Authentic Leadership for Everyday People

Some business expressions become so overused that they end up losing their meaning. At the end of every episode of Authentic Leadership for Everyday People I ask my guests what is the business jargon that drives them crazy. It's a question that was designed to get to know them a little better, and maybe be a little irreverent. What I learned 140 episodes in is that the answers span the range from...

Our guest today is Amy Vaughan, owner and Chief Empowerment Officer of Together Digital, a professional community whose purpose is to educate and empower women within digital and provide them with network where they can help each other succeed in digital. In our conversation Amy shares her journey from the healthcare sector to advertising to joining and then leading the Together Digital community...

Yasmeen Abu Fraiha is a medical doctor currently completing a clinical fellowship in critical care at BIDMC in Boston, combined with a research fellowship at the Middle East Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School. She is also a board member of the New Israel Fund, a progressive organization whose aim is to advance liberal democracy, including freedom of speech and minority rights, and to fight the i...

Today's guest is Dr. Amanda Blake, a Body/Mind leadership coach, founder of Embright and author of the book Your Body Is Your Mind. We discuss her unique career path that marries the intricacies of mind-body science with the art of leadership and behavior change. We started with a very honest discussion of what it took her to find her true calling, and there are a few interesting learnings in that...

Christian "Boo" Boucousis is the CEO of Afterburner and a former fighter pilot for the Royal Australian Air Force. In our discussion he talks about his personal history, the key components of the training fighter pilots go through, and how the leadership traits developed through this training apply in every environment. What you will hear are not the trite stereotypes about toughness we usually he...

Greg Bedard of Boston Sports Journal joins us for a candid discussion on his shift from a traditional sports journalism career to forging his own path in the digital media world. We navigate the highs and lows of starting a subscription-based sports website amidst an industry shrinking and in turmoil. With a focus on authenticity and reader engagement, Greg shares his journey and the core values t...

Today we talk about leadership, partnerships and co-founders. Our guest is Annie Garofalo, Founder and CEO of Confidante. She specializes in preventing co-founder conflicts. Her approach is a combination of her experience as a co-founder herself and a rigorous academic background. In our discussion we covered all the steps to building a successful co-founder relationship, starting with figuring ou...

How does stress impact leaders? In today's episode host Dino Cattaneo shares a framework and areas of intervention to manage stress as an individual and as the leader of an organization. This episode was inspired by this LinkedIn post by Erica Seidel. - 16 Affirmations. Contact Dino at: dino@al4ep.com Websites: al4ep.com Quoted in this podcast: Erica Seidel LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ericaseidel/ T...

Humor is a very powerful leadership tool. In today's episode we celebrate April's Fool with a discussion of 6 principles to use humor effectively in a leadership or corporate context. I also share a portion of a conversation with Bill Prinzivalli about the connection between improv comedy and leadership. Contact Dino at: dino@al4ep.com Bill Prinzivalli episode (includes all links) Websites: al4ep....

Our guest today is Debora Spar professor and Business In Global Society Unit Head at Harvard Business School. She is here to discuss a course called The Social Purpose of The Firm that is required in the first year curriculum of the MBA program. In our conversation we discussed the origin of this course, why it’s important that all students go through it, and what the objective of the class are. W...

When the line between corporate power and societal responsibility blurs, leaders must navigate the terrain with both integrity and strategic insight. Join me, Dino Cattaneo, as we traverse the complex world of leadership in the context of corporate social responsibility. Unpack the history of businesses influencing politics, the essential nature of accountability, and why actions like those of Dis...

Today's guest is Stephen Wunker. He is the founder of New Markets Advisors, a firm that specializes in new product introductions. He is also the author of 4 books on innovation and disruption. In our conversation we discussed his career, from consulting to successful global tech entrepreneur and back to consulting, and how he developed his vision of leadership. Stephen worked closely with Clay Chr...

Anna Goldsmith is the founder of The Hired Pens , a copywriting agency, and the producer of TedX Portsmouth. She shares her creative leadership journey, from balancing art and business to the influence of poetry classes on her copywriting skills. She reveals her process of finding the right partner in business, emphasizing the importance of shared goals and complementary skills and being selective...

