Leadership Jam Session

In this episode, I sit with Michael Lyons, who serves as president and general manager of oncology at Myriad Genetics, where he brings over 20 years of experience in the biotech, MedTech, and pharmaceutical space. Michael was recognized by PharmaVoice Magazine as one of the top 100 most inspiring global leaders, and Pharmaceutical Executive Magazine also named him as one of the top emerging leader...

In this episode, I sit with Sandy Black who’s Vice President of North America Commercial Operations at LivaNova, a global medical technology company. Sandy's responsible for several departments within the commercial side of the organization including commercial data and analytics, sales incentives, commercial excellence and training, customer service contracts and pricing, as well as case manageme...

In this episode, I sit with Edgar Butler Jr. Edgar is a seasoned leader with a background in the insurance industry. Edgar is also a leadership and employee development coach and author of Clarify, Construct, and Control Your Career. We discuss Edgar’s early days that shaped and molded his leadership style with great tips and a framework for leading your people. KEY TAKEAWAYS Manage process. Lead...

In this episode, I sit with Dr. Calvin Lawrence. Dr. Calvin is a motivational speaker and a leadership consultant. He has over 40 years of experience teaching and leading in the educational system at the high school and collegiate level. He also has a doctorate in educational leadership and administration. We discuss the successes and mistakes learned and earned in mentor and mentee relationships....

In this episode, I sit with co-authors Sean Georges and Dr. John Buford to talk about their recently published book titled, On mission: Your Journey to Authentic Leadership. The book serves as a resource for personal leadership development, crafted by Sean and John, two former marine officers with a combined 80 years of leadership experience in military, business, nonprofit, and education. &n...

In this episode, I sit with several leaders during a Leaders Jam Session monthly call. Our discussion focused on employees who tender their resignation because they’ve received an offer for another job that pays more. How would you handle this situation?  KEY TAKEAWAYS  Very rarely does someone leave a job strictly based on money. Ask good questions to understand motivations Keep in mind...

In this episode, I sit with Dr. Matt Sowcik, Assistant Professor of Leadership Education at the University of Florida, and author of a new book titled, “The H Factor: The intersection between humility and great leadership”. Dr. Matt and I talk about humility as key factor in leadership, some of its underpinnings, and how to overcome the widely felt notion that having humility in leadership is a si...

In this episode, I sit with the Chief of Police for the Yardley Borough (Pennsylvania) police department, Joe Kelly. Prior to joining the Yardley police department, he spent 23 years with the New Jersey transit police retiring at the rank of a deputy.  Chief Kelly and I talk about his leadership journey, his approach, and what leadership looks like within the police organization. I think you...

In this episode, I sit with leadership expert and organizational psychologist, Dr. Ciela Hartanov, who was part of the founding team of the Google School for Leaders as well as Head of Next Practice, Innovation and Strategy at Google, where she developed projects designed to shape the future of leadership and work.   Dr. Ciela currently runs humcollective, a boutique strategy and innovat...

In this episode, I sit with experienced neuropsychologist Dr. Julia DiGangi, who shows you how to expand the power of your nervous system to hold more emotional voltage. As a brain scientist, Dr. Julia knows that your nervous system is your portal to power. She will show you how to take the pain in your life - your stress, your struggle, your suffering - and transform it into your power.  Dr....

In this episode, I am in the middle of a Leaders Jam Session – a monthly group jam session that I host where participants get to share and learn from one another on how to tackle daily leadership challenges. Here, we’re talking about best practices for how to plan and run a successful team meeting, whether it’s a one or multi-day meeting.  Key Takeaways  Today, there’s even greater value...

In this episode, I sit with two-time guest Major General (ret.) Craig B. Whelden. General Whelden spent 30 years in the U.S. Army, followed by seven in the private sector, and another nine as a member of the Senior Executive Service (SES) with the U.S. Marine Corps. General Whelden has had a very interesting military career including being present when the Berlin Wall fell. We spend some time talk...

