The Inspire Podcast

In this episode of The Inspire Podcast, Bart welcomes Anya Wood, The Humphrey Group's Vice President of Product. Drawing on their combined decades of experience in the leadership training business they explore the evolving demands and priorities of leaders and how those imperatives are redefining the key skills required today. Anya then shares insights into how leaders can respond to these demands...

In this episode, Bart welcomes Mike McDonald, Founder of the charity Recess Guardians and CEO of Activ8, a new play-based educational company helping kids and adults move and learn. Mike shares his experiences creating a school-based leadership charity that empowers youth to lead and teach younger kids, He explains why kids embrace leadership opportunities, different styles of leadership, how to u...

In this episode of The Inspire Podcast, Bart speaks with Joe Manget, Walid Hejazi and Dany Assaf about their new book, Everybody's Business. The three authors, an accomplished business leader, a business school professor and renowned Competition lawyer and author of the bestseller Say Please and Thank You & Stand in Line, share how their research shows Canadian businesses are falling behind and wh...

The "Great Resignation" has led to unprecedented worker mobility. But whether you are thinking of changing roles, leaving your company, or have already started a new role, there are some important things to know and prepare for if you want to thrive. In this episode Bart speaks with Brenda Harrington of Adaptive Leadership, who shares how she coaches executives in anticipation of new moves, and wh...

In this episode of the Inspire Podcast Bart welcomes Humphrey Group Consultant Ash Kay to talk about executive presence. Ash draws on her background as a reporter and broadcast news producer to explain what presence is and how to project it authentically. She explains that the foundation of connection is to be unselfish, how the best connectors are like detectives, and that there’s no substitute f...

All our working relationships tend to focus on WHAT we want to do together -- what deals to close, what processes to improve, what products to build -- yet we invest comparatively little time in HOW to do that work together. In his new book the incomparable Michael Bungay Stanier argues we're doing it all wrong, and should instead focus on the foundations of working relationships. In a far ranging...

In this episode, Bart is joined by Dr. Nate Regier to speak about his new book, Compassionate Accountability. Nate explains that kindness and high performance are not mutually exclusive but actually deeply interwoven. He explains how to embrace the yes and mindset of compassionate accountability, and how to practice it day in and day out as an individual leader. He also explains how companies can...

In this episode Bart speaks with James Caan about what he looks for in entrepreneurs he wants to back and invest in. James has had an incredible career, creating and selling multiple companies in the human capital space including Alexander Mann and Humana Capital, as well as serving the British government in multiple capacities including Chairman of the Startup Loans initiative, which invested in...

In this episode, Bart interviews Judith Humphrey, Founder of The Humphrey Group, about her new book, The Job Seeker’s Script. In the interview Judith discusses how candidates can successfully advocate for themselves, whether they want to move up in their present company or move to a new firm. Her book shows job seekers how to tell their story, by first setting their goals, and then using her book’...

What exactly is work today, and how should leaders manage and engage their teams in this unsettled new reality? In this episode of the Inspire Podcast Bart speaks with Wayne Berger, CEO of the Americas at IWG, the world's largest provider of flexible workspaces about these questions. Drawing on IWG's research, Wayne explains what the future of work looks like, why it's not the office but rather th...

In this episode, Bart speaks with psychologist, podcaster and renowned speaker Dr. Sherry Walling about the emotional challenges facing entrepreneurs and leaders today. In her practice, Sherry helps clients navigate transition, rapid growth, loss and other complex human experiences. She draws on this work to share with Bart why leaders are facing the highest levels of burnout, stress and anxiety i...

In this episode of the podcast, Bart welcomes William Kilmer, entrepreneur, venture capitalist and author of a new book, Transformative. William’s book looks at how great companies do more than produce great products and instead transform markets they can enter and win in. Yet William explains that in his experience, leaders spend too little time on their culture, to their detriment. He explains h...

