Leaderhood & Parentship

#46 - The Red colour profile makes up only 18% of the general population, but a disproportionate amount of leaders. Motivated and driven, Reds are no strangers to rising quickly in the ranks at work. However, when emotional intelligence training isn’t present, Reds can come across as harsh and strict. In this episode we touch on the assets and liabilities of the Red colour-profile, self-inflicted...

#45 - Conscientious. Rule abiding. Quiet. Reflective. These are some of the qualities that make people with Blue as their Cognitive Colour unique. In this episode, we’re breaking down exactly what it means to be Blue, the assets and liabilities of the colour profile, and things Shane has learned from having a Blue business partner and a Blue wife. Making up just 12-14% of the general popular, Blue...

#44 - This week we’re shining a light on everyone’s favourite co-worker: Green. People with Green as their Cognitive Colour tend to be team-oriented, genuine, loyal,  and love to do work in service of others. In this episode, Shane breaks down the common traits a Green will have in the workplace and what CultureSmith is doing to help bring more Greens to the leadership table. We explore what makes...

#43 - Would you describe yourself as go-with-the-flow, visionary, easygoing, creative, and maybe a little petty? It’s possible you’re a Yellow. This episode marks the start of a 4-part series where Shane deep dives into the characteristics and behaviours of each of the four cognitive colours; Yellow, Green, Blue, and Red. Here, learn what makes a Yellow tick both at work and at home, strategies fo...

#42 - Do you find yourself asking people to take accountability at work? Instead, the subtle shift to helping someone account for their choices can have a massive impact. In this episode, Shane breaks down the important of framing accountability from a choice-centric lens and proven strategies to help team members account for their choices. We also talk about the importance of choosing your relati...

#41 - In our most vulnerable episode yet… Just kidding, but we are taking a deep dive into the topic of vulnerability today and how it forms half of the equation needed to produce trust. We start off with an explanation of what vulnerability actually is and then explore how it can be used to strengthen teams. Morgan shares her experience with vulnerability, one many may relate to, and Shane helps...

#40 - What does a psychologically safe workplace look like? How can you encourage your team to own their mistakes? What can you do to help your children make good decisions? For the second part of our culture series, Shane explores the 5 remaining steps in CultureSmith’s 9-part culture framework: Psychological safety, belonging, power and influence, conflict and feedback, and decision making. We e...

#39 - Is there such a thing as a “bad” workplace culture? How can you bring your team together to work toward a shared future? What role do leaders play in building culture? In this 2-part series, Shane breaks down the 9 step framework CultureSmith uses to “smith” a culture. First, Shane explains what a culture actually is (a lot of us get this wrong), then we cover the first 4 steps of the framew...

#38 - What do we really mean when we say someone is “being emotional?” Why were so many of us taught to “not bring our emotions to work?” Do these views of emotions really serve us and our workplaces? In this episode, Shane and Morgan discuss emotions; from the scientific reason for them, down to the different ways we can use them as leaders to better serve our teams. Then, we flip it to the home...

#37 - Are you looking to unlock a more deeply engaged and attentive team? Maybe you feel like you are losing energy switching between all the tasks on your plate? There is a better way. This week, Shane is sharing the secret to moving out of an energy-draining focused state into an energy-replenishing flow state as we discuss the science behind “attention.” He explains the different ways leaders c...

#36 - Does your company have a formal mentorship program? It’s easier to set up than you’d think, and is one of the best ways to boost safety in your team. In this episode, Shane walks through the benefits of mentorship, the differentiators between mentors and leaders, and how he recommends starting a mentorship program. We then flip it to the home and talk about the role parents play as mentors,...

#35 - This week is a very special episode because we are bringing on our first ever guest, Averie (one of Shane’s daughters!). We start out with Shane answering questions about leadership development from the workplace lens, and then flip to Averie’s thoughts around leadership development for teens. We discuss the importance of having a formal leadership training program, why you need to work on y...

