Coaching for Leaders

David Burkus: Best Team Ever! David Burkus is the bestselling author of four books about business and leadership which have won multiple awards and been translated into dozens of languages. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, USAToday, Fast Company, the Financial Times, and many other media outlets. Since 2017, David has been ranked multiple times as one of the world’s top business thought leaders. As a sought-after international speaker, his TED Talk has been viewed over two million times. He has worked with leaders from organizations across all industries, including PepsiCo, Fidelity, Clorox, Adobe, and NASA. He's the author of Best Team Ever!: The Surprising Science of High-Performing Teams*. There are many things that help teams work well together, but perhaps you haven’t thought of this one: clarity. Knowing what is being done and who’s doing it often helps a team achieve more. In this conversation, David and I discuss the practical steps to surface more clarity and drive better performance. Key Points Casting a leadership vision is important, but insufficient. It’s not helpful to expect a team to figure out roles and responsibilities on their own. Teams work best when they understand how each individual works best. Clarity increased performance. Hold huddles using these three questions: (1) What did I just complete? (2) What am I focused on next? and (3) What is blocking my progress? Consider communicating in bursts to allow for people to retreat into less interrupted time for deeper work. Establish priorities and consistently make those priorities clear so they are obvious and apparent to the team. Resources Mentioned Best Team Ever!: The Surprising Science of High-Performing Teams* by David Burkus Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes An Astronaut’s Guide to Life On Earth, with Chris Hadfield (episode 149) How to Make Deep Work Happen, with Cal Newport (episode 233) How Great Teams Find Purpose, with David Burkus (episode 481) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Heather Younger: The Art of Active Listening Heather Younger is an experienced international keynote speaker, best-selling author, CEO, and Founder of Employee Fanatix. Known as The Employee Whisperer, Heather harnesses humor, warmth, and an instant relatability to engage and uplift audiences and inspire them into action. She is a Certified Diversity Professional, certified in Emotional and Social Intelligence and DiSC, and is also the author of three books. Her previous best-selling book, The Art of Caring Leadership: How Leading with Heart Uplifts Teams and Organizations, was praised for offering powerful insights for developing authentic, thoughtful, and purposeful leaders and change-makers. She's the author of The Art of Active Listening: How People at Work Feel Heard, Valued, and Understood*. When you know how to listen, people will share more. We may or may not always be able to resolve every concern, but we can be sure others are heard. In this conversation, Heather and I discuss how we can shift from listening for what we want to hear towards listening for what we need to learn. Key Points Some issues can only be resolved through better listening. That alone makes this a critical skill for leaders. When you know how to listen, people will bring things to you. Listen for not what you want to hear but what you want to learn. Listening is not just about what’s been said, but also about what is seen. Get beyond simply, “What I hear you saying is…” Some leaders have a fear about the direction that a response might take a conversation. Remember that often people first and foremost want to be heard, regardless of what happens next. Nobody is ready to listen at every moment. Taking time to center yourself for a conversation in a few minutes or later in the day can be helpful for both parties. Resources Mentioned The Art of Active Listening: How People at Work Feel Heard, Valued, and Understood* by Heather Younger Art of Active Listening Certification Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes The Way to Have Conversations That Matter, with Celeste Headlee (episode 344) Four Habits That Derail Listening, with Oscar Trimboli (episode 500) How to Help Others Be Seen and Heard, with Scott Shigeoka (episode 654) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Sheila Heen: Difficult Conversations Sheila Heen is the Thaddeus R. Beal Professor of Practice at Harvard Law School, a Deputy Director of the Harvard Negotiation Project, and a founder of Triad Consulting Group. She often works with executive teams to engage conflict productively, repair working relationships, and implement change in complex organizations. She has published articles in The New York Times and the Harvard Business Review and appeared on Oprah, CNBC’s Power Lunch, and NPR. She is coauthor along with Douglas Stone of The New York Times bestseller Thanks for the Feedback and also now, in its third edition, co-author with Douglas Stone and Bruce Patton of the iconic bestseller, Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most*. When our intentions are good, it’s hard to appreciate how we could have had such negative impact on someone else. It’s equally challenging to navigate a tough conversation when someone else’s words or actions have wronged us, even if that’s not what they intended. In this conversation, Sheila and I discuss how to shift just a bit to help our