In this conversation, Bart speaks with Alan Richardson, SVP of Talent Strategy & Solutions at RBC, about the bank's approach to bringing workers back to premises. Alan discusses why the bank decided last fall to ask employees to come together in person more, and what they've learned since. He discusses how to think about closing the "communication distance" and not just "physical distance", the es...

In this episode of the podcast, Bart speaks with The Humphrey Group's Director of Learning Experience Design about the often-overlooked importance of making your communication accessible. Justyna explains why it's never been more important – and easier – to think about how to reach all audiences. She explains what accessible communication is, why it's overlooked, tools and technology you can use (...

Despite the promise of a digital future, staff and leaders are increasingly seeking human connection. In this conversation author David Sax discusses why analog has proven so durable in a world filled with the promises of a digital transformation. He explains why being in person is something that calls to us, what leaders should do to maximize connection in a hybrid world, and lessons for those st...

The Inspire Podcast is back! Season 5 kicks off with a special episode in support of the 2023 International Women’s Day, whose theme is to #embraceequity. Bart welcomes three members of The Humphrey Group — Marissa Dyck, Angie Park and Claudia Villaran — for a wide-ranging panel discussion. The group tackles why equity is still far off, and what organizations and individuals can do to close the ga...

If you've ever said, "I don't feel like I have the same joy in my job as I used to..." or, "I always thought I'd love it when I made it to this role, and now I'm not as happy as I thought I'd be" or, "the demands on me in this position are too much." then you need to listen to my conversation with Christine and Rick. Crisis or major life changes can shatter the inner stories that give our life mea...

In this episode, Bart speaks with serial entrepreneur and business coach Todd Randall about why delegation usually fails and how to be better at this critical skill. Todd begins by sharing why he struggled to delegate in his career and the mistaken assumptions (only you can do it! You'll be fired if others do the work!) that hold us back from delegating effectively. Then he outlines the system he...

In this episode, Bart speaks with Craig Taylor, CEO of Iapetus Holdings, about what it takes to attract and retain employees in this incredibly tight labour market. In sharing his personal leadership journey, Craig talks about how today it's harder than ever to compete for talent and then keep people engaged. His solution: Culture. Define it. Commit to it. Communicate it. Engage the whole organiza...

In this conversation with Dean Becker of Adaptiv Learning, Bart learns why the unprecedented uncertainty of the past few years has drained and tested leaders like never before, and what they can do to build resilience for the years to come. Dean talks about how uncertainty and stress heightens your signature emotions, drains your energy, and leads to cognitive distortions that impact decision-maki...

In this episode, Bart speaks with Marie-Claire Ross, author of Trusted to Thrive, about how leaders can drive high performance in their teams through a balance of high safety and high accountability cultures. She outlines why humans are wired to seek psychologically safe environments, and why it's so hard to build. Then she explains why safety without accountability leads to atrophy, why accountab...

If you aren't familiar with the power and impact of Dress for Success you need to listen to this episode, where Bart meets with Amy Robichaud, Executive Director and Natasha Irvine, Communications Director, both of Dress for Success Vancouver. Over the course of the pod Bart learns about the impact and mission of Dress for Success Vancouver, and how it goes so far beyond providing women with suits...

The last few years have been draining for leaders as pressures have increased from employees under strain, organizations asking more, and the relentlessness of virtual meetings. Many leaders are burning out and finding their level of energy slipping. In this episode, Bart speaks with Dr. Shubhayan Sanatani, Pediatric Cardiologist and Electrophysiologist of BC Children’s Hospital about his research...

In today’s world, change is happening faster and more frequently than ever before. Leaders are under pressure to explain change and create buy in… while employees and stakeholders are becoming more vocal about their own needs. Yet there are ways to have better conversations about change that create common ground and understanding between all key parties. Jen Campbell, author of Talking Change: Mus...

In this episode Bart is joined by Stephen Poloz, the former head of the Bank of Canada, to discuss his new book and its implications for leaders. Stephen explains that the world is facing unprecedented change at a pace that will only increase, driven by five major trends that collide. He explains that those leaders who attempt to wait for a return to normalcy or to create plans that will guide the...