What can leaders learn from horseshoe crabs, cottonwood trees, and polar bears?

This episode of The Leadership Growth Podcast takes a fascinating dive into the lessons that leaders and organizations can take from nature. Guest Ron Amodeo, Chief Strategy Officer at UC Davis Health, shares some examples and insights from nature that can inform the way leaders direct their organizations.

Join us for this fresh and unique perspective that takes us out of the stale, gray conference room and into the lively and ever-changing world around us.

Tune in to learn:

• How concepts such as evolution and extinction apply to business
• Why operating with new constraints can help innovation
• How a new environment changes everything

In this episode:

2:49 – Topic: How Nature Informs Strategy

Resources:

Ron Amodeo Bio, UC Davis Health

Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of History, by Stephen Jay Gould

Burgess Shale

Square-Cube Law

Great Expectations: The Saturn Cars Story

Stewart Leadership Insights and Resources:

• 4 Strategic Planning Pitfalls to Avoid
• 4 Ways to Focus Your Strategic Action Plan
• Scenario Planning for an Uncertain World
• Leading Through Change: How to Future Proof Your Team
• Prescribed Burns
• Processionary Caterpillars
• The Power of Imagination in Planning
• Leadership Lessons

If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend or colleague, or, better yet, leave a review to help other listeners find our show, and remember to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

For more great content or to learn about how Stewart Leadership can help you grow your ability to lead effectively, please visit stewartleadership.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

Why do people want to work for you?

And perhaps more importantly, why do they want to continue to work for you?

In this episode of The Leadership Growth Podcast, Daniel and Peter look at how both external and internal onboarding can make or break the employee experience.

As Peter points out, the talent market will continue to experience generational shifts for several years to come, and the number of people entering the workforce isn’t enough to fill all the gaps. Attracting and retaining talent is more important than ever, and a great onboarding process can help everyone avoid unmet expectations, uncertainties, and unknowns.

Tune in to learn:

• The three different levels of onboarding
• The value of a team charter
• The biggest mistake to avoid with onboarding

Plus, wisdom from an old proverb, and how skiing is like many onboarding experiences.

In this episode:

2:11 – Insight of the Week

10:05 – Topic: Onboarding: How to Help Prepare People for Success In Their Roles

37:10 – Lightning Round

Resources:

Stewart Leadership Insights and Resources:

• Employee Retention: Use the First 90 Days to Keep Your Best New Talent
• Employee Experience: It’s the Moments That Matter
• 6 Reasons Employee Retention Should Matter to Your Organization
• Top 10 Reasons Why Your Competitors are Getting Your Candidates
• 5 Takeaways for Improving the Employee Experience Lifecycle
• The 7 Elements of Employee Experience
• 4 Ways to Improve the Onboarding Experience in a Remote Environment
• 4 Vital Considerations for Your Team Charter

If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend or colleague, or, better yet, leave a review to help other listeners find our show, and remember to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

For more great content or to learn about how Stewart Leadership can help you grow your ability to lead effectively, please visit stewartleadership.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

“I don’t know what I’ve said until I’ve learned what you heard.”

Daniel kicks off a robust discussion about communication with this provocative insight. He and Peter are joined in this episode of The Leadership Growth Podcast by executive coach and communication expert Yosi Kossowsky.

“That’s something I coach leaders on 80% of the time,” says Kossowsky. Leaders often believe communication has happened, but really, it’s only the illusion of communication.

“We are often in the habit of talking, but not validating,” he says.

Our three leadership experts discuss barriers to understanding and perception, the value of open-ended questions, and the most common leadership objection to clarifying communication.

Tune in to learn:

• Techniques to solicit more interaction, feedback, and engagement from listeners
• Why curiosity is vital to understanding
• The most important question leaders should use to improve communication

Plus, how developing good communication skills is like brushing your teeth, why perceptions can change from day to day, and how Daniel and Peter really felt about childhood piano lessons.

In this episode:

2:52 – Topic: How to Not Assume People Understand You

26:18 – Practical Guidance to Improve Communication

33:38 – Lightning Round

Resources:

Yosi Kossowsky LinkedIn Profile

Stewart Leadership Insights and Resources:

• 6 Tips for Improving Your Active Listening Skills
• The 3 Most Important Factors in Building Trust with Others
• The Two Types of Questions Great Leaders Ask
• The 2 Levels in Every Conversation
• Please, Help Me Communicate Better!
• 7 Types of Difficult People (and How to Communicate With Them)

If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend or colleague, or, better yet, leave a review to help other listeners find our show, and remember to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

For more great content or to learn about how Stewart Leadership can help you grow your ability to lead effectively, please visit stewartleadership.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

What does psychology have to do with business?

