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Today's guest is cultural anthropologist, entrepreneur, investor, and author, Ujwal Arkalgud, and the conversation about tension paradox was different than any we've had on the show before.
In it, we talk a lot about binary opposites and operating within dichotomies.
"You've got to ask, what are the opposites I operate within and how can I exist in that environment?" Said another way, "How can I fit within the push and pull?"
As a business owner or leader, this concept informs and impacts everything â the upfront work that needs to be done, purpose, resiliency, effective human-centered sales, scaling and growth...
"Using tensions is not as complicated as sometimes people think it is" and Ujwal gives a great 3-step exercise at the end of the episode to help with that.
Listen in! It may transform how you think about life and, for sure, business.
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Ujwal Arkalgud is a leading voice in growth anthropology and sustainable business strategy. As the founder of Investment Ark, he works with early-stage B2B startups, offering both strategic investments and hands-on coaching to help founders navigate the complexities of building resilient, sustainable businesses. Ujwal believes that growth isnât about chasing hypergrowthâitâs about embracing the tensions inherent in scaling to unlock long-term success.
Previously, Ujwal co-founded and bootstrapped MotivBase, a predictive
anthropology platform that he scaled to a 10x revenue multiplier. His work with Fortune 500 companiesâincluding Target, Kroger, and General Millsâhelped them decode customer beliefs and behaviors to build multi-billion-dollar private label brands.
Since MotivBaseâs acquisition, Ujwal has also worked with mid-market private equity portfolio companies, helping businesses with $15Mâ$35M in revenue overcome growth challenges using his growth anthropology framework. This experience complements his passion for supporting startups and growth-stage businesses, enabling him to bring diverse insights into scaling sustainably across industries and company sizes.
As the publisher of Decision Lab, a newsletter dedicated to uncovering cultural forces shaping customer behavior, Ujwal provides decision frameworks and insights to founders and business leaders worldwide. His upcoming book, The Tension Paradox (2026), explores how leaders can turn the contradictions of scaling into opportunities for innovation and resilience.
Passionate about supporting the 99% of founders often overlooked by the traditional VC model, Ujwal is on a mission to help businesses grow on their own terms while building lasting impact.
He'd love to connect if youâre a founder, investor, or tech leader interested in growth strategies, the future of anthropology in business, or the untapped power of cultural insights.
Head to https://investmentark.net/ to learn more or connect with him on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ujwalarkalgud). -
In this episode, leading authority on improving productivity and engagement through workplace well-being, Lori Saitz shares the practice of zen leadership.
Youâve likely heard some of the benefits of gratitude and a calming/grounding practice like meditation â but Iâm guessing youâve mostly thought about their effects on your personal life, not necessarily how they might impact leadership or work. Yet, Lori maintains there is no other investment that delivers as much.
Help yourself and your team or employees quiet distractions to focus better, boost creativity, reduce anxiety, increase happiness, strengthen relationships, improve physical health â and the list goes on!
Peace of mind is worth more than we give it credit for. This episode is a must-listen for the time we are in right now.
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Lori Saitz is the leading authority on improving productivity and engagement through workplace well-being. She is the founder of the Zen Leadership Program for Results Focused Professionals.
With a comprehensive background in wellness and communication strategies, Lori helps executives create focused, resilient, and collaborative teams that can move projects forward with less stress and drama.
Listen to Lori on her own podcast too, called Fine is a 4-Letter Word, where she engages guests in conversations about how they've grown from a time in their lives when things were decidedly NOT fine.
Lori is currently living a nomad life while cat-sitting in states across the southeast U.S. You can often find her in the weight room at the gym. She also loves cupcakes, Thai food, and classic rock music.Learn more about Lori and her work at zenrabbit.com. You can also connect with her on social:
LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorisaitz/)
Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/LoriSaitz/)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/zen_rabbit/)
Twitter (https://twitter.com/zenrabbit)
YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/ZenRabbitVideo) -
Manglende episoder?
