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

266: Why Failing Is a Part of Winning

Whether you’re an entrepreneur or leader of a team, you’ll benefit from the life wisdom that Gary Polk shares in this special conversation. You’ll gain a deeper understanding of the value of failure or losses. Gary also explains why he’s a big believer in the triple bottom line, which includes “People, Planet, Profit.”

Gary is a Black businessman, CEO, business consultant, university professor and author. For decades, he’s been passionate about entrepreneurs…and why they succeed or fail.

His initial book, Why Entrepreneurs Fail (to Win), is widely used as a textbook in college entrepreneurship programs. He’s also written books with similar titles specifically for Black and Brown Entrepreneurs and for Women Entrepreneurs. Gary is committed to helping these leaders learn what they need to know so they can be as successful as possible.

Gary is focused on the triple bottom line, “People, Planet, Profit,” and believes these 3 elements align to drive success for everyone involved. He’s a proponent of social entrepreneurship and launched the Polk Institute Foundation in January of 2021.

You’ll discover:

Why all 3 of Gary’s books include “Fail (to Win)” in the title
What failing can teach us
Why Gary says EQ is more important than IQ
The #1 value Gary emphasizes at Polk Institute
How Social Entrepreneurship can fit into any business

Watch the episode:

Connect with Gary

Gary’s Resources

Website

Polk Institute Foundation

Books

Why Entrepreneurs Fail (to Win): An Insider’s Perspective

Why Black & Brown Entrepreneurs Fail (to Win)

Why Female Entrepreneurs Fail (to Win)

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

246: Why Curiosity Is a Superpower

Would you consider yourself a CURIOUS person? I hope your answer is YES. In this interview with Dr. Michele D’Amico, you’re going to learn some of the benefits of curiosity and why it’s even more powerful when combined with reflective listening.

Michele is the founder of Vetta Consultants, an organization that specializes in developing leaders and team members who are emotionally intelligent, curious, and resilient.

Michele has a Doctor of Psychology degree and is certified as a mediator and coach. Her ROE system (Return On Empathy) educates leaders and their organizations on the power of empathic leadership and the building of safe environments where people want to work.

You’ll discover:

The meaning behind the title and tagline of Michele’s company
The 4 components of Emotional Intelligence
Tips for regulating your emotions so you can maintain your cool
Elements involved in creating an environment of psychological safety

Watch the episode:

Connect with Dr. Michele

Dr. Michele’s Website

Vetta

False button text

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

161: Why EQ Matters More than IQ for Leaders

What does it look like when the CEO of a publicly traded company treats people as the company’s #1 asset? Phil Gallagher does just that. He’s an extraordinary leader whose motto is, “When people feel good, they do good.”

Phil is the CEO of Avnet, a publicly traded company with annual sales north of 20 billion dollars and more than 14,000 employees worldwide and ship to 140 countries. They’re #167 on Fortune 500.

You’ll discover:

The value of self-awareness in a leader’s growth
How Phil developed his own EQ
Why asking for feedback and receiving it well is a critical skill for every leader
Some of the little things Phil does to strengthen relationships
The difference in leaders who head Avnet’s highest-performing locations vs. the lowest-performing locations

Watch the episode:

Connect with Phil through Avnet

Avnet’s Website

Avnet.com

False button text

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

145: Why Leaders Need Self-Awareness, Feedback, & High EQ

What if you could increase your emotional intelligence and expand your self-awareness? That’s the journey my guest Jon Hunter traveled in advancing from salesperson to Chief Revenue Officer. You’ll be drawn in by Jon’s truth-telling around topics like self-awareness, feedback, and creating safety and trust. Get ready to take notes because Jon drops a lot of nuggets you’ll want to remember and apply.

Jon has held positions like Chief Revenue Officer and Senior VP of Sales in various enterprise software companies over the past 25 years. Now he’s passionate about developing the next generation of leaders, and he started The Hunter X Podcast to share insights gained from his experiences. Jon’s podcast is packed with nuggets you can use every day, in just 8-12 minutes per episode. I highly recommend you subscribe and read all his posts on LinkedIn.

You’ll discover:

Why leaders must create safety and trust early on when working with a new team
The #1 stumbling block for leaders who want to advance to the next level
How Jon developed his emotional intelligence to become a highly effective leader
The most important trait John looks and listens for when interviewing job candidates
The value of getting feedback throughout your career

Watch the episode:

Connect with Jon

False button text

Connect with Your Team

Mastering the Top 10 Communication Skills

Order from Amazon

Peer Coaching Made Simple