What’s Possible w. Ilene Schaffer

In this episode of What’s Possible: In the Moment , Ilene Schaffer continues her conversation with Kami Sip about the hidden costs of indecision, and what leaders can do when a decision cannot be made right away. Kami explains that indecision is still a decision, and when leaders delay without clarity, they often distribute ambiguity, risk, and stress to the people around them. Building on part on...

In this episode of What’s Possible, Ilene Schaffer sits down with Michael Park, Senior Vice President of Global Partnerships and Channels at ServiceNow, for a conversation about leadership, AI, and how to navigate a world of work that is changing faster than ever. Michael has spent the last five years with AI at the center of his work, including serving as ServiceNow’s CMO and leading the company’...

In this episode of What’s Possible: In the Moment , Ilene Schaffer sits down with Kamila Sip to explore why indecision is not a neutral act, especially for leaders. Kami explains how stalled decisions at the top can create cognitive, emotional, and performance costs across an entire team. When leaders delay, teams are often left to operate in ambiguity, make fragmented assumptions, and carry the s...

What are the communication mistakes that quietly hold leaders back? In this episode of What’s Possible , Ilene Schaffer sits down with executive communication coach, TEDx speaker, and author Dr. Laura Sicola to unpack five common communication blunders that can quietly stall a career, and what leaders can do instead. Drawing on more than two decades of experience coaching Fortune 500 executives, n...

In this episode of What’s Possible: In the Moment , Ilene Schaffer continues her conversation with Jeff Jacobs, exploring what his work in prisons revealed about diversity, belonging, and leadership. Jeff reflects on a striking moment of racial separation among inmates and the unexpected insight that followed: people often gravitate toward what feels familiar, not always out of hostility, but out...

In this episode of What’s Possible , Ilene Schaffer sits down with renowned researcher, entrepreneur, and bestselling author Marcus Buckingham for a bold and deeply human conversation about leadership, work, and why love may be the most overlooked driver of performance in business today. Drawing from his research, his years at Gallup, and his own experience building and selling a company, Marcus m...

In this episode of What’s Possible: In the Moment , Ilene Schaffer sits down with Jeff Jacobs to explore the powerful leadership lessons he learned while working in maximum-security prisons. Jeff talks about how his time with incarcerated individuals challenged his assumptions, deepened his empathy, and taught him the importance of psychological safety, trust, and genuine human connection. He lear...

What does it really take to navigate organizational change, especially when you’re leading from the middle? In this episode of What’s Possible , Ilene Schaffer sits down with executive coach and professor Adriano Pianesi, who has worked with more than 2,500 leaders across sectors.  Adriano shares why change so often feels exhausting, political, and stuck, and why middle managers are far more essen...

In this episode of What’s Possible: In the Moment , Ilene Schaffer is joined by Eric Wong of Adobe for a conversation about what leadership requires when the ground is shifting fast. They talk about how leaders can guide high-performance teams through uncertainty, rapid change, and pressure without defaulting to rigidity or control. Eric shares why adaptability, storytelling, transparency, and co-...

In this episode of What’s Possible, Ilene Schaffer sits down with Keith Ferrazzi for a deeply personal and forward-looking conversation about leadership, teamship, relationships, and the future of work in the age of AI. Keith shares candidly about his family’s experience navigating his son’s recovery, the self-care and curiosity practices that keep him grounded, and why he believes the future belo...

What patterns are shaping the way you lead, without you even realizing it? In this In the Moment episode of What’s Possible, host Ilene Schaffer sits down with Jen Ostrich to explore the hidden patterns that shape how we lead, react, and relate to others. You'll learn how many of our behaviors were formed early in life as protective strategies and why those same patterns can become limiting a...

In this episode of What’s Possible, Ilene Schaffer sits down with leadership expert Matt Gjertsen, founder of Better Every Day Studios and author of the upcoming book Minimum Viable Manager, to explore what new managers actually need in order to lead well. Drawing from his experience in the Air Force, at SpaceX, and now in leadership development, Matt offers a simple but powerful framework for fir...

In this episode of What’s Possible: In the Moment , Ilene Schaffer is joined by Stella Grizont for the final conversation in our mini-series, Inside the Coach Toolbox . Throughout this series, Ilene has been asking SVChange coaches to share the real practices they turn to when life feels stressful, overwhelming, or ungrounded. Stella’s answer is both simple and profound: walks in the woods, paired...

In this episode of What’s Possible , Ilene Schaffer sits down with executive coach and author Rebecca Arora to explore somatic intelligence, or the intelligence of the body, and why it matters so much for leadership, communication, and connection. Rebecca works with senior leaders at companies like Google, Salesforce, and IDEO, helping them move beyond “head-only” leadership and use posture, pace,...

Can tapping actually help calm your nervous system? In this In the Moment episode of What’s Possible , Ilene Schaffer is joined by SVChange coach Lisa Zigarmi to share one of her favorite tools for reducing stress and finding calm: tapping, also known as Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). This conversation is part of our mini-series Inside the Coach Toolbox, where Ilene sits down with SVChange coa...

In this episode of What’s Possible , Ilene Schaffer sits down with leadership and executive coach Darren Barrett to explore what leaders can learn from the world of elite sport. Darren’s background in executive leadership and his current studies in sports psychology led him to a simple but powerful framework: train, perform, recover. In this conversation, Ilene and Darren explore how leaders can b...

In this episode of What’s Possible: In the Moment , Ilene Schaffer is joined by SVChange coach Shannon Polly to explore an unexpected but powerful path to calm: creativity. This conversation is part of our mini-series Inside the Coach Toolbox, where Ilene sits down with SVChange coaches to share the real-life practices they rely on when life feels stressful. For Shannon, those practices include kn...

AI is moving fast. In this episode of What’s Possible , Ilene Schaffer sits down with AI consultant Alex Lee for a thoughtful, practical conversation about how to thrive in the age of AI. Rather than focusing on tools, prompts, or technical skills, Alex makes the case that the future belongs to people who can bring something deeply human to AI: taste, discernment, emotional intelligence, and the a...

In this episode of What’s Possible: In the Moment , Ilene Schaffer is joined by SVChange coach Niels Gott to share a simple but powerful technique for calming your nervous system in moments of stress. This conversation is part of our mini-series Inside the Coach Toolbox , where Ilene sits down with SVChange coaches to explore the practices they personally rely on when life feels overwhelming. Niel...

What if productivity wasn’t about doing more, but about creating the right conditions for focus, flow, and meaningful work? In this episode of What’s Possible , Ilene Schaffer sits down with Steven Puri, CEO of The Sukha flow state app, to explore a radically different way of thinking about productivity, leadership, and modern work. Steven shares lessons from a career that spans engineering, Holly...

In this episode of What’s Possible: In the Moment , Ilene Schaffer sits down with SVChange coach Alex Jack to explore practical, evidence-informed tools for calming your nervous system in real time. This conversation is part of our new mini-series, Inside the Coach Toolbox , where Ilene interviews SVChange coaches about the practices they personally rely on when life feels overwhelming. Drawing fr...

What do you do when your nervous system spikes right before something important? In this episode of What’s Possible: In the Moment , Ilene Schaffer is joined by SVChange coach Stephen Burke to share the 10-minute grounding practice he uses before high-stakes moments. This conversation launches a new mini-series, Inside the Coach Toolbox , where Ilene sits down with SVChange coaches to explore the...

Meetings are one of the biggest drains on time, energy, and focus at work, but they don’t have to be. In this episode of What’s Possible, Ilene Schaffer sits down with organizational scholar Rebecca Hinds, author of “Your Best Meeting Ever,” to radically rethink how meetings are designed, facilitated, and experienced. Together, they explore why most meetings fail, how to purge unnecessary ones, an...

How do leaders get out of their own way to make space for growth? In this In the Moment episode of What’s Possible , Ilene Schaffer sits down with executive coach Harry Hofer to unpack how mindset, language, and perspective can either limit or expand a leader’s choices.  Harry introduces a coaching nudge on personal complicity, while Ilene offers accessible ways to help leaders reframe challenges,...

What does it really take to lead well, not just in theory, but in practice? In this episode of What’s Possible, Ilene Schaffer sits down with Michael Mulhern, Executive Chairman of Epsilon Global and author of “The CEO Playbook,” to unpack 40 years of real-world leadership lessons. Michael shares practical wisdom from leading four private-equity-backed companies across multiple industries, offerin...