The topic of work-life balance is always top of mind for new and tenured leaders, and it means something different to all of us. In this episode, James and I tackle this topic which was inspired by some dialogue from a LinkedIn post I was tagged in. Tune in for a tips and advice on how to encourage work-life balance with your teams (and with yourself)! KEY TAKEAWAYS   Lead by exampl...

In this episode I sit with Brad Dalton. Brad is a motivational and inspirational speaker, an empowerment and success coach, and a lifelong educator. We discuss his best-selling book DNA of a winner, eight steps to building the soul print of a winner. Warning - Brad’s positivity and energy are contagious! KEY TAKEAWAYS   Great leaders are great teachers (5:02)  Stay out of the w...

In this episode, I sit with previous guests Kim Metcalf and Paul Catanzaro to discuss leadership lessons from the hit series, Ted Lasso. There are so many leadership learnings and awesome quotes from this show, we thought we should take the time to unpack a few. Key Takeaways: Know and respect your people (3:29) Trust and Accountability (5:17) Competence and Commitment (6:33) Optimism and Positivi...

In this episode I sit with Martine Kalaw, MPA. Martine is an Organizational Development expert, author, speaker, and a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) consultant and trainer for corporate executives with more than a decade of experience increasing the performance and productivity of fortune 500 companies and tech startups. We discuss her latest book, The ABCs of Diversity: A Manager’s...

Looking to create a strong bond with your team?   In this episode I sit with Andrej Baranek , a Vice President of Strategic manufacturing and tenured leader of global teams. We discuss Andrej’s leadership journey as he shares several useful tips and advice for creating high-performing teams, including an initiative he launched during the pandemic called “Sparkles of Curiosity”.  KEY...

In this episode I sit with Aric Burkhart, who is a senior national sales director, with over 16 years of healthcare industry experience and more than 12 years of leadership experience. We discuss Aric’s leadership journey as he shares several useful tips and advice for leading teams, including an initiative he launched with his team called ‘Chase the Why’.  Key Takeaways   Learning...

How can leaders become better communicators? Steve Woodruff is a well-respected speaker and workshop facilitator, known as the 'king of clarity' throughout the business world. Steve has over 25 years of consulting experience in the life sciences training industry. He is also the author of the Amazon best-selling book "Clarity Wins. Get Heard. Get Referred". Steve joins me to discuss the challenges...

As 2021 comes to an end, I wanted to thank my audience and guests for their support and valuable contributions. To discuss some of the essential leadership themes we covered on the podcast, I welcome James Christie, my podcast producer. Tune in to learn our top leadership tips and lessons from 2021. We also discuss the challenges leaders will be facing in 2022 and the tools and skills required to...

How can leaders keep their vision alive and consistent with their teams? In our latest Coach’s Jam Session, we discussed the best techniques and approaches to keep your vision alive throughout the year. Tune in to learn our tips on creating an impactful and purposeful message for your vision. We’ll also discuss the importance of understanding different learning styles and leveraging technology to...

What is the difference between managing field-based vs. home office teams? In our 'Ask Rob' series, people reach out to me through my website asking for leadership advice. To help me tackle this particular question, I sat down with James Christie, my podcast producer. Tune in to learn our tips on how to manage teams in both scenarios successfully. We discuss why the fundamentals of leadership appl...

How can leaders keep their employees engaged during extended COVID lockdowns? During our latest Coach’s Jam Session, we examined the challenges and benefits of working in a hybrid workplace. Tune in to learn how to keep your people motivated in times of uncertainty. We discuss the importance of developing a supportive leadership style and understanding your employee’s needs.  You’ll also lear...

How can you be more effective and impactful in your work? Carson Tate is the Founder and Managing Partner of Working Simply. We discuss her Productivity Style Assessment, designed to help you learn your cognitive style and become more efficient at work. We'll also talk about her view on my scores after taking the assessment! Carson and her consulting firm work with business leaders and employees t...

What is situational leadership, and what are some of its benefits? I've always been a big fan of the situational leadership model. To me, it's the very backbone of leadership, and in today's 'Ask Rob' segment, I explain precisely why.  I break down the model's four stages, and I share a few examples of how it works. I also explain why new managers should learn about the situational leadership...