The Leadership Window

In this solo episode, Patrick discusses what it means to slow down to go fast. As they say in the Navy, slow is smooth, and smooth is fast. How do we create speed in our organizations without everyone falling off?

Patrick takes the show on the road and sits down in Miami with an extraordinary nonprofit leader, Ashley Giritli. Ashley, a Miami native, is the Executive Director of Caring For Miami. She holds a Bachelor of Science from Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Florida. Throughout her career, she has developed expertise in strategic planning, program development, grant-maker research, grant strategy, and grant proposal writing, with a focus on health and human services. Ashley's tenure as a nonprofit CEO is young at 2 years. However, her leadership has quickly taken her organization to new heights, with much more on the horizon. For more information, visit Caring For Miami.

This week, Patrick pauses for a solo episode to share a framework for increasing personal accountability. Whether resolving conflict or simply improving the flow of communication in your workplace, the 60% Rule is a tool Patrick teaches in his coaching practice.

Patrick chats with Nick Jonsson, author of Executive Loneliness: The 5 Pathways for Overcoming Isolation, Stress, Anxiety, and Depression in the Modern Business World. Nick shares his personal story from struggle to restoration and the pathways that he walked to recovery.

In this insightful episode, Patrick delves into a profound conversation with Dr. Marie-Hélène Pelletier, a luminary in the realms of resilience and workplace mental health. Dr. Pelletier, the esteemed author of “The Resilience Plan: A Strategic Approach to Optimizing Work Performance and Mental Health,” brings her vast expertise and engaging demeanor to the table, discussing strategies that are indispensable for fostering a healthy, motivated, and productive work environment. Resilience, as Dr. Pelletier articulates, is not merely a buzzword but a critical framework that requires intentional cultivation within our organizations. It’s about developing a strategic plan that not only anticipates challenges but also equips individuals and teams with the tools to bounce back more robustly. Dr. Pelletier emphasizes the significance of leadership in creating and sustaining high-performing cultures where mental health is prioritized. She points out that the mental health of the organizations we lead is as crucial as our individual mental well-being. In high-pressure environments, the link between leadership practices and the mental health outcomes of the workforce cannot be overstated. Leaders play a pivotal role in modeling resilience, demonstrating the importance of mental health care, and embedding these values into the organizational fabric. Furthermore, the discussion sheds light on the importance of data in backing up the strategies for enhancing workplace mental health. Dr. Pelletier shares compelling evidence and examples from her work, demonstrating the tangible benefits of investing in mental health initiatives. These include improved performance, reduced burnout rates, and an overall healthier organizational climate. By the end of the episode, listeners will have gained invaluable insights into the necessity of a strategic approach to resilience and mental health in the workplace. Dr. Pelletier’s expert guidance underscores the idea that resilience planning is not just beneficial but essential for thriving in today’s fast-paced work environments. Her visionary approach offers a roadmap for leaders looking to foster environments where resilience is cultivated, and mental health is cherished, ensuring a sustainable path to success and well-being for all. For more information, visit www.theresilienceplan.com

Anthony A. Dicks, Jr. is a Senior Leadership Consultant with 180 Management Group. Anthony is a leader’s leader. His passion for leadership development is seen through his work with emerging nonprofit leaders. He has spent over two decades preparing people with diverse responsibilities to reach their optimal leadership potential. In this episode, Patrick and Anthony discuss the challenges executive leaders face, particularly as it relates to self-care and establishing a community of support among other executive leaders. You can find Anthony’s book, Holy Hardship: How Jesus Turns Your Adversity into an Advantage on Amazon.

Patrick’s repeat guest, Ron Harvey, returns to chat openly about some of the leadership challenges executives are facing today. Ron is COO of Global Core Strategies and Consulting, and a member of The Leader’s Perspective Advisory Board. Ron is an ICF and John Maxwell Coach, author, sought-after keynote speaker, and thought leader on all things leadership.

Jason Kruger joins Patrick to discuss the bigger-picture aspects of financial leadership, particularly in the nonprofit sector. Jason is the founder and president of Signature Analytics, a consulting firm dedicated to helping organizations manage and use their financial data effectively. Visit SignatureAnalytics.com to learn more.

Patrick chats with two seasoned nonprofit consultants, Ginny Waller and Colleen Bozard, designers and instructors of “To Be Honest”, on online onboarding training for new nonprofit CEOs/Executive Directors. In this episode, the conversation centers on what new nonprofit CEOs need to know when taking the helm of a nonprofit for the first time. Ginny Waller is the president of Waller Consulting. She is the former Executive Director of the largest, free-standing sexual assault services agency in South Carolina. She is also a skilled facilitator (virtual and in-person) and lawyer (licensed in South Carolina) with more than seventeen years of experience in nonprofit leadership development, strategic planning, and operational efficiency, with specializations in change management and relationship building. Colleen Campbell Bozard is the president and owner of CCBozard Consulting. She specializes in assisting non-profit, community, philanthropic, and government agencies to strengthen their leadership and governance through services in board enrichment, strategic facilitation, and executive transitions. She has extensive experience providing consultation and support to address governance, strategic thinking, organizational effectiveness, and collective impact. Colleen is a BoardSource Certified Governance Trainer and a Senior Consultant with the Georgia Center for Nonprofits. For information about the To Be Honest training, click HERE.

