Leadership Jam Session

In this first episode of a new series called “Jam Session Scenarios”, I sit with a panel of seasoned leaders - Ted Cowles, Dean DiGiacomo, and Matt Melloy. We review a few common scenarios, and a few twists and turns, as it relates to performance reviews. Key Takeaways: Align with each employee on the definition of ‘achieves’ and ‘exceeds’ Remind employees ‘achieves’ is a great mark! Too often our...

In this episode, I sit with Anthony “AJ” Vaughan, an entrepreneur with a keen focus on people development. AJ works with start-up organizations by helping them mobilize employee experience and drive true change with senior leadership through innovative strategies, and an out of the box approach to HR. Key Takeaways: Don't allow your ego to get in the way of your employee needs  Two concepts t...

It was a lot of fun being on the other side of the interview table for this! A couple months ago I was asked to be a speaker at the Women Leaders Rising Summit hosted by its founder, Lav Chintapalli. Lav is a leadership strategist and coach, who helps women develop strategies to create greater impact in their careers. Lav’s passion is to support and empower women to step bravely into their potenti...

In this episode I sit with Shawn Tomasello , a biopharmaceutical executive and public board member with more than 35 years of experience in leading teams and companies at the highest levels. From small start-ups to multiple acquisitions, we discuss what it takes to create a highly engaged workforce culture.      Key Takeaways: The secret sauce for creating highly engaged cultures is...

In this episode I sit with Jim Wentworth , a Vice President of Sales in the healthcare industry. We discuss how having a deep connection, and an overall great relationship with your employees, makes for better performers and organizational outcomes.     Key Takeaways: Make a deeper connection with your people by understanding what motivates them It's important for your people to und...

Do less and think more. Easier said than done, right? All too often we want to solve our team’s problems by doing it for them. After all, as leaders, we have the answers, correct (wink wink)? In this episode, I sit with Tracey DeSilva, a Vice President of a Learning and Development function, in the healthcare industry. We discuss how stepping back and allowing your team to do their job create...

Giving and receiving feedback, as we know, is one of the core tenants of great Leadership, and it’s no different whether you’re a first-line manager or a C-Suite executive. In this episode I sit with Michele Korfin, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Commercial Officer for Gamida Cell Ltd., an advanced cell therapy company committed to finding cures for patients with blood cancers and serious...

As managers and leaders of teams, 2020 has done nothing short of throwing everything but the kitchen sink at us all (maybe the sink too!). As leaders, we need to be mindful of how our employees are dealing with these challenges, so that we can understand how best to support them. Things like team morale, productivity, and enhancing overall employee satisfaction are more critical now than ever befo...

One of the most important responsibilities that a manager has is onboarding. It's a huge investment for any organization in terms of time and resources, and it’s an even bigger investment by leaders as it is their job to make sure new hires are positioned for the best possible chance to succeed and grow. In this episode, I talk with James Christie and Ramahn Ritchie, two tenured professionals from...

Alain Hunkins helps high achieving people become high achieving leaders. Over his twenty-year career, Alain has worked with over 2,000 groups of leaders in 25 countries. Clients include Wal-Mart, Pfizer, Citigroup, General Electric, State Farm Insurance, IBM, General Motors, and Microsoft. In addition to being a leadership speaker, consultant, trainer, and coach, Alain is the author of Cracki...

Building cohesive teams is not something that happens overnight. There is no magic bullet. It takes time, effort, and the laying of a solid foundation built on trust and many other leadership principles. To discuss this topic, I’ve hand-picked a panel of leaders with a demonstrated track record of building cohesive teams. Joining me from the healthcare industry are leaders Eileen McCay, Jim Lajeun...

Jordan Mendoza is the host of the Blaze Your Own Trail Podcast . As a sales and training professional, Jordan helps people discover their Myers-Briggs 4 letter type, taking them from self-awareness to coming up with their personal Leadership philosophy. In this episode, Jordan and I discuss the Myers-Briggs assessment, how it has impacted his leadership style, and how he teaches leadership through...

