Grow Strong Leaders Podcast

We all know about the “elephant in the room.” But what about those less obvious thoughts and feelings you might be having?  My guest David Wood describes them in his captivating new book, The Mouse in The Room – Because the Elephant Isn’t Alone. You won’t want to miss out on the mice he names during our conversation…and the simple 3-D process you can use to determine if you want to bring them up....

Want to stand out from every other candidate when you’re being considered for a new position or a promotion? Debra Olshan Cooper is a genius at helping clients answer the question: “Who are you?” You’ll find out the exact approach she uses with clients to uncover their true talents and passion. She’s a masterful storyteller herself, as you’ll hear in the many client examples she shares.  Debra is...

What’s it like to work in a company whose core values are practiced daily by leaders and employees alike? Christopher Lind paints a clear picture, describing the positive impact on relationships and results.  Christopher is Chief Learning Officer at ChenMed. He’s a globally recognized, digital-first leader in learning and workplace technology with a career at the intersection of people, business,...

What if every CEO understood that their title really stands for Chief Environmental Officer?  My guest Jay Steinfeld makes the case that the #1 role of a CEO is to create a culture that helps people thrive and achieve their potential. He should know. His company maintained an astonishingly low turnover rate of 8% throughout his years of leadership.  Find out how this exceptional leader built a hea...

Are you aware of the kind of energy you bring to conversations? My guest Marcel Daane has combined his study of martial arts and neuroscience to create a powerful, practical model you can use to apply the right energy in any situation..  In our conversation, we discussed the model and Marcel’s latest book, Five Energies of Horrible Bosses and How Not to Become One . You can take his free 5-minute...

Want to know what separates peak performers from everyone else? Dr. Ruth Gotian has studied super successful people for decades and shares the four elements that set them apart. You can learn and adopt these same behaviors.  Ruth is the author of The Success Factor: Developing the Mindset and Skillset for Peak Performance and a contributor to Forbes and Psychology Today where she writes about opti...

What if you could find out secrets to a strong marriage and then discover that these same secrets can apply to all your relationships? That’s exactly what you’ll learn in this profound conversation I had with John David Mann and Ana Gabriel Mann, co-authors of The Go-Giver Marriage.  John is coauthor of more than 30 books, including his classic 2008 parable The Go-Giver , coauthored with Bob Burg....

Do you need to get things done with people whose personalities are very different from yours? Dr. Nate Regier shares how you can recognize their drivers as well as their distress signals—and then respond in a way that best serves you and them. Nate is the CEO and founding owner of Next Element Consulting, a global leadership firm dedicated to bringing compassion into the workplace. He’s brilliant...

What if you could begin each day with the ultimate confidence and focus? Eric Lofholm shares the exact daily routine that prepares him to have an extraordinary, productive day… every single day . Eric is President and CEO of Eric Lofholm International and the author of 15 books including his latest, Continuous Sales Improvement: The Secret of Achieving Your Peak Sales and Personal Potential . He a...

What if you could learn how to notice and heed your inner signals to make the best decision? Scott Shute describes how you can do this by slowing down and becoming more mindful. We go deep into his fantastic book, The Full Body Yes , exploring the importance of knowing and loving yourself in order to bring more compassion into your world.  In his most recent role at LinkedIn, Scott was the Head of...

Why is it best to put people before processes in order to achieve the best possible results? My guest Tom Lawrence has learned the answers through intense study of thought leaders and dedicated application over the years with his own teams. Now he’s passionate about sharing his experiences and insights with aspiring and current leaders. You’ll get many practical tips from someone who’s still on th...

Are you a person who’s always looking for ways to grow and expand? If so, you’ll love my conversation with Simon Haigh. And get ready to take notes. Simon shares valuable, practical ways for expanding your mindset and behaviors to become a more effective leader. Simon is founder and CEO of GCM Consulting and Simonhaigh.com. He’s known as The Growth Strategist because he helps organizations and lea...