difficult conversations go better. Key Points Intent does not equal impact. It’s a mistake to assume that we know the other party's intentions. It’s a mistake to assume that good intentions erase bad impact. Prevent the first mistake by attempting to separate intent from impact. Use these three questions: Actions: What did the other person actually say or do? Impact: What was the impact of this on me? Assumption: Based on this impact, what assumption am I making about what the other person intended? To present the second mistake, listen first for feelings before sharing intent. It’s helpful also to reflect on your own intent, which may not always be as pure as initially recognized. Resources Mentioned Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most* by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, and Sheila Heen Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes How to Get Way Better at Accepting Feedback, with Sheila Heen (episode 143) How to Begin Difficult Conversations About Race, with Kwame Christian (episode 594) How to Deal With Passive-Aggressive People, Amy Gallo (episode 595) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Scott Shigeoka: Seek Scott Shigeoka is an internationally recognized curiosity expert, speaker, and author. He is known for translating research into strategies that promote positive well-being and connected relationships around the globe, including at the UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center and through his popular courses at the University of Texas at Austin. Scott implements his curiosity practices with leaders in the public sector, Fortune 500 companies, Hollywood, media organizations, education institutions, and small businesses. He is the author of Seek: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World*. Often we think about curiosity as a way to get information. And yes, it does do that, but there’s a much bigger opportunity that many leaders miss — taking the next step with curiosity to actually help connect better with others. In this episode, Scott and I highlight four phrases that will help you do that better. Key Points It’s a mistake to limit the purpose of curiosity to only information gathering. Deep curiosity can be one of the best ways to create connection. Saying, “I don’t know,” may elicit fear in a lot of us, but leaders who can do this are often perceived and more competent in their work. The invitation to, “Tell me more,” is a way to respond to a bid from someone for attention that opens to door to feeling seen and heard. Even if you don’t literally say the words, “I understand that you're more than your job,” making that clear in your conversations helps limit work-life conflict and uncovers better ways to support others. We tend to have a bias in the workplace for the people who traditionally have the “answers.” Asking, “Who else?” opens the door to surfacing the best ideas, regardless of who they originate with. Resources Mentioned Seek: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World* by Scott Shigeoka 4 Phrases That Build a Culture of Curiosity by Scott Shigeoka Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes How to Be Present, with Dave Crenshaw (episode 511) How to Inspire More Curiosity, with Shannon Minifie (episode 520) How to Genuinely Show Up for Others, with Marshall Goldsmith (episode 590) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Adam Bryant: The Leap to Leader Adam Bryant is Senior Managing Director and Partner at the ExCo Group, where he works with hundreds of senior leaders and high-potential executives. As the creator and former author of the iconic “Corner Office” column in The New York Times, Adam has mastered the art of distilling real-world lessons from his hundreds of interviews and turning them into practical tools, presentations, and exercises to help companies deepen their leadership benches and strengthen their teams. Adam works with executive leadership teams to help drive their transformation strategies, based on a best-practices framework he developed for his widely praised book, The CEO Test. He's also the author of The Leap to Leader: How Ambitious Managers Make the Jump to Leadership*. Many of us have our career trajectories planned out in our minds. While we know it’s not going to happen exactly the way we’ve planned, it’s still jarring when we find ourselves on a different path — or presented with a different opportunity — than we anticipated. In this episode, Adam and I discuss the mindsets and actions that will help you take the next step in your career. Key Points There can be a large gap between how assertive you are and how people perceive you. Think about your career like a pyramid — building a strong foundation across many areas of practice. Bloom where you are planted. Don’t just solve the problem your manager tells you to solve. Find (and start solving) the bigger problem that isn’t even on the radar screen of senior leadership. Use these words: “I need your help.” When seeking advice in the context of someone that might mentor you, make your ask specific and then loop back to share what you did with their advice. When someone asks how you are, instead of just saying “fine,” tell a story about what you’re working on. Peer relationships are a common blind spot. Early promotions may come from your manager, but higher level promotions comes moreso from the relationships with your peers. Resources Mentioned The