289: Why Strong Character Matters

I’ve been hosting my podcast for more than five years, since June 2019, and have never done a solo episode. That changes with this episode! Many of my listeners have requested that I share some of my thoughts about leadership, so I’ve decided to devote one episode each month to speaking directly with you.

For this episode, I focused on the topic of character—what it is and two specific areas that show why it’s essential for leadership. My business partner Denny Coates and I have been immersed in this aspect of leadership development for decades, and even more so in the past two years as Denny has worked on his latest book, Grow Strong Character, and the two of us have created content for our new self-paced leadership development program, GSL SkillBuilder.

I’m the co-founder and president of Grow Strong Leaders, a company that publishes software tools and books to help people build strong relationships at work and at home.

You’ll discover:

What strong character consists of
The role of character in leadership
Why character development strengthens emotional intelligence
The importance of helping people live into an organization’s core values
Resources that can help you strengthen your own character

Watch the episode:

Connect with Meredith

Meredith’s Resources

Website

GrowStrongLeaders.com

Books

Connect with Your Team: Mastering the Top 10 Communication Skills

Peer Coaching Made Simple

Listen to the GSL Podcast on Apple Podcasts

Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on iheartradio

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

284: You Can Grow Strong Character

Character has always been essential for anyone in a leadership position. But what exactly IS character? And is it a fixed aspect of who you are, or can it be developed?

In this episode, you’ll learn the answers to those questions from a special guest, Denny Coates, who’s been Meredith’s business partner for almost 33 years. He’s the CEO of Grow Strong Leaders, and his genius is in writing and creating content for the company’s books and products.

Denny has studied character for decades, and he’s just published a new book, Grow Strong Character, that explores this topic in depth. Together, he and Meredith developed a new online, self-paced leadership program called GSL SkillBuilder that facilitates mastery of high-impact communication skills and character skills.

You’ll discover:

How Denny defines character
The relationship of communication skills and character to emotional intelligence
What’s required to strengthen a specific character skill
The role of coaching in the mastery of any skill
GSL SkillBuilder’s unique structure for growing strong character

Watch the episode:

Connect with Denny

Denny’s Resources

Websites

Grow Strong Leaders

Dr. Denny Coates

GSL SkillBuilder

Books

Grow Strong Character

Connect with Your Team: Mastering the Top 10 Communication Skills

Peer Coaching Made Simple

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

220: Over, Under, Around, and Through Obstacles

Want some inspiration and practical tips for surmounting obstacles in your life? You’ll get both from Jill Tietjen, who shares stories about the adversity faced by several of the 50 women featured in her latest book, Over, Under, Around, and Through: How Hall of Famers Surmount Obstacles.

Jill is an author, international speaker, and an electrical engineer. After more than 45 years in the electric utility industry, her professional focus is now on women’s advocacy, worldwide. She speaks internationally on the accomplishments of women, nominates women for awards, and continues to write books, with 12 published to date.

Her first 2 books about women were bestsellers and award-winners: Her Story: A Timeline of the Women Who Changed America and Hollywood: Her Story, An Illustrated History of Women and the Movies.

Jill has been inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame, the Colorado Authors’ Hall of Fame, and the National Academy of Construction.

You’ll discover:

How Jill got the idea to write this book
The wide range of obstacles faced by the 50 women featured in the book
The 10 common characteristics they shared
Key take-aways readers have reported
Tips for surmounting the obstacles in your life

Watch the episode:

Connect with Jill

Jill’s Resources

Website

Jill Tietjen

Books

Over, Under, Around, and Through: How Hall of Famers Surmount Obstacles

Her Story: A Timeline of the Women Who changed America

Hollywood Her Story: An Illustrated History of Women and the Movies

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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

209: Why Paying Attention Is the Start Point of Emotional Intelligence

What’s required for a person with technical expertise to develop Emotional Intelligence (EI)? Susan Schwartz provides excellent insights and examples in this interview. As a high tech professional and leader, Susan learned the importance of developing EI in order to work effectively with her team. And now she coaches professionals in technical fields on how to become more effective as leaders of people.

Susan Schwartz is a leadership and management coach. For more than 20 years prior to that, she led teams herself and coached professionals to their next career level. Her Expert To Excellence® programs are designed to help knowledge experts in technical fields make sense of intangible leadership concepts and equip them to create amazing, collaborative teams. She uses the EQ-I 2.0 assessment to help them identify

Susan is the author of Creating a Greater Whole: A Project Manager’s Guide to Becoming a Leader. In this excellent book she unlocks the not-so-secret secrets of how aspiring managers can become strong leaders.

She also serves on the Executive Committee of the weekly group, Inclusive Leadership in a Virtual World (ILVW), where she and Meredith first met. If you’re committed to growing as a leader, this is an outstanding group to be a part of.

You’ll discover:

The one skill that’s at the core of all other leadership skills
What technical professionals struggle with most when they transition from individual contributor to leader
Why Susan emphasizes the importance of Reflective Exercises to learn from your experiences
Success stories of clients who’ve raised their emotional intelligence as a result of Susan’s coaching

Watch the episode:

Connect with Susan

Susan’s Resources

Website

River Birch Group

Book

Creating a Greater Whole: A Project Manager’s Guide to Becoming a Leader

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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

178: Leadership Is Not about Position or Title

What does it take to become a truly effective leader, one people want to follow? Pat Lattore has thought deeply about this question and has been involved in developing strong leaders for the past 45 years. In this conversation, he shares brilliant insights about the roles that influence, emotional intelligence, and culture play in the shaping of leaders.

Pat served in various leadership roles inside organizations and then founded his consulting company P.A.L. Leadership, LLC, in 1992 to: provide leadership development and executive coaching; improve collaboration and teamwork; and facilitate organizational change. His years of experience in so many fields have given him a unique perspective that you’re sure to enjoy and appreciate.

You’ll discover:

How Pat defines leadership
Why Pat says real leadership is not positional
The skills and traits required to be an effective leader
What leaders must do to build currency in order to have influence
Why Pat says the most profound leadership exchange happens between mother and child

Watch the episode:

Connect with Pat

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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