What if you could welcome conflicts instead of avoiding or dreading them? My guest Jason Digges describes how it’s possible to do just that by using Authentic Relating. We talk about that topic and many other ideas from his excellent book, Conflict = Energy , The Transformative Practice of Authentic Relating . You will want to take notes because Jason shares a wealth of practical ideas you can app...

Have you considered starting a business—or do you run one now? In either case, my conversation with Sylvana Caloni and Paul O’Donnell is a must-listen. They share essential lessons learned from the starting up and closing down of a premium pie business. Their insights can help you avoid pitfalls and increase your chances of long-term success. Sylvana and Paul co-authored Humble Crumbles: Savouring...

What if you could increase your emotional intelligence and expand your self-awareness? That’s the journey my guest Jon Hunter traveled in advancing from salesperson to Chief Revenue Officer. You’ll be drawn in by Jon’s truth-telling around topics like self-awareness, feedback, and creating safety and trust. Get ready to take notes because Jon drops a lot of nuggets you’ll want to remember and appl...

Do you struggle to achieve what you want in life? My guest Tim Shurr understands what holds most people back. He’s worked with more than 10,000 people in his career as a hypnotist and therapist, and in a very short time, he’s helped people break behavior patterns that have plagued them for decades. You’ll love Tim’s caring, confident approach in working with clients and be amazed at the results he...

Do you have a consistent, intentional reading habit? If not, my guest Jeff Brown will help you appreciate the power of establishing one! Jeff describes the impact that books have had on his career and life. He’s the host of the popular Read to Lead Podcast, where he interviews today's best business and non-fiction authors, such as actor and author Alan Alda, Seth Godin, John Maxwell, Brian Tr...

Think back to a time when you were anxious about addressing an issue with someone at work. How long did you put it off? My guest Roberta Matuson has written a powerful book to help you prepare for and have those challenging conversations. In her interview, we discussed the important, practical guidance she provides in her latest book, Can We Talk? Seven Principles for Managing Difficult Conversati...

How can you combine a service orientation with marketing to build strong relationships? My guest Janice Porter has a winning approach that works really well for her and for her clients. Janice is all about relationships! She’s passionate about helping people build their businesses through relationship marketing and networking, using both online and offline strategies. I loved her focus on giving f...

How do you become a thought leader and then leverage that position for increased influence and income? My guest Peter Winick knows how. For that past 20 years, Peter has worked with a variety of thought leaders—including authors, speakers, CEOs, and academics—to build their brands. And his results are impressive. In our conversation he shares important do’s and don’ts for achieving such an esteeme...

Do you know the factors that most influence your career advancement? My guest Amii Barnard-Bahn is an expert in this area; and in our conversation she reveals the five key elements that impact promotability. Amii and I discuss the one that most leaders underestimate—external awareness—and what you can do to make sure this is not a blind spot for you. Her stories about executives she’s helped are s...

Do you ever struggle with overwhelm and feel stressed? My guest Fran Keogh understands those feelings. She helps clients reduce those negative states by simplifying their decisions and their lives. Fran also “gets” the perfectionism and procrastination that keep someone from achieving the results they seek. In fact, her coaching practice focuses on assisting busy professionals to build a better li...

Have you known anyone who went from millionaire to bankrupt to multi-millionaire? That describes the journey of my guest, David Meltzer, Co-founder and CEO of Sports 1 Marketing. We discuss what he’s learned along the way, and why his company today is committed to teaching others to make a lot of money, help a lot of people, and have a lot of fun. You’ll learn about the five daily practices that c...

How can you work through the inevitable pain that you experience in life…and emerge stronger and more powerful? Dr. Bridget Cooper knows a thing or two about that. She endured unthinkable physical, emotional and sexual abuse from infancy and throughout her teen years. She overcame incredible odds to become a powerful voice for living life fully, no matter what adversity you’ve had in your past.  D...

What if the purpose of business were to “uplift the experience of being alive on the planet?” My guest Blaine Bartlett proposes this definition after 30+ years of working with all kinds of organizations. Blaine makes the point that potential customers will want to buy from a company that takes this approach because they’ll feel good about themselves when they do. There are lots of thought-provokin...