Leap to Leader: How Ambitious Managers Make the Jump to Leadership* by Adam Bryant Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes How to Nail a Job Transition, with Sukhinder Singh Cassidy (episode 555) How to Start a Big Leadership Role, with Carol Kauffman (episode 617) How to Start Better With Peers, with Michael Bungay Stanier (episode 635) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders 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 Tony asked our opinion on his plan to have the team provide feedback to each other directly. Lean wondered about alternatives to the nine box talent mapping framework that some organizations use. Qasim noted that leadership can sometimes feel thankless and asked if we had any rituals to help minimize this. Resources Mentioned FeedForward: Coaching for Behavioral Change by Marshall Goldsmith What Is the 9-Box Model? by Brian Anderson Warning: This Is Not Your Grandfather’s Talent Planning featuring Kim Scott Related Episodes How to Get Way Better at Accepting Feedback, with Sheila Heen (episode 143) How to Process Your 360 Feedback, with Tom Henschel (episode 341) Your Leadership Motive, with Patrick Lencioni (episode 505) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Kirstin Ferguson: Head & Heart Kirstin Ferguson is a company director, columnist, keynote speaker, and executive coach. Beginning her career as an officer in the Royal Australian Air Force, Kirstin has held roles that have included chief executive officer of an international consulting firm, and acting chair and deputy chair of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. She has sat on boards of both publicly-listed and privately-listed companies for more than a decade. Kirstin has a PhD in leadership and in 2021 was named one of Thinkers50’s top thinkers to watch. In 2023, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for her significant service to business and gender equality. She writes a weekly column on leadership and work in the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, and is also a contributor to the Australian Financial Review and to Forbes. She is the author of Head & Heart: The Art of Modern Leadership*. It’s often apparent when someone else doesn’t a read a room, but much harder to see it in ourselves. In this conversation, Kirstin and I discuss how we can do a better job of either literally or figuratively reading the room. Plus, we explore several of the actions leaders can take to do a better job at being more proactive at moving beyond their own perspective. Key Points Memory is different than perception. A study by Adrian de Groot shows that chess grandmasters reply more on the former for reading things quickly. Perception is an ongoing process vs. something any of us arrive at. A study of medical residents shows four ways we tend to approach situations: stalled, fixated, adaptive, or vagabonds. Vagabonds in particular look at a wide range of possibilities, but don’t fully explore or rule out paths forward. Zoom out to seek broad input. That’s especially important when the stakes are high. Also important is to get perspective outside of your industry. Reading books from different disciplines is one starting point. Leaders needs to also recognize that people in the room are reading you as well. There’s an element of partnership that shapes how the room moves forward. Resources Mentioned Head & Heart: The Art of Modern Leadership by Kirstin Ferguson Head & Heart Leader Scale by Kirstin Ferguson Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes How to Start Seeing Around Corners, with Rita McGrath (episode 430) Leadership in the Midst of Chaos, with Jim Mattis (episode 440) The Way to Get Noticed by Key Stakeholders, with Daphne E. Jones (episode 614) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Emily Field: Power to the Middle Emily Field is a partner at McKinsey & Company. She works with leaders to shape data-driven organizational strategies designed to achieve business objectives, establish talent management as a distinctive advantage, and secure the human resources function as a driver of business value. Emily has worked with companies across industries, leading initiatives to transform the way organizations work. She puts particular emphasis on helping to establish a talent-first approach, instilling a high-performance culture, and adopting effective people-analytics approaches. She is the co-author along with Bill Schaninger and Bryan Hancock of Power to the Middle: Why Managers Hold the Keys to the Future of Work*. As anybody who’s worked in middle management can attest, it’s one of the hardest jobs you’ll ever have. Too often we take middle management for granted, but organizations that learn how to better support middle managers can leverage their power and expertise to do a lot of good. In this conversation, Emily and I highlight the challenges of middle management, the unique value the middle managers bring to organizations, and the steps senior leaders can take to better support middle managers. Key Points Middle managers often have less power and control than the people who report to them. This results in them not feeling like they are set up for success. The “player-coach” model of managers doing individual contributor work can be useful, but it’s critical for organizations to be mindful that the work is uniquely suited for a manager to do. Rather than promoting the best middle managers out of