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In this episode of Leading Through Crisis, we're talking to senior executive coach and mediator, Sylvia Rohde-Liebenau about SMARTpower.
We also discuss:
- The difference between managing crisis and complexity
- Expectations vs agreements
- Embodied leadership
- Connection, engagement, and purpose-driven work
"As an embodied leader, people will listen to you in a different way... When we are comfortable in our own body, we can connect with others - even though sometimes we may have something difficult to say."
If you, like me, can intellectualize your way through just about anything, watch/listen to this episode to connect to your body more.
Being present and embodied is your superpower!
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Sylvia is an accredited senior executive coach (EMCC) and accredited mediator (CEDR) with more than 20 years of experience as a coach, trainer and facilitator. Her mission is to adapt leadership to the challenges of today's complex and fast-moving world and to help leaders succeed in this environment. This mission has led her to create the SMART©power method and author the groundbreaking leadership book "Who's in Charge", a book helping leaders increase energy levels, expand and leverage their range of power, and combine success with fulfillment to build a legacy.
Besides her corporate and coaching work, Sylvia is an artist and dancer â experiences that allow her to apply a unique and powerful approach to emotional and body intelligence in her leadership and coaching work.
Learn more at smartpowermethod.com.
Connect with Sylvia on LinkedIn or Facebook. -
Gallup research shows we are experiencing an employee engagement crisis (rates are at an 11-year low).
Today's guest, Julie Winkle Giulioni is the perfect person to help us address it!
Julie is a speaker, best-selling author, and champion of workplace growth and development. In this conversation, she shares:
How to think differently about development and engagementOne thing most leaders overlook (when it comes to growth and development)"Hidden-in-plain-sight" and budget-neutral ways to offer developmentSome great questions for receiving valuable feedbackEngagement and development as it relates to remote and hybrid workA custom-trained ChatGPT to help you prepare and practice for hard conversationsThis conversation has something applicable to everyone. But if you're a people leader in the workforce, the thoughts and ideas explored here are imperative (especially right now).
Listen in and let us know what resonates or what questions you have!
*For more information about Julie and to grab that pre-order bonus (until 9/24) for the latest edition of Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go, visit JulieWinkleGiulioni.com.
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Julie Winkle Giulioni is a champion for workplace growth and development and helps executives and leaders optimize talent and potential within their organizations.
One of Inc. Magazineâs Top 100 speakers, sheâs the co-author of the international bestseller, Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go, translated into seven languages and coming out in its third edition in September. Her latest book, Promotions Are So Yesterday: Redefine Career Development. Help Employees Thrive, has been recognized with Nautilus and Axiom Business Book Awards.
Julie is a regular columnist for Training Industry Magazine and SmartBrief and contributes articles on leadership, career development, and workplace trends to numerous publications including Fast Company and The Economist. Additionally, she partners with organizations worldwide offering her expertise in leadership and career development and designing award-winning bespoke development experiences.
For more information about Julie and to grab the latest edition of Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go (which comes with access to that custom-trained bot), visit JulieWinkleGiulioni.com.
You can also connect with her on LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.
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This special episode shines the light on something we don't often talk about candidly... Experiencing grief and loss â and not just the negative aspects but how it can also be beautiful, freeing, and empowering.
Today's guest, Sue Deagle is a veteran c-suite executive, mother, and widow, rewriting the story of loss and vibrant living.
Losing her husband to a sudden heart attack when he was only 50 changed her worldview and she, in turn, wants to change peopleâs relationship to loss (whether they are the ones experiencing it or they're consoling someone else).
She shares about:
- navigating loss with children
- collaborative leadership
- the âveil of the ordinaryâ being removed
- preparing for loss and grief
- what to say and do when someone you know is grieving
- keeping loved ones' memories alive
- moving on with strength and purpose
"I want everyone who's experienced loss to live as vibrant a life as mine. It is possible and you are not alone."
