Archives

Featured Guest: George Limbert

The pace of change in the world is rapidly increasing, and there’s no slowing it down. VUCA – a program developed by the U.S. military – is a way of identifying the disruptions of change…and, more importantly, of being ready for them.

We’ve talked about the theory of VUCA before (see our interview with Chris Nolan posted September 6, 2022). In this episode, George Limbert talks about VUCA and its antidotes practiced in the real world. George is the head of Red Roof Inns. The COVID pandemic presented a sudden onslaught of Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity for the entire travel and hospitality industry worldwide. Yet Red Roof emerged from the pandemic with some of their best financials ever.

How? George and his team were VUCA-ready. He shares his experience and business-tested VUCA antidotes in this episode so you can prepare for the uncertainties to come, too!

Featured Guest: Dr. Ciela Hartanov

When you face uncertainty, how do you react?

We’re biologically wired to meet uncertainty with concern, even panic or anxiety: it triggers our fight-or-flight response. But behind that veil of the unknown lies tremendous opportunity, and we can rewire our brains to look forward to it…to welcome uncertainty as fun and exciting. As Dr. Ciela Hartanov explains to host Maureen Metcalf, the key is to hack our own mindset to create a new mental framework. In the process, we may just find ourselves in more humane workplaces.

Sponsored By: The International Leadership Association

Featured Guest:

Diane Rosenfeld

People like to think humanity is at the top of cultural achievement, the pinnacle of evolution’s craftwork. But one glance at the daily headlines proves we have problems. Lots of problems. Across all nations, there’s one glaring problem that hits hard over half our population: sexism. From subtle misogyny to outright violent abuse, women continue to be left on the outside of patriarchies…of a man’s world.

That’s not the case with bonobos. They’re our close evolutionary relatives: apes with whom we share 98.7% of our DNA. And their society is very equal. They share parenting duties and food amongst the entire group. And the females defend each other when needed, banding together like sisters regardless of status, age, or friendship. It’s the Bonobo Sisterhood, and guest Diane Rosenfeld tells us there’s a lot our political and corporate leaders can learn from these primates who show just how primitive people can be in comparison!

Featured Guests: Ren Washington & Laura Gibson

Though we rarely think of it, there are strong connections between art and leadership. Art sets the environment and tone of the workplace; in your business or home office, it sets the tone of any conversation — and sends a strong message of who you are, as a person and as a leader. The type of art around your team also shapes the kind of creativity and problem-solving they’ll generate. The Center for Creative Leadership has used and studied art as a critical component of leadership development for decades; Ren Washington and Laura Gibson of the Center join us to explore the many ways art and leadership interconnect.

Sponsored By: The International Leadership Association

Featured Guest:

Valerie Biden Owens

It’s said that leaders are made, not born. That’s certainly true of the Biden family. Although Joe Biden is in the spotlight as the 46^th President of the United States, his three siblings are all leaders in their own right, too. And Joe’s sister Valerie Biden Owens says that forging of strong leadership began in childhood with deep family values.

Valerie joins host Maureen Metcalf to discuss her book, Growing Up Biden. She shares the challenges she faced breaking gender barriers, the importance (and elusiveness) of confidence, and growing women as leaders. She’ll also dive into the ingrained lessons and expectations that have been the guiding principles of the Biden’s close-knit, Irish American, Catholic family. These stories and insights speak deeply to the impact of family and generational leadership on political and personal ethos.

It’s a revealing conversation unfolding the many ways our parents’ guidance shapes us as leaders of our own families, organizations…and nations.

Read More:

Companion Blog: “Growing up Biden”

Valerie’s book: Growing Up Biden

Guest: Terri O’Fallon

Season: 8   Episode: 52

Few leaders set out to harm others – but it can happen despite our best intentions. The key is to look outward from our decisions to all the ripple effects they generate.

And the best way to look outward is to look inward!

It’s hardly a secret that our emotions affect our cognition. Our guest, Terri O’Fallon, founder of Stages International, reveals in this episode that identifying and naming our emotions helps us become better leaders, and increases our sense of well-being. With host Maureen Metcalf, Terri delves into the concept of ‘developmental ethics’ to challenge leaders to embrace their emotions, actively seek out potential harm, and practice adaptability for the greater good with generous spirit.

Here’s what Terri and Maureen cover:

1. How do emotions influence leadership and how can leaders ensure they are doing no harm?
2. What are the benefits of recognizing and labeling emotions, both positive and negative?
3. How can leaders cultivate generosity of heart when faced with competitive situations?

—————–

Other episodes you’ll enjoy:

– The Power of Praise: Making People’s Performance Positive

– Democracy: Are We a Brittle Twig or Supple Bamboo?