their roles, promote from within. Reward top middle managers who decide to make their positions a destination, not just a waypoint. As technology and AI changed the nature of work, middle managers are uniquely qualified to know how to best rebundle jobs and redistribute talent. A key question for senior leadership to answer: What do we want middle managers to be doing? Resources Mentioned Power to the Middle: Why Managers Hold the Keys to the Future of Work* by Emily Field, Bill Schaninger, and Bryan Hancock Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes How to Multiply Your Impact, with Liz Wiseman (episode 554) How Top Leaders Influence Great Teamwork, with Scott Keller (episode 585) The Questions to Help Figure Out Hybrid and Remote Work, with Jim Harter (episode 646) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

David Rogers: The Digital Transformation Roadmap David Rogers is the world’s leading expert on digital transformation, a member of the faculty at Columbia Business School, and the author of five books. His previous landmark bestseller, The Digital Transformation Playbook, was the first book on digital transformation and put the topic on the map. David has helped companies around the world transform their business for the digital age, working with senior leaders at many of the largest corporations and he's been featured in The New York Times, The Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Economist. In his newest book, The Digital Transformation Roadmap*, David tackles the barriers behind the 70% of businesses that fail in their own digital efforts and offers a five-step roadmap to rebuild any organization for continuous digital change. Most of us have heard that leading change requires highlighting a problem, deciding on a clear vision, and then cascading that vision down. In this conversation, David and I discuss how those actions alone often result failed outcomes. Instead, we highlight what a shared vision really is and how we can do a better job of helping the entire organization respond better to change. Key Points Most digital transformations fail because they focus too much on technology and not enough on the actual organizational challenges. Selling a problem is negative urgency. It’s important as a component of change, but insufficient alone. Successful change leaders also embrace positive urgency. A north star helps leaders and their organizations get clear on the “why” instead of simply the “what.” Once defined, thoughtful debate on measurement brings alignment and empowerment. It’s a mistake for vision to only come from the top. Vision should exist at every level. Avoid thinking about vision as cascading down. If anything, vision should be cascade up. How conversation happens at each juncture will define how well this works — or doesn’t. Resources Mentioned The Digital Transformation Roadmap* by David Rogers The Digital Transformation Playbook* by David Rogers David Rogers on Digital newsletter Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes How to Pivot Quickly, with Steve Blank (episode 476) Engaging People Through Change, with Cassandra Worthy (episode 571) Doing Better Than Zero Sum-Thinking, with Renée Mauborgne (episode 641) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Jacob Morgan: Leading With Vulnerability Jacob Morgan is a trained futurist and one of the world’s leading authorities on leadership, the future of work, and employee experience. He speaks in front of tens of thousands of people each year and his content is seen over a million times annually. He is the best-selling author of five books: The Future Leader, The Employee Experience Advantage, The Future of Work, and The Collaborative Organization. He speaks at over 50 conferences a year including TED Academy which is one of the largest TED events in the world. Jacob provides advisory and thought leadership services to organizations around the world. He has created tons of educational videos and articles found at Great Leadership With Jacob Morgan and host of the Great Leadership with Jacob Morgan podcast. He’s the author of the new book, Leading With Vulnerability: How to Unlock Your Greatest Superpower to Transform Yourself, Your Team, and Your Organization. Most of us have heard that we should show vulnerability, but we don’t necessary know how to do this in the workplace. In addition, many leaders mistakenly show vulnerability without connecting it back to leadership. In this episode, Jacob and I explore where leaders go wrong, discuss how to do better, and demonstrate exactly what real vulnerability sounds like. Key Points Vulnerability + Leadership = Vulnerable Leadership. While this equation may seem obvious, many leaders mistakingly lean into vulnerability without also articulating leadership. Vulnerability without leadership can land awkwardly and potentially calls to question your credibility as a leader. Go beyond just admitting a mistake; share what was learned from that mistake. In the same way, talk about personal challenges for the purpose of connecting, creating trust, and relating to others. Ask yourself this question as a starting point for ensuring you are also leading: “What’s my reason for sharing what I’m about to share?” Vulnerability for leaders is not the same as it is for everybody else. Resources Mentioned Leading With Vulnerability: How to Unlock Your Greatest Superpower to Transform Yourself, Your Team, and Your Organization by Jacob