Encouraging Leaders

Chris Wallbank is the CEO of PJ Wallbank Springs, a world-class manufacturing organization. He is known for his commitment to fostering a culture of employee engagement. In this episode: Embracing learning over winning by viewing failures as opportunities for growth and adaptation. Aligning business purpose with profitability while staying true to core values for sustainable success. Balancing lon...

Lisa Nichols is the CEO and co-founder of Technology Partners, a company recognized for its incredible culture and innovative work. With over 30 years of experience, Lisa brings a unique blend of faith, innovation, and transparency to the CEO title.  In this episode, we discuss: Integrity in leadership means ensuring that you are "Walking the Talk" with actions that consistently align wi...

Marc Reifenrath is the CEO and co-founder of Spinutech, a full-service digital agency. He has intentionally invested in building a world-class culture within the company. Marc's leadership philosophy emphasizes the importance of creating a supportive and collaborative environment. In this episode, we discuss: The leadership philosophy of "It's Not About Me." Creating a culture wh...

Steve Shifman is the chairman of Michelman, a leading specialty chemicals manufacturer, where he served as president and CEO from 2003 to 2021. In today's episode, we talk about: CEOs as trusted leaders and their responsibility to lead with integrity Strategies for boosting employee engagement through small daily habits and open communication Adaptability and openness to feedback to cultivate...

Garry Ridge, past CEO of WD-40, and Marc D Braun, co-founder and CEO of Encouraging Leaders, talk on the transformative power of coaching in organizational culture. They discuss the direct correlation between leadership behavior and business performance, emphasizing the necessity of employee engagement, wellness, and creativity. By sharing real-world examples and data, they illustrate how coaching...

Stan Sewitch is the previous Vice President ofOrganizational Development for WD-40, a seasoned consultant, and author.   In this episode, we discuss: • The importance of avoiding micromanagement fororganizational growth • The value of CEO circles and peer groups for leadershipdevelopment • Strategies for transparent communication within companies • Lessons on compensation transparency and its impa...

In this episode, Marc D Braun and Garry Ridge discuss Jana De Anda’s interview on transparency. Along the way, they talk about: The four needs every team member has Creating psychological safety across your organization How transparency can improve performance And why vulnerability leads to increased teamwork Check it out. Jana’s interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXiVBfzBMuQ&list=PLpe...

Jana De Anda is the president and co-founder of Excelerate. In today's episode, we talk about: Lessons from growing up in Beirut during the war Choosing the path of resilience over a victimhood mindset The superhuman power of working with a world-class team Learning painful but important lessons from bad leaders Radical transparency around compensation & value creation And advice she’d giv...

Christine O'Leary is a comedian who helps leaders tap into the power of humor to boost intimacy, engagement and buy-in from their team. In today's episode, we talk about: Why every CEO should consider doing stand-up comedy 1 simple trick to win the audience in your first 10 seconds on stage How to set the tone of the room instead of “matching it” Dealing with hecklers (and why people heckl...

Justin Woodard is a third-generation visionary at Woodard Cleaning Restoration who champions purposeful leadership and transformative team culture. In this episode, we talk about: What he learned growing up watching his father run the business Why firing problematic customers is sometimes the best thing to do for your company culture Embracing a mistake-fuelled learning environment Fast vs slow de...

Mark Thom is the CEO & Chairman of construction technology leader Mitek. In this episode, we talk about: How the job of every senior leader is to tell a "continuous story” Seeing others' stories as wellsprings of creative genius. Rhythms as the heartbeat of leadership Why only 2% of adults maintain their childhood level of creative genius. "Mining your team” for stories And why C...

Bill George is the former CEO of Medtronic, an Executive Fellow at Harvard Business School and the author of True North. In this episode, we talk about: The connection between purpose and profit when it comes to growth Why so many CEOs today lack courage Johnson & Johnson's blueprint for purpose-driven success. Why younger generations NEED a sense of purpose in their work The challenge of...

Chester Elton is a best-selling author, international keynote speaker and the "guru of gratitude." In this episode, we talk about: How gratitude destroys anxiety. Why asking for help isn't a sign of weakness Daily habits Chester uses to win the day (Even when it's tough) How to always stay curious as a leader Why he regrets going so fast early in his career And the importance of...

Garry Ridge is the former CEO of WD-40 who scaled the company to 176 countries around the world. In this episode, we talk about: His shift from manager to coach The power of leaders admitting "I don't know" Why it's crucial to arrange your values in a hierarchy How to turn failure into "learning moments" across your organization Why ditching micromanagement is the only...