This episode applies to everyone. It will make us better leaders, and consolers, and will come in handy the next time we experience a loss of our own.
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Veteran c-suite exec, mother, widow, rewriting the story of loss and vibrant living at The Luminist. She brings loss (in all its forms) out of the shadows, shining a light on the parts of the human experience we avoid at all costs, but are our greatest teachers for living a full, expansive, love-filled life.
Learn more: suedeagle.com
Sign up for The Luminist newsletter: theluminist.substack.com
Connect with her on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sue-deagle -
Todayâs guest, David Lahey is the Founder, President and CEO of Predictive Success (a company that focuses on assessment and analytics to support leadership development, talent acquisition, change management, and productivity in a variety of industries).
Join us for a discussion about:
- Empathy in the workplace
- Using data and AI to enhance your leadership skills
- The #1 reason Gen Z is leaving
- How to soften the blow of layoffs and terminations
âManagers can be upskilled to use objective data to manage, lead, and coach better⊠When you reduce drama at work, everything gets better.â
Listen in, and take your FREE predictive assessment here.
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Davidâs academic background includes an MBA graduate from the Smith School of Business at Queenâs University, Graduate coursework at Harvard University and Graduate Adult Education coursework at the University of Toronto. David has been specializing in predictive leadership development, talent acquisition, change management and productivity with analytics for over 25 years across a variety of industries.
Under Davidâs leadership, Predictive Success was awarded to three-time Profit 500 company status. His company was also named to The Globe and Mailâs Fastest Top 400 Growing Companies List in 2019. Before founding Predictive Success Corporation, David was a Global Leader of Financial Services at Microsoft and led record growth for international business units in The United States and Canada.
David has trained over 3,000 leaders in The Predictive Index Software, is a guest lecturer at Queen's University, and is a best-selling author of âPredictive Success- Evidence Based Hiringâ (Wiley 2009) and more recently âFrom Hire to Inspireâ (ECW Press, Toronto 2020).
Learn more about Predictive Success at predictivesuccess.com. -
In this conversation, we talk to business mentor and consultant, Illana Burk about your life's work and leadership impact.
We get into:- what makes true leadership unique
- how crisis illuminates if you were "made for this"
- why "scalability" is broken
- how we weaponize coaching
- the one thing we should ask leaders (but never do)
âLeadership is a tool like a hammer, you can build beautiful things or bludgeon somebody to death with it.â
Join us for a fun conversation about big-picture leadership impact and wrestle with your answers to the questions Illana said were âsome of the best she'd ever been asked on a podcast.â
We need you out there leading because âgood leadership and good skills proliferate at any level.â
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Illana Burk has been a business mentor and consultant for more than fifteen years. She specializes in guiding clients from doing good work to leading good work using profitable, proven, values-driven business strategies for making culture changes a reality.
As host of The Good Business Podcast, Illana makes smart, experienced business learning available to as many people as possible. Illana has an MBA in Sustainable Enterprise and has worked with hundreds of business leaders across a wide range of industries all over the world proving that when good humans learn leadership, the whole world gets better.
You can learn more about Illana and her work at yourlifesworkshop.com or connect with her on social (sheâs @illanaburk in all the places). -
Crisis communication, and this conversation, are so important because everybody thinks theyâre good at crisis management but nobody knows what theyâre actually going to be like until theyâre in one.
And while we can't prevent crises from happening, we can predict and mitigate them.
Join me as I speak to top Public Relations Executive, Adele Gambardella, and former FBI Hostage Negotiator, Chip Massey about:
- How stressful situations are relative
- The hardest crisis to handle
- How to "enjoy" crisis (as much as possible, given the circumstances)
- The one thing you need to avoid in a crisis
- Tips for dealing with difficult people (from those who know--see former job titles above!)