Amy Blaschka has made a career offering “stories as a service.” From her degree in film to her two and a half decades spent branding products, places, and people, to founding her writing practice, Amy has always understood the power of weaving an engaging tale. She helps leaders craft their stories to communicate and connect better through ghostwritten social media posts and articles. As a longtim...

With the NHL playoffs set to come back next month, I was fortunate to sit down with a hockey legend. Brian Propp is a former National Hockey League All-Star, legendary Philadelphia Flyer, former sports broadcaster, entrepreneur, business relationship and development guru, and a philanthropist in his community.  Brian spent 15 years in the NHL, of which he appeared in 13 playoffs, 5 NHL All-St...

In this Jam Session, I sit with Bill Kieffer, President and Chief Advisor of Kieffer and Associates, an advisory firm focused on optimizing talent capabilities for individuals and organizations. Prior to opening up his firm, Bill spent 20 years working in a variety of roles associated with human resources, such as organizational development, and global talent management roles. In 2017, Bill had to...

In this Jam Session, I sit with Jason Ross, a psychotherapist who specializes in parenting, relationships, trauma, substance abuse, and wellness. I thought it'd be a great idea to sit down with Jason and get his perspective on leadership from the psychotherapist point of view. We also talk about any advice or guidance that Jason can provide on how to best manage not only our people but our familie...

In this Jam Session, I sit with Scott J. Miller. Scott has been with FranklinCovey for more than 20 years and serves as the Executive Vice President of Thought Leadership. He is the host of On Leadership with Scott Miller, a weekly leadership webcast, podcast, and newsletter featuring interviews with renowned business titans, authors and thought leaders. His radio show and podcast — Great Life, Gr...

In this Jam Session, I sit with Jeff Harris. Jeff is a successful C-Suite leader with a track record for turning around struggling companies. Jeff shares a story of how he leads a company based in New Zealand through a crisis from his home office in Colorado, all while dealing with his own personal health issues. This episode was recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic, and while working from home b...

In this Jam Session, I sit with a successful entrepreneur, Mark Scuderi. Mark shares a story of how his business survived the housing market crash of 2008, and how he came out of it stronger, both professionally and personally. This episode was recorded just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and while the housing market crash pales in comparison, you will hear Mark talk about how that experience cha...

In this next Jam Session, I sit with Major General (ret.) Craig 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. He is also a motivational speaker on leadership and performance excellence, and an award-winning, best-selling author of Leadership: The Art o...

In this next Jam Session, I sit with Jennifer Judy Caldwell and Paul Catanzaro. Paul has held positions in sales training and is currently a district sales manager. Jennifer has held leadership positions in sales, commercial training, planning and operations, and recently started her own strategic training design consulting firm. We tackle the topic of self-awareness and how to coach employees to...

In this next Jam Session, I sit with Katherine Stultz, a highly successful business executive with over 20 years of successful leadership experience with roles of increased responsibility. Over the course of her career, Katherine has held a variety of leadership positions, most recently as a General Manager for Spain and Portugal. In this episode we discuss how Katherine navigates moving her team...

Not every department in an organization gets to sit on the proverbial pedestal. So, how do we ensure as leaders that our teams are seen as integral components of an organization? In this episode, I sit with Carmine Merlucci, Vice President of Land Development at Toll Brothers, one of the largest land developers in the United States to talk about ensuring his team gets the “spotlight” they deserve....

A great misperception is that being a leader in the military is very different from the leadership skills required to lead in the private sector. In this episode I talk with Colonel (ret) Chris Valle, currently a Vice President with DNV GL’s Program, Design and Implementation (PDI) business area. We discuss parallels between leadership in the public and private sectors, and why you should consider...

Many of us have created our own set of principles we use to guide how we lead. In this Jam Session episode, I talk with Mike Kosikas, Director of Talent Development and Operational Excellence for a medical device company, as he shares his own three guiding leadership principles: 1) Quality of Life, 2) Compensation, and 3) Development Key Takeaways: Your employees don’t care about how much you know...