Open Door Conversations

Executive and Leadership expert Akua is celebrating a remarkable milestone of producing 100 podcast episodes of The Open Door Conversation Podcast. In this episode, Akua reflects on her journey of starting her podcast and how her vision has changed. With being 5 years in business, Akua shares the key lessons she learned professionally and personally. While taking a hiatus from social media, Akua l...

Embracing change can be difficult and uncomfortable, but when it comes to the business world, it's a necessary skill for leaders. Executive and leadership coach Akua Nyame Mensah has recently gone through the rebranding process, and in this episode, she shares the importance of evolving and staying relevant as a business leader.  If you don't think you need a brand, or you're thinking of rebrandin...

Executive and leadership coaching, at its core, is about creating ease for you as a high-achieving leader. It's about supporting you in leveraging your innate personality so you can learn how to prioritize and maximize your time as well as the time of your team and stakeholders.  In this episode, Akua talks about her coaching program and how one-on-one coaching can be transformational for leaders...

If you're a leader considering investing in executive coaching or advisory support, you cannot miss this episode. In it, executive and leadership coach Akua Nyame-Mensah dives into the world of coaching high-performing leaders, founders, and managers and what sets her apart from the rest. Get a clear understanding of the benefits of coaching and why Akua might be a great fit for you and your team....

Executive and Leadership expert Akua is wrapping up her mini-series on expectation setting and goal setting in the workplace. In this episode, you'll also learn about the different resources that Akua has on the subject of expectation setting, including valuable blog posts and podcast episodes where you can just dip your toe or dive head first into the deep well of insights on expectation setting....

Want to improve on goal-setting or expectation-setting? This episode is for conscious leaders who want to enhance their approach to goal setting and create a positive and productive environment for themselves and their team.  Expanding on her third pillar of leadership, expectation setting/goal setting, host Akua builds on themes from episode 93. She unveils the three overlooked aspects of goal se...

In this episode, Akua explores the third pillar in her three-step leadership framework: setting expectations (sometimes referred to as goals setting, OKRs, or KPIs). Akua uses her own experience as a case study to illustrate the importance of setting expectations for yourself, and she highlights the impact of expectations on personal and professional growth. Whether you're a solopreneur, team lead...

This is the first in a mini-series of episodes that will be based on the final step in Akua's three-step leadership framework: setting expectations. Whether you call it expectation setting, goal setting, or utilizing frameworks like KPIs or OKRs, these episodes will transform the way you approach expectation-setting and communication. Leaders and managers will learn the significance of expectation...

This week, leadership and executive coach Akua Nyame Menasah wraps up her series of episodes dedicated to engagement, the second step in her three-step leadership framework. This is a helpful roundup and summary of six of her past episodes on engagement.  Leadership is a habit, a routine that you need to cultivate intentionally. Being self-aware is the first step, then you must decide how to engag...

Ever been in a meeting that feels like a waste of time?  Of course, you have. That's because many leaders and organizations don't know how to effectively facilitate a meeting that engages team members. In this episode, you'll hear portions of a recent training Akua gave on how to be an effective moderator and facilitator.  Learn about the three basic types of meetings (and which one isn't really a...

Creating a high-performing team that is also human and inclusive is possible! Listen as Akua talks with organization transformation expert Joris Merks-Benjamin about how to balance high-performance standards with inclusivity and humanness in the workplace.  Formerly Head of Google Digital Academy, Joris became one of the highest-scoring managers of all time. After 12 years with Google, Joris has r...

Networking can elicit groans and dread from even the savviest of business leaders. If you dislike networking or feel like you’re bad at it, or if you believe you don’t NEED to do it, this episode is for you. Akua starts with why networking is important and gives four important things to work on to become better at building connections in business and in life. Learn why reframing your thinking and...

Today, Akua talks about leveraging storytelling to connect and engage with your stakeholders, whether they're clients, team members, employees, or investors.  Engaging with your team is one of the most important things you can do in your role as a leader. Telling stories can be a powerful tool in your engagement toolbox, helping to inspire, build rapport and align and reach goals with your team. L...

