Reality-Based Leadership

This week, Alex Dorr finally pinned me down to talk about feedback in the workplace! He was able to pull out some of my best stories on the subject, which I'm confident will keep you entertained and learning how the ego can easily interfere in these conversations. Many fear giving and receiving feedback, but when it's based in reality - there's nothing to fear. This podcast is great for leaders an...

This week's guest is Mikey Ellis, a Culture Strategist at Pragmatic Thinking. In our chat, we explore the age-old question of what it takes to build a great work culture, including the leader's responsibility, as well as that of the employee. Mikey and I share a passion for creating workplaces that empower people to do great things together, as well as a love and appreciation for a glass of great...

After a pivotal moment surviving a life-threatening bike accident, Michael decided it would be his last bad day. In his recovery, he made a commitment to stop chasing happiness. Now as a coach, speaker and author, he is on a journey from being a human doer to a human being. This episode will inspire you to look at your life differently and consider making today your last bad day. Learn more about...

This podcast is a call to greatness for leaders who are practicing the philosophy to stay true to a wider concept of keeping an open mind, an open heart and staying curious. It's about how we can fall into overusing one part of the philosophy - calling people to greatness, accountability - and underusing self-compassion and compassion towards others. When this happens, we find ourselves out of bal...

I love this week's guest, as she takes an evidence-based approach to prepare and engage working moms (aka "LeaderMoms") in the sometimes wonderful, sometimes rocky, professional path. This episode is great for moms and employers alike as we find a way to address real business problems of unwanted turnover and gender equality, while reducing the guilt, anxiety, and fear that comes along with being...

Marianne Williamson is at the very top of the list of profound teachers that I want to bring to this podcast, and I am thrilled to have her with me today! A Return to Love is one of my most loved, shared and used books on my bookshelf. Her message is powerful: Apply love to all of your affairs and you can be healed.   Read Marianne's books: A Return to Love :  https://amzn.to/2w3OnOT A Politics of...

If you've noticed that I've upped my speaking game, let me introduce you to my secret weapon: My speaking coach, Fia Fasbinder with The Moxie Institute! Every leader role comes with it a need for good speaking skills, whether you are in a 1:1, a board meeting or on stage. This podcast is full of techniques you can try out immediately to up your game so that people hear the wonderful content you ha...

The fact is that many of our marriages end, and today's guest, Ashley-Nicole Russell, is a lawyer advocating for a more collaborative approach to work through this grief-filled process. She exposes divorce for what it is: A broken system that is breaking children, families, and employees. Her book, The Cure for Divorce Culture , contains the recipe for a healthy life through divorce. Her innovativ...

I'm thrilled to bring you a personal favorite of mine: Dr. James R. Doty, M.D. I was first introduced to Dr. Doty through his book, Into the Magic Shop , and have continued to be inspired by the work he is doing as a neurosurgeon, philanthropist, and Director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research at Stanford University. You will love his incredible morning routine for setting your int...

  Steven Matthew Adams, Author, Speaker & Coach, brings us to the corner of Eastern wisdom and Western living, giving us a practical guide for how to find and sustain true happiness. This podcast will give you a glimpse into the wisdom he gathered in his life journey that started with a meditation practice at the age of 15 to a finance career on Wall Street and finally discovering his authentic se...

Kate Northrup, Author and Entrepreneur, shares how by doing less, we can actually have more in our lives. Her new book, Do Less: A Revolutionary Approach to Time and Energy Management for Busy Moms,  is the antidote to the 'push harder, hustle more' mentality that is plaguing our culture. Listen in to get practical tips from Kate on how to better manage the energy and time in your life. Follow Kat...

In this episode, I want to share an interview I did with Workhuman Radio at this year's conference on why engagement is broken. As leaders, we've gotten way off track in terms of engagement, and we're going about it the wrong way, which is leading to an entitled workforce. Listen in as we discuss how to truly create engagement without all the drama. Be sure to follow @workhuman on social for how w...

