The Better Leadership Team Show

In this episode of The Better Leadership Team Show , I explore the powerful insights of David J. Friedman, a leading expert on organizational culture. David has authored two influential books and delivered over 750 workshops and keynotes for business leaders. His second book, Culture by Design , is a step-by-step guide to building a strong organizational culture — tailored for today's workpla...

In this episode of The Better Leadership Team Show , I dive deep into leadership and mindset with Frank Kitchen, a certified speaking professional with over 30 years of experience in talent development. Known for his innovative, culinary-themed motivational approach, Frank shares valuable insights on building great leadership teams, fostering organizational culture, and inspiring growth. He introd...

In this episode of Mike on the Mic , I uncover the secrets to healthy aging and lifelong fulfillment through personal stories and reflections as I approach my 60th birthday. From navigating financial setbacks to redefining success and finding renewed purpose, I delve into the power of keeping your "peak" ahead of you. Discover how to embrace challenges, set meaningful goals, and stay ene...

In this episode of The Better Leadership Team Show , hold onto your power cables as we welcome Julie Holmes, a tech founder, inventor, and AI entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience transforming enterprise technology. Julie is passionate about staying ahead of the curve and helping others do the same by sharing practical tech tips, tools, and innovation strategies to sell smarter, serve bett...

In this episode, I sit down with Christina Howard to talk about what it takes to truly excel as a leader. For almost two decades, Christina led the HR departments of Fortune 100, non-profit, and privately held global companies. Today, she works with focused leaders and companies that want to ensure their employees achieve internal success to match their external success. She does this through coac...

In this 100th episode of The Better Leadership Team Show , I take a moment to reflect on the journey of this podcast and celebrate the milestone with something truly special. I’ve compiled insights from 32 incredible guests, all answering the same question: "What is the most important characteristic of a great leadership team?" The answers are as diverse as they are inspiring, ranging fr...

In this episode of The Better Leadership Team Show, I sit down with Marc Gross, a partner at Fox Rothschild with over three decades of experience in business litigation and crisis management. Renowned for his creative, tenacious advocacy, Marc handles complex commercial disputes, including corporate conflicts, trade secret issues, real estate disputes, and employment matters. He has appeared in fe...

In this episode of the Better Leadership Team Show, I dive deep into leadership and decision-making with Chris Seifert, author of "Enabling Empowerment." Chris shares actionable insights on how leaders can foster a culture of effective decision-making and break free from the cycle of micromanagement. Drawing from his experience as a Navy officer, plant manager, and VP of Operations, Chri...

In this episode of Mike on the Mic, I tackle one of the most challenging issues in leadership: handling "solid, mediocre performers." While high and low performers receive most of our attention, it's the steady but unremarkable team members who often go unaddressed—potentially holding back organizational excellence. We explore strategies for boosting performance, including weekly on...

In this episode of the Better Leadership Team Show, I speak with Joe Mull, employee engagement expert and author of Employalty : How to Ignite Commitment and Keep Top Talent in the New Age of Work. He also hosts the popular Boss Better Now podcast, which was recently named by SHRM as a “can’t miss show for leaders,” along with podcasts from Brené Brown and Harvard Business Review. He shares insigh...

In this episode, I sit down for an interview with my good friend Owen Fitzpatrick for an in-depth conversation about leadership, personal growth, and some of the most important lessons I’ve learned throughout my life. We cover a wide range of topics, from the challenges of today’s polarized world to the importance of curiosity in leadership. I also share some personal stories, including how my rel...

In this episode of Mike on the Mic, I take a personal deep dive into how I help organizations move beyond just having core values written on the wall. Core values, when they’re truly integrated into the heart of a company, can transform culture, boost performance, and drive growth. But all too often, they’re treated as little more than a checkbox exercise. I’ll share 9 practical strategies that I’...

In this episode of The Breakthrough Leadership Team Show, my guest is Jordan Burton, an executive assessor and interviewing trainer with over 17 years of experience. He specializes in training top VC and Private Equity investors and high-growth companies on how to hire the best talent. Jordan was a Partner at the renowned leadership advisory firm ghSMART, a consultant at Bain & Company, and ho...

