Leading Through Crisis with Céline Williams

“We have to learn how to be patient in the unknown right now.”  In this episode, we are talking to the founder and CEO of Vivo Team, Renée Safrata about change resilience, as well as how to be patient and enjoy the unknown.  “Right now, every day, change is a constant.” And, as leaders, we need to be aware that our employees and team members are going through the same thing. So, how can we steady...

“Our silence isn’t just about us. It’s about the environmental and cultural norms that we collectively build… What are we missing out on that we don’t even realize?” Elaine Lin Hering is Managing Partner of Triad Consulting Group, a Lecturer at Harvard Law School, and author of the forthcoming book, Unlearning Silence: How to Speak Your Mind, Unleash Talent, and Live More Fully . In today’s episod...

"I think most people in business would say, 'Yes, culture matters and I don’t know what to do about that.' It’s this big, amorphous thing, that we have no idea how to practically influence." Today's guest, entrepreneur and founder of skillsetter.com, Stephan Wiedner talks to us about creating psychological safety at work, as well as making the intangible tangible so companies can measure the impac...

“You need to be able to say, ‘Okay, I acknowledge that we all have biases. 'We' includes me. I have bias.’” Then, you can start to identify and address them. What are we uncomfortable doing? How do we improve our knowledge and behavior in those situations (to get ourselves more comfortable)?  This is what we dive into, in today's episode, with workplace culture consultant, keynote speaker, author,...

For leaders, it’s easy to become wholly self-reliant and go into take-charge/problem-solving mode right off the bat. But, today’s guest, Leadership Development Coach & Corporate Trainer, Steffan Surdek likes to pose the question, “How much easier would your life be if people around you took more ownership?” In this episode, we discuss: * Co-creative leadership (and what that means) * The 5 skills...

“Modern-day leaders are facing a challenge we didn’t see in decades past, which is that we no longer have C-suites who spend 5+ years at a particular company.”  Because tenure is short, they are under immense pressure to make an impact, make a name for themselves, and leave the company in as good (if not better condition) as when they started.  It’s the perfect storm that can – and often does – le...

Eva Jannotta and the Medusa Media Group are on a mission to achieve gender parity in cultural, economic and social authority by amplifying the voices of women and other historically underestimated identities. Eva maintains that "there’s a lot of opportunity to do good things and to be a really effective and loving leader, even when something 'bad' is happening that you have to address." In this co...

In this episode, I look back on some of our stand-out guests, talk about who will be returning, and get into some of my episode highlights. I also share (for the first time publicly) that I was named one of the Top 20 Executive Coaches of 2022 by Coach Foundation. And, we get into some behind-the-scenes -- including why this episode has no video. #RealLife  64 episodes in, heading into year 3... I...

Today's guests are Executive Coaches, Dale Allen & Trevor Stevenson, whose passion lies in helping others understand and practice conscious leadership. Dale says, “People will experience crisis, multiple times in a day, and sometimes it’s because of me, unintentionally... Our hope is that, by having conversations like these, more people would value doing this particular work, understanding that it...

In this episode of the podcast, Workforce Wellness and Culture Alignment Specialist, John Robertson, talks to us about facing crisis or change head-on. He provides a lot of great visuals around leading through crisis or change and makes some interesting observations about today’s workplace and workforce. We get into: - The Hot Water/Tea Bag Effect - Having a Values-Anchored Culture - The Differenc...

Teresa Vozza is a certified Executive Coach and Leadership Expert, as well as a passionate advocate for eradicating burnout in the executive ranks. Her goal is to help people (especially women) achieve greatness without the grind. According to statistics, 60% of women are burnt out. And, they are burning out at a much faster pace than men. In this conversation, we talk about: - Social conditioning...

Dr. Kelly, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Emotional Intelligence Trainer, and Bestselling Author of The Holy Shit Series, asserts that when we can say, “Hey, I like myself – flaws and all” that is true, authentic leadership. And, we don't have a lot of examples of that in the world. In this episode, we also discuss: - Affection outside of romantic and familial relationships - What to do with th...