– Informed Leadership: The Power of Trauma

Guest: Christopher Washington

Season: 8   Episode: 53

Turning the tables, Christopher Washington — the provost and Executive Vice President at Franklin University – interviews our host, Maureen Metcalf, on the top five trends leaders will contend with in 2023.  The key it to lead with a scientist’s mindset, experimenting and creating opportunities to help your organization navigate the destabilizing effects of the trends, and to take advantage of the opportunities they create.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. How will issues of sustainability and energy security impact businesses?
2. What are the implications of inflation and food insecurity on your workforce, and your ability to retain employees?
3.  Is your internal training creating outdated leaders?

Other episodes you’ll enjoy:

• Do No Harm: Ethics for Leaders with Terri O’Fallon
• Facing Uncertainty: It’s VUCA with Christopher Nolan
• Expecting the Unexpected: VUCA in Action at Red Roof with George Limbert

Guest: Tammy Alvarez

Season: 9   Episode: 1

You shudder when Monday rolls around. You dread checking overnight work messages on your phone when you wake up. Yup: it’s easy to find yourself in a career you don’t love, and not know how to get out.

Take heart! Tammy Alvarez has been there. She found her way out…and now coaches people to help them forge the path to careers they actually love. She shares some of her tips with host Maureen Metcalf in this episode. One key mindset: think of your career as a business, and you are its CEO. If you’re still searching for the job that brings you joy, these tips from Tammy and her Career Winners Circle — a comprehensive collection of coaching and training programs designed to strengthen leaders to grow their careers quickly and sustainably – will help!

Here’s what Tammy and Maureen cover:

1. How to determine what parts of working can still make you passionate about a job,
2. Why it’s never too late to switch jobs or careers – even as you near retirement, and
3. Saying goodbye to quiet quitting as the leader of your team!

Other episodes you’ll enjoy:

– Career Sponsorship and Being Sponsor Ready – with Ricky Robinson & Keith Powell

– Finding Meaning, Joy, & Purpose in What You Do – with Paul Gibbons

– The Career Toolkit: Essential Skills for Success No One Taught You – with Mark Herschberg

Guest: Chris Nolan

Season: 9   Episode: 2

Does your world feel chaotic, unpredictable – lunging beyond your understanding or control? You’re not alone: in fact, the US military felt the same, and created the concept of VUCA to maintain a defensive edge. The good news: you can readily apply VUCA to your organization to maintain YOUR defensive edge!

In this episode, Emmy award-winning filmmaker Chris Nolan reveals the power of storytelling to help leaders navigate the rapidly accelerating VUCA Max world. It’s an inspiring how-to in creating a compelling vision to shape and rebrand your future…and drive success in your organization.

Here’s what Chris and host Maureen Metcalf cover:

• How to use future-back thinking to prepare for and accommodate rapid change;
• How storytelling can change the future; and
• The importance of vision in guiding and motivating your team.

For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/innovativeleadershipinsitute/ . We’re on Mastodon, Facebook, and Twitter, too!

RELATED PODCASTS to Continue Your VUCA Binge:

• Facing Uncertainty: It’s VUCA – with Chris Nolan (this is a great primer on the VUCA concept)
• Expecting the Unexpected: VUCA in Action at Red Roof – with George Limbert
• Improve Virtual Team Success by Leveraging Paradox – with Jean Brittain Leslie

Guests: Neil Grunberg & Ira Chaleff

Season: 9   Episode: 3

“He who cannot be a good follower, cannot be a good leader.”

Aristotle shared that wisdom over 2,000 years ago, but today we chafe at being labeled a follower. Yet, as Ira Chaleff and Neil Grunberg point out, if no one is following, then no one can be leading, either!

Followership is critical in any organization. Think of followership and leadership as a yin and yang: each of us needs to be good at both of them, and each of us needs to know when to play which role.  It all depends on the context. Most critically, be a courageous follower: one with the values and integrity to let your leader know when things are amiss. Enron is a classic warning about what happens when an organization doesn’t have courageous followers!

Here’s what Ira, Neil, and Maureen cover:

• The importance of standing up to and for your leader (even at the same time);
• How strict hierarchies distort the flow between follower and leader, slowing down the organization; and
• Why a lack of courageous followership leads to catastrophes at work (such as Enron) and in our personal lives (such as Uvalde and other mass tragedies).

Other episodes for further learning:

• The New Rules of Work – with Gary Bolles
• Employees – Empowered! – with Rod Lacey
• Do No Harm: Ethics for Leaders – with Terri O’Fallon