The Leadership and Learning Podcast

Exceptional leaders are always willing to coach, mentor and train future leaders.  

When you have a good employee, direct report or not, as leaders we must do everything possible to retain them as employees.  

Peer to peer communication should remain positive with feedback being constructive and helpful.

Leaders must be mindful of the signals they send. Their actions, behaviors and decisions are observed critically by everyone. Leaders whose values are not aligned with the organization's values will not go unnoticed.        

An opportunity to show genuine and sincere appreciation and to properly recognize accomplishments and contributions should never be wasted. Preparation and communication are fundamentals that leaders must master to earn trust and credibility.                                  

A culture that embraces accountability is a great culture for leaders to develop and nurture.

When making crucial decisions, it's important to receive input from various sources. Which is exactly what Gord's meeting is all about.  He receives and considers different perspectives as he is about to make an important decision on the next Vice President of Operations.

Have you ever been yelled at by someone on the telephone? Do you feel disrespected and shallow? Is that how we should treat people? Or is there a better way?

We don't know it all, but if we can learn to think we will make better decisions.  It is better to become a problem avoider than a problem solver.     

Ineffective communication can lead to many problems. There are many different techniques and strategies to communicate effectively. Exceptional leaders arm themselves with as many different communication strategies to ensure effective communication.

Internal competition between managers can be healthy. Depending on personalities and how situations are handled, it can also be unhealthy.

Leaders must demonstrate they care about their employees. There are many ways to do this, Jack share why and how he shows that he genuinely cares about others.

A leader always has a choice of telling people what to do or to coach them through a situation. Kyle Anderson has a problem and Jack coach's him through a practical solution.  Even though Kyle doesn't report to Jack. Could this lead to a bigger or different problem for Jack?

Work-life balance is a challenge for most leaders. Jack learns how to keep balanced.     

A routine drive to work can turn into an adventure and require you to demonstrate leadership.

Windshield time is a great opportunity to think, reflect and make plans. There is plenty on Jack's mind as he waits for the decision of who will get the promotion to Vice President of Operations. 

In this season I'm bringing you the entire audio version of a book I wrote a few years ago ... it's called Sparks .  Sparks is a business fable that unveils a leadership platform containing six core leadership competencies and over 90 leadership action items. To reveal the competencies and the leadership lessons that accompany them, we spend a day in the life of Jack Sparks who is competing for a...

In this episode, host Randy Goruk and guest John Kostaras, VP Material Sales for Katerra, recap their favorite moments of Season 1 of The Leadership and Learning Podcast. Hear the highlights from the brilliance of leaders like: Tom Corrick, CEO Boise Cascade John K Smith, CEO Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Insurance Company Jim Sobeck, CEO New South Construction Supply Brad Southern, CEO Louisiana...

In this episode of The Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk visits with long-time friend and professional engineer, Gary Schweizer – Director of Engineering at Weyerhaeuser. The conversation focus is on providing leadership as one navigates through the complexity of addressing various degrees of field problems.    Listen to this episode and learn: The importance of continuing educatio...

In this episode of The Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk provides some thought provoking questions around competitive advantage. As you plan your business for next year, Randy shares three quotes from Jack Welsh, former CEO of General Electric and his thoughts on competitive advantage. His hope is you will be inspired to think differently about how you compete and to achieve a true...

In this episode of The Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk has a conversation with Brad Southern, CEO LP Building Solutions. They discuss career advice for leaders, developing and implementing strategy, the importance of innovation and managing change. You'll also learn: What it takes to prepare to become the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar company. The importance of broadening your ex...

In this episode of The Leadership and Learning Podcast, Jim, a former colleague of host Randy Goruk, shares leadership lessons he's learned from leaders he's worked with over the past 40 - years and he candidly shares his leadership experiences and advice for leadership success. Listen to this podcast and you'll learn his views on: The importance of family. What matters the most in business. One s...

Listen as host Randy Goruk shares a communication strategy utilized by many great leaders - asking great questions. He shares tips on structuring great questions that have impact in any situation and he provides numerous examples to demonstrate his point.  Additionally, he delivers a platform of questions to help you and your team get even better results in the second half of the year (or anytime)...

On the Leadership and Learning Podcast we have benefitted from the experience and wisdom of many high-level experienced leaders. In this episode, host Randy Goruk has a conversation with Michael Schumacher, an emerging leader in the construction industry. Listen to his take on key leadership and development issues. You will learn: The importance of, and how to build your personal network. The bene...

In this episode of the Leadership and Learning Podcast, host Randy Goruk has a conversation with security expert Robert Siciliano about how to safeguard your identity, data and money from cyber crooks. You will learn: Why you should do 'phishing simulation training.' What 'social engineered scams' are and how to avoid them. What 'cyber social identity protection' is and why it's important. How to...