Adele and Chip also graciously shared a couple of free resources with our listeners, you can grab them and/or check out their book, Convince Me: High-Stakes Negotiation Tactics to Get Results in Any Business Situation, here: convincingcompany.com/crisis/
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Adele Gambardella, honored as âa woman who means business,â has over 20 years of experience owning and managing her own private Top PR firm in Washington DC. She has run PR campaigns for US President Joe Biden, the CEO of Lockheed Martin Marillyn Hewson, and many more.
Adele has spearheaded major crisis PR campaigns for brands such as SAP, Verizon and Johnson & Johnson. She has also been invited to speak at the United Nations twice, where she gave 2 speeches on crisis communications.
Adele is a co-author of Convince Me: High-Stakes Negotiation Tactics to Get Results in Any Business Situation and maintains her writing chops as a contributor to the Wall Street Journal, Inc., and Entrepreneur magazines. She has taught crisis communications and business at Princeton, Cornell, George Mason, and Georgetown Universities.
An Ex-FBI hostage negotiator and special agent for 22 years, Chip Massey investigated 9/11 terrorist attacks and led the New York FBI Officeâs Crisis Negotiations Teamâin
all five boroughs.
As the Co-Owner of the Convincing Company, he teaches executives and their teams how to apply the FBIâs techniques to every workplace scenario. Clients include C-suite executives at Fortune 500 companies, including Facebook, Samsung, and Goldman Sachs. Chip is the co-author of Convince Me: High-Stakes Negotiation Tactics to Get Results
in Any Business Situation.
A natural communicator and teacher, Chip has trained FBI agents, police officers, and various federal officials in hostage negotiation techniques, de-escalation, and other law enforcement issues. Additionally, he has taught thousands of military personnel and civilians at West Point, Princeton, Cornell, Columbia, and other high-profile colleges.
You can learn more about them and their book at convincingcompany.com/crisis/.
Or, connect with them on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/convincingcompany/. -
In this episode, we talk to Dr. Jim Sellner about navigating (or as he says, surfing) personal crisis, as well as the phases of crisis (and what comes after).
We also get into empathetic communication, healthy confrontation, and some incredibly useful phrases to initiate it.
Coming from a behavioral psychologist and scientist who has navigated two kidney transplants, the wisdom he shares from what he's learned will help us all "use our heartbeats" wisely â if you want to know what that means, you've gotta listen in!
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Dr. Jimâs core purpose is to bring out the genius in you. With over 40 years of experience working with and training countless business leaders and entrepreneurs, his no-nonsense approach and ability to keep things simple inspire changes in behaviors that yield significantly better results.
As EVP, People Analytics & Talent Activation at Vivo Team, Dr. Jimâs team holds multiple gold awards from the internationally renowned Brandon Hall Group.
A respected leader, author, and speaker known for his innovation in people analytics in L&D, he has published many articles and eBooks including âLeadership for Einsteins: How Smart Leaders Bring Out the Genius in Peopleâ and âAccount-Ability: The Science of Human Performance.â
Having first trained and worked as a city planner, Jim later joined the faculty at the University of British Columbia where he went on to obtain an MA and Ph.D. in psychology. His unique psychological/behavioral perspective provides Vivo Team with a solid, practical philosophy.
You can connect with Jim on LinkedIn (/drjimsellnerphddipc). -
In this episode, we talk to brilliant return guest and organizational health and teamwork specialist Faith Clarke about celebrating difference, shifting the narrative of cultural norms, and creating a restorative work culture.
All of the data says that environment trumps individual effort every day of the week (when it comes to results). So how can we remove things that harm and habituate things that actually feed peopleâs souls?
"A restorative work culture is a culture people donât have to recover from."
We have to give space to the full human at work so we can have the capacity of the full human at work. What weâve been doing is stripping humans down to machines â and that model is no longer working for most people, teams, or companies.
Listen in for a conversation that is full, rich, necessary, and will keep you thinking about when, where, and how to change things to our benefit.