#34 - Do you wish you could see problems in a different way instead of dwelling on them? Or help your team more when they’re feeling stuck in a challenge? There’s a phenomenal strategy you can use to do this, it’s called “reframing.” Today, we walk through what reframing is, how it differs from “toxic positivity,” the different workplace scenarios it helps with, and how you can apply it at home. I...

#33 - Conflict – most of us say we don’t like it, but are we wrong? Is conflict actually the key to building stronger, more emotionally intelligent teams? We would argue yes. In this episode, Shane breaks down the key distinction between task and relationship based conflicts, and explores the different ways we use both at home and at work. Shane outlines a clear way to predict what type of conflic...

#32 - Why does it bother us so much when we aren’t understood? In this episode, we explore the philosophy and science behind effective communication. Shane discusses how his background in philosophy informs CultureSmith’s work, why understanding communication is crucial for leaders, and how our Cognitive Colour informs how we encode and decode messages. We dive into the sources of miscommunication...

#31 - Imposter syndrome – we’ve all heard the term, but what does it actually mean? In this episode, we discuss the key differences between imposter syndrome and insecurity. Shane shares the 5 types of imposter syndrome, how our Cognitive Colours impact our experience with imposter syndrome, and how to overcome it. Plus, we explore the different ways imposter syndrome acts as a benefit for us both...

#30 - Change is hard, whether it’s at work or at home. That’s why today we’re devoting this entire episode to discussing change and ways we can make it less painful for all involved. Shane explains the 5 Laws of Organizational Change, how our Cognitive Colours impact how we respond to change, and the simple reason why change often feels so painful. Shane explores different situations at work, and...

#29 - As a leader, you need your team to buy into various company needs daily. So, how do you help employees see the value in their work without resorting to manipulation or coercion? Enter the 6 principles of influence. In this episode, Shane explains the 6 steps leaders can take to influence (persuade) their team. This method helps employees feel empowered, valued, and aligned with company goals...

#28 - Imagine going into work, knowing your projects align with your personal goals, and that your boss is actively working to help you grow and feel engaged every day. That’s what it feels like for employees with a transformational leader. The good news? This leadership style can be learned. Today, we break down the 12 steps to become a transformational leader. Shane explains what transformationa...

#27 - Do you ever wonder if your team is really hearing what you’re saying? It might be time to try dynamic speaking. This technique, named by CultureSmith Inc., pairs with active listening to create clearer, more effective discussions. Shane explains what the technique is, how each Cognitive Colour would use dynamic speaking, and how this benefits leaders in the workplace. This episode pairs with...

#26 - Have you heard the term “active listening?” It’s likely you have – but do you actually know why it’s worth practicing? It turns out, active listening closely relates to emotional intelligence and having more effective conversations at work. In this episode, we explore what active listening is, the struggle each Cognitive Colour will have practicing it, and Shane even shares how he’d coach ea...

#25 - In our most vulnerable episode to date, Shane walks us through his entire daily routine from start to finish. Shane starts off explaining why every leader should care about emotional intelligence and transformational leadership before taking us along with him through a typical work day. We discuss grounded empathy, emotional check-ins, steps Shane takes after every client call, how leaders c...

#24 - Do excuses get under your skin? You're not alone. Today, we'll dive into both why we dislike hearing excuses and why we make them in the first place. We explore the difference between and excuse and a lie, how our behavioural colours play a role in making and responding to them, the four types of excuses, and how this applies at home. This episode will help you reframe your underst...

#23 - After releasing 20 episodes, we’ve gotten a lot of great questions from listeners. Today, in this dedicated Q&A, we’ve rounded up the top questions from leaders, employees, and parents. We talk about the importance of leading with curiosity, the myth that growing EQ makes you happy, how to be a better “team player,” if leaders should accept responsibility for failures, how to determine i...

#22 - Today, we’re taking a look at relationships. The more people we work with, the more complex the relationships in our lives become – and that can lead to conflict, confusion, and heightened emotions. In this candid conversation, we explore what a relationship really is, why having friends at work matters, the 5 dimensions of any relationship, why most relationships we have won’t last, and how...