Morgan Great Leadership With Jacob Morgan Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes Use Power for Good and Not Evil, with Dacher Keltner (episode 254) How to Use Power Responsibly, with Vanessa Bohns (episode 551) The Four Storytelling Mistakes Leaders Make, with David Hutchens (episode 553) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders 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 Lisa asks about the best ways to hold others accountable when you don’t have positional authority. John wonders about our perspective on dealing with narcissists in the workplace. Patrick is curious how we might (or might not) mediate a conflict between two employees. Priya notices the focus on underperforms in organizations and asks how this tendency might get shifted a bit. Resources Mentioned The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People* by Stephen R. Covey The Success Factor* by Ruth Gotian The 6 Types of Working Genius* by Patrick Lencioni Related Episodes How to Handle a Boss Who’s a Jerk, with Tom Henschel (episode 164) How to Influence Many Stakeholders, with Andy Kaufman (episode 240) How to Benefit From Conflict, with Susan Gerke (episode 263) How to Lead Meetings That Get Results, with Mamie Kanfer Stewart (episode 358) How to Lead and Retain High Performers, with Ruth Gotian (episode 567) How to Help Team Members Find the Right Work, with Patrick Lencioni (episode 610) How to Start Better With Peers, with Michael Bungay Stanier (episode 635) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Jim Harter: Culture Shock Jim Harter is Chief Scientist for the Workplace at Gallup. He has led more than 1,000 studies of workplace effectiveness, including the largest ongoing meta-analysis of human potential and business unit performance. He's the bestselling author of 12: The Elements of Great Managing, Wellbeing: The Five Essential Elements, Wellbeing at Work and the #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller It’s the Manager. Jim has also published articles in many prominent business and academic journals. He's also the author now of Gallup's book with Jim Clifton titled Culture Shock: An unstoppable force is changing how we work and live. Gallup’s solution to the biggest leadership issue of our time*. Virtually every professional team is navigating some aspect of return to office and how that works best for their organization. In this conversation, Jim and I highlight the key findings from Gallup that have emerged in the data since the pandemic started. Plus, we explore the questions that managers can ask in order help this transition work better for everyone. Key Points Managers should consider these key questions to help employees and teams move towards smart autonomy: Which parts of your job can you do best at home? Which parts of your job can you do best at the office? When have you created exceptional value for our customers? When do you feel most connected to our organization’s culture? In addition: Less than 5% of people in the United States worked from home in 2019. Today the number is six times larger and nearly seven in 10 full-time employees in the United States prefer some type of remote work arrangement. Number of days in the office is important, but matters less than other factors. Most associated with high levels of employee engagement is the practice of a work team deciding together (the option companies used the least). Splitters and blenders represent two different ways of approaching work and the populate tends to divide equally on this preference (even across generations). Knowing where people land will help engage them better in the workplace. Managers account for 70% of the variance in team engagement. A key habit for a manager is one meaningful conversation per week with each employee. Less important is the time of interaction and more important it the quality. Smaller amounts of time discussion recognition, goals, and strengths can be more impactful than more time that doesn’t do this. Resources Mentioned Culture Shock: An unstoppable force is changing how we work and live. Gallup’s solution to the biggest leadership issue of our time* by Jim Clifton and Jim Harter Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes Gallup Findings on the Changing Nature of Work, with Jim Harter (episode 409) How to Engage Remote Teams, with Tsedal Neeley (episode 537) Effective Hybrid Team Management, with Hassan Osman (episode 570) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Jacqueline Farrington: The Non-Obvious Guide to Better Presentations Jacqueline Farrington has over 20 years experience as a change maker, empowering leaders and their teams to spark transformation and innovation through communications. Known for her direct, yet supportive and science-backed approach, Jacqueline works with senior and board-level leaders as the founder and president of Farrington Partners. She blends her experience in the performing arts, vocal pedagogy, communications, psychology, and organizational and executive coaching to help her clients find unique communication solutions. Her clients include multinationals such as Amazon and Microsoft, as well as startups and nonprofits. She proudly served for many years as TEDxSeattle’s Senior Speaker Coach, where she sourced, vetted, and prepared speakers for yearly sold-out audiences. She was thrilled to see several speakers from that event move on to the global TED stage. In addition to