Leadership Currency with Dr. Doug McKinley

Have you ever wondered if leaders sometimes miss the underlying reasons as to why they have been appointed and/or have chosen to be leaders? This interview with Dr. John Hardt, a bio-ethicist, will enlighten your awareness of the way to BE a leader. The formation of your leadership voice begins with self-awareness and identity development. Without these foundational pillars your leadership risks b...

We all want our leaders to spark ideas and inspire us.  Illusionist David Laflin joins Dr. McKinley on today’s podcast. David shares that creating a visually captivating experience, often utilizing the element of surprise to spark curiosity, actively involves participants in the learning process which results in meaningful impact. David has engaged with audiences around the world garnering raving...

Do you find leadership difficult to define? In his book, 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, John Maxwell set out to make leadership more understandable by breaking it apart into tangible concepts that anyone can learn.  Maxwell has used these laws to train thousands of leaders, such as government officials, university students and faculty, and those in Fortune 500 companies. Dr McKinley is joined...

In this podcast Dr. McKinley describes how our perceptions, biases, and emotions influence how we interpret and understand truth and facts. He addresses the complexities of distinguishing between what is true and what is factual, and how this distinction impacts our decision-making and beliefs. Join in as he uses a psychological lens to unravel the intricate relationship between truth and facts.

In this episode of Leadership Currency , Dr. McKinley dives into an enlightening conversation with author Megan Salinas about her compelling book, The Lies of Singleness . Together, they unpack the common misconceptions singles believe about why they’re not in a relationship or married—and explore how these lies often reflect broader societal narratives that affect us all. Whether you’re single, m...

Success is sometimes mistaken for something objective rather than something very personal. Do you feel the need to measure up to someone else’s success metric? If so, why? Dr. McKinley is joined by Andy Williames, a serial entrepreneur and global visionary. Listen in as they discuss healthy ways that individuals can move toward success metrics of their own choosing, rather than succumb to the pull...

Welcome to 2025! Dr. McKinley personally invites you this year to join him in being a leader. To be invited means “to be asked or welcomed to participate in an activity, group, or situation essentially implying a sense of acceptance and belonging.” You don’t have to earn it. Many leaders today feel the pressure to earn their way into leadership. Dr. McKinley addresses a different leadership paradi...

If you could only pick one, what word would you choose that reflected your personal headlines this last year?  What word would you choose to guide you in 2025?  As we wind down 2024, this podcast features Dr. McKinley and his family discussing their annual tradition of selecting a word for the year. Listen in as they share insights and ideas that arose from this year’s journey of focusing on one w...

Dr. Kim Furry, an orthopedic surgeon, is our guest on the podcast today. To become a physician of any kind is a long, challenging, and often daunting process. To become a surgeon in her specialty, you have to complete a 5-year orthopedic surgery residency after medical school. In terms of competitiveness, orthopedic surgery is consistently in the top five, along with dermatology, plastic surgery,...

Conflict at work comes in many forms. Most teams and organizations need more conflict, not less. Good  conflict, the kind that is healthy, pushes us to be better as people and communities. Sometimes however, conflict can become toxic and unnecessary. Today’s podcast guest is author and psychologist, Dr. Dana Ackley. He has done important work in the area of emotional intelligence. Dr. Ackley is co...

Retirement, in our western culture, is considered to be the withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from one's active working life. Many people choose to retire when they are elderly or incapable of doing their job for health reasons. Whatever the reason, Dr. Pat Williams has a different idea. During our conversation he introduces the idea of reframing retirement into Eldering. H...

Today’s podcast centers on the book, Manhood Frequency. It’s author, Hank Groff, is a businessman who made a career pivot choosing to focus on the more inside-out aspects of his work. We discussed how his ideas are helpful to all leaders. Hank shares how each of us emits varying levels of vibration, or "frequency," influenced by our thoughts, emotions, and attitudes. He tells very person...

It seems everyone talks about self-awareness these days, but few talk about its nemesis:  lying to one’s self. For too long, the issue of self-deception has been hidden from mainstream thought leadership. Self-deception is so pervasive it touches all aspects of a leader’s life. The Arbinger Institute maintains that self-deception actually shapes one’s experience in every aspect of one’s life. Join...