“Absolutely everything,” says Dr. Ernest Wayde, host of the Psych in Business Podcast.

Dr. Wayde joins Daniel and Peter on this episode of The Leadership Growth Podcast for a discussion about how psychology can impact leadership and the workplace.

In this conversation, Dr. Wayde offers some insights on how leaders can use psychology to grow and develop their leadership skills.

Tune in to learn:

• How to improve self-awareness
• Why leaders need to be vulnerable
• The most important skill you can practice to for effective leadership

With wide-ranging expertise in everything from psychology to systems management to artificial intelligence, Dr. Wayde applies his knowledge and insights to helping companies and leaders achieve their long-term goals. He is the founder and CEO of Wayde Consulting.

In this episode:

3:34 – Insight of the Week

7:46 – Topic: How to Use Psychology to Achieve Success in Business

31:10 – Lightning Round

Resources:

Wayde Consulting

Psych in Business Podcast

Stewart Leadership Insights and Resources:

• Five Behaviors to Help Develop Your Emotional Intelligence
• Increasing Your Emotional Intelligence: How Do Others React to You?
• The Three Levels of Managerial Courage
• 6 Ways to Become Aware of Your Leadership Blind Spots
• The 3 Most Important Factors in Building Trust With Others
• 6 Tips for Improving Your Active Listening Skills

If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend or colleague, or, better yet, leave a review to help other listeners find our show, and remember to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

For more great content or to learn about how Stewart Leadership can help you grow your ability to lead effectively, please visit stewartleadership.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

On this episode of The Leadership Growth Podcast, Daniel and Peter take a deep dive into one of the most popular videos on the Stewart Leadership website: The Tale of the Three Envelopes.

In this story, a new CEO receives three envelopes from the previous CEOs. The new CEO tucks them away and forgets about them. As he struggles in his role, he takes out the first two envelopes every few months and finds a new tactic to try. Unfortunately, neither of these approaches work, and he is forced to read the third letter.

The third letter says only, “write three new letters.”

As Daniel and Peter break down what went wrong in the fictional CEO’s approach, they offer some tips and guidance about how leaders can succeed in their roles–and avoid that third letter.

Tune in to learn:

• The risks of “boxology”
• The main takeaway from the Three Envelope Story
• The one thing you need for a successful restructure

Plus, a helpful productivity tool for busy people, and memories of John Parker Stewart’s office.

In this episode:

2:05 – Insight of the Week

6:37 – Memory Lane: Dad’s Office

10:23 – Topic: The Three Envelopes

35:37 – Lightning Round

Resources:

“Virtual coworking spaces aim to offer best of remote productivity and in-person collaboration,” Fast Company, May 9, 2023

The 9 Natural Laws of Leadership, by Dr. Warren Blank, Amacom Press, 1995

Stewart Leadership Insights and Resources:

• Video: The Tale of the Three Envelopes
• Ten Ways to Successfully Launch into Your First 90 Days
• What C-Level Executives Need for Their First 100 Days
• The #1 Missing Element when Organizational Change Fails
• 5 Questions to Answer Before Your Next Hard Conversation
• Four Keys to Creating Accountability

If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend or colleague, or, better yet, leave a review to help other listeners find our show, and remember to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

For more great content or to learn about how Stewart Leadership can help you grow your ability to lead effectively, please visit stewartleadership.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

“With every relationship, we make deposits into that trust account by the actions we take, the things we say, and the interest we show and display,” says Peter.

Are you making good deposits into the trust accounts with your bosses, peers, and team members?

Peter and Daniel get a little bit personal in this episode of The Leadership Growth Podcast with a discussion about the most important tools you need to build strong relationships at work–and in all areas of life.

Tune in to learn:

• The simple exercise that can help build connections on your team
• The most consistent element that science says will boost your personal happiness, wealth, and success
• The three questions you can ask yourself to help manage your reactions as you build a relationship

Plus, some of the milestones in Daniel and Peter’s lives, and a valuable quote about the importance of connecting with other people.