It’s our favorite time of year at The Leader’s Perspective — the beginning! In this episode, Patrick shares 5 takeaways from 2023, and 5 intentions for 2024.

Paul ter Wal is an employee engagement expert, speaker, author, and consultant from The Netherlands. In this episode, Patrick sits down with Paul and discusses the difference between employee engagement and job satisfaction, and where happiness fits into the equation. Additional topics in this episode include organizational culture, differences in workplace cultures around the world, servant leadership, and more. Paul strongly focuses on core values — ensuring the employees’ values align with the organization’s. For more information, visit www.paulterwal.com

Your system is set up perfectly to get the results you are currently getting! If you want things to change, you have to change the system. Systems change expert and author David Peter Stroh visits wth Patrick to discuss what systems change actually means, and how to go about addressing social issues at a systemic level. David is a founding partner of Bridgeway Partners, a consulting firm dedicated to helping mission-centered leaders reframe and resolve intractable social and environmental problems. He is also a founding director of the consulting group and informational website www.appliedsystemsthinking.com and a member of the systems thinking faculty for the Academy for Systems Change. David was previously one of the founders of Innovation Associates, the consulting firm whose pioneering work in the area of organizational learning formed the basis for fellow co-founder Peter Senge’s management classic The Fifth Discipline. David is internationally recognized for his work in enabling leaders to apply systems thinking to achieve breakthroughs around chronic, complex problems and to develop strategies which improve system-wide performance over time. He has been described as “a magician” and “the master at providing interesting and useful ways to look at the complexity of systems thinking”, who “helped us tremendously in getting to the core issues” with “the mind of a scientist and the heart of a healer.” His clients have included The Nature Conservancy, National Centers for Disease Control, U.S. Institute of Peace, Foundation for the Carolinas, Omidyar Group, Kellogg Foundation. David is also the author of the highly regarded book Systems Thinking for Social Change: A Practical Guide for Solving Complex Problems, Avoiding Unintended Consequences, and Achieving Lasting Results, a #1 Best-Seller in Non-Governmental Organization Policy which readers praise as “an essential – and long overdue – guide to applied systems thinking” that “shows you how to enlist others in the effort” by “masterfully weaving metaphor, story, and practical tools” using “down-to-earth language.”

Patrick chats with executive coach and author Brenda Harrington to discuss workplace discrimination, the power of personal stories, authentic leadership, and more. Brenda is the founder and CEO of Adaptive Leadership Strategies, LLC. She is the author of Access Denied: Addressing Workplace Disparities and Discrimination. Brenda offers coaching and consulting solutions to help companies develop and grow top talent. She has helped a range of clients from around the world successfully increase influence across their organizations by boosting productivity and engagement, developing creative solutions to complex challenges, aligning their vision among stakeholders, and developing effective expatriate and reintegration strategies to mitigate business disruption.

Patrick chats leadership with fellow executive coach and consultant, Beth Napleton, NYC-based founder of Beth Napleton Consulting. Beth offers senior leaders in education and at mission-driven organizations a clear path to excellence through individual, executive and group coaching experiences. Additionally, she offers busy leaders a container and her expertise so they can expand their capacity in all areas. Beth leverages her extensive experience in education to work with senior leaders in education and mission-driven organizations to help them clear out the “adult problems” that get in the way of student success. Beth is a national award-winning teacher and has been in the education field for over 20 years, having trained over 1,800 teachers and leaders to success. She is an alumnus of Columbia University, Building Excellent Schools, and Teach For America. Most recently, she served as Founder and CEO of a small charter school network on the South Side of Chicago that opened in 2013. All graduates of her schools – most of them first-generation students – were accepted to at least two four-year colleges, changing their paths forever. Beth took her leadership skills a step further and became a certified Clifton Gallup Strengths Coach so she can offer leaders the opportunity to lean into their own strengths and succeed. Beth completed the National Principal Supervisors Academy at Relay, and is a former member of the Far South Side Community Action Council. Beth has been a guest on The EJT Show and the Teacher Renewed: What’s Possible in Education podcasts, and hosted her own podcast Live on Leadership with Beth Napleton. She is a solo parent who lives in NYC with her three amazing kids.

