Strategies for Tomorrow's Leaders

Making Belief Practical—From Hiring to Customer Experience Introduction: In Part 2, we get into the how. Matt walks through what belief looks like in action—from hiring people who align with your culture, to defining values in ways people can actually use, to building customer experiences that transform relationships. This is packed with real stories from Apple, Nordstrom, and other brands that got it right, plus Matt's CADET framework that changes how you think about every interaction. Summary: We tackle the practical side of building belief-driven cultures. Matt shares how to hire for cultural fit and belief (not just skills), and walks through his experience scaling Apple retail from 10,000 to 25,000 employees without losing their DNA. We dig into why values are meaningless without tangible definitions, the power of storytelling in creating shared understanding, and the CADET framework for customer experience. Matt also explains why incentives must align with desired behaviors, using real examples of what happens when they don't. Key Highlights: Key Takeaways: Next Steps for Listeners: Connect with Matt on LinkedIn.

Title: What Happens When Love Enters the Boardroom (Part 2) Guest: Kelly Hall — Author of Love Works: Transforming the Workplace with Purpose and Authenticity Intro If Part 1 asked us to bring our whole selves to work, Part 2 asks: How? Kelly Hall returns to share how she learned to lead from love — through crisis, coaching, and experience. A former finance executive turned leadership expert, Kelly discovered that love and high performance aren't opposites — they're fuel for each other. Together, she and Mike explore the tools that turn emotion into insight, chaos into clarity, and leadership into a relationship worth following. What This Part Covers Emotional intelligence and the "second thought" that defines mature leadership. Why pausing for clarity leads to better decisions than rushing for control. The shift from "commander" to "coach" — and what that means in real life. How consent-based decision-making builds trust and buy-in. The science of love as energy — and why caring deeply drives performance. Highlights "Your first thought isn't a choice — but your second one is." "Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is pause." "Love is power, not weakness." "When leaders go last, people start to think for themselves." "Replace delegation with enrollment — don't assign work, invite ownership." Takeaways Lead last. Listen first. Create clarity by slowing down before speeding up. Turn reaction into reflection — pause before you decide. Empower others to make decisions, not just execute them. Redefine ego: use it to serve your people, not control them. Next Step for Listeners In your next meeting, go last. Let the room breathe. Listen without fixing — and notice what shifts when you trust the process more than the plan. Connect with Kelly Hall.

Title: What Happens When Love Enters the Boardroom (Part 1) Guest: Kelly Hall — Author of Love Works: Transforming the Workplace with Purpose and Authenticity Intro What happens when a business leader says the word "love" in a boardroom? Kelly Hall found out firsthand. After two decades leading global teams in industries where performance ruled, Kelly began exploring what happens when we let emotion — empathy, compassion, and yes, love — belong at work. In Part 1, Kelly and Mike unpack the tension between results and humanity: why we've been trained to separate who we are from what we do, and how reconnecting the two builds teams that trust, engage, and stay. What This Part Covers Why "love" still feels taboo in corporate culture — and why that's changing. Kelly's story of being told to remove the word "love" from a presentation to investors. The danger of leaving parts of ourselves at the office door. Mike's moment of authenticity: going from "Michael" to "Mike." Redefining psychological safety and what it really looks like in action. Highlights "It's scary to bring your emotions to work — and that's a tragedy." "The best leaders put their hand on your back, not their thumb on your head." "Safety doesn't mean comfort. It means you can stretch without fear." "When leaders show up as their whole selves, it gives everyone else permission to do the same." Takeaways Real leadership is relational, not positional. Love is just another word for deep respect and care. Authenticity isn't a soft skill — it's a performance advantage. Create spaces where people can make mistakes and still belong. Growth happens when people feel safe enough to stretch. Next Step for Listeners Ask yourself: Do people on my team feel safe to tell me the truth — even when it's uncomfortable? This week, lead one conversation from curiosity, not control. Connect with Kelly Hall.

The Foundation of Belief-Driven Leadership Introduction: What is culture, really? In this conversation, Matt Marcotte—who's led teams at Apple, Salesforce, and Bergdorf Goodman—helps us move past the buzzwords. We talk about why belief is the difference between teams that comply and teams that commit, why uncertainty makes this more critical than ever, and how leaders can stop trying to be the hero and start creating environments where people bring their best. Summary: Matt introduces his new book Built on Belief and explains why he pivoted from frameworks to focus on the real competitive advantage: belief. We explore how belief transforms into commitment versus compliance, why leaders feel pressure to have all the answers (and why that's wrong), and the importance of clarity around what your organization actually believes. Matt shares the "heart, head, hands" framework and explains why people feel first, think second, then act—and how leaders need to work with that reality, not against it. Key Highlights: Key Takeaways: Start by defining what you believe.Commitment is born from conflict.Redefine what control means.Lead with emotion, not intellect.Put people in choice. Next Steps for Listeners: Connect with Matt on LinkedIn.

