The Enlightened Executive

Success can be one of the most dangerous moments for a high-performing team.   In this episode of  The Enlightened Executive , Susan Drumm speaks with Jake Thompson, founder of Compete Every Day, about how leaders can recognize when a winning team starts to drift into comfort, busyness, or complacency.   Jake shares why strong results can sometimes hide weakening standards, how comparison pulls le...

  AI is changing how we work, create, and lead. But as technology gets faster, the most valuable leadership skills may be the most human ones: creativity, judgment, authenticity, and reinvention.   In this episode of  The Enlightened Executive , Susan Drumm speaks with Jason Miller about how leaders can stay relevant in an AI-driven world. Jason shares why  it's  risky to become too one-dimensiona...

AI is not just changing how we work. It is changing how customers think, decide, trust, and relate.   In this episode of  The Enlightened Executive , Susan Drumm speaks with marketing strategist, futurist, and author Mark Schaefer about how AI is reshaping customer behavior and what leaders need to understand now.   They explore the risks of cognitive offloading, the importance of protecting human...

What if one small act of kindness could create a ripple effect far beyond what you imagined?   In this episode, Susan Drumm sits down with entrepreneur Braxton Kilgo to explore how a simple mission grew into a business,  a movement , and a model for meaningful leadership. Braxton shares his journey from small-town beginnings to building a purpose-driven brand centered on human connection, service,...

What if the success you built is no longer setting you free?   In this episode of  The Enlightened Executive , Susan Drumm sits down with investor, entrepreneur, and  Fulfillionaire  founder JP Newman to explore a truth many high achievers quietly wrestle  with:  external success does not always create internal fulfillment.   JP shares his journey from chasing financial milestones to redefining we...

What happens when success does not bring the confidence you  expected ?   In this episode, Susan Drumm sits down with Laura Gassner Otting to explore the tension many leaders feel after reaching a new level of achievement. Instead of clarity, they often experience pressure, self-doubt, and the sense that they now have even more to prove.   Together, they unpack Laura's concept of " Wonderhell ," t...

Are you  leading on  an empty tank ?   In this high-energy episode of  The Enlightened Executive , Susan Drumm is joined by keynote speaker and joy instigator  Marli Williams  to explore how cultivating  energy intelligence  can radically elevate your leadership presence, resilience, and impact.   You'll  discover:   Why managing your energy ,  not just your time ,  is the secret to leading sustai...

What if charisma isn't something you're born with, but something you build ?  In this episode of The Enlightened Executive , Susan Drumm sits down with Heather Hansen, former trial attorney, communication expert, and CEO of Belief Builders, to explore how compassionate charisma transforms your leadership presence.  You'll discover:  The neuroscience behind why power can reduce empathy, and how to...

Is your leadership model silently draining your team?  In this episode of The Enlightened Executive , energy and culture expert Josh Allan Dykstra challenges the outdated belief that resilience means pushing through. Instead, he offers a new paradigm: designing work around energy flow, not just productivity.  You'll learn:  Why burnout is a design issue, not a personal failing  The leadership refl...

You may not think of yourself as a performer, but as a leader, your presence is always on stage.  In this episode of The Enlightened Executive , Susan Drumm interviews culture and storytelling expert Mike Ganino on the hidden performance behind every company culture. From improv stages to executive boardrooms, Mike reveals how unspoken patterns and leadership presence shape what your team believes...

Most leaders double down on strategy when pressure hits, but what if the real competitive edge lies in creativity?  In this episode of The Enlightened Executive , I speak with Natalie Nixon , creativity strategist and author of Move, Think, Rest , about why creativity, not control, is the next frontier in leadership. Natalie shares her human-centered framework for redesigning work in the face of b...

You can be brilliant with numbers and still miss the pattern that's holding you back. In this episode of The Enlightened Executive , financial behaviorist Jacquette Timmons shares the pivotal moment when her longtime CPA asked, "When are you going to stop mortgaging your life?" That one question revealed a blind spot that changed how she approached her business, her money, and her leadership.  We...

What if your biggest life challenges became the catalyst for your boldest leadership chapter yet?  Petra Kolber is no stranger to adversity. She's survived cancer twice , pivoted from global fitness icon to mindset coach, and now serves as VP of Mindset for the Daisie Foundation. In this powerful conversation, Petra joins host Susan Drumm to share how midlife became her launchpad, not her slowdown...