In this episode of the Better Leadership Team Show,  I sit down with Wayne Turmel, a remote and hybrid work expert from the Kevin Eikenberry Group. He has spent 26 years fascinated by how people communicate- or don't- at work. He's the author of 16 books, including The Long Distance Leader. Wayne shares his insights on the future of work, leadership in a remote environment, and the essen...

In this episode of The Better Leadership Team Show, I sit down with Dr. Carla Fowler, an MD PhD and elite executive coach who has spent the last decade working with CEOs, entrepreneurs, and senior leaders. As the founder of THAXA, a boutique coaching firm, Carla blends the latest research in performance science with timeless best practices to help top performers level up. She explains how high per...

In this episode of the Better Leadership Team Show, I chat with Ken Bogart and Grace Gavin, co-founders of Know Honesty, about the power of openness and honesty in leadership and communication. We explore their six practices for fostering genuine dialogue, including breaking down communication barriers, embracing vulnerability, and using their Pursuit of Honesty Assessment to measure progress. We...

In this episode of the Better Leadership Team Show, I sit down with John Register, a decorated Persian Gulf war veteran, Paralympic silver medalist, and a true leader in turning adversity into an advantage. John shares his remarkable journey from experiencing a life-changing accident to becoming a global influencer and leadership coach. We explore his 'Amputate to Elevate' model, diving...

In this episode of Mike on the Mic, I dive into the crucial role Human Resources plays in driving profit growth by focusing on people growth. HR has traditionally been seen as a tactical function, but it's time to reimagine it as a strategic powerhouse that can truly impact an organization's success. I discuss the importance of redefining HR, perhaps as "Talent Development" or...

On this episode of the Better Leadership Team Show, I sit down with the dynamic duo Adele Gambardella and Chip Massey. They are two accomplished professionals with diverse backgrounds and a shared mission. Adele, recognized as a prominent figure in the PR world, brings over 20 years of expertise, serving as a spokesperson for Fortune 100 companies and teaching at prestigious universities. Chip, a...

In this Mike on the Mic episode, I share my insights on facilitating an effective annual planning retreat. I'll guide you through the essential steps to align your leadership team on key priorities, foster deep collaboration, and set the strategic direction for the upcoming year. We’ll discuss common pitfalls to avoid, necessary pre-work, and how to craft a comprehensive agenda that drives re...

In this episode of The Better Leadership Team Show, I dive into the transformative power of open book management with Rich Armstrong, a Senior Coach at The Great Game of Business, Inc. SRC Holdings Corporation. He has more than 33 years of experience in improving business performance and employee engagement through open-book management (OBM) and employee ownership, with service as a consultant and...

In this episode of the Better Leadership Team Show, I sit down with Robyn Hatcher, a communication and leadership professional speaker and owner of the boutique consultancy SpeakEtc. As a former actor & soap opera writer, she once got paid to create drama, now she works with leaders from Fortune 500 companies, human services organizations and  noteworthy brands to help mitigate the drama in th...

In this episode of The Better Leadership Team Show, I dive deep into building a customer-centric culture with Dan Gingiss, an international keynote speaker and customer experience expert who believes that a remarkable experience is your best competitive advantage. His 20-year professional career included leadership positions at McDonald’s, Discover and Humana. Dan is the author of two books, The E...

In this Mike on the Mic episode, I dive deep into the strategies and tools you need to build a successful leadership team. I discuss why it's crucial to proactively structure your leadership team before problems arise. I'll share common pitfalls and the difference between accountability and responsibility and introduce two powerful tools: the Functional Accountability Chart and the 12-Qu...

In this episode of Mike on the Mic, I explore why many leaders tend to over-invest in low performers and under-invest in high performers despite the latter group having the most potential for growth. Emphasizing the importance of focusing on high performers and I’ll offer 11 actionable steps to better engage and retain these valuable team members. From challenging them and raising the bar to promo...