Aim Higher: The podcast with purpose

We’ve talked before on “Aim Higher” about the importance of leaving a job with grace and positivity. A move made for the right reasons shouldn’t create friction or enmity, even if the change brings challenges. However, as a leader and manager, you will at some point need to deal with staff whose exit behavior is less than exemplary. How do you handle “bad good-byes" without making the situation wo...

It’s “mailbag” time again! I love these episodes, as they give us a chance to hear about what’s top-of-mind for our listeners. This week, my panel of experts addresses a variety of questions, including how to keep up with the amazing pace of change in technology, managing remote teams, and how to quantify a vague “transformation” project assignment. I’m sure that at least one of these will resonat...

There are books and articles galore about how to start a new position successfully. What to do in your first days, weeks, and months to establish your expertise and make a great initial impression. Less discussed—but no less important—is how to leave a job successfully. We’re somewhat indoctrinated into thinking of departures as failures. Yet we know that sometimes we need to leave one situation t...

My guest for this episode of “Aim Higher” is research-based thought leader, Ford Saeks. Ford is known for his marketing prowess and for helping businesses grow and succeed. His book, “Superpower: A Superhero’s Guide to Leadership, Business and Life” is a must-read if you're looking to make a positive change in any area of your life. Don’t worry, though—you don’t need to leap tall buildings in a si...

Previously, we looked at the “death of ambition,” and why so many people seem to be less interested in pushing for high achievement. In this episode, my expert panel and I tackle the topic of ambition from a positive standpoint. What does “good ambition” look like? How can you distinguish it from things like greed or pushiness? How can you help identify and encourage appropriate ambition in your s...

A recent survey indicated that around one-third of people do not trust their employers. Now, that might mean “in general,” without applying to a specific manager or leader. But it’s an extraordinary statistic, nonetheless. As Drew Bordas, one of my panelists this week, puts it, “A lack of trust drags down our ability to get the job done.” He’s right! Trust isn’t just “a feeling.” A lack of trust h...

I’ve been having conversations about creativity and writing with my next guest for almost ten years. Now you get to listen in as we discuss the topic more fully. Andy Havens is a content marketing expert, an adjunct professor of marketing and advertising at the Columbus College of Art and Design (CCAD), and the author of, “The Side Ways,” an urban-fantasy trilogy I very much enjoyed reading. We di...

In our last episode, we talked about the concepts of “quiet quitting,” the “death of ambition,” and how they relate to our post-pandemic working world. In this week’s roundtable discussion, my panel of leadership experts and I take it up a level and ask: what can leaders do about quiet quitting? How can you prevent it? How do you recognize the signs? And how do you help restore a team member’s ent...

The term “quiet quitting” has been all over the news. It’s generally used to describe workers who have decided to do the minimum required at their jobs. No “going the extra mile,” no overtime, no volunteering for stretch assignments. In short: no ambition. What are the causes of this trend? Is it really something new, or are we just re-labelling a phenomenon that once might have been called “retir...

Our world is filled with all kinds of distractions. And we carry the source of many around with us—our smartphones—because they are also necessary for work and great productivity tools. But we also know how important it is to put those distractions aside and focus on what’s important. As Steven Covey said, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” How can we do a better job at tha...

In this, the second of a two-part panel on leadership coaching, we continue with Tammi Spayde, Drew Bordas and Janet Walls, President of Delta Blvd. In the first half of our discussion, we covered some basics: who should get leadership training, what it can do for you, when you need a coach as opposed to a mentor. Now we get into some more advanced topics, including the idea of getting a coach for...

In this first of a two-part panel on leadership coaching, two of our regular guests—Tammi Spayde and Drew Bordas—join me and Janet Walls, President of Delta Blvd, a leadership consulting and executive coaching company she founded in 2007. Together, we get into the basics of leadership coaching: who it is for, how it can help you your leadership development, the difference between coaching and ment...