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Organizational health and teamwork specialist, Faith Clarke is committed to helping business leaders cultivate a values infused, inclusive culture where people feel like they belong so that they can deliver on their business and social impact promises. Faith is particularly passionate about inclusion for BIPOC and neurodistinct individuals, grounded in her experience as a Caribbean immigrant and as a mother of neurodistinct humans.
Faithâs background in computer engineering, doctoral research in teamwork and numerous experiences with organizations who care about their social impact helps her curate a high-touch, systematic approach to building strong teams. This approach has helped her clients improve operations, maximize productivity and increase their revenue.
Faith is a published researcher and author. She has contributed widely to publications and online shows in the US and UK, and delivers workshops and lectures in a variety of academic and professional settings.
To learn more about Faith and her work, visit faithclarke.com or connect with her on social. If this conversation resonated, you may be interested in her Restorative Culture Assessment and Design Session (focused on restorative culture topics and based on current organizational needs).
For more info/to see if itâs a fit for your organization, schedule a quick coffee chat at https://calendly.com/faithclarke/connect. -
In this episode, I chat with licensed clinical psychologist, pioneering researcher, and author, Dr. Yosi Amram about spiritual intelligence.
We dive into what it is and how to activate and develop it, as well as:
- Finding your North Star
- Our interconnectedness and interdependence
- Shifting priorities
- Leaning into evolution and growth
- Why all of this matters at work and in leadership
"When we understand our interconnectedness and interdependence, we start caring for the totality that weâre in...
Leaders with SQ have teams with more commitment, higher morale, lower turnover, and who produce better financial results...
It transforms our lives (if we let it)."
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Yosi Amram, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist, and an executive coach catering to CEOs, entrepreneurs, and other influential leaders. He has coached over 100 CEOs many of whom have built companies with thousands of employees and revenues in the billions. Previously a founder and CEO of two companies that he has led through successful IPOs.
Holding an MBA from Harvard University and a Ph.D. from Sofia University in Clinical Transpersonal Psychology, Yosi is a pioneering researcher in the field of spiritual intelligence whose research received over 1000 academic citations. He is the author of Spiritually Intelligent Leadership: How to Inspire by Being Inspired.
Yosi is committed to enabling individuals to unlock their potential through spiritual intelligence, which grows out of a profound connection to the core of oneâs existence â their spirit, where inspiration and their deepest interconnectedness reside â that enriches their overall functioning, improves their effectiveness as leaders, and enhances their wellbeing as humans.
You can learn more about his work at yosiamram.net and/or connect with him on social (LinkedIn or Facebook, he also has a YouTube channel: Awakening Spiritual Intelligence). -
"78% of people end the day feeling like they didn't have enough time."
Our guest today is author, speaker, and corporate performance expert, Peggy Sullivan who talks to us about time poverty (aka being too busy) and what we can do about it.
We discuss:
- The dangers of multitasking
- Being busy vs productive
- The importance of values
- How to get off the hamster wheel
- Peggy's 3-Step Busy-Busting Process for taking micro action to change your habits
Want less stress, more spaciousness, and "more good stuff in your life"?! Join us for a conversation about our most important asset: time.
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Peggy Sullivan is an author, keynote speaker, and corporate performance expert dedicated to eradicating Time Poverty (not having time for what is most important). Her research, as presented in her proprietary 2023 Busy Report, reveals that 78% of people are over the top busy and that over-packed schedules lead to burnout, decreased productivity, and unhappiness.
As a busyness addict in recovery, Peggy has found that there is a huge price tag that comes with busyness. Her book, "Beyond Busyness: How to Achieve More by Doing Less," provides actionable strategies and introduces her 3-Step Busy-Busting Method. This process helps people achieve peak performance, self-care, and happiness without compromising one for the other. Recognized by Forbes, FOX, CBS, and NBC, Peggy's data-driven strategies have helped individuals from global organizations like Bank of America, Google, Merrill Lynch, and BlueCross BlueShield break the cycle of busyness.
