On The Balcony

Join us for What Stayed, a live Season Two gathering. March 31 · Virtual · Free · Limited spots · konu.org/events As we arrive at the final conversation of Season Two, we turn to one of the deepest questions that has quietly threaded through the entire series: what happens when the conflicts we face are not simply disagreements, but conflicts about identity? In this episode, Michael Koehler sits d...

Join us for What Stayed , a live Season Two gathering. March 31 · Virtual · Free · Limited spots · konu.org/events There are many leadership assessments in the world. Most measure competencies — skills, behaviors, strengths, and gaps. The Leadership Circle begins from a different starting point. It integrates leadership theory, systems thinking, and adult development into a single model that conne...

Join us for What Stayed, a live Season Two gathering. March 31 · Virtual · Free · Limited spots · konu.org/events Mindfulness has become respectable. It improves focus. It reduces stress. It helps leaders perform under pressure. But what if mindfulness isn't primarily about performance? In this episode of On the Balcony, Michael Koehler sits down with Dr. Matthias Birk—organizational psychologist,...

Some challenges don't fail because we lack intelligence, expertise, or good intentions. They fail because the systems meant to hold them — the structures, relationships, and shared stories — aren't strong enough to carry the weight. In this episode of On the Balcony , Michael Koehler sits down with Tim O'Brien to explore one of the most quietly powerful ideas in Adaptive Leadership: the holding en...

Season 2 of On the Balcony continues by looking sideways — exploring frameworks that stretch Adaptive Leadership into new terrain. In this episode, Michael Koehler sits down with Judit Teichert, Managing Director and Partner at KONU Germany. Judit's work is shaped by her background as a licensed psychotherapist trained in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and more than a decade of coaching and f...

Season 2 of  On the Balcony  continues by looking sideways — exploring frameworks that stretch Adaptive Leadership into new terrain. In this episode, Michael Koehler is joined by  Dr. Mary C. Gentile , creator and director of  Giving Voice to Values (GVV)  and longtime professor of ethics and leadership. Mary’s work centers on a deceptively simple but deeply chal...

When Your Team's Anxiety Is Actually the Answer Season 2 continues looking sideways — exploring frameworks that stretch Adaptive Leadership into new terrain. In this episode, Michael Koehler sits down with Dr. Candice Crawford-Zakian, a psychoanalytic psychologist and lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Candice's work focuses on systems psychodynamics — a field that helps us see...

Season 2 of On the Balcony begins by looking sideways — exploring the frameworks that stretch Adaptive Leadership into new terrain. In this first episode, Michael Koehler sits down with Dr. Lisa Lahey, co-author of  Immunity to Change,  faculty at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education and co-founder of Minds at Work. Lisa's work on adult development has profoundly shap...

On today’s season finale of On the Balcony, Michael Kohler welcomes Professor Ronald Heifetz, author of Leadership Without Easy Answers, the book that has formed the focus of this season. Professor Heifetz is among the world’s foremost authorities on the practice and teaching of leadership. His work addresses two challenges: developing a conceptual foundation for the analysis and practice of leade...

In this episode of On the Balcony, Michael welcomes guest Susanna Krueger, a serial social entrepreneur and former CEO of Save the Children Germany, the oldest and largest independent child’s rights organization in the world. She’s here to engage with the final chapter of Ron Heifetz’s Leadership Without Easy Answers, entitled “The Personal Challenge,” which outlines a set of reflective questions...

On the eleventh episode of the On the Balcony podcast, Michael continues his conversation with George A. Papandreou, former Prime Minister of Greece, about Chapter 10 of Heifetz’s Leadership Without Easy Answers. Papandreou picks up the discussion by sharing how Heifetz inspired his decision to stage an intervention through an inclusive approach, encouraging the Greek people to take their future i...

On the tenth episode of the On the Balcony podcast, Michael Kohler welcomes a most fitting guest to discuss Heifetz’s book, particularly the chapter entitled “Assassination”.  Former Prime Minister of Greece, George A. Papandreou will be joining the podcast for two episodes to discuss Chapter 10 of Leadership Without Easy Answers, and its impact upon his role in salvaging the Greek economy in...

On the ninth episode of the On the Balcony podcast, Michael welcomes Ashley B. Stewart to talk about Chapter 9 of Ron Heifetz’s, Leadership Without Easy Answers , the importance of pushing boundaries, taking risks and managing the dangers of practicing leadership  building from Ashley’s experience working as an Executive Coach, Transformation Facilitator, and Racial Consciousness Consultant a...

On this episode of the On the Balcon y podcast, Michael is joined by Julia Fabris McBride today to discuss the eighth chapter of Ron Heifetz’s book, Leadership Without Easy Answers.   Today the pair reckon with the idea of leadership as it functions without authority.  McBride is an actor, author, and President and CEO of the Kansas Leadership Center (KLC). In her work with KLC, McBride...

On today’s episode of On the Balcony, Michael is joined by Jevan Soo Lenox to discuss chapter seven of Ronald Heifetz’s Leadership Without Easy Answers. Jevan has held Chief People Officer roles at multiple exciting Bay Area growth companies, including Blue Bottle, Stitch Fix, and most recently, insitro, where he has brought the adaptive leadership framework to life in fast-paced hyper-growth envi...

On this sixth episode of the On the Balcony podcast, Michael is joined by Ian Palmquist, Deputy Director at the Equality Federation and the Board President of the Adaptive Leadership Network.  In his experience of advocating for LGBTQ+ rights with government officials, Palmquist has become familiar with authority and its resources and constraints for the practice of leadership.  When adv...

On the fifth episode of the On the Balcony podcast, Michael welcomes Radha Ruparell, author and Head of Global Leadership Accelerator at  Teach For All, into the conversation to talk about the main ideas in Chapter 5 of Ron Heifetz legendary book, Leadership Without Easy Answers (1998) , namely informal and formal authority, holding environments, and nurturing our inner capacity.  When t...

On this episode of the On the Balcony podcast, Michael Koehler welcomes Lauren Lyons to chat about chapter four of Ron Heifetz’s legendary book. As an engineer and manager at SpaceX, NASA, and Blue Origin, she knows a lot about managing the expectations of her team and working towards change. Michael and Lauren open up the episode by talking about authority relationships as an exchange. As Heifetz...

On this episode of the On the Balcony podcast, Michael Koehler welcomes Professor Leary to chat about yet another chapter of Ronald Heifetz’s Leadership Without Easy Answers. As a chief Harvard psychologist, a Senior VP at the Urban Institute, and an advisor to the White House, Professor Leary is deeply familiar with Heifetz’s work and the man himself. Today, with Michael, she opens up the episode...

On today’s episode, Mitzi Johnson, the former Speaker of the House in Vermont, joins Michael  to talk about Chapter 2 of Ron Heifetz’s Leadership Without Easy Answers .  This chapter focuses on Adaptive Leadership, and it’s unfortunately timely  that Johnson is here to discuss this chapter, given her extensive work with gun reform in Vermont.  Both she and Kohler agree that lea...

Welcome to the introductory episode of On the Balcony , a truly insightful podcast where leadership coach and facilitator Michael Kohler takes a deep dive into Ronald Heifetz’s  revolutionary book , Leadership Without Easy Answers, to uncover the theoretical and practical lessons it offers.  Not only are you invited to read along in the book as each episode covers a chapter in order, but...

On the balcony is a podcast for change agents, executives and people who care about developing others.    In this kick-off season Michael Koehler and his guests examine Ronald Heifetz’s landmark book: “Leadership Without Easy Answers,” the framework behind the most inspiring leadership class at Harvard University. The show offers powerful reflections and live coaching on today’...