, do things differently? There are times where I feel that way, usually right after learning something new. All of a sudden I realize that I've been doing things wrong or that I've been missing things that are now clear and obvious. It's discouraging for sure, but this type of thinking can also be damaging. Damaging, unless you do two things (read more)   Show Notes: http://yourbestmanager.com/43-fireside-chat-better-manager-clean-slate

Nicole leads the Corporate Recruiting team at education technology company, 2U, which is headquartered in Landover, MD.  Nicole brings over 8 years of talent acquisition, employer branding, culture advocacy and leadership to her current position in which she has directly impacted and overseen 2U's employee population grow from under 200 to over 1200 in less than 6 years and across 6 office locations.  Nicole obtained her undergraduate degree in Management, Marketing and Philosophy from the University of Scranton, and is presently pursuing her MBA at UNC Chapel Hill's Kenan-Flagler School of Business. Show Notes: http://yourbestmanager.com/nicolethomsen

Dave Stachowiak is the host of the Coaching for Leaders podcast, a Top 10 careers podcast on iTunes, downloaded over 3 million times. He helps leaders get access to the practical wisdom they need to empower the people they lead. Dave was named in Forbes as one of the 25 Professional Networking Experts to watch in 2015. He’s also had a successful career with Dale Carnegie, the global leader in workforce development and has been recognized multiple times with international business awards by Dale Carnegie. Dave has a doctoral degree in organizational leadership from Pepperdine University and serves on the board of the Global Center for Women & Justice at Vanguard University. Show Notes: http://yourbestmanager.com/davestachowiak

In today's episode, I am talking specifically to First-Time Managers! Business owners, executives, and entry-level professionals will certainly find value in today's show, but I'll be sharing a resource that is specifically designed for first-time managers. It's something that will help you confidently lead a fully engaged and incredibly successful team. This leadership resource is called "The Partnership" and you can take advantage of this opportunity through YourBestManager.com/GO Show Notes: http://yourbestmanager.com/40-confidently-lead-fully-engaged-incredibly-successful-team

Wally Bock is an author, blogger, ghostwriter, and writing coach. Named to Inc. Magazine’s Global list of Top 100 Leadership and Management experts, Wally is the owner of Three Star Leadership Enterprises where he provides reading and resources for bosses at all levels. Wally’s most recent e-book is Become a Better Boss One Tip at a Time. Show Notes: http://yourbestmanager.com/wallybock

Dan Gaynor is a leadership author, teacher, coach, and speaker who is passionate about promoting timeless leadership and healthy workplaces. A former President and Publisher of the Calgary Herald, Dan now provides individual coaching, leadership workshops and keynotes through his company, Gaynor Consulting. In 2014 Dan released his first book, The Heart and Hands of Leadership: The Twelve Timeless Practices of Effective Leaders, which is an ideal leadership development resource with discussion questions accompanying each chapter. Show Notes: http://yourbestmanager.com/dangaynor

This is Lesson One of the 5-Day Leadership Challenge, Uncover Your Leadership Potential in 5-Days! Day 1: Your Opportunities To participate in this 5-Day Challenge, please visit YourBestManager.com/Challenge and register. Show Notes: http://yourbestmanager.com/uncover-your-leadership-potential

John Baldoni is an internationally recognized executive coach, leadership educator and author of more than a dozen books, most recent of which is Moxie: The Secret to Bold and Gutsy Leadership. This year, John was selected by Trust Across America as a top thought leader in Trust for the 4th consecutive year. And in 2014, John was first named to Inc.com’s list of top 50 Leadership and Management Experts. John specializes in helping his clients discover and achieve leadership purpose, which he defines as an ability to bring people together for common cause. Those with leadership purpose demonstrate a strong capacity to project confidence, communicate with conviction, instill trust, and most importantly, lead by example. For nearly 30 years, John has coached and consulted for a number of leading companies in a variety of different businesses, ranging from healthcare and automotive to finance and technology. John is also a much in demand keynote and workshop presenter and is popular with corporate, government, pr