Over the past 30+ years, Renée Safrata has worked with thousands of companies and executives throughout North America and Europe, helping them to connect, adopt new behaviors, and become confident members of highly functioning teams.  This episode is chock-full of pertinent questions, tools, and strategies.  Listen in for: - clarity-giving and confidence - building questions - 6 Power Tools to add...

Founder, CEO, and Author, Robert Jordan has had a ringside seat to leadership success, in real-time, for years.  Today, we get into: - Common characteristics of successful leaders - The 4 Winning Leadership Styles - How 90% of leaders are in the wrong role - Discovering your “highest and best use” - Diversity of leadership styles and teamwork I find Robert endlessly fun and hope you’ll join us for...

Deepa Purushothaman is a former Senior Executive and a Corporate Inclusion Visionary, as well as the author of the best-selling new book, The First, The Few, The Only: How Women of Color Can Redefine Power in Corporate America. We, of course, talk about leading through crisis but we also get into some common myths surrounding women of color at work; how to be seen, heard, and find your community a...

“Don’t react because the market is down or we’re going into a recession... Figure out what that means FOR YOU.”  In today’s episode of Leading Through Crisis, I am speaking to award-winning Financial Planner, Jackie Porter about managing finances in a recession. We talk about: - The benefit of logic over emotion - What the words, “recession” and “bear market” actually mean - How to determine what...

Leaders who have done the work of values alignment know who they are and how they show up in the world. It also keeps things clear for the people around them (employees, families, friends, etc.).  "Your values leave clues all over your life. Just look backwards. They're on your credit card statement, your calendar... and they don't lie."  Doing the work of knowing and living in alignment with your...

The pace of change is accelerating – things we thought would never happen, we’ve seen happen in these last few years. It can seem as if we are dealing with one crisis after another, on both the macro and micro levels.  And, it is incumbent on us, as leaders, to be prepared for whatever’s next. In this episode, Senior Strategist, Consultant, and Author, Lance Mortlock shares with us the questions w...

In this conversation, we discuss the complexities that can arise when managing a hybrid environment, as well as some incredibly helpful strategies. Karin shares tips from her new book, Suddenly Hybrid: Managing the Modern Meeting, on how to make hybrid work more effective.  She talks about the hardware, software, and skillware that is necessary; some things you should (and should not) do as a lead...

What's been turning up the corners of your mouth these days? And, why? In this conversation, we discuss how gratitude creates a culture of kindness and health. We talk about: - Getting honest with yourself - Where to start, when it comes to a gratitude practice - Why gratitude is a changemaker - How to get to the story behind the feeling - What gratitude is really all about "Gratitude is a univers...

Culture, leadership, and self-management are easy when nothing’s changing or going wrong. But, your character gets tested and your true colors show in crises.  In this conversation, we talk about the nuance and context that are important within transparency and authenticity. As well as leaders who lean into the hard conversations vs those who avoid, place blame, and step out. We’re all a work in p...

We also get into: - The dangers of cancel culture - The exceptional value of values - The different ways we may be "faking it" and what to do instead Sabrina reminds us that there's a difference between risking it and faking it... that when we're faking it there's an intent to deceive (a fine but IMPORTANT point). Join us for the full conversation! And, let us know whether you agree or disagree th...

"The Cree understanding is that there’s abundance and we have a responsibility to take care of each other. We're not in this alone. And, we’re all worthy -- simply because we share the common spark of humanity... That’s a really important lesson in leading through crisis, you realize you can’t do it by yourself."  In the Western world, our mantra has been, "Who cares if you feel well! Are you prod...

Richard Newman is an award-winning expert in Leadership Communication and Speechwriting. He is the author of the book, "You Were Born to Speak" and has successfully led his communication training company, Body Talk, for 22 years. Today, we explore: - How to effectively lead your team through crisis (of course) - How to find mission/purpose and values in a way that works for you - Being a hero vs b...

This week's guest, award-winning speechwriter, Elaine Bennett advises clients from Fortune 50 CEOs to entrepreneurs on their messaging. She also creates and delivers trainings on how to improve the writing of everything from internal communications to speeches.  In this conversation, we dive into the power of storytelling in business. Elaine also shares a great story about what she learned by work...