Intro In this episode of Strategies for Tomorrow’s Leaders, I sit down with Jean Marie Callahan for a candid conversation about what it really takes to lead in uncertain times. From mindset shifts to practical tools, this episode covers the habits and practices leaders need to build trust, resilience, and engagement. Summary We start with the personal side of leadership—resilience, authenticity, and presence—before moving into practical strategies leaders can use right away. Jean Marie shares how her own experiences shaped her perspective and why presence matters more than polish. We then dig into trust, communication, and feedback: what works, what doesn’t, and how leaders can create environments where people feel steady even when circumstances aren’t. Highlights Resilience as adapting forward, not bouncing back Why presence and authenticity create stronger trust than “having all the answers” How personal stories shape leadership style Listening as a leadership superpower Consistency between words and actions as the foundation of trust Framing feedback as support rather than criticism Balancing empathy with accountability in real-world leadership Key Takeaways & Next Steps Show up with honesty, not false certainty Practice being present and listening fully Build trust by aligning your actions with your words Use feedback as a way to grow people, not tear them down Apply these practices daily to foster resilient, engaged teams Connect with Jean on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jeancallahan-latinamericaexecutivesearch

Intro: In Part 2, we move from principles to practice—how mission guided product choices (like co-viewing), how to tell your people’s stories, and how to balance transparency with judgment so you don’t create “us vs. them.” Summary: We cover building for community (e.g., co-watching during lockdowns), using story to connect head and heart, and showing up in outages to refocus teams on the customer. We also tackle transparency: share enough signal to empower people, but curate it so it builds unity, not silos. We end on a core message: building stretches you—it’s how you learn who you are as a leader. Highlights & Key Takeaways: Mission Guides Features: When the mission is clear, smart features follow. Tell Stories That Reflect Your Users: Don’t just tell; collect and echo their stories. Show Up in the Mess: Presence in crises rallies commitment. Transparency + Judgment: Share what people need to act; avoid “us vs. them.” Build to Discover Yourself: You learn who you are by building under real stakes. Next Steps: Define one feature your mission demands this quarter. Capture three customer or employee stories you can retell internally. Audit a recent “transparent” update: did it inform action—or fuel factions Connect with Michael Cerda: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelcerda/

Intro: In Part 1, we get practical about leading with purpose, setting a clear North Star, and turning teams from “doers” into owners. We also unpack “draft-on impact”—the ripple effects leaders must see before they ship. Summary: We talk about scaling with engagement (head + heart), why great leaders set outcomes—not tasks—and how asking “why” repeatedly sharpens strategy. We explore echo chambers as an unintended consequence of product choices, and why pace without participation kills buy-in. Finally, we land on trust and psychological safety as the foundation for everything else. Highlights & Key Takeaways: Outcome > Orders: Point people to a North Star; let tactics live close to the work. Draft-On Impact: Model second-order effects (e.g., polarization, FOMO) before launch. Speed with Care: Going fast is useless if it blocks information flow and buy-in. Trust = Safety: Engagement and commitment grow when people feel safe and seen. Next Steps: Ask your team: What’s our North Star this quarter? Map two “draft-on impacts” for your top initiative and how you’ll mitigate them. List one place speed is harming buy-in—and what you’ll slow down to explain. Connect with Michael Cerda: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelcerda/

Intro: In this second half, the conversation turns to real-world coaching challenges, building resilience in uncertain times, and making difficult conversations productive. Summary: Mike and Dave tackle why leaders avoid tough conversations, how to reframe them as two-way dialogues, and why consistent investment in people drives performance. They share strategies for bridging the gap between “can’t” and “potential” and for creating trust when times are uncertain. Highlights: The three questions to ask before replacing a team member. Why leaders sometimes fail their people before people fail their leaders. Turning limiting beliefs into growth opportunities. How clarity and trust cut through uncertainty. “Care and candid” as a formula for transformation. Key Takeaways: Invest in people before deciding they can’t succeed. Resilience grows from clarity, trust, and consistent communication. Avoidance kills relationships faster than conflict—lean into the hard talks. Next Steps: Identify one conversation you’ve been avoiding. Reframe it as a two-way exchange, prepare open-ended questions, and create space for real dialogue. Connect with Dave Reynolds on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dave-reynolds-99a71047/