What does it really mean to lead with authenticity—and how do you know when it's courageous vs. careless?  In this episode of The Enlightened Executive , host Susan Drumm sits down with Cindy Adams , executive coach and co-founder of The Enneagram in Business Network, to explore one of the most misunderstood leadership traits: authenticity .  Together, we unpack:      Why "saying it like it is" ca...

What do you do when everything goes sideways? In this episode of The Enlightened Executive , I sit down with Juliette Kayyem , Harvard professor, former Assistant Secretary at Homeland Security under President Obama, and CNN Senior National Security Analyst. Juliette shares how today's leaders can build resilience before the crisis hits , and what it takes to make clear, confident decisions under...

What if your greatest strength as a CEO is also your biggest limitation? In this episode of The Enlightened Executive , Susan Drumm sits down with Allison Maslan, aserial entrepreneur, author, and CEO of Pinnacle Global Network, to explore a critical challenge most high-performing leaders face:  👉 Becoming the bottleneck in their own business.  Allison has built 10 companies and now mentors thous...

What would you do if you came face to face with the person who murdered your father? Candice Mama chose forgiveness and in doing so transformed her life and her leadership. In this episode of The Enlightened Executive Candice shares her journey from deep resentment to peace and the lessons leaders can use to navigate betrayal conflict and personal hardship.  You will hear how to: Recognize the hid...

What if your biggest leadership mistakes aren't due to poor judgment—but hidden assumptions?  In this episode of The Enlightened Executive , Susan Drumm speaks with Dr. Alan Barnard, one of the world's top decision scientists and a leading expert in the Theory of Constraints. Together, they unpack why even high-performing leaders make bad decisions—and how to avoid the most common traps that derai...

Discomfort Isn't the Enemy: How to Lead Through Challenge with Sterling Hawkins  What if the key to becoming a breakthrough leader isn't more confidence or clarity—but more discomfort ?   In this episode of The Enlightened Executive , Susan Drumm talks with Sterling Hawkins—author, keynote speaker, and founder of the "No Matter What" movement—about why the most effective leaders don't avoid discom...

The Power of Boundaries: Unlocking Innovation Through Constraints with Rachel Druckenmiller  Episode Description:  What do photographing polar bears in the Arctic and leading high-performing teams have in common? More than you might think.  In this episode of The Enlightened Executive , Susan Drumm sits down with Rachel Druckenmiller—leadership strategist, keynote speaker, and founder of Avenue M...

What if the greatest leadership transformation doesn't start with a new strategy—but with a shift in you?  In this episode of The Enlightened Executive, Daniel McCollum joins Susan Drumm to explore how self-awareness, vulnerability, and intentional growth become the foundation for high-performing teams and thriving organizational culture. Together, they unpack why inner development is no longer op...

What if the secret to getting more done—and feeling better doing it—wasn't about pushing harder, but pausing smarter? In this episode of The Enlightened Executive , I sit down with internationally recognized Qigong master and author Lee Holden to explore how strategic slowing down can unlock your highest leadership energy. Lee shares insights from his new book, Ready, Set, Slow , and breaks down w...

Does this resonate? For years, I believed leadership was about pushing harder, working longer, and showing up no matter how depleted I felt. It seemed like success demanded constant resilience—never slowing down. But that old narrative, as my guest Jayne Warrilow shared, doesn't create great leaders. It creates burnout. Isolation. Disconnection. Jayne is an entrepreneur and thought leader, and fou...

What if the secret to becoming a more effective leader lies not in developing a subject matter expertise and amassing years of experience, but in embracing a simple question: "Why?" In a world where innovation and forward momentum often define success, stopping to question why can be the difference maker for effective and enlightened leaders. I recently sat down with Brandon Fong, host of the glob...

High-performing teams don't happen by accident. You can hire the best people, offer competitive salaries, and set ambitious goals—but if you don't intentionally build a strong, aligned culture, your team will never reach its full potential. So, what separates good teams from world-class teams? That's exactly what I explored in my conversation with Jay Rosenzweig, an executive leadership strategist...