190: Stop Being the Answer-Person for Your Team

Have you ever been told, “You’re the best leader I’ve ever had”? Michelle Braden has. She lives and breathes every day the behaviors that both challenge and support the people on her team.

In this gold nugget-filled conversation, you’ll hear about the journey that led Michelle to learn about, adopt, and apply the key leadership skills that bring out the best in others.

Michelle is the Vice President of Global Talent Development at WEX, a leading provider of corporate payment solutions. She has more than 25 years of successful management experience in companies like TELUS International, SAP and Xerox.

You’ll discover:

Why Michelle Braden likes to describe herself as the Chief Learning Evangelist
How the Situational Leadership program became a turning point in Michelle’s career
What Michelle does to challenge team members and provide support at the same time
The behavior that consistently trips up the senior leaders Michelle has coached in her role
How application of The Fifth Agreement helps build critical thinking skills

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Beth’s Website

WEX

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Mastering the Top 10 Communication Skills

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Peer Coaching Made Simple

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

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189: The Best Leaders Are Wildly Self-Aware at GoDaddy

How do you create a leadership development program from scratch? Will Leahy explains how he did just that at GoDaddy as Senior Director of Learning and Talent. You’ll feel his unbridled enthusiasm for his work, and you’ll learn how he’s still refining that program after two years.

Throughout Will’s career at companies like Virgin Orbit, Hulu, and LinkedIn, there’s a common thread that’s near and dear to my own heart. Will has a passion for developing strong leaders who help others thrive and realize their full potential. And in our conversation we talked about how he’s been doing that at GoDaddy.

You’ll discover:

Will’s purpose and how he gets to fulfill it at GoDaddy
The key question Will asked that helped him develop a powerful leadership development program
The story behind The Everyday Leaders Program title
Why the program results in real changes in the way leaders lead
How Will utilizes the program’s Alumni Network to test new classes and get feedback

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Connect with Will

Will’s Website

GoDaddy

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Mastering the Top 10 Communication Skills

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Peer Coaching Made Simple

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

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188: How a Local Government Created Service Excellence through Lean Six Sigma

Did you know that Lean Six Sigma extends way beyond the world of manufacturing? Paul Stamper is a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, and he’s done a magnificent job bringing this process to the County of Ventura in California. You’ll enjoy Paul’s passion for this topic and the practical ways the principles are applied across all departments in the County. You’re sure to get ideas of how you can incorporate Lean Six Sigma into your own organization.

Paul is the Deputy Executive Officer for the County of Ventura, California. He oversees multiple program areas including their continuous improvement program, called Service Excellence, which has documented over $40 million in savings. Paul leads Strategic Planning and Economic Vitality efforts to support the 850,000 residents and 22,000 businesses in the County.

You’ll discover:

What Lean Six Sigma means and what it looks like in action
The natural strengths Paul brought with him when learning about Lean processes
How Ventura County has used the Service Excellence Program to improve services to its customers
Positive changes that have occurred at all levels in the organization since adopting Lead Six Sigma
Ways that Paul has grown as a leader and what he’s learned from his experience in this role

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Connect with Paul

Paul’s Resources

Website

County of Ventura, California – Service Excellence

Answer to the riddle about crossing the river with a fox, chicken and some grain

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Mastering the Top 10 Communication Skills

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Peer Coaching Made Simple

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

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187: How to Live a Legendary Life

What’s it like to be bullied and abused as a kid, end up in jail for beating up someone, and later decide to create a Legendary Life Movement? That’s just a slice of Tommy Breedlove’s life.

Tommy emerged from those early experiences stronger and determined to change his life. He went on to have a 20-year corporate career at one of the largest financial consulting firms in the world. And then…at the top of his career, Tommy experienced a transformational moment that inspired him to walk away from the corporate world and follow his true calling…to empower others to build and live Legendary Lives.

Tommy is the Wall Street Journal and USA Today Best-Selling Author of the Book, Legendary. He’s also the Founder of the Legendary Life Movement… a movement that empowers driven people to be Pros in Leadership, Business, Mindset, & their Relationships. You’ll be inspired and motivated to take action as you hear him share specific steps you can take to build your own legendary life.

You’ll discover:

What the word Legendary means to Tommy…and why he chose it
Why self-leadership is the starting point for all personal development
The question one of Tommy’s mentors asked him that became an ah-ha moment in his life
3 things you can do every day to build a practice of gratitude in your life
3 actions you can start taking today to become legendary at work, no matter what your title

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Connect with Tommy

Tommy’s Resources

Website

Legendary Life Movement

Book

Legendary

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Mastering the Top 10 Communication Skills

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Peer Coaching Made Simple

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

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186: Leading from The Presidential Principles

What leaders in your life have had the greatest impact on your thinking and behavior? Anton Gunn can name five different U.S. Presidents who’ve personally influenced him.

These interactions form the basis of the seven principles in his bestselling book, The Presidential Principles. Anton served as a senior advisor for healthcare in the Obama Administration, and that President inspired him to find more ways to be of service to others.

Anton is the CEO of 937 Strategy Group, a consulting firm focused on helping leaders build diverse, high-performing teams, and world-class workplace culture. Anton was recently named one of the Ten Most Influential Minority Executives in Healthcare by Fierce Healthcare, and he’s the world’s leading expert on Socially Conscious Leadership.

You’ll discover:

The two leadership lessons Anton learned from his first boss that transformed his life
How Anton redirected his life purpose after the death of his brother
What he discovered about the U.S. healthcare system that motivated him to become an advocate for change
How Anton became a senior advisor to President Barack Obama
The one Presidential Principle that serves as that foundation of all the others

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Connect with Anton

Anton’s Resources

Connect with Your Team

Mastering the Top 10 Communication Skills

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Peer Coaching Made Simple

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

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