Leadership Biz Cafe with Tanveer Naseer

During times of uncertainty, it’s natural for leaders to want to lean into their ‘best practices’; of sticking to what they know and what got them to where they are today. But is this really the smartest and best approach? Or should leaders instead “lean into risk” by embracing different mindsets and conducting experiments to help gain new information and insights? It’s the latter approach that my...

Over the past several weeks, I’ve had the pleasure of delivering keynotes to several audiences on a wide range of issues leaders are grappling with today – from how to better navigate the current turbulent waters of change, to how leaders can create impact in a fast evolving and transforming workplace. While the insights and advice I shared varied, what I enjoyed immensely – in addition to being o...

If there’s one certainty in leadership these days it’s that you better be comfortable leading through unending change. Key to your ability to succeed under such conditions is making sure you take care of your employees and also yourself, while also helping their organization prepare for the future. And according to my guest for this episode of the “Leadership Biz Cafe” podcast, John Baldoni, you h...

There’s a lot of attention and efforts being put forth by organizations and their leaders to promote ‘greater collaboration’ in their workplaces.  This drive has lead some organizations to completely rework their office spaces in order to create “collaboration spaces” that would encourage the exchange and free-flow of ideas and thoughts. While it might be the case for some that this drive is an at...

If you were to ask a random group of leaders if they’d heard of executive presence, almost all of them would answer yes. But if you asked that same group of leaders how many could clearly describe what executive presence is, few if any would answer this question in the affirmative. But if executive presence is key to leadership development and success, why are so few of us capable of explaining it...

Over the past several months, I’ve noticed the rise of two troubling trends in the leadership space. While much of the focus these days is on the exponential rise and growth of AI, these other two trends will certainly play a bigger role in determining the kind of impact leaders will have on their organizations in the months and years ahead, and no doubt with it, how to address the current transfo...

After the murder of George Floyd, the world seemed to rise up collectively to demand an end to racial inequality. And while many organizations openly spoke about commitments to improve racial and gender equality within their workforce, the situation hasn’t improved. In fact, in some cases, it’s actually gotten worse. So how do we move past performative efforts to genuine action to overcome persist...

Last month, I was invited to speak to a group of European leaders about leadership competency and vulnerability. As part of the discussion, I shared a story about some recent decisions returning Disney CEO Bob Iger has made and what we can learn from them in terms of how leaders should address the current economic and organizational challenges many are grappling with today. Since then, I’ve read n...

Rising employee stress levels and employee burnout are becoming a worrisome trend in today’s workplaces. And yet, despite the wellness economy being estimated to have a value of over $4 trillion, little if any traction is being made on resolving this mental and physical health crisis. Thankfully, it’s not all doom and gloom as my guest on this episode of Leadership Biz Cafe has a prescription that...

It seems like every day there’s another news report of yet another company mandating employees return to their office, another report of new findings about the consequences of rising employee anxiety and burnout, and more reports warning about the ever impending arrival of another economic downturn. Against that backdrop, I had the pleasure to sit down with a few friends as a guest on their podcas...

Navigating change is a reality every leader has to face, and yet despite this truth, 70% of change initiatives end in failure. While we might think this high failure rate reflects a technical deficiency in leaders, Erika Andersen, my guest for this episode of my “Leadership Biz Cafe” podcast, makes the case that this reflects our innate drive for stability. And only once we adjust this mindset can...

Over the past several months I’ve had some interesting conversations with leaders who attended one of my keynotes or workshops. In particular, what was noteworthy was this common thread underlining each of these conversations. Whether it was a middle-level manager or an executive from the C-suite, in each of these interactions I couldn’t help but note the sense of self-doubt these leaders expresse...

The beginning of a new year is always an exciting time because of what it represents – a chance for new beginnings, to start something new, and build on successes gained over the past year. For my podcast, “Leadership Biz Cafe”, it also means the start of another season of speaking with people with fascinating insights and perspectives on the challenges of leadership today. But before looking ahea...

The last few weeks of the year mark a time when most leaders are busy working on getting the last of the year’s projects completed while at the same time looking at developing goals and strategies for the year to come. But this time of the year also marks an important opportunity for leaders to take stock of their leadership performance over the past 12 months. To examine and reflect on what they...

I’m delighted and excited to welcome Tom Peters back to my podcast “Leadership Biz Cafe” for a third time, which means Tom now has made the most appearances on my podcast (we had a good laugh over it during our conversation). Tom wanted to come back on my show so we could talk about what will be his last book, “Tom Peters’ Compact Guide To Excellence”*. And as one would expect, during our conversa...

Over the course of delivering numerous leadership keynotes and workshops this past year, it’s been interesting to see what themes leaders are looking for answers or guidance on. On a personal note, it’s also been gratifying to return once again to delivering these sessions in person and not just virtually. After all, there’s nothing more rewarding than being in a room full of leaders and watching...

There’s no question we’re living through a period of unprecedented change and uncertainty. But is this period of uncertainty something to dread, or does it present an opportunity to transform the way we lead to achieve enduring growth and success? My guest for this episode of “Leadership Biz Cafe”, Faisal Hoque, certainly sees the latter as being true and he presents a compelling case for why the...

With the arrival of Fall, it’s only natural that leaders are shifting their focus towards what needs to be done to complete those goals they set out for their team at the start of the year. But this time of year also presents an important opportunity for leaders to energize – or in some cases re-energize – collaboration within their team, as well as help reinforce a sense of belonging and camarade...

No matter which industry your organization operates it, there’s a pretty high chance that you’re grappling with how to motivate and engage your employees in the daily work they do. This challenge has manifested itself in various ways – from the Great Resignation to more recently the notion of quiet quitting. Regardless of what we choose to call it, the underlying problem is the same – people don’t...

Without question, being an effective listener is definitely a critical skill for leaders to demonstrate, especially as workplaces continue to become more demographically diverse. And yet, even the best leaders can fail to truly listen and understand what their employees really need from them, especially during times of uncertainty about the future. It's one of the reasons why in so many of my lead...

If there’s one thing leaders everywhere want to avoid it’s conflict in the workplace. Not only is workplace conflict counterproductive and stressful, but it makes everyone feel uncomfortable. But what if the problem is not with conflict itself, but with how we mismanage conflict? That’s the perspective of conflict expert Marlene Chism, my guest for this episode of “Leadership Biz Cafe”.Marlene is...

Numerous studies done over the past decade have demonstrated that those who succeed at leadership have not only developed strong technical abilities, but they’ve worked on building their emotional competencies as well. In this latest instalment of my Leadership Espresso Shot series, I share two simple, but powerful steps based on neuroscience and other studies that will help you to build your emot...

It’s hard not to feel as though there’s a growing tide of divisiveness spreading across the world, splitting people into us vs. them camps on a variety of issues. Of course, those divisive issues found in various communities and countries inevitably spill into the workplace. So how can leaders ensure they’re closing the gap between those us and them groups within their workforce? My guest for this...

Effective communication is a critical cornerstone to succeeding at leadership. And yet, numerous studies have shown that a majority of leaders lack this necessary skill to not only empowering employees, but retaining talent necessary to drive their organization’s growth and long-term prosperity. It’s not surprising then why every month or two we see yet another example of leadership failure where...

One of the biggest challenges facing leaders and their organizations today is how to adapt the way they work to a growing demand for more flexible work arrangements by employees. But how do leaders make this shift from leading a team of individuals working under one roof, to working either full time or part of the time remotely? That’s the challenge I’ll be discussing with my guest, Kevin Eikenber...