Leadership Development — Podcast

We have all been in situations where we felt left out. We might have even been the ones to make other people feel left on the outs. In a variety of ways, we have all been told, “you don’t belong here.” Most leaders think of belonging as yet another social concept that doesn’t embolden the vision, direction, and responsibility of the C-suite, but this point of view is too dangerous to ignore. Organizations that create a strong sense of belonging for all employees have a far greater chance of experiencing financial success while providing an environment where employees can flourish.

In this interview, Brad Deutser - entrepreneur and author of the new book “Belonging Rules” - shares his definition of belonging, the five crucial actions leaders must take to create the space necessary for belonging, the business case for creating belonging, and how these rules can be used outside of work to address our political division, fight gang recruitment, and help marginalized children in our schools. Brad also dives deep into one of the belonging rules specifically - “Listen Without Labels.” In one example, he talks about how the terms “Democrat” and “Republican” associated with political leaders in the news cause viewers and readers to dismiss the content of the message, while instead focusing on whether or not they agree with the leader based on party affiliation.

Brad Deutser is the visionary leader behind Deutser and Deutser Clarity Institute (Houston, New York, Bermuda and Arizona). He is a trusted counselor, executive coach and leadership guru for CEOs, Board Chairs, and top corporate management. His unique insights and original approach to affecting a human approach to sustainable organizational change have impacted top businesses, leading universities, professional sports franchises, and cause-based organizations. He is an expert in creating spaces and leadership capacity for belonging and inclusion. Brad is recognized for his ability to navigate complex, contentious, ambiguous business and people challenges, both inside and outside organizations. He is sought after as an authority and innovative thinker on matters of organizational change, belonging, DEI, and complexity in leadership. He is the bestselling author of Leading Clarity: The Breakthrough Strategy to Unleash People, Profit, and Performance.

Creating Conscious Connections with Talia Fox

The United States Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has called loneliness an epidemic. Loneliness is connected to numerous health challenges including heart disease, stroke, depression, and anxiety. According to a Cigna survey in 2020, 61% of American adults reported feeling lonely at some point in their lives, and 36% said they felt lonely on a regular basis. Harvard researchers found that during the pandemic, 61% of Americans ages 18 through 25 self-reported being lonely frequently, almost all of the time, or all of the time, compared to 24% of Americans ages 55 through 65.

In this interview, consultant, author, and Harvard University Fellow Talia Fox discusses the extent of the loneliness problem around the world and shares her insights into how people can address loneliness and create powerful, conscious connections. Based on the research she did for her book “The Power of Conscious Connections,” Talia shares how people can conquer their loneliness by becoming more effective listeners and observers, having a clear understanding of their values and the values of others, and working to engage in a deeper, more meaningful way, even with people who may have a different system of beliefs. Finally, Talia shares how people can hone the habits necessary to create conscious connections at work and in daily life so they can live healthier, happier, more fulfilled lives.

Talia Fox is the CEO of KUSI Global, Inc. She holds an M.Ed. in counseling psychology from Howard University and she is a Harvard University Fellow. Talia is often referred to as the Jedi of Inspiration by her clients. With over two decades of experience in transforming thousands of executives from all sectors, she has become a visionary for leadership and legacy building. Her extensive background in psychology and education has given her the tools she needs to assist leaders in developing successful strategies for complex missions, ranging from defense systems to healthcare initiatives. As CEO of KUSI Global, Inc., Talia helps organizations like the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Harvard University, Transunion, the National Institutes of Health, Howard University, and the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs maximize human potential by leveraging strategic intelligence and helps individuals and organizations foster connected cultures and promote conscious equity.

The Power of Failure with Dr. Amy Edmondson

In this interview about failure and growth, author and Professor of Leadership at Harvard Business School Dr. Amy Edmondson upends our understanding of failure and shares how we can more effectively make it work for us. Based on the research from her book “Right Kind of Wrong,” Dr. Edmondson provides the framework to think, discuss, and practice failure wisely. Outlining the three archetypes of failure - basic, complex, and intelligent - she describes how to minimize unproductive failure while maximizing what we gain from missteps at all levels.

Dr. Edmondson goes on to talk about her pioneering work in the space of psychological safety. She demystifies failure by distinguishing between good failure from which we can learn and the bad failure that should have been prevented. Dr. Edmondson makes it clear that when organizations provide a safe environment for failure during the process of experimentation, both knowledge and innovation are gained. She finishes the interview by giving advice for how leaders, teachers, and even parents can use failure as a learning tool.

Dr. Amy Edmondson is the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School, a chair established to support the study of human interactions that lead to the creation of successful enterprises that contribute to the betterment of society. She has been recognized by the biannual Thinkers50 global ranking of management thinkers since 2011, and most recently was ranked #1 in 2021; she also received that organization’s Breakthrough Idea Award in 2019, and Talent Award in 2017.  She studies teaming, psychological safety, and organizational learning, and her articles have been published in numerous academic and management outlets, including Administrative Science Quarterly, Academy of Management Journal, Harvard Business Review and California Management Review. Her 2019 book, The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation and Growth (Wiley), has been translated into 15 languages. Dr. Edmondson’s latest book, Right Kind of Wrong (Atria), builds on her prior work on psychological safety and teaming to provide a framework for thinking about, discussing, and practicing the science of failing well. First published in the US and the UK in September, 2023, the book is due to be translated into 15 additional languages.