Patrick sits down with Darian Rodriguez Heyman to talk about fundraising, with a focus on how the nonprofit board should be engaged. Darian is an accomplished fundraiser, nonprofit consultant, philanthropic advisor, and best-selling author. He began his life’s work “helping people help” during his five-year tenure as Executive Director of Craigslist Foundation, where he founded their hugely popular Nonprofit Boot Camp and grew it to the largest nonprofit gathering in San Francisco Bay Area history after only one year. In an effort to build the capacity of even more leaders, Heyman then authored the Nonprofit Fundraising 101 and edited the best-selling Nonprofit Management 101 (now in second edition, with a new foreword from Van Jones), in addition to serving as Editor-in-Chief at the free online nonprofit magazine, Blue Avocado. Heyman specializes in helping companies, philanthropists, and nonprofits maximize impact. Beyond his active consulting practice and frequent keynotes around the globe, he also selectively assumes leadership roles when launching new initiatives. He recently served as the part-time Executive Director of Numi Foundation, where he led their clean water and environmental education work, and Co-Founder of GenderSmart (now 2X Global), an effort to funnel billions to women-led and -serving businesses. A champion of both racial and gender equity, Heyman recently completed his board service at International Planned Parenthood Federation, Western Hemisphere (now Fòs Feminista), is actively working for reproductive justice, and has overseen more than $20M in grants to Black-led and -serving nonprofits through his philanthropic advising practice.

Patrick catches up with colleague Forrest Alton from 1000 Feathers Consulting, as Forrest celebrates a 7-year business milestone by sharing some key lessons learned about the work of creating social impact. After spending nearly ten years as the CEO of a highly successful nonprofit organization, Forrest stepped down in 2016 to launch 1000 Feathers and has since focused his energy on transforming the work of the social service sector to be better equipped to handle the ever-expanding needs of communities and the people who live in them: posing the difficult questions needed to prompt innovation and transformation, helping organizations think and act more strategically, and encouraging big, bold, courageous conversations at all levels of communities. A dynamic and inspirational leader, Forrest has developed a contagious energy for disrupting the status quo. He has become a frequently sought-after speaker for conferences and events and is a respected voice on topics related to adolescent health, nonprofit leadership, and community engagement. During his tenure as the CEO of the South Carolina Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy (now Fact Forward), the organization experienced unprecedented growth and success and became widely recognized as a national leader. That doesn’t happen via random chance – especially on such a contentious issue in a conservative, southern state. It happens because of strong vision, strategic thinking, bold leadership, and certainly a little luck. The State newspaper has previously recognized him as one of South Carolina’s “20-under-40 emerging leaders” and by the Free Times as one of the “50 Most Influential People in Columbia.” Although he is no longer under 40 nor a resident of Columbia, Forrest is still a Riley Institute Leadership Fellow, a Liberty Fellow, and a member of the Aspen Institute’s Global Leadership Network—a worldwide community of high-integrity, entrepreneurial leaders from business, government and the nonprofit sector representing more than 50 countries. Forrest currently serves in leadership roles on the boards of Power to Decide and Mainsail, a nonprofit formed to support the charitable mission of the Medical University of South Carolina. He is a past board chair of Together SC—South Carolina’s nonprofit membership organization, and also previously served on the board of the University of South Carolina’s Alumni Association. He earned his Master of Public Health from the University of South Carolina’s Arnold School of Public Health, where he has been recognized with a Young Alumnus of the Year award (2011), and received his Bachelor of Science from Coastal Carolina University, where he has also been named a Distinguished Alumnus (2009). Forrest and his wife, Dr. Heather Brandt, have recently relocated to Memphis, TN, and have added a puppy to the family, appropriately named Elvis.

In this anniversary episode, Patrick explains the rebranding of his coaching company, and shares what they really do for their clients.

As we prepare Episode 100 for some special announcements, this “in-between” episode covers some “best of” highlights from the first 100 episodes. This gives a great (albeit small) sampling of the kind of content found on The Leadership Window.

Patrick sits down with Executive Career Coach Randi Roberts to discuss the challenges leaders face along their career path. From figuring out where your career is headed to getting unstuck when you lose your mojo, Randi covers the 8 pillars of career satisfaction and how she helps leaders navigate their careers effectively. Randi Roberts, MBA, PCC, is the President of Randi Roberts Coaching, LLC, and founder of the Fulfilling Career, Happy Life community. Randi is an Executive and Career-Life Coach, helping people love their work as they achieve their career goals. Before becoming a certified coach, Randi had a very successful 30+ year career as a Pharmaceutical Executive, working for both large companies and a small start-up. She has also founded two of her own businesses. She skillfully combines significant business leadership experience with exceptional coaching skills to help her clients love their work as they achieve their goals. Visit RandiRobertsCoaching.com for more information.

In this episode, Patrick shares some of the insights he gains when coaching leaders. Specifically, Patrick discusses: