The Modern Manager

Hiring a friend can feel both generous and like a leadership landmine waiting to explode. Good intentions aren’t enough when power dynamics shift, boundaries blur, and personal relationships collide with professional expectations. The risk isn’t just losing a friendship; it’s undermining trust, fairness, and team culture if the situation isn’t handled thoughtfully. Fortunately, this week’s guest h...

Salary conversations are inherently complex and challenging, filled with hidden traps. They are high-stakes, deeply personal, and blend factors like budgets, fairness, expectations, and emotions. Since these discussions are infrequent, many managers lack the necessary practice, which adds to the difficulty. Fortunately, this week’s guest breaks down exactly how to navigate compensation conversatio...

When disruption hits your team, confidence often drops, communication gets messy, and progress slows. But disruption isn’t the problem; how we respond to it is. Fortunately, this week’s guest offers a clear, practical framework for leading with steadiness even when everything around you is shifting. And just as importantly, he explains how we can become positive disruptors in order to facilitate a...

Ever feel like you should know more, be more confident, or have everything figured out by now? You’re not alone, and more importantly, you don’t need to be a “know-it-all” to be an exceptional leader. In fact, the strongest leaders today share one trait: They are learn-it-alls, people who grow through challenges instead of shrinking from them. Fortunately, this week’s guest brings a powerful, acti...

In a world that constantly demands breakthrough solutions, do you ever feel like innovation is reserved for a select few, or that you’re simply not "creative enough"?  This week’s guests are here to set the record straight: that we are all capable of creative thinking if we just give ourselves permission and a little guidance.  Tessa Forshaw and Rich Braden are the co-authors of Innovation-ish: Ho...

When the world around you feels chaotic, leading a team can feel overwhelming, especially when your inner world is just as loud. Most managers try to push through, rely on willpower, or double down on doing more.  But in reality, external chaos only becomes manageable when we learn to work with the internal chaos driving our emotions, reactions, and habits. Fortunately, this week’s guest helps us...

Managers play a crucial role in shaping how employees experience work. But when ADHD enters the mix, good intentions can backfire if not handled thoughtfully. With the right mindset and tools, you can create a space where everyone performs at their best. Fortunately, this week’s guest brings both personal and professional expertise to this conversation. Rita Ramakrishnan is an executive leadership...

Have you ever had a great idea but struggled to get others on board? You don’t need a title to have influence; you need a strategy. Fortunately, this week’s guest knows exactly how to build credibility and momentum without formal power. Tami Reiss is an expert on influence-driven leadership. She’s a keynote speaker, corporate trainer, and CEO of Leader Within, where she helps leaders master influe...

Are you showing up as your full, authentic self or just the version you think others expect? Authenticity isn’t a matter of oversharing or saying whatever’s on your mind. It’s about honesty balanced with humility and vulnerability, the kind that builds genuine trust and stronger teams. Thankfully, today’s guest brings both experience and expertise to this conversation.  Mike Robbins is the author...

At some point in your career, you’ve probably worked with someone who is on the autism spectrum, but you might not have known. There are many misconceptions about autism, which damage how we understand and therefore support these colleagues. Viewing autism through a new lens can help every manager unlock hidden potential and design environments where everyone thrives. Today’s guest brings both per...

Most people don’t set out to be “bad bosses.” But good intentions aren’t enough when your habits unintentionally create frustration, fear, or disengagement. Thankfully, today’s guest helps us see what’s really happening beneath the surface.  Mita Mallick is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today Best-Selling author. She’s on a mission to fix what's broken in our workplaces. She’s a corporate change-m...

Layoffs are some of the hardest moments a manager can face. How you handle them can shape not just the experience of the employees leaving but also the morale and trust of the team that remains. Today’s guest brings expert guidance on navigating these challenges with empathy, clarity, and professionalism. Leanne Elliot is a Chartered Occupational Psychologist, Consultant, and Coach with a proven t...

Why do so many projects spiral into stress, shifting priorities, and endless risks while others seem to flow smoothly toward success? What if the difference isn’t just about tools or methods, but about how you lead? Thankfully, today’s guest brings a fresh, human-centered approach to project management.  James Louttit is the author of Leading Impactful Teams: Achieving Low Stress Success in Projec...

What if your greatest strengths aren’t the ones listed on your résumé, but universal traits we all share?  Positive psychology shows us that tapping into these character strengths can transform how we work, lead, and connect with others.  These aren’t just feel-good ideas; they’re proven tools for resilience, performance, and deeper human connection. Fortunately, this week’s guest brings exactly t...

Why do so many managers struggle to let go of tasks, even when they know that holding onto everything stifles their ability to scale?  The secret is to document things so clearly that others can succeed without you. Fortunately, today’s guest is an expert at helping leaders let go.  Chris Ronzio is the Founder and CEO of Trainual, a platform reshaping how businesses onboard, train, and scale their...

Groups are the foundation of everything we accomplish in work and life.  Yet, as every manager knows, collaborating with others can be both the greatest strength and one of the hardest challenges.  What makes some teams thrive while others struggle with friction and disengagement? Fortunately, this week’s guest, Dr. Colin Fisher, has dedicated his career to uncovering the hidden processes that mak...

What if your greatest strength as a leader isn’t your expertise but your ability to lead people who are completely different from you? In today’s diverse workplaces, managers can’t rely on a one-size-fits-all approach. Understanding how to adapt your leadership to different personalities, backgrounds, and working styles is key to building high-performing teams because, let’s be honest, everyone is...

Most workplaces are designed with extroverts in mind, with open offices, constant collaboration, and fast-paced discussions. But this often leaves introverts struggling to fully contribute, even though their insights can be some of the most valuable. Thankfully, today’s guest, Salvatore Manzi , brings clarity and solutions.  Salvatore is a leadership communications coach and the author of Clear an...

What if the most important management skill you need today isn’t a tool or strategy? But the ability to read and respond to the people around you?  In a world shaped by AI and constant disruption, emotional intelligence has become the competitive edge for leaders and managers. Thankfully, today’s guest brings practical and research-backed ways to build that edge.  Jamelle Lindo is an executive coa...

What if understanding how your brain actually works was the key to unlocking higher performance, better decisions, and more resilient leadership?  Many leaders focus on strategies and skills without realizing that lasting change starts by rewiring how we think. Fortunately, this week’s guest brings decades of experience helping leaders do just that.  Larry Olsen is an expert in performance-driven...

Do you wait for the perfect moment to speak up, only to have the conversation move on without you? What if the secret to becoming a confident, impactful communicator wasn’t planning every word, but learning to improvise? This week’s guest reveals how improvisation isn’t just for the stage, but a powerful, everyday skill that can transform how you connect, influence, and lead. Today’s guest is Jeff...

What if the biggest threat to your team’s creativity and performance isn’t the workload but outdated ideas of what “professionalism” should look like? It’s easy to fall into the trap of performative professionalism: obsessing over sounding smart, dressing the part, and following invisible rules about how “real professionals” should behave. But all that effort often masks the very things that fuel...

Self-distraction is one of the biggest productivity challenges we face today.  It’s easy to get lost in the constant flow of thoughts. A simple “I need to remind Kevin to send me that document,” takes us away from our current activity, preventing us from completing the tasks that matter most. No wonder we feel overwhelmed and constantly rushing. But here’s the good news: Today’s guest is on a miss...

Do you walk out of meetings feeling more exhausted than empowered? Are toxic behaviors affecting your team?  Navigating a workplace with individuals who show signs of narcissism, Machiavellianism, or psychopathy can be incredibly challenging. But understanding the root of these toxic behaviors is key to managing them effectively, and today’s guest is here to help us do just that. Meet Dr. Sheela R...

Are you struggling to form new habits that actually stick? If you’ve ever found yourself failing to break old habits, it’s likely because you’re using the wrong habit formation strategies.  Thankfully, today’s guest is going to unlock the key to transformational behavior change so you and your team can successfully adopt new ways of working. Today’s guest is Jason Hreha. Jason is a behavioral scie...