The Building Champions Podcast

Is it possible to achieve success both professionally and personally? Or is there always a cost to one or the other? Well, at Building Champions, we believe that you can find success both at work and at home, but it does take commitment to personal growth and healthy self-leadership. In this bonus interview-style podcast episode, learn from our CEO Daniel Harkavy as he discusses with Executive Coa...

High-performance is often viewed as the result of mental toughness—someone's ability to focus, work hard, and get stuff done. But what if mental strength is just one component? In Harvard Business Review's 2001 article, "The Making of a Corporate Athlete", the high-performance pyramid is revealed to include four key areas. And this performance pyramid rings true with what we've at Building Champio...

One way to prevent a weed from growing is by proactively planting something else before the weed has a chance to take root. And the same is true for our mindset. When you plant positive and healthy thoughts in your mind, it's less likely that the negative ones will successfully take over. In this podcast episode, we head back to the garden to learn what fighting weeds, pests and threats can teach...

Mindset gets a lot of attention these days - and for good reason. If you can cultivate a healthy mindset, you'll see a positive impact in nearly every area of your life. But that's easier said than done, especially during challenging seasons.  In this episode, we'll head to the garden to explore the connections between growing plants and growing a stronger and healthier mindset. One that allows yo...

Fault lines: a break or fracture in the ground—sometimes just a crack, thin and barely noticeable. Setting the stage for disaster, if tension builds along a fault line and then releases, we get an earthquake. Many teams experience something similar, slight divisions and differences that create challenges. And when left unchecked, those foundations can shake even the strongest of teams. In this pod...

Why do certain thoughts repeat in our minds? Author Jon Acuff calls these thoughts "soundtracks." Is the stickiness of these repeating thoughts similar to the stickiness of the catchiest song? In this podcast episode, learn from songwriter and musician Rachael Price of Love, DEAN what makes a song sticky so that you can undermine the power of a repeating thought. Don't let your leadership get stuc...

If you have a capacity problem, you either reduce flow or increase size—and it's vital to understand the variables and risk factors that can cause the limit to be reached. When we, as leaders, hit our capacity we need to either find a way to reduce the flow or grow our team and resources. But before we reach capacity, we can expand our leadership by properly resourcing, prioritizing, and delegatin...

We like to think we have control over outcomes—but we really don't. What we do have control over though is the process. An athlete disciplines themselves to get enough sleep, eat nutritiously, exercise, and practice, but they can't control the weather on game day or whether the opposition shows up in a way that turns the outcome of the game in their favor. It's the same in leadership—we can pour o...

If you lead people, your regularly scheduled one-on-one meetings with them are one of your highest payoff activities as a leader. Yet too many leaders either don't commit to them – or are unsure about how to structure them to benefit both them and their people.  Dr. Tom Orazio has been a dentist for more than 40 years and sees the same things from some of his patients when it comes to their regula...

The Building Champions Podcast is back for Season 4.  New episodes coming September 10.  Catch up on past episodes at BuildingChampions.com/podcast 

How do you find the balance between thinking enough of yourself to leverage your talents and abilities, but not too much that you become arrogant? In leadership, finding the balance in humility is key. Timberline Lodge ski and ride school director, Steve Muise, teaches those new to skiing and snowboarding how to achieve and maintain balance. Strength and flexibility are needed to keep you from tum...

We so often view stress as bad, the negative thing in our life that disrupts our desire for comfort and ease. But what if stress actually serves as a motivator—inciting us toward health and growth? If we strive to avoid stress at all times, are we choosing comfort at the expense of change and progress? Personal trainer and competitive power lifter, Brooke Rooney, explains how stress is foundationa...

Basketball is a strong link game—teams can be built around the star player. Soccer is a weak link game—teams need qualified players in all positions in order to be successful. So what does this concept teach us about building our own teams and cultures? Learn from soccer coach Tracy Nelson of Portland Thorns Academy as she explains that building a winning soccer team requires not only skill, but c...

As strange as it may be, research has shown that shared painful experiences actually promote stronger relationships, increased trust and willing cooperation. Can shared experiences then—both good and bad—bond teams together to create an environment for success? Andrew Paul shares how the intensity of his Navy SEAL training fostered deep connection within his team—causing them to think less about t...

In today's modern world, we hear lots of talk about focusing on strengths—and for good reason. But what if our weaknesses are so big they actually cancel out our strengths? In those cases, the weaknesses can severely limit our leadership effectiveness—they can't be ignored. The head of engineering at Daimler Trucks North America, Rainer Mueller-Finkeldei, explains how a single point of failure can...

Feedback can be both scary to give and get, but when delivered in a healthy way and received with an open mind, it can be key to growth. It is important to fight the fear of feedback so you can be the best version of yourself and coach your teammates to be their best—this will not only accelerate development but will move the organization forward. Join us as Tristen Collins, Licensed Professional...

Beliefs come before behaviors. Our inner thinking drives our outer actions—both in business and life. Just as healthy thinking can help you make disciplined and positive choices, faulty thinking can cause an emotional and physical response that differs from how you really want to be living. Join us as Dr. Karl Kaluza unpacks how symptoms are indicative of a greater root issue—and how our thinking...

We're back! We're excited to announce Season 3 of The Building Champions Podcast. As always, our goal is to use a combination of interviews and storytelling to bring a unique and fresh perspective on leadership topics, to help you improve both how you lead and live. For more information, to subscribe, or to catch up on previous episodes, visit us at: www.buildingchampions.com/podcast

Right now our people are experiencing unprecedented amounts of change and uncertainty. Rather than shying away from these conversations, great leaders press in to help their people navigate these challenging times. In this bonus episode, we'll provide you with practical tips and insights to help you coach your people more effectively during this season. For more information, to subscribe, or to ca...

Leading in a time of crisis is more complicated and difficult – especially in how we think and react. The pace, the pressure, the uncertainty, the confusion – they are all enemies of sound thinking. In order to lead effectively, leaders must fight through the confusion and uncertainty to focus on what matters most right now – and lead in a way so that their people can do the same. Join us as Todd...

It's hard to believe, but this is the end of season 2 of The Building Champions Podcast.  In this bonus episode, we recap the season's journey, and look ahead to next season. We'll be back soon with Season 3! See you then. For more information, to subscribe, or to catch up on previous episodes, visit us at:  www.buildingchampions.com/podcast

Meetings are an essential part of everyone's work experience. But unfortunately many of us have come to view them as a necessary evil. They're something we begrudgingly schedule on our calendars and then dread attending because they often seem unfocused, unnecessary and unhelpful. For leaders looking to boost organizational culture and performance, focusing on improving the way we do meetings can...

With leadership comes power, and as a leader, your decisions and behaviors can have a profound impact on your team and your organization. But one power that leaders wield which often gets overlooked is the power we have to influence and develop our team members through our belief in them. And in all walks of life, from the boardroom to the classroom, research and experience have proven that people...

Results and relationships. Too often, leaders hold them at odds with one another. Either we focus so much on getting stellar results that we neglect building the trust and relationships that are necessary for succeeding as a team, or we focus so much on relationships and making sure everyone gets along that we shy away from the hard conversations and holding one another accountable to our shared g...

Life has a way of surprising us. We can dream, plan and prepare all we want, but sooner or later life is going to throw us a curveball. It could be a problem at work: an unexpected move by a competitor or a downturn in the market. Or it could be a problem at home, like receiving a scary diagnosis out of the blue. Whatever you may be facing, it's not our ability to avoid life's curveballs, but our...