Patricia Fripp is an expert on how to give better presentations, and she shares some of her secrets with me on “Aim Higher” this week. She just recently co-authored the book “Deliver Unforgettable Presentations,” and it’s filled with step-by-step instructions on how to become a world-class public speaker. During our talk, she makes the great point that everyone can benefit from being a better pres...

Today’s “Aim Higher” interview is an absolute must-listen. If you haven’t heard Inky Johnson’s story before, you need to do so now. Coming from a home that, in his words, was “poor in material wealth, but rich in spirit, love, and peace,” he was a rising star in college football, until a life changing injury shattered that path to success. But rather than succumb to despair, Inky went on to finish...

We all know the obvious “suck up” type. The obsequious, fawning sycophant who only gives the boss good news, is always complimentary, and who (probably) is disliked by everyone—including the boss. In real life, the distinction between “managing up” and “sucking up” is rarely that black-and-white. How can you be the kind of employee your boss wants and needs without simply slathering on empty prais...

We're in a difficult, stressful time in the world. That's why it's a good moment to go back and review Skip's interview with  Amy Blankson, bestselling author of “The Future of Happiness.” One of the first guests on "Aim Higher," Amy teaches us how to achieve more happiness even in the midst of difficulty. She is a co-founder of the Digital Wellness Collective and most recently has shared her thou...

Skip updates this season one episode with a reminder that self-awareness is key to leadership, to teams, success, and to good relationships. Because this subject is so important, he revisits the conversation he had with leadership experts Tammi Spayde, Drew Bordas, and Elyse Wampler as they discuss practical techniques for improving self-awareness. 

As one of our regular panelists, Drew Bordas, reminds us this week, there is a wide range of “difficult people,” and a wide range for how to get along with them. On the one hand, it’s not worth confronting a family member with a slightly irritating habit whom you only see once a year. But if you work closely, every day, with someone whose attitude and habits are challenging? It’s better to deal wi...

Why do Americans work so hard, so long, and vacation so little? The health, creativity, social, and productivity benefits of time off are well documented. Yet many of us feel guilty for taking a day off here-and-there, to say nothing of a week or two. In this week’s episode, my expert guests talk about why we don’t take the vacation we need and provide some strategies for how to get better at doin...

Nobody really enjoys conflict. But there are times it is unavoidable and even important. As a leader, you won’t be able to make positive changes, in many cases, without some conflict. But if you avoid conflict rather than dealing with it as a necessary part of business? You can make it much, much worse. My panel of leadership experts helps get to the root of problematic conflict this week, and we...

How do you define “leadership presence?” How can you tell from meeting someone, working with them, listening to them speak—this person is a great leader? Ask around (as I did) and I think you’ll find that there are many different definitions. Which is OK, because there are many kinds of successful leaders. But, as my panel of experts and I discussed, there are some very similar traits that seem to...

Is fear always bad? How can we safely approach and examine our fears? Can fear be useful in the workplace? How should leaders deal with fear? These are some of the questions my panel of experts discussed this week. Our conclusion? That, as a leader, you have the power to recognize that fear is often based in reality, but then quickly apply yourself, and your team, to accomplishing something becaus...

This week I had the pleasure of talking with John David Mann and Ana Gabriel Mann, MA, co-authors of, “The Go-Giver Marriage: A Little Story About the 5 Secrets to Lasting Love.” It’s a lovely, helpful book in two parts. First, a parable about a couple who learn all about the 5 secrets duringone day. Then “the practice,” a guidebook that walks us through how the secrets work and how to practice th...

It’s one of the most stressful parts of work for many people—the interview process. And not just for the new hire! Finding, attracting, interviewing, and bringing on new team members is a crucial and challenging role for good managers and leaders. This week, my expert panel answers questions from our listeners about interview preparation, rehiring staff who’ve left, the importance of research, and...

Have you ever had a boss who stresses you out? Do your ideas seem to fall on deaf ears? Or do you feel like you get blamed for things you didn’t do? Tune in to this week’s episode where we review questions from our listeners. My panel of business and HR experts helps unpack some tricky situations and provides insightful suggestions on how to move forward.