Dr. McKinley is joined by Nick Sarillo, owner and operator of two large pizza restaurants in the Chicago area. With his family roots in the restaurant business, Nick set out to make his own dream happen. The purpose statement on their website says it all: “Our dedicated family provides  this  community an unforgettable place; to connect with your family and friends, to have fun and to feel at home...

We are excited to have Jamie Winship return as our guest on the podcast today. Jamie has decades of experience bringing peaceful solutions to areas of the world that experience the highest levels of conflict. He has worked with leaders in professional sports, business, education, law enforcement, government, non-profit and other sectors. Jamie and his wife, Donna, are co-founders of  Identity Exch...

Strategic leaders have the ability to challenge prevailing viewpoints without provoking significant pushback, to see the big and small picture at the same time, to adapt to marketplace changes and take advantage of new opportunities. Today’s podcast guest, Dan Yunker, has demonstrated this ability in several different organizations. If you want to sharpen your strategic focus then you will enjoy t...

The world continues to be in a crazy cycle of uncertainty. Leaders are struggling to find a path forward in this climate of separation, isolation, and fear. Dave Gibbons, an author and social impact leader, joins Dr. McKinley on this podcast to discuss ways we can create safe spaces for learners to learn, builders to build, and dreamers to dream. We also talk about Dave’s recently published book,...

Team dynamics and workplace cultures frequently struggle with the black hole of decision making. Not because decisions are not made, but rather because clarity and buy in are not established. Consequently, creating and sticking to commitments becomes a real challenge for many teams and organizations.  Dr. McKinley is frequently invited to partner with leadership teams on becoming more cohesive and...

Leadership is dynamic and filled with uncertainty. The pace of change is staggering. Leaders who are challenged with navigating disruptions may not have the agile mindset or skills needed to face them. Dr. McKinley is joined by Jonathan Gulley, an entrepreneur, business growth consultant, and artist who paints a picture for our listeners about how leaders can be prepared to reinvent themselves. To...

In this podcast Dr. McKinley enjoyed a reflective interview with Dr. Eric Velazquez, section chief of Cardiovascular Medicine at Yale School of Medicine. This interview was originally featured on the Value-Based Care Insights podcast hosted by Dan Marino. They discussed the early years of assessing culture and designing a preferred future, which resulted in a shift from an independent operating mo...

Have you ever considered how your dreams may impact your leadership? To be human is to dream. On today’s podcast, Dr. McKinley is joined by Dr. Dee Kelly in a rather uncommon conversation about how dreams impact our daily lives and thus, our leadership. By listening in, you may just find that this discussion can unlock some potential windows of insight for you and your leadership journey. To Order...

How healthy is your organization? Leading large, medium, or even small teams can be difficult and demanding work. Are you doing it in a sustained and healthy way?  For the next four podcasts, Dr. McKinley is joined by Keith Hadley, principal consultant for the Table Group.  He is meaningfully engaged in guiding companies to become strong and vibrant organizations. Listen in as Doug and Keith share...

How healthy is your organization? Leading large, medium, or even small teams can be difficult and demanding work. Are you doing it in a sustained and healthy way?  For the next four podcasts, Dr. McKinley is joined by Keith Hadley, principal consultant for the Table Group.  He is meaningfully engaged in guiding companies to become strong and vibrant organizations. Listen in as Doug and Keith share...

How healthy is your organization? Leading large, medium, or even small teams can be difficult and demanding work. Are you doing it in a sustained and healthy way?  For the next four podcasts, Dr. McKinley is joined by Keith Hadley, principal consultant for the Table Group.  He is meaningfully engaged in guiding companies to become strong and vibrant organizations. Listen in as Doug and Keith share...

How healthy is your organization? Leading large, medium, or even small teams can be difficult and demanding work. Are you doing it in a sustained and healthy way?  For the next four podcasts, Dr. McKinley is joined by Keith Hadley, principal consultant for the Table Group.  He is meaningfully engaged in guiding companies to become strong and vibrant organizations. Listen in as Doug and Keith share...