Peggy, also the founder of the nonprofit organization "SheCAN!", delivers her powerful message through speaking engagements and corporate consultations. She covers various topics, from breaking through the busyness trap to personal happiness as your superpower. Her mission is to help you take back control of your life and find the sweet spot between productivity and happiness.
To learn more about Peggy and her work visit peggysullivanspeaker.com or connect with her on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/peggyasullivan/), Facebook, or Instagram (@peggysullivanspeaker). -
Have you ever noticed that sometimes the lessons we learn donât come from where we think theyâre going to? Or that it is often the things weâd least like to repeat that shape and mold us the most?
In this episode, I talk to CEO, author and bass player, Gerald Leonard about performance in business, what he learned from a personal health crisis, and how music (jazz in particular) can inform our leadership.
We get into:
- The effects of physical constraints on work/life
- Managing stress and what HeartMath is
- 3 basics from learning to play music that apply to life/business
- How small/agile teams are like a jazz quartet
This is a fascinating conversation that meanders all over the place and will leave you with more than a few takeaways. Listen in.
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Gerald J. Leonard PMP, PfMP, and C-IQ Coach is the Publishing Editor, CEO, and Founder of the Leonard Productivity Intelligence Institute (which offers a unique approach to accomplishing more every day), as well as the CEO of Turnberry Premiere, a strategic project portfolio management and IT governance firm based in Washington, DC.
Gerald is also an Author, TEDx Speaker, management guru, and, importantly, a Bass player. He brings all these traits and skills into his work, presentations, and interviews.
To learn more about Gerald and his work, and to grab some freebies, head to https://geraldjleonard.com/crisis/
Or connect with him on LinkedIn or Facebook (@geraldjleonard). -
Have you ever noticed that what you say can make all the difference in the type of information you receive, how people respond to you/what you share, and the overall trajectory of a situation?
In this episode, I talk to the CEO and President of Letâs Grow Leaders, Karin Hurt and David Dye about dealing with workplace conflict, communication in conflict, and the greatest-of-all-time power phrases you can rely on to achieve your desired outcomes.
Youâll also learn about The 4 Dimensions of Healthy Conflict â since not all conflict is destructive. When handled correctly, it can be an incredible catalyst for engagement, creativity, and innovation.
Letâs dive in!
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Karin Hurt and David Dye help human-centered leaders find clarity in uncertainty, drive innovation, and achieve breakthrough results. As CEO and President of Letâs Grow Leaders, they are known for practical tools and leadership development programs that stick. Karin and David's many books include Courageous Cultures: How to Build Teams of Micro-Innovators, Problem Solvers, and Customer Advocates, and a new book coming out in May 2024, Powerful Phrases for Dealing With Workplace Conflict: What to Say Next to Destress the Workday, Build Collaboration and Calm Difficult Customers.
A former Verizon Wireless executive, Karin was named to Inc. Magazineâs list of great leadership speakers. David Dye is a former executive and elected official. Karin and David are committed to their philanthropic initiative, Winning Wells â building clean water wells for the people of Cambodia.
Learn more about their work and pre-order the book at letsgrowleaders.com. -
Welcome to a 2023 Year in Review! In this episode, we flip the script and CĂ©line is the featured guest (interviewed by her podcast manager, Erin).
Get a behind-the-scenes look at:
- CĂ©lineâs biggest takeaways from the year
- Our favorite guests and conversations
- Whatâs changed (or hasnât) in the leadership space
- Some topics and themes that are top of mind going into 2024
- CĂ©lineâs secret BFF and dream guest list
As Leading Through Crisis heads into its fourth year and approaches its 100th episode, the thing we most want to convey is a big, juicy THANK YOU. Thank you for listening and engaging this last year. It is so cool to hear about what matters to different people in different ways and to highlight the folks that we do. We are so appreciative of your support!
*After this episode, weâll take a short break but will be back with more good stuff soon! Donât forget to subscribe to the show (wherever you consume your podcast content), sign up for the newsletter (at leadingthroughcrisis.ca, scroll to the bottom), and keep suggesting guests, listening, and sharing with your friends.
