344: Leading with Love and Service at the Arizona Diamondbacks

344: Leading with Love and Service at the Arizona Diamondbacks

344: Leading with Love and Service at the Arizona Diamondbacks

What if the most powerful thing you could do as a leader is to see greatness in others that they can’t see in themselves? That’s the philosophy that has guided Ken Crenshaw, longtime Director of Sports Medicine and Performance for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Drawing on values learned from his small-town ranch upbringing and a pivotal mentor in high school, Ken has built a leadership approach centered on service, humility, and love. His stories remind you that even the simplest principles, when applied consistently, can transform lives and teams.

In this conversation, you’ll hear how Ken integrates self-awareness, vulnerability, and authentic listening into his work with athletes and staff. He explains how culture is a living, breathing force that requires daily care, and why crucial conversations rooted in love are essential for growth. Whether you lead a business, a sports team, or a family, Ken’s wisdom will inspire you to slow down, listen deeply, and commit to helping others reach their full potential.

You’ll discover:

  • How a high school coach’s tough love shaped Ken’s leadership philosophy.
  • Why self-awareness and feedback are game-changers for leaders.
  • The role vulnerability plays in accelerating personal and professional growth.
  • Practical ways to build a culture rooted in love, trust, and shared purpose.
  • How to recognize and call out the hidden potential in others.

Watch the episode:

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Leader-team communication and character skills

Grow Strong Character

Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D.

Connect with Your Team Book - Grow Strong Leaders

Connect with Your Team

Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D.,
and Meredith M. Bell
Connect with Your Team Book - Grow Strong Leaders

Peer Coaching Made Simple

Dennis E. Coates, Ph.D.,
and Meredith M. Bell

297: Astonish Others with Unexpected Acts of Generosity

297: Astonish Others with Unexpected Acts of Generosity

297: Astonish Others with Unexpected Acts of Generosity

In this episode, I talk about different ways you can uplevel the way you serve others in your world. When you apply these ideas, you won’t just surprise or delight them, you’ll actually ASTONISH them.

I share specific examples of things I’ve done. As you listen, consider how you can incorporate some of them in your own unique way with the people in your life.

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:

  • The one question to ask yourself before every conversation that’s important to you
  • What another person feels from you when you express genuine curiosity in them
  • How to make introductions that stand out
  • Ways you can use social media to acknowledge people in your world
  • Why expressions of appreciation are so powerful

Watch the episode:

Connect with Meredith

        

Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on YouTube
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Apple Podcasts
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Pandora
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Spotify
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on Amazon
Listen to the Grow Strong Leaders Podcast on iheartradio

Connect with Your Team

Mastering the Top 10 Communication Skills

Peer Coaching Made Simple

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

240: Focus on Serving, Not Competing

240: Focus on Serving, Not Competing

240: Focus on Serving, Not Competing

Which leadership skills and strengths are important for entrepreneurs in order to build a successful business? Geoffrey Kent shares the ones he needed to use, and they’re the same ones he advises every business leader to develop. You’ll be mesmerized by the stories Geoff tells to illustrate his points.

Geoff has been a serial entrepreneur for more than 40 years. As a result of his own experiences, he’s developed a comprehensive methodology to help entrepreneurs build their own unique, customized strategy for responsibly scaling exponential business growth.

Today Geoff teaches entrepreneurs – from business start-ups to those who are growing – how to connect their entrepreneurism with their passion.

You’ll discover:

  • The lessons Geoff learned along the way in his own entrepreneurial journey
  • Why leaders need to have a clear, compelling vision and be able to articulate it to others
  • What Geoff advises you to focus on instead of the competition
  • How Geoff served his customers so powerfully that they became his sales team
  • The 3 questions Geoff asks entrepreneurs to determine if they have a viable business idea

Watch the episode:

Connect with Geoff

        

Connect with Your Team

Mastering the Top 10 Communication Skills

Peer Coaching Made Simple

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

238: How to Live Life in Crescendo

238: How to Live Life in Crescendo

238: How to Live Life in Crescendo

Did you know that Stephen R. Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, was working on another book before he died in 2012? The book is called Live Life In Crescendo: Your Most Important Work is Always Ahead of You.

His co-author was his daughter Cynthia Covey Haller, and she was committed to see the book through to publication. This took several years because of all the stories she included as examples of the “Crescendo Mentality.”

In this unforgettable conversation, Cynthia takes us behind the scenes about the creation of the book and the key message that Stephen was eager to get out to the world in the last years of his life. She also reveals the condition that robbed Stephen of his ability to speak and write near the end.

You’ll discover:

  • The story behind the book’s title and subtitle
  • Examples of what the Crescendo Mentality looks like in action
  • Why contribution is a key theme running throughout the book
  • How Stephen turns the concept of “retirement” upside down
  • What you can do to be a “Transition” person who ends unhealthy patterns in a family or community

Watch the episode:

 

Connect with Cynthia

  

Connect with Your Team

Mastering the Top 10 Communication Skills

Peer Coaching Made Simple

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

076: Create a Powerful Personal Brand for Your Business

076: Create a Powerful Personal Brand for Your Business

Are you clear about the message that your personal brand communicates to potential clients? My guest Ben Baker has literally written the book on this, and he shares valuable insights that will help you clarify your message. We also discuss actions to take when dealing with a crisis like the pandemic. Ben is the president of Your Brand Marketing, an Employee Engagement Consulting firm.  For nearly 25 years, he’s been helping companies, and the people within them understand and communicate their unique value to others. He’s also the author of two books, Powerful Personal Brands: and his latest one, Leading Beyond a Crisis. His latest project is Podcast Host for Hire, providing a done-for-you service for companies that want to have a podcast.

You’ll discover:

  • What “personal brand” is and why that’s important for your business
  • How to create an unforgettable experience before and after your clients buy
  • What a company needs to create beyond a mission, vision and values statement
  • How to create a compelling story to make your brand memorable
  • Why it’s important to reach out to current clients during a crisis

Watch the episode:

 

Connect with Ben

      

Connect with Your Team

Mastering the Top 10 Communication Skills

Strong for Performance

Create a Coaching Culture with Learning & Development Programs That Stick