In this episode:

2:42 – Insight of the Week

8:18 – Memory Lane: Milestones

22:21 – Topic: Building Relationships in a Professional Setting

36:17 – Lightning Round

Resources:

Harvard Study of Adult Development

An 85-year Harvard study found the No. 1 thing that makes us happy in life, CNBC

Susan Pinker’s TED Profile

Stewart Leadership Insights and Resources:

• 6 Tips for Improving Your Active Listening Skills
• The 3 Most Important Factors in Building Trust with Others
• Big Ears Are a Must
• Are You an Ideal Boss?
• 7 Ways to Become a People-First Manager
• The 2 Levels in Every Conversation
• Five Keys for Rapidly Developing Trusting Relationships
• 5 Ways to Build Trust Within Your Organization

If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend or colleague, or, better yet, leave a review to help other listeners find our show, and remember to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

For more great content or to learn about how Stewart Leadership can help you grow your ability to lead effectively, please visit stewartleadership.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

“Some of the best goals out there have a 50% or 60% chance of success,” says Daniel.

How effective are your change efforts? If you only have a 20% chance of success, you may be sabotaging yourself. On the other hand, if you set a goal that has an 80% chance of success, are you really making a significant change?

In this episode of The Leadership Growth Podcast, Daniel and Peter offer some guidelines and tips for creating an effective action plan for sustained change.

“The ceiling on strengths is a lot higher than the ceiling on our weaknesses,” says Peter.

Tune in to learn:

• The five elements of an effective action plan
• The right time frame to work on a new behavior
• The role of “micro-experts” in your personal action plan for change

Plus, how full is your tea cup? Peter shares a Zen parable that’s relevant to pursuing change. And Peter and Daniel reflect on hearing Colin Powell speak–and the unique team-building exercise developed by their dad.

In this episode:

2:06 – Insight of the Week

8:30 – Memory Lane: Teaming Through Skiing

14:37 – Topic: Creating an Effective Action Plan for Development

40:40 – Lightning Round

Resources:

Parable of the Tea Cup

The enduring impact of Colin Powell (Washington Post)

Stewart Leadership Insights and Resources:

• Five Behaviors to Help Develop Your Emotional Intelligence
• Eight Skills of Great Coaching Managers
• 10 Questions to Ask to Best Develop Your Individual Action Plan
• The Three Types of Learning You Need to Excel as a Leader
• 7 Ways Leaders Develop Themselves and Others
• Six Secrets to Your Leadership Growth
• 4 Ways to Encourage a Growth Mindset Culture
• Workbook: LEAD NOW! Individual Action Planning Workbook
• Book: LEAD NOW! A Personal Leadership Coaching Guide for Results-Driven Leaders

If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend or colleague, or, better yet, leave a review to help other listeners find our show, and remember to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

For more great content or to learn about how Stewart Leadership can help you grow your ability to lead effectively, please visit stewartleadership.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

We’ve all embarked on personal change efforts with great excitement and motivation–only to lose momentum and fall back on old habits or even crash and burn. Failing in our change efforts can result in frustration, discouragement, and disappointment.

Is there any way to change in a truly sustainable way?

In episode 12 of The Leadership Growth Podcast, Daniel and Peter offer a proven method to create sustainable personal change.

Tune in to learn:

• The five steps of personal change
• How leaders can promote sustainable change for their team members
• How to help support someone who wants to make changes

Join our experts for a conversation about how to change–even when it’s tough! Plus, are you calling your employees by the right name? And remembering 1980s technology...

In this episode:

1:44 – Insight of the Week

7:35 – Memory Lane: Plotting Along…

12:08 – Topic: The Five Steps of Personal Change

38:30 – Lightning Round

Resources:

HP ColorPro Pen Plotter Drawing the Mask of Tutankhamen

Understanding Motivational Interviewing

Stewart Leadership Insights:

• 5 Steps for Sustaining Personal Change
• 4 Ways to Create Personal Change
• 4 Reasons FAST Goals Beat SMART Goals (includes downloadable worksheet)
• You Are Not Perfect! Mistakes Are Part of Life!
• Six Obstacles to Change and How to Overcome Them
• 6 Ways to Become Aware of Your Leadership Blind Spots

If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend or colleague, or, better yet, leave a review to help other listeners find our show, and remember to subscribe so you never miss an episode.

For more great content or to learn about how Stewart Leadership can help you grow your ability to lead effectively, please visit stewartleadership.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.