Breaking Ice & Breaking Glass | Vice Admiral Sandy Stosz | Episode 190

BREAKING ICE & BREAKING GLASS | VICE ADMIRAL SANDY STOSZ | EPISODE 190

Today, our nation is like a ship being tossed in tumultuous seas. The winds and waves of change have divided and distanced our society, threatening to wash away the very principles our nation was founded upon. Now more than ever, our nation needs leaders with the moral courage to stand strong and steady—leaders capable of uniting people in support of a shared purpose by building the trust and respect necessary for organizations and their people to thrive.

Admiral Sandy Stosz started out in the US Coast Guard as an ensign serving aboard polar icebreakers, conducting national security missions from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Her forty-year career was filled with leadership lessons gleaned while breaking ice and breaking glass as the first woman to command an icebreaker on the Great Lakes and to lead a US armed forces service academy. Along the way, Sandy served for 12 years at sea, commanding two ships, and led large Coast Guard organizations during times of crisis and complexity. She finished her career as the first woman assigned as Deputy Commandant for Mission Support, directing one of the Coast Guard’s largest enterprises. She has lectured widely on leadership, and has been featured on CSPAN and other media outlets. In 2012, Newsweek’s “The Daily Beast” named Sandy to their list of 150 Women who Shake the World.

Lead with Clarity like a CIA Officer | Former Senior Intelligence Officer Marc Polymeropoulos | Episode 189

Lead with Clarity like a CIA Officer | Former Senior Intelligence Officer Marc Polymeropoulos | Episode 189

Marc Polymeropoulos retired in June 2019 from the Senior Intelligence Service ranks at the CIA after a  26-year career in operational headquarters and field management assignments covering the Middle East,  Europe, Eurasia, and counter terrorism. He served in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and he is one of the  CIA’s most decorated field officers. Marc is the recipient of the Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal,  the Distinguished Intelligence Medal, the Intelligence Medal of Merit, and the Intelligence  Commendation medal. His last position was overseeing the CIA’s clandestine operations in Europe and  Eurasia. He is a respected commentator on foreign policy and intelligence matters and is widely quoted in  both the US and international media. 

Hire the Right Way | Jen Thornton | Episode 187

Hire the Right Way | Jen Thornton | Episode 187

The importance of hiring the right people can’t be emphasized enough. However, too many organizations out there, simply hire people to “fill the holes” without actually thinking through the problem that they are trying to solve. What capabilities are required for the organization to move forward in the right direction, as well as processes which require human input need to be determined. But most importantly, how will the person actually fit into the organization’s culture and dynamics. 

Jennifer has developed her expertise in Talent Strategy & Leadership Professional Development over her exciting 20+ year career as an HR Professional. She’s led international teams across Greater China, Mexico, the U.K., and the U.S. to expand into new markets, managing franchise retailers, and developing key strategic partnerships – all while exceeding business objectives and financial results. The rapid growth of her consulting firm 304 Coaching has been largely due to Jennifer’s unconventional approach to building innovative workforce development solutions for companies who are facing breakthrough growth and accelerated hiring patterns. She is a sought-after business strategist, specializing in start-ups and large value-based organizations. She assists her clients in building talent strategies that complement their business strategies to ensure exponential growth.

The Art of Alignment | Art Johnson | Episode 186

The Art of Alignment | Art Johnson | Episode 186

Organizational alignment is not accidental. Leaders define their organization’s mission and vision and are responsible for creating the roadmaps to get there. Attaining alignment is dependent on the leader’s ability to inspire his or her followers to pursue a common purpose with energy and zeal. It’s up to the leaders to help employees see the […]

How to tell Magnetic Stories | Gabrielle Dolan | Episode 184

How to tell Magnetic Stories | Gabrielle Dolan | Episode 184

A highly sought-after keynote speaker, educator and author, Gabrielle has worked with thousands of high-profile leaders from around the world and helped countless of Australia’s top 50 companies and multinationals to humanise their communications – Telstra, EY, Accenture, VISA, Australia Post, National Australia Bank, Amazon, Vodafone and the Obama Foundation to name drop a few. She holds a master’s degree in management and leadership from Swinburne University, an associate diploma in education and training from the University of Melbourne, and is a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School of Executive Education in both the Art and Practice of Adaptive Leadership and Women and Power: Leadership in a New World.

Gabrielle is also the bestselling author of Real Communication: How to be you and lead true, a finalist in the Australian Business Leadership Book Awards for 2019. Her other published books include Stories for Work: The Essential Guide to Business Storytelling (2017), Storytelling for Job Interviews (2016), Ignite: Real Leadership, Real Talk, Real Results (2015) which reached the top five on Australia’s bestselling business books and Hooked: How Leaders Connect, Engage and Inspire with Storytelling (2013). Her latest title, Magnetic Stories: Connect with customers and engage employees with brand storytelling will be published by Wiley in March 2021. 

From Peer to Supervisor | Episode 183

It happens commonly in all organizations. You’ve been promoted. Congratulations! However, now you are no longer a peer with your subordinates, you are their supervisor. The relationship has changed, you are still the same person who you were earlier but they no longer see it that way. It’s a tricky situation to navigate which if done wrong can result in a lack of respect and trust, and ultimately broken relationships.

However, it does not have to be that way. Former peers now subordinates and you can have a healthy relationship moving forward, it will just take a little bit of time and a whole lot of effort on your part.

Death to Your BS | Likky Lavji | Episode 182

Death to Your BS | Likky Lavji | Episode 182

Meet Likky A sought-after keynote speaker, Likky Lavji is passionate about helping others “break barriers” to unleash their human potential. In fact, his middle name, Madat, translates to ‘help’ and he channels this into providing value in every relationship he has – personal and professional. With over 25 years as a CEO of a top […]

Change your Culture, Change Your Results | Fiona Robertson | Episode 181

Change your Culture, Change Your Results | Fiona Robertson | Episode 181

Most leaders don’t know what organizational culture is. They know it’s the defining factor in performance, but are unsure how to identify or change it, despite the profound impact it has on every single aspect of the organization. Culture is the rules of belonging. Change those rules and you’ll change your culture. Change your culture […]

The Coach’s Way to Leadership | Lynn Guerin | Episode 180

The Coach’s Way to Leadership | Lynn Guerin | Episode 180

If America were an NCAA basketball team, we’d be looking at a 0-32 season. Employees are missing crucial shots as job worries spike to levels we haven’t seen in years. Our co-workers and communities have split into politically polarized shirts vs. skins, and as a result, we’re fouling out and fumbling mission-critical assists. The answer, say authors Lynn Guerin and Jason Lavin, is to unify our teams like legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden did. Wooden wasn’t only a record-breaking coach who won 38 straight NCAA tournaments and 10 championships in 12 short years. He was a beloved mentor and teacher, and his lessons are more relevant today than ever.

Lynn Guerin is CEO of The John R. Wooden Course and president and “Head Coach” of his family-owned coaching, training, and performance development firm, Guerin Marketing Services. For the past 20 years, he has had the unique privilege of partnering with legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden and the Wooden family.