Reaching peak performance as a leader, manager, or business owner takes practice and training, much like an athlete. This week, Akua welcomes Darcy Luoma, the author of the book "Thoughtfully Fit, Your Training Plan for Life and Business," as she talks about tackling barriers and becoming mentally and emotionally fit. Darcy is a triathlete, mother, and CEO of Darcy Luoma Coaching and Consulting. A...

In order to coach others, you first have to be able to coach yourself. In this episode, Akua dives deeper into the engagement pillar of her three-step leadership framework. Engaging with yourself, also called self-regulation and management, is key to being able to support others as they explore their own areas of growth and boundaries.  As a leader, you want to inspire your employees and motivate...

Executive presence - all leaders want it, but not all know how to get it. Join Akua as she shares pieces of a recent conversation with Executive and Life Coach Kelly Lynn Adams. They talk about leadership, vulnerability and mindset, and how to regulate and manage your emotions to inspire confidence among your coworkers. Conscious leaders like Kelly Lynn know that leadership starts from within. Kel...

This episode of the Open Door Conversations podcast focuses on the second step in Akua's three-step leadership framework: the importance of engagement. In addition to self-awareness and setting expectations, engagement is a crucial part of becoming a conscious and effective leader in the workplace. As a business leader, founder, or executive, sometimes your biggest barrier to engaging with your te...

If you're interested in learning about a framework that can bring your vision, business, or startup to life, you don't want to miss this episode. It is jam-packed with actionable advice from Tomi Davie (T.D.), who was named one of the 100 Most Influential Africans of 2021 by New African Magazine.  Harry ‘Tomi Davies (TD) is Collaborator-in-Chief (CiC)’ at TVC Labs, an entrepreneurship support orga...

Pausing and reflecting is something all leaders should prioritize. That's why Akua is using today's episode as a recap of the last several weeks as she's talked about the first step in her leadership framework: cultivating self-awareness. Learn to understand better your strengths, weaknesses, interests, and preferences so you can be the most impactful leader possible.   Founders, leaders, and mana...

This episode is for leaders who want to have a big impact - and who doesn’t? This is the last in a series about the first of three steps in Akua’s leadership approach:  cultivating self-awareness .  Despite what some might think, effective leadership is not only about performance and delivery, or what the sports world would call the “outer game .”Conscious leaders know that self-awareness and mind...

Overcome your resistance to change as Akua talks to Ghanaian CEO Alex Bram. Akua and Alex talk about the importance of being self-aware and in tune with your team and the climate around you in order to provide products needed to solve problems. They also talk about the need for authenticity and honesty in leading a company and why it's crucial to make bold changes and mini-pivots in this fast-chan...

Whether you work with two people or 2,000 people, influence is a key leadership skill. Some might even say influence is synonymous with leadership. In this episode, Akua helps you recognize the importance of leveraging your influence and the role of self-reflection and communication in the process.  This episode is for you if you're a first-time manager, an established leader, or just feeling invi...

Do your words match your actions? Are you “being the message?” How you communicate with others (and yourself) is key when it comes to being a conscious leader. This week Akua, an executive and leadership coach, talks about the importance of reflecting on your communication style and aligning what you say with what you value.  Akua dives into what she means by “being the message,” a popular mantra...

Today's guest, JR Kanu, is an entrepreneur, design thinking coach, and the author of " Money Brain: Career and Money Management in Your 20s and 30s ." He is also the founder and CEO of REACH, working with businesses to understand their consumers and helping individuals who want clarity on their personal finances. In this episode, host Akua Nyame-Mensah talks with JR about the evolution of his busi...

Do you feel stressed, busy, and short on time? If so, it's time to get a handle on what you do and when you do it. Here, Akua expands on last week's episode , cultivating self-awareness and presenting your personality in the form of SOPs to team members. This week, Akua focuses specifically on how to be more time-aware as a conscious leader and how it can help you move from fire-fighting mode into...