Intro: This episode explores why transformation—not just change—should be every leader’s goal, and why coaching is the bridge to get there. You’ll hear how intentional coaching builds resilience, fuels growth, and unlocks the hidden potential in your team. Summary: Mike and Dave dig into the difference between change and transformation, the roots of Dave’s “radical growth” approach, and why leaders today must master both storytelling and coaching. They break down why questioning is more powerful than directing, how to prepare for a coaching conversation, and the 80/20 principle for listening vs. talking. Highlights: Why transformation is lasting, while change can be temporary. How the radical growth concept came from a seed’s first breakthrough. The 80/20 rule for coaching conversations. Questions as the “keys to unopened doors” in problem solving. Why leaders should speak less so their teams think more. Key Takeaways: Transformation happens below the surface before it shows. Leaders who ask better questions get deeper buy-in. Coaching isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about guiding discovery. Next Steps: Reflect on one area where your team needs transformation, not just change. Ask three open-ended questions this week to help them discover their own answers. Connect with Dave Reynolds on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dave-reynolds-99a71047/

Introduction: How do you dig deeper with your team to create real engagement? In part two, Shannon Nutter shares advanced strategies for innovation, avoiding the whack-a-mole trap of constant firefighting, and the critical skill of asking better questions as a leader-facilitator. Summary: This episode dives into the practical side of leadership development. Shannon explains why leaders should function as facilitators rather than directors, how to balance innovation with results, and the importance of slowing down to truly know your people. She shares personal stories about recognizing when team members need human connection over business conversations. Highlights: Key Takeaways: Next Steps: Connect with Shannon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannon-nutter/

Introduction: What does culture really mean beyond the buzzwords and ping pong tables? In this episode, we explore the real foundations of engaged teams with Shannon Nutter, former C-suite leader who led global operations. We'll uncover why 79% of employees are disengaged and what leaders can do to create environments where people actually want to contribute their best work. Summary: Shannon breaks down the difference between surface-level culture initiatives and the deep work of creating psychological safety. She shares practical insights on balancing efficiency with effectiveness, the power of clarity in leadership, and why treating symptoms instead of root causes keeps teams stuck in endless cycles of firefighting. Highlights: Key Takeaways: Next Steps: Connect with Shannon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannon-nutter/

In part 2, we go deeper into the emotional side of leadership—how leaders create safety, why self-regulation matters more than charisma, and what to do when culture starts to drift. Adam shares how the best leaders he’s seen are relentlessly curious, not just confident. If you’ve ever wondered how to lead with both clarity and care, this one’s for you. This half of the conversation dives into trust, communication, and team growth. Adam and I unpack how misalignment shows up before it explodes, why "tough conversations" are actually moments of deep connection, and how to build a culture that self-corrects. You’ll walk away with practical ways to notice drift, course correct early, and foster alignment that lasts. Highlights: Key Takeaways: Next Steps for You: Connect with Adam Jackson here.

How do leaders grow their business without losing touch with their team—or themselves? In this episode, we explore the quiet skills behind sustainable leadership. From slowing down to speeding up clarity, Adam Jackson and I talk about the mindset shifts leaders must make to stay grounded while everything else scales. Adam shares what he’s learned from leading through hypergrowth—when your role changes every 3 months and everyone around you is stretched thin. We talk about the danger of clinging to what worked in the past, why feedback systems need to mature with your org, and how leaders must outgrow their own need for control. It’s a candid look at what real leadership looks like when you're building fast—and trying to build well. Highlights: Key Takeaways: Next Steps for You: Connect with Adam Jackson here.

What happens when leaders are promoted for technical skills but never taught how to lead people? Jevon and Mike dig into this common gap—and how to close it. Part 2 focuses on organizational culture, psychological safety, cultural agility, and building buy-in that actually works. Summary: Jevon shares his experiences working across cultures—from tech teams to Saudi Arabia—and unpacks how feedback, clarity, and empathy shape performance. Mike challenges outdated leadership norms and explores what it really takes to lead across differences today. Highlights: Click here to connect with Jevon Wooden on LinkedIn.

Jevon Wooden shares his personal transformation—from a jail cell at 17 to becoming a leadership consultant and military veteran. This episode explores how life’s hardest moments shape emotional intelligence, and why self-awareness is the first step toward empathetic leadership. Summary: Mike and Jevon explore how early life challenges shaped Jevon’s leadership philosophy. They unpack what it means to lead with empathy, how emotional intelligence differs from mindset, and how both leaders and organizations can create cultures where people are seen and valued. Highlights: Click here to connect with Jevon Wooden on LinkedIn.