The Performance Paradox with Eduardo Briceño

In this interview about growth and development, author and growth mindset expert Eduardo Briceño shares how leaders, teams, and organizations can create a culture of growth, where experimentation and feedback are encouraged, and learning is integrated into the everyday. Integrating learning and performance is the central idea behind Eduardo’s book “The Performance Paradox.”

Eduardo shares why people in any profession should embrace the “Learning Zone” - a space where they can be deliberate about improvement - rather than constantly focusing on minimizing mistakes and peak performance. He talks about how leaders and coaches should create psychological safety so members of a team can experiment, and even fail, without negative repercussions. He makes the case that people should approach their work with two goals in mind - getting things done and improving. They can do that by proactively soliciting feedback, performing trial and error activities, and reflecting on mistakes. Eduardo gives advice for how leaders should handle mistakes and how they can best model being a learner. He shares how companies like Microsoft, General Mills, Skratch Labs, New York Life, and Bridgewater Associates have benefited from welcoming the “Learning Zone” and how CEOs like Satya Nadella and Ray Dalio have openly celebrated their own mistakes and learned from the feedback they received after those mistakes.

Eduardo Briceño is a global keynote speaker, facilitator, and guide supporting leaders cultivating growth mindset cultures. 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. For over a decade he was the CEO of Mindset Works, which he cofounded in 2007 with Stanford professor Carol Dweck, Lisa Blackwell, and others. Earlier, he served as a technology investor with Credit Suisse's venture capital arm the Sprout Group. Eduardo grew up in Caracas, Venezuela. He holds bachelor's degrees in economics and engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, as well as an MBA and M.A. in education from Stanford University. He was shortlisted for the Thinkers50 Breakthrough Idea Award in 2023.

The Unlocked Leader with Hortense le Gentil

In this interview about leadership development, author and executive coach Hortense le Gentil describes how leaders can unlock their power by learning to lead with empathy, authenticity, and humanity. Hortense describes how many leaders are held back by mindtraps - “old beliefs and expectations that no longer serve us” - like imposter syndrome, fixed mindsets, emotional stereotypes, familial expectations, etc,

Hortense shares how leaders can overcome these mindtraps by becoming aware of them, having a desire to change them, and the courage to directly face the obstacles holding the leader back. She finishes the conversation by describing how leaders can build and anchor new perspectives and new practices that will unlock more empathetic and effective leadership capabilities.

Hortense le Gentil is a world-renowned executive leadership coach, speaker and author. She guides CEOs and senior executives on their journey from hero leaders to human leaders. She is the author of the book Aligned: Connecting Your True Self with the Leader You’re Meant to Be, which was published in 2019 and “The Unlocked Leader: Dare to Free your Own Voice, Lead With Empathy and Shine Your Light in the World,” released in 2023.

Investing in Leadership with Bret Griess

Bret Griess is Executive Partner at the private equity firm Siris Capital. Prior to joining Siris, Bret spent 25 years with CSG Systems International where he rose through the ranks to become President and Chief Executive Officer. He oversaw the development of CSG’s first comprehensive cybersecurity program, introduced the industry’s first public, cloud-based business support solution, and led the company through its largest acquisition and contracts, valued at more than $2 billion. Bret is currently a member of the Board of Directors at Nebraska Methodist Health System, Midland University, and Equiniti.

In this interview, Bret talks about his rise from an entry-level position to the C-Suite of a publicly traded company, the importance of mentorship to his development, his approach to investing in learning and development for himself and the people he led, how he worked with his Board of Directors while he was CEO, and what roles he plays as a member of a Board of Directors. Bret also shares advice for young people who aspire to lead a company, how private equity companies think about the importance of leadership when making investments, and what he would like his legacy to be.

Servant Leadership with Ken Blanchard & Randy Conley

In this episode, Ken Blanchard and Randy Conley explain what servant leadership is, the benefits of servant leadership, how effective leaders help employees set and achieve goals, and the foundational importance of creating trust within an organization. They also discuss the importance of recognition, how vulnerable leaders are able to more quickly and effectively build trust, and how exceptional organizations have clear missions, visions, and values that are known by all employees.

Being CEO with Evamarie Schoenborn

In this episode, 12 Geniuses host Don MacPherson and guest Evamarie Schoenborn talk about the attributes of great leadership, they discuss how Evamarie honed her listening skills by emulating financial advisors with whom she worked, and she shares how she and her team led Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management through the pandemic. Evamarie describes her approach to talent management, assessment, and succession planning as CEO and she is candid about the challenges of being CEO, including the difficulty of transitioning into that role from another company. Evamarie also talks about creating a sense of belonging across the entire organization, why she spent so much time on developing others, and she leaves us with her thoughts on what she would like her legacy as a leader to be.

Leading in a World of Unpredictable Disruption with Dave Ulrich

In this episode, 12 Geniuses host Don MacPherson and guest Dave Ulrich talk about leading through disruption and crisis. They start off by discussing the attributes of good and great leadership. They talk about how leaders need to be aware of mental health challenges employees face and how those challenges influence the employee experience. They conclude the interview with a discussion about leading in crisis situations and Dave shares a model leaders can use to navigate any disruptive event.

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