Hereâs to another year of GREAT conversations! -
In this weekâs episode, weâre talking to Entrepreneur, Investor & CEO Andrew Swiler about his experience taking over a Ukranian company 3 months after the war started. We get into the types of things they were dealing with and how they led through it, as well as what they learned.
The company, Lanteria, is a Human Resources Management System (HRMS) software so we also discuss what that is, what it can do, the opportunities that exist in that space right now, and why it matters.
âOne of the unique things about HR software is that itâs one of the only pieces of software (besides email) that everyone in the company will touch at some point⊠HRMS is a tool. But, if itâs set up well, it could be a step towards making your company the most high-performing.â
This is a conversation about compassionate, growth-focused leadership, human resources/management, and retention. And, it really highlights leading through a crisis, like war, that affects everyone. I hope youâll join us for this one.
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Andrew Swiler has been an entrepreneur for 10 years. Working across several software verticals. Andrew is a strategic entrepreneur and investor. He is currently the CEO of Lanteria, a leading HR software for Microsoft users headquartered in Seattle, WA.
To learn more about Lanteria visit https://www.lanteria.com/. To connect with Andrew, seek him out on Twitter (https://twitter.com/swilera) or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/swiler/). -
In this weekâs episode, weâre talking to coach, consultant, and founder of Grow Better Together, Gen Retzlaff about the need for more balanced leadership in the world â and how the traits often missing are those perceived as more feminine.
This is, in some ways, a conversation about binaries and the spectrum that exists between two extremes, but itâs also about being more aware of what you donât have or arenât operating in that could make you a better leader (or your team a better team, your organization a better organization, etc.).
Finally, itâs about what folks can do to explore how they can step more fully into leadership if theyâve been shying away from it and what those currently in power can do to help cultivate diversity and be more collaborative.
It would be wonderful if some of these more slow-burn issues and crises would solve themselves. But, since they wonât, itâs on us to take action and be part of the solution.
I hope youâll listen and that this conversation ignites or inspires something in you.
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GeneviĂšve Retzlaff, or Gen as she's widely known, stands as the driving force behind Grow Better Together. With a mission centered on organizational transformation and the reduction of employee turnover, Gen leverages her 15 years of HR experience and holds certification as a transformational and team performance coach (PCC & CTPC).
Gen's sole passion is to introduce people to the profound impact of coaching, helping them enhance their influence on the world. She's particularly drawn to empowering women to overcome the prevalent underrepresentation in corporate boardrooms and the imposter syndrome struggles they face.
Having witnessed these challenges firsthand, Gen excels at identifying and eliminating limiting beliefs. She specializes in guiding women to step into leadership roles, serving as inspiring role models for emerging professionals. At Grow Better Together, Gen is at the forefront of creating organizational change while addressing the issue of employee turnover, fostering a future where women in leadership roles are more commonplace.
To learn more about Gen and her work, visit grow-better-together.com, connect with her on Pick My Brain (https://www.pickmybrain.world/profiles/genevieve-retzlaff), or LinkedIn. -
In this episode, we're talking about (and to) front-line managers with leadership development expert, Summer Davies.
Middle management is essential to our organizations because they know our clients, customers, products, and brands better than anyone. They see crisis, change, or potential risks first â and are often the ones who have the most important and creative solutions.
In this conversation, we discuss a couple of their biggest hindrances (the ability to prioritize well, while communicating upward and downward, as well as micromanaging).
We explore how to check in and know whether you're doing either, as well as some practical solutions to address both, change the environment, and get the best results from your team.
I hope you'll join us!
And, if you know a front-line manager, give them some work-appropriate love â they need it.
*If you are one, thank you for ALL that you do. We see and appreciate you!
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Summer Davies is an award-winning leadership development expert with over 15 years of experience. She helps burgeoning leaders develop the mindset and tactical skills to lead with impact, confidence, empowerment, and a genuine love for what they do. As a lifelong equestrian, beekeeper, and sub-par snowboarder, Summer brings a unique perspective and sense of urgency to Leadership Development conversations.