In Part 2, Mike and Frankie explore the deeper layers of effective leadership—from creating psychological safety to clarifying priorities and building trust through communication. The conversation shifts toward emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and how leaders can adapt to support diverse thinkers. Summary Frankie breaks down the role of processing styles, verbal communication, and emotional clarity in building high-performing teams. Mike brings humor and real-world reflection as they unpack what happens when leaders slow down, explain the “why,” and truly listen. Highlights & Takeaways Next Steps Ask your team how they like to receive info. Do they need visuals? Pre-reads? Talk time? Then practice giving them just enough structure to thrive—without boxing them in. Connect with Frankie on LinkedIn.

Frankie Berkoben joins Mike Lejeune to explore how her path from climate science to coaching unfolded. She opens up about navigating a “career wobble,” discovering she had ADHD, and how that transformed her understanding of leadership, systems thinking, and the way people show up at work. Summary This episode explores the intersection of neurodiversity and leadership. Frankie shares how her ADHD diagnosis helped her redefine success, the power of self-coaching, and why curiosity and emotional intelligence are vital for leaders who want to create truly inclusive environments. Highlights & Takeaways Next Steps Connect with Frankie on LinkedIn.

Mike and Stephen dive deeper into what makes a team consistently excel. They explore why humility is such a powerful trait in a leader and how staying curious can unlock new ideas from your team. Stephen shares how genuine listening – not just hearing words – builds trust and uncovers issues leaders might otherwise miss. The discussion shifts to the art of asking great questions. Stephen explains that sometimes posing the right question can lead your team to find the answer themselves, which empowers everyone. They also talk about getting your whole team involved in problem-solving, instead of the leader tackling every challenge alone. Throughout the conversation, Stephen highlights the often underestimated impact of appreciation. He reveals how something as simple as a heartfelt “thank you” can energize your team and motivate people to go the extra mile. It’s a down-to-earth, insight-packed conversation that leaves you with practical ideas you can start using with your own team right away. Highlights Key Takeaways Connect with Steven on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevengaffneycompany/

In Part 1 of Mike Lejeune’s interview with Stephen Gaffney on Strategies for Tomorrow’s Leaders, they delve into what it takes to build a consistently high-achieving team. Stephen emphasizes that trust and honest communication are essential for great teamwork. He and Mike discuss how leaders can create an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing concerns and real feedback—without fear. Stephen explains that when people feel emotionally safe, they're more likely to speak up about problems and contribute ideas, which ultimately drives better results. In fact, he shares a story of a struggling team that turned their performance around once they made open, honest conversations a daily habit. Another key theme of this episode is the importance of focusing on outcomes instead of just effort. Stephen challenges leaders to rethink how they define success: it's not about how hard people try, but what they actually accomplish. He offers practical tips for shifting a team’s mindset toward results, like setting clear goals and rewarding achievements. Throughout the conversation, you’ll hear real-world examples and simple strategies that any leader can use to boost trust, encourage open dialogue, and keep their team focused on what really matters. Highlights Key Takeaways Connect with Steven Gaffney on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevengaffneycompany/ Your Free Leadership Gravitational Pull Assessment: https://stevengaffney.com/leadership-gravitational-pull/

Introduction In Part 2, Aneace Haddad dives into leading teams in chaotic times. Learn how to ditch the “addiction to certainty” and build a C-suite that thrives in ambiguity. Summary Aneace reveals why even seasoned leaders struggle with uncertainty in teams – and how to foster collective resilience. He shares practical steps to shift from “closing the deal” to staying open, using neuroscience and real-world examples. Highlights Why “herding cats” fails: Building a C-suite team ≠ stacking superstar individuals. The paradox: Comfort with uncertainty grows with age, but teams resist it. How to expand your “ownership” beyond your role (like driving a bigger vehicle). Key Takeaways Certainty is a trap. Teams that rush to answers miss innovative solutions. Practice “radically empowering presence.” Your calm fuels others’ confidence. Lead like a coach, not a CEO. Your role isn’t to fix – it’s to fan flames. Next Steps Audit your team: Do we default to “closing” discussions too fast? Pre-order Aneace’s upcoming book The First Rule of Herding Cats for C-suite strategies. Share this episode with your leadership team to spark a “certainty detox.”