Communication Skills Archives

260: Discover the Matrix with Integrity

Do you remember Neo’s choice of the blue pill or the red pill in the movie, The Matrix? Angela Cusack explores this choice in the context of leaders and their ability to decide on the level of integrity they want to have with themselves and with others. It all hinges on the desire to break through illusions that keep us safe and do the work to become more self-aware through deep reflection.

In this important conversation, Angela shares key concepts from her book, Discover The Matrix, Integrity: The True Mark of Leadership. She shares her own journey, as well as some of her clients, in discovering how to “explore the space between.”

Angela is the founder of Igniting Success and she’s often called a company’s secret weapon – she works with C-suite execs & what she does is so transformative that it impacts the entire organization.

She’s a Master Certified Coach and has provided mentor coaching and supervision for coaches over the past 15 years to help them prepare for certification as PCC or MCC.

You’ll discover:

How the book’s title and contents tie in with the movie, The Matrix
Why Angela says integrity with self is the starting point of having integrity with others
What Angela means by “exploring the space between” and why it’s important for leader
The illusions we can have about ourselves that hold us back
Why “permission to unzip” is vital to becoming an authentic leader

Watch the episode:

Connect with Angela

Angela’s Resources

Websites

Igniting Success

Angela Cusack

Book

Discover The Matrix, Integrity: The True Mark of Leadership
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Austin Macauley Publishers, & retailers worldwide

Connect with Your Team

Mastering the Top 10 Communication Skills

Order from Amazon

Peer Coaching Made Simple

How to Do the 6 Things That Matter Most When Helping Someone Improve a Skill

Order from Amazon

259: Lessons from a Learn-It-All Leader

What’s the difference between a Learn-It-All leader and a Know-It-All Leader? That’s just one of many questions Damon Lembi answers in this value-packed conversation. Damon is an excellent example of a leader who’s been focused on his own growth and equally committed to helping members of his team become the best versions of themselves.

For nearly three decades as CEO, Damon has led his company, Learnit, through the ever-changing landscape of Learning and Development, gaining insight into what works, how great leaders learn, and why learn-it-all companies outpace their competition.

Coming to business from a career in baseball, Damon brings an athlete’s perspective on leadership and training to his informal mentoring of executives. He’s distilled those hard-won insights into his bestselling book, The Learn-It-All Leader—Mindset, Traits, and Tools.

You’ll discover:

Leadership lessons Damon learned from the 3 Hall of Fame Baseball Coaches he worked with in college
The distinction Damon makes between Being and Doing when it comes to leader behaviors
Why Damon hires for potential instead of experience
Reasons he prizes Curiosity as a key leadership skill
What the Trust Tax is and why it’s an important payment to make

Watch the episode:

Connect with Damon

Damon’s Resources

Website

Learnit

Book

The Learn-It-All Leader—Mindset, Traits, and Tools

Connect with Your Team

Mastering the Top 10 Communication Skills

Order from Amazon

Peer Coaching Made Simple

How to Do the 6 Things That Matter Most When Helping Someone Improve a Skill

Order from Amazon

258: Overcoming Hurdles to Change the Face of Leadership

What’s the evidence that women face unique hurdles in advancing to executive leadership roles? Jennifer McCollum shares the data based on 25+ years of research conducted by Linkage. The facts are real. In this conversation, we focus on the actions women can take to overcome these hurdles – and what men can do to be effective allies and executive sponsors. You will love Jennifer’s passion for this topic and her transparency in describing some of her own experiences.

Jennifer is the former CEO of Linkage, a SHRM company, where she oversaw the strategic direction and global operations of this leadership development firm. Linkage’s mission is to “Change the Face of Leadership” and over the past 35 years the company has been dedicated to improving leadership effectiveness and equity in hundreds of organizations globally.

Jennifer has 20 years of experience building and leading businesses in the leadership space. She’s a highly sought-after consultant and speaker, with deep expertise in Inclusive Leadership and Advancing Women Leaders.

She’s a member of Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 Coaches and the author of the new book, In Her Own Voice: A Woman’s Rise to CEO: Overcoming Hurdles to Change the Face of Leadership. Highly recommended for women and men alike!

You’ll discover:

Why the Inner Critic is the “uber” hurdle that impacts the other 7
How the Compassion Center’s 4 steps can help you shift from judging yourself or others
The distinction between External Bias and Internal Bias
The importance of Recognized Confidence, a step beyond self-confidence
What men can do to support women and the role of Executive Sponsorship

Watch the episode:

Connect with Jennifer

Jennifer’s Resources

Website

Linkage, a SHRM Company

Book

In Her Own Voice: A Woman’s Rise to CEO: Overcoming Hurdles to Change the Face of Leadership

Connect with Your Team

Mastering the Top 10 Communication Skills

Order from Amazon

Peer Coaching Made Simple

How to Do the 6 Things That Matter Most When Helping Someone Improve a Skill

Order from Amazon

257: How the CEO of Silicon Signs Lives His Purpose Every Day

What does it take to make the transition from being a star athlete in college to a successful business owner? Meet Chase Dalton, CEO of Silicon Signs, who did just that. Chase is an extraordinary leader who lives daily the focus of this podcast, to Grow Strong Leaders, by developing himself and his people. You are sure to be moved by the stories he shares from his business and from his life.

In college Chase was an outstanding athlete. He’s a three-time All-American in track and field and once held the title of Junior National Champion in the decathlon. You’ll find out which strengths transferred nicely to the challenges of starting and running a company. Chase leads a team 20 to create signs for brick-and-mortar businesses in all 50 states.

You’ll discover:

The process Chase and his team followed to create their values, vision, and mission
Ways that Chase and his team live their values on a daily basis
How his degree in Sociology has serve Chase well in his business
Why Chase views his employees as his customers – and how that impacts the way he spends his time
The near-death experience in 2020 that forever changed the way Chase shows up in the world

Watch the episode:

Connect with Chase

Chase’s Resources

Website

Silicon Signs

Connect with Your Team

Mastering the Top 10 Communication Skills

Order from Amazon

Peer Coaching Made Simple

How to Do the 6 Things That Matter Most When Helping Someone Improve a Skill

Order from Amazon

256: A Leader’s Impact on Culture and the Employee Journey

Do you know of a leader who worked with the same team of people for 12 years? Russel Lolacher achieved that feat. In this interview, Russel reveals exactly what he did to create the environment that caused every person to want to stay and give their best effort. You’ll learn valuable strategies that you can implement immediately with your own team.

Russel is an international speaker and the founder and host of Relationships at Work Podcast. It’s the leadership guide to creating a workplace we love. On his show, Russel digs into timely and relevant topics with global experts on how to be better leaders and create healthy workplace cultures.

He’s held successful leadership and communication roles for almost 25 years, retaining one team for almost 12 years. Russel’s work and expertise in building employee and customer trust has been recognized on international stages and in multiple publications. He’s been named 4 times as a Top Thought Leader by the International Customer Management Institute (ICMI).

You’ll discover:

Why Russel uses Air, Land, and Sea to describe the 3 levels of awareness that leaders must have
How Russel created a psychologically safe work environment for his team
What’s missing in most organizations after the onboarding process, to complete employee’s journey with an organization
The long-term impact of poor leadership on people, even after they leave the organization
Key take-aways Russel has learned from the guests on his podcast