Today, I'm bringing you a very special episode from a private HR C-suite luncheon I led at Workhuman 2019 . In it, I reveal the 5 major reasons why you are experiencing drama at work based on my research findings, and how you can work to overcome it. Please excuse the audio, as there is some interference at times, but it was too good not to share! Loving the podcast? If you haven't yet, leave a ra...

Coined the Eckhart Tolle of the internet, James is one of those guys that will help you in the pursuit of your own evolution. In his book, Sh#t Your Ego Says, he writes about his inner battler between the Ego and the Higher Self. Listen in as he shares his transformation after becoming homeless in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Follow James McCrae on social @shityouregosays Are you ready to dit...

Today's guest, Lauren Zajac, Chief Legal Officer at Workhuman, joined me in Boston on International Women's Day for a special podcast about how to create work-life balance and better navigate the work world as a woman. One great tip that she shares is that you will always be successful if you are fully present with the current experience. Learn more about Lauren and resources for women at Workhuma...

Given a notice that her company was going to be closing down in 2 years, Joni Wheeler, CEO of CoreLink Administrative Solutions, was challenged to maintain high engagement and retention of her staff in spite of the news. Listen to this incredible story of how she and the team were able to not only survive - but thrive - in these circumstances. Loving the podcast? If you haven't yet, leave a rating...

Today, Alex Dorr and I discuss a huge trend around consensus-based decision-making. Many leaders focus on getting everyone's input on decisions but are running into challenges. Without accountability, it is creating chaos. We answer: How can we ensure we are getting the best input from all of our teams with diverse backgrounds and build true organizational alignment without additional drama? Addit...

You are going to love Sasha Shillcutt, who has become a voice for women on burnout, resiliency and gender equality. Sasha is a cardiac anesthesiologist at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, and founded Brave Enough because, after a successful career climb as a clinical scientist and national expert, she found herself empty & isolated. She will inspire you to be #braveenough in your persona...

I'd love to introduce you to Adrienne Edgar, who has some great techniques to share with leaders to up their coaching game.  Learn how Adrienne came to be a coach and her #1 tip for being successful with individuals and teams.   If you're loving this podcast, please take a moment to give me a rating and review! I'd love to know your thoughts!   Special Discount for Listeners: Get $300 off your Wor...

In today's episode, I want to share the new ways I'm starting to come to terms with the meaning of accountability. Our team had an opportunity to deepen our understanding of accountability through a recent training we did with Tim Gallwey and IGEOS. Tune in to hear what insights we brought back. If you haven't yet, leave a rating and a review whenever you're listening - I'd love to hear your thoug...

One of my great teachers and a leader on the science of happiness is joining me today on the podcast. Fred and I talk about choices that lead to happiness, grieving, forgiveness, and venting. He answers the age-old question, is it ever ok to vent? Here are two great pieces of Fred's work if you want to dive deeper: What is forgiveness? https://bit.ly/2MCEizT The Science of Happiness: https://bit.l...

This week's guest is Michael Bungay Stanier, author of several books including The Coaching Habit and Do More Great Work, and CEO of Box of Crayons. Michael is one of my greatest teachers and I invite you to listen in to all the wisdom he has to share! If you haven't yet, leave a rating and a review whenever you are listening - I'd love to hear your thoughts and get some feedback! By the way, I'm...

Do you mentor someone? Are you in a mentoring relationship? If so, have you really thought about what it means to be a mentor? Many times, when we are in a mentoring relationship, we need to take a step back and evaluate - are we moving the needle towards good? And what is the goal of the person looking to be mentored? There are so many ways to mentor and today I want to give a glimpse into how I...

My first guest of the new year is the incredible Monica Hawkins! CEO. Founder. Leader in diversity and inclusion. Faculty member at Georgetown. The list goes on and on. I was struck by her brilliance and it was instant love - I'm so excited for you all to meet her on today's episode.  By the way, I'm @cywakeman everywhere. Find me on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.  Are you loving this podcast? I...

This is the last episode of 2018! Next week, I'll be on a break as I start my New Year off. We'll be back the following week with more episodes. Thank you so much to everyone who listened, shared with a friend, reached out - anything you did to support me in the year, I appreciate you.  Hope you enjoy my reflections in the episode and I'll see you in the New Year!