Pete Mockaitis is an award-winning trainer who has served clients in over 50 countries. His work has enhanced Fortune 100 corporations, high-growth startups, and major nonprofits. He’s conducted one-on-one critical thinking coaching sessions for over 700 thinkers from every Ivy League University and numerous world-class organizations such as Apple, Goldman Sachs, Google, McKinsey & Company, and the United Nations. Pete is also the host of the How to be Awesome At Your Job podcast where he grills thought-leaders and results-getters to discover specific, actionable insights that boost work performance. Show Notes: http://yourbestmanager.com/petemockaitis Also Mentioned: 5-Day Leadership Challenge

Want to Motivate Millennials? Try Motivating Yourself First! There are three important questions asked during today's episode about leading millennials. What's Going Wrong? How do you Motivate Millennials? How do you Motivate Yourself? That last one there is really the crux of the whole conversation because what starts out as a discussion about millennials and leadership... turns into some self-reflection and the reason why you're not motivated - fear. Fear of the unknown and fear to find out that your potential may not be that exciting. However, this isn't a negative conversation. It's honest, but it's not negative. So there's an important call to action that's hinted at in the beginning and explained at the end of the show Show Notes: http://yourbestmanager.com/motivate-millennials Free 5-Day Leadership Challenge: http://yourbestmanager.com/challenge

Richard Rierson has over 25 years of real-world, practical leadership experience as a U.S. Marine Corps Office, Professional Pilot, & Corporate Executive at the Vice President & Director level. Richard is the CEO and founder of Verum Communications and also hosts the Dose of Leadership podcast, which has been ranked by Fortune Magazine as a “Top-9 Business Podcast” and by Inc. Magazine as a “Top 100 Podcast”. The Dose of Leadership Podcast is the ultimate resource of inspiring and educational interviews with relevant and motivating leaders; real-life leadership and influence experts who dedicate their lives to the pursuit of truth, common sense, & courageous leadership. Through his podcast and leadership coaching, Richard helps leaders develop an authentic and courageous leadership presence; allowing them to be an influential and impactful leader in every aspect of their life. Show Notes: http://yourbestmanager.com/richardrierson

Andrew J. Sherman is a Partner and Chair of the Washington, D.C. Corporate Department of Seyfarth Shaw Limited Liability Partnership and He focuses his practice on issues affecting business growth for companies at all stages. He has served as legal and strategic advisor to dozens of Fortune 500 companies and hundreds of emerging growth companies. He has represented U.S. and international clients from early stage, rapidly growing start-ups, to closely held franchisors and middle market companies, to multibillion dollar international conglomerates. Andrew has written nearly 30 books on the legal and strategic aspects of business growth, franchising, capital formation, and the leveraging of intellectual property, most recently of which is his new book, The Crisis of Disengagement: How Apathy, Complacency, and Selfishness are Destroying Today’s Workplace. And before we actually talk about this new book of yours, Andrew, why don’t you give us an overview of your career path and just how you got to where you are to

Most millennials managers have been leading people for less than 5 years, but are they set up to become better leaders than the Gen Xers or Baby Boomers? In today's episode, I take a look at some of the research on millennials in business and millennials in leadership and share my answer to this question... What do you think? Join the conversation! Show Notes: http://yourbestmanager.com/031-millennial-managers-better-leaders

Peter Docker is passionate about enabling people to be extraordinary so that they can do extraordinary things. Inspired by Simon Sinek’s theory of The Golden Circle, Peter works to help individuals and organizations harness the power of Why. He illustrates his insights by drawing on examples from his previous flying, military, and industry career to explain principles that can be applied in any business. A leadership consultant and executive coach, Peter’s commercial experience extends across Europe, Middle East and Africa, North America, Latin America, India, and the Far East. He has engaged at senior levels with several of the world’s largest companies, developing an understanding of many diverse industries including oil & gas, manufacturing, mining, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, banking, television, film and aviation. Partnering with the “Start With Why” team since 2011, Peter works with organizations on longer-term engagements, delivers keynote talks around the world, and is a regular contributor to Si