Based in Parker, Colorado, she lives with her husband and two beautiful daughters, and together they love to travel, explore local breweries, and indulge in their passion for food trucks. Tune in to hear her inspiring journey from unexpected leadership to a passion-driven career in coaching and empowering others to become the leaders they aspire to be.
Check Summer out at www.leader-shop.com or follow her on LinkedIn for more!
FREE Micromanager Assessment
https://www.leader-shop.com/home#micromanagerassessment -
Dr. Bev Kaye is recognized, internationally, as one of the most knowledgeable and practical professionals in the areas of career development and employee engagement/retention. She has won five lifetime achievement awards for her work and, today, we have the pleasure of talking to her about:
- Talent mobility
- The importance of unpacking and anchoring experiences
- Acknowledging and learning from mistakes
- How to facilitate safety and growth, as a leader
- Why external validation can be lacking
As Bev shares and T.S. Eliot said, "The sad thing is to have the experience and miss the meaning."
Slow down and listen to this episode. You won't be sorry!
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Dr. Beverly Kaye is recognized internationally as one of the most knowledgeable and practical professionals in the areas of career development and employee engagement/retention. Her contribution to the field of engagement and retention includes the Wall Street Journal bestseller, Love âEm or Lose âEm: Getting Good People to Stay, which is now in its 6th edition. Her recent books in the career development field include Up is Not the Only Way and Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go, which provided overwhelmed managers with a way to blend career conversations into their everyday routines.
In 2018, ATD honored Beverly Kaye with their Lifetime Achievement Award recognizing "her advanced knowledge and extensive practice across the talent development field." In 2018, ISA awarded Dr. Kaye their Thought Leadership Award for her body of work in the support of work-related learning and performance. In 2019, IMS awarded Dr. Beverly Kaye its Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions to the field of career development and employee engagement. In 2019, the Best Practice Institute awarded Beverly Kaye with the Lifetime Achievement Award based on her significant contributions as a founder of the field of career development. In 2022, i4CP awarded Beverly Kaye their 2022 Industry Legend Award in appreciation of her outstanding contributions and commitment to the field of human resources and leadership.
To learn more about Bev and her work visit bevkaye.com or connect with her on LinkedIn. -
In this episode, licensed clinical psychologist, emotional intelligence skills training expert, and bestselling author of The Holy Shit Series, Dr. J.J. Kelly (aka The Punk Rock Doc), talks to us about how to process anger, release emotions, and cut the bullshit to increase our emotional intelligence.
Join us as we get into:
- The misunderstanding and avoidance of anger in our society
- Why anger is necessary and how to manage it well
- Dismantling systems that don't serve us
- The best time to go into conflict
- A simple formula for assertiveness
and so much more
Conversations with J.J. tend to leave a lasting impression and this one certainly does that -- it's the butt-kicking we didn't know we all needed!
Here's why it's particularly important for leaders:
"To be exposed to someone who doesn't crumble in the face of rage or anger is such a comforting redirect for people. They learn not everybody's gonna die if you're mad at them." Then, you can model for them how to act right and build their own emotional intelligence.
Listen in and see what this episode triggers for you.
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Dr. J.J. Kelly, The Punk Rock Doc, is a licensed clinical psychologist, emotional intelligence skills training expert, and bestselling author of The Holy Shit Series. J.J. is also the CEO & Founder of UnorthoDocs, Inc., a punk alternative to traditional psychotherapy. Dr. Kelly and the unortho âdocsâ live their lives with the belief that global healing is achieved by teaching people the skills to like themselves. âHappy People Act Right!â - Dr. J.J. Kelly, The Punk Rock Doc
You can learn more about or connect with J.J. on her website at https://www.drjjkelly.com/ or on Instagram @drjjkelly. - Vis mere