teaching at Yale, she has lectured and taught at the London Business School, Rutgers University, and Imperial College. Jacqueline in the author of The Non-Obvious Guide to Better Presentations: How to Present Like a Pro (Virtually or in Person)*. We all know we should practice before a big presentation, but how you practice makes a big difference on whether you just feel more prepared…or actually are. In this episode, Jacqueline and I explore how to rehearse so you perform better. Key Points A presentation is a performance. Just like any performance, how you rehearse is critical for your success. Great presenters look relaxed and natural and unrehearsed because they have practiced over and over again. Internalizing your talk is like driving home. You know the route so well, you can take any turn you want and still arrive at the same house. Use a memory palace to recall point during your presentation. This also provides and easy path to adjust timing and content when changes inevitably come. Create controlled stress for yourself during rehearsals. This surfaces where to get better and also helps you respond more effectively when actual stresses come up when presenting. Review your work objectively to decide how to improve your message. It’s helpful to think about watching a recording of someone else so that you can better surface what to change. Resources Mentioned The Non-Obvious Guide to Better Presentations: How to Present Like a Pro (Virtually or in Person)* by Jacqueline Farrington Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes How to Engage With Humor, with David Nihill (episode 245) The Way to Influence Executives, with Nancy Duarte (episode 450) The Way to Make Sense to Others, with Tom Henschel (episode 518) 3 Better Ways to Start a Presentation (Dave’s Journal) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Lesson 5: What’s one thing you’d suggest? Getting feedback from others is never easy. In this lesson, discover a question that will make it more likely you’ll get the feedback that will help you move forward. Academy Applications Close Friday, September 8th The Academy is an intimate cohort of participant leaders who work personally with me to accelerate their leadership development and organizational results. Discover more and submit your application by Friday, September 8th. Resources Feedforward: Coaching For Behavioral Change by Marshall Goldsmith Related Episodes How to Get Way Better at Accepting Feedback, with Sheila Heen (episode 143) How to Use Power Responsibly, with Vanessa Bohns (episode 551) The Way to Get People Talking, with Andrew Warner (episode 560) How to Help People Speak Truth to Power, with Megan Reitz (episode 597) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Lesson 4: What’s the next step? Indicators can help keep you determine if you’re on the right track. This lesson shows how to create these indicators and why they are critical for your success. Academy Applications Close Friday, September 8th The Academy is an intimate cohort of participant leaders who work personally with me to accelerate their leadership development and organizational results. Discover more and submit your application by Friday, September 8th. Resources How to Get Traction With a New Habit Related Episodes Getting Things Done, with David Allen (episode 184) Six Tactics for Extraordinary Performance, with Morten Hansen (episode 337) Making Challenging Subjects Fun, with Ainissa Ramirez (Teaching in Higher Ed) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Lesson 3: How will you know you’re on the right track? Changing behavior is part of moving forward — but it’s often hard to notice progress. In this lesson, a key question that will help people stay motivated when making change. Academy Applications Close Friday, September 8th The Academy is an intimate cohort of participant leaders who work personally with me to accelerate their leadership development and organizational results. Discover more and submit your application by Friday, September 8th. Resources How to Get Traction With a New Habit Related Episodes How to Help People Engage in Growth, with Whitney Johnson (episode 576) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Lesson 2: What’s an example of this? When it’s not clear what’s being discussed, it’s hard to know what to do next. In this lesson, a simple question that can open up a lot more detail to help everyone move forward. Academy Applications Close Friday, September 8th The Academy is an intimate cohort of participant leaders who work personally with me to accelerate their leadership development and organizational results. Discover more and submit your application by Friday, September 8th. Resources The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People* by Stephen Covey Related Episodes How to Discover What Others Value, with Joe Hart (episode 616) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Lesson 1: How so? Just two simple words can get people saying so much more. In this lesson, you’ll discover the way a question like, “How so?” can be so powerful for both others and you. Academy Applications Close Friday, September 8th The Academy is an intimate cohort of participant leaders who work personally with me to accelerate their leadership development and organizational results. Discover more and submit your application by Friday, September 8th. Resources The Coaching Habit* by Michael Bungay Stanier Related Episodes