Today our guest is Pam Prior , who helps us examine leadership through a financial lens. Pam is a CFO-turned-entrepreneur and finance coach, and her mission is to make finance fun and valuable for small business owners. Drawing on her 30-year career, she shares insights on building leadership, creating a fun yet productive work environment, and the key steps entrepreneurs should take for financial...

Stephen Klein returns for the second half of our conversation. As a reminder, Stephen is an entrepreneur and AI expert whose journey weaves through academia, business, and innovation, and he is responsible for the creation of Curiouser. AI . In this second half, Stephen pivots his focus to the innovative world of AI and the essence of being a "crazy one" who views the world differently. Stephen sh...

Our guest today is Stephen Klein , an entrepreneur and AI expert whose journey weaves through academia, business, and innovation. Discover Stephen’s unique path, from teaching at Berkeley to shaping digital transformation at the world's largest law firm. Stephen discusses his various ventures, including the creation of Curiouser. AI , challenging the intersection of creativity and artificial intel...

Jason Downie , is the US CEO of Making Science . From his early days touring with a cappella group Ball In The House while consulting part time at Bain to navigating the corporate landscape at Google, Jason's career is a captivating blend of music, consulting, and leadership that challenges conventional CEO narratives. Join us as we explore the pivotal moments that shaped Jason's unique path, his...

This is a solo episode in which Dino analyzes Bill Belichick's tenure as a head coach of the New England Patriots and lists the lessons that can be learned from how it ended. Lou Gerstner's interview on how to turnaround companies that are in a crisis after an extended period of success. Contact Dino at: dino@al4ep.com Websites: al4ep.com Authentic Leadership For Everyday People / Dino Cattaneo Di...

Our guest today is Ginevra Bersani, an Italian economist and co-author of "Il Costo della Virilità" the winner of the Premio Nazionale di Divulgazione Scientifica 2023.  Ginevra and her research partner Lucile Peytavin started from data showing that 83% of convicted criminals in Italy is male. Defining masculinity as the social construct with which men are raised in society, Ginevra conducted...

Jason Thompson , is the Founder and CEO of 33 Sticks .  He is an expert in data and analytics, but what makes him unique is the fact that he built his business around the leadership principles of humanity and empathy. In this episode, we delve into Jason's journey, exploring the roots of his discontent within the Machiavellian landscape of corporate America and his quest to launch a business...

This episode is Part Two of my conversation with Nico Cattaneo, the talented composer behind our podcast theme music, my son, and a rising young comedian in New York City. If you missed Part One, be sure to check out Episode 120 , before diving into this episode. In this installment, we delve into the diverse tiers of the comedy scene and the different paths aspiring comedians can take as they nav...

Today's guest is Nico Cattaneo, the author of the podcast theme music. He is also my son and a comedian. He takes us for a behind the scenes look at the life of a comedian in New York. We talk about how he realized he wanted to be a comedian, how he took his first steps in that world. We discuss the role of open mics play in helping comedians develop their own creative voice, and what is the cultu...

Today, my guest is a dear old friend and great creative leader. Lynn Pulsifer is the owner and Chief Creative of Salty Cactus Creative. We talk about how to develop and build creativity, for yourself and for the teams you lead.  Lynn shares her experiences as a boutique agency owner, her insights on adaptation, the creative process, and the delicate balance between ego and collaboration. Plus...

Today, we talk to Uriya Rosenman, an Israeli teacher and Sameh Zakout, a Palestinian singer and actor. As the founders of the DUGRI Project, a social venture dedicated to amplifying a moderate Israeli-Palestinian narrative, they aim to forge a mutually beneficial future through music, content, education, and community building, fostering unity among Jewish and Arab children in schools. DUGRI's inc...

Join me today as I chat with Gaia van der Esch about her latest book, "​​ Leading Our Way: How Women Are Re-Defining Leadership . " In our discussion, we delve into the profiles of seven modern women leaders, emphasizing crucial skills like optimism, curiosity, consistency, authenticity, freedom, integrity, and circularity. The book's emphasis on these specific leadership traits steals the spotlig...