These Coaching Questions Get Results, with Michael Bungay Stanier (episode 237) The Way to Be More Coach-Like, with Michael Bungay Stanier (episode 458) How to Inspire More Curiosity, with Shannon Minifie (episode 520) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Eduardo Briceño: The Performance Paradox Eduardo Briceño is a global keynote speaker and facilitator who guides many of the world’s leading companies in developing cultures of learning and high performance. Earlier in his career, he was the co-founder and CEO of Mindset Works, the first company to offer growth mindset development services. Previously, he was a venture capital investor with the Sprout Group. His TED Talk, How to Get Better at the Things You Care About, and his prior TEDx Talk, The Power of Belief, have been viewed more than nine million times. He is a Pahara-Aspen Fellow, a member of the Aspen Institute’s Global Leadership Network, and an inductee in the Happiness Hall of Fame. He is the author of The Performance Paradox: Turning the Power of Mindset Into Action*. Many of us have heard the invitation in recent years to have a growth mindset — but how do you establish this for an entire team? In this episode, Eduardo and I explore his research on systemizing the learning zone to help teams perform at the highest levels. Plus, we explore tactical shifts that managers can make in order to align intention with reality. Key Points In order for teams to performance at top levels, they need to spend intentional time in both the performance zone and the learning zone. Internal competition can hold back teams from learning — and can over focusing on the present instead of the future. Systemizing the learning zone helps build a culture where this is expected and normal. Setting expectations for feedback, role plays, and study groups are a few of the many ways organizations can do this. Eliminate forced ranking systems, as they often over-perpetuate a culture of performance only vs. performance and learning together. Include learning goals in professional development, not only performance goals. This normalizes and systemizes the learning zone as a critical part of work. Resources Mentioned The Performance Paradox: Turning the Power of Mindset Into Action by Eduardo Briceño How to Get Better at the Things You Care About by Eduardo Briceño (TEDx talk) Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes Six Tactics for Extraordinary Performance, with Morten Hansen (episode 337) How to Build Psychological Safety, with Amy Edmondson (episode 404) The Way to Make Struggles More Productive, with Sarah Stein Greenberg (episode 569) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Mark Bowden: Winning Body Language Mark Bowden is a world-renowned body language expert, keynote speaker, and bestselling author. Voted three times by Global Gurus’ as the #1 Body Language Professional in the world, Mark’s unique GesturePlane™ system of nonverbal communication helps audiences maximize the power of using their own body language to stand out, win trust, and gain credibility every time they communicate. As the founder of communication training company TRUTHPLANE®, Mark’s live and virtual keynote speeches and training prove invaluable to business leaders and teams from influential companies including Zoom, Shopify, Toyota, KPMG, American Express, the US Army and NATO; and prime ministers of G7 nations. His bestselling books on body language and human behavior are: Winning Body Language*, Winning Body Language for Sales Professionals*, Tame the Primitive Brain*, and Truth & Lies, What People are Really Thinking*. His highly acclaimed TEDx talk The Importance of Being In-Authentic continues to reach millions of people, as does his own YouTube Channel. Most professionals are on video more these days than they ever thought they would be. As a result, making the best first impression on camera is more essential to our work than ever before. In this conversation, Mark and I explore several of the key principles that will help us start better in virtual interactions. Key Points We make judgment calls very quickly depending on how someone shows up visually. It's your duty to influence and persuade — and we all do this in some way already to change outcomes. While we’re used to viewing content on screen (television, movies, YouTube) we aren’t used to interacting and collaborating on screen. Use video in short, consistent ways. Tools like Loom can help us do on camera what we already know works well in person: regular interaction. Your smile can set the tone for an interaction and it’s important to use a visual aid to remind you of this if you’re staring at black boxes on screen. Bring your gestures into the camera frame. Gestures that match the cadence and rhythm can help connect your audience with your message. Resources Mentioned Winning Body Language* by Mark Bowden Truth and Lies*: What People Are Really Thinking by Mark Bowden and Tracey Thomson The Importance Of Being Inauthentic by Mark Bowden (TEDx talk) Best Tips for Virtual Presentations by Mark Bowden (YouTube) Mark Bowden on LinkedIn Related Episodes These Coaching Questions Get Results, with Michael Bungay Stanier (episode 237) The Way to Influence Executives, with Nancy Duarte (episode 450) The Way to Make Sense to Others, with Tom Henschel (episode 518) Moving Towards Meetings of Significance, with Seth Godin (episode 632) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.