Optimize Your Team

In this episode, host Rohan Paul interviews Scott Rauer, President of Akima's Facilities Solutions Group and a 22-year Army veteran. They discuss how Scott's leadership style evolved from leading military units to leading a large, globally dispersed corporate team. Scott describes his leadership style as collaborative, a facilitator with a low "freakout factor". He notes the transition back to civilian life wasn't natural, requiring intentional communication and trusting remote managers. Scott highlights key hiring traits: intelligence, transparency, and humility, advising veterans to humble themselves when transitioning.  Scott sees himself as a "soldier for life," applying his unique skill set to benefit the company's shareholders. 

How can leaders build unshakeable trust within their teams? What does it truly mean to thrive at work and in life? Join host Rohan Paul as he speaks with Dr. Paul Zak, a leading neuroscience researcher, professor, and author, about the crucial role of trust in organizations and his groundbreaking research on high-value moments. Discover practical insights on fostering psychological safety, the power of in-person connections, and how to cultivate an environment where employees can truly flourish. Plus, learn about Dr. Zakl's free 6S app, designed to help you build emotional resilience. Don't miss this insightful conversation packed with actionable takeaways for better leadership and a more fulfilling life!

Ready to build strong teams for a complex world? In this month's “Optimize Your Team” episode, host Rohan Paul speaks with Rod Smith, Air Force Academy leadership instructor, AK Rice Institute, and Adaptive Leadership Network board member.  Join Rohan's insightful conversation with Rod as they dive into foundational leadership concepts. You might be surprised where the conversation goes - exploring themes like creating protective spaces for teams, the importance of values, and even the role of love as 'the joining of the separated' in leadership...Get ready for a thought-provoking discussion that goes beyond the surface of traditional leadership advice. Discover practical takeaways you can apply today to navigate the increasing complexity of our world...Key Takeaways:Starting with the end in mind and focusing on the impactCreating a values-based space for team engagementUnderstanding and addressing separations within teams and between individualsDiscovering the unexpected power of hope, trust, integrity, and forgiveness in building stronger teams

In this month's episode of the "Optimize Your Team" podcast, host Rohan Paul speaks with Teamalytics colleague Shalee Lehning. Shalee draws on her experiences as an elite college and professional athlete, including as a WNBA player and team captain, an NCAA Division I women's basketball coach, and a collegiate athletic academic advisor.The podcast provides insight into how lessons from high-stakes sports can be applied to the business world to create high-performing teams. Shalee shares practical advice for leaders, including the importance of clear roles, open communication, and the need to prioritize people while still achieving business objectives. She also highlights the importance of building strong relationships and the ability to adapt to changing team dynamics. 

On this episode of the Optimize Your Team podcast, host Rohan Paul sits down with five-time #1 bestselling author and global keynote speaker Erik Qualman to discuss his latest book, The Focus Project: “How to Focus in an Unfocused World.”  Erik, a professor of digital leadership at Northwestern University, draws from his extensive research to provide practical insights and actionable strategies for leaders to combat distractions, prioritize effectively, and achieve peak performance in today's hyper-connected world. Tune in as Erik shares his expert advice on fostering a culture of focus within teams and organizations, enabling everyone to accomplish more of the big things and less of the busy work. 

My guest today has spent over a decade as a coach and advisor to CEOs and C-level management teams after retiring as the president of a company in the environmental industry. I'm so excited to have my dear friend and colleague Chris Maheu on the show today. We talk about his own evolution as a leader and what he's learned on that journey. And we focus on a couple of the key themes that have resonated with his clients recently, building and accelerating trust, and how senior leaders need to shift their focus as they progress in their careers. I learned every time I'm with Chris, I'm so excited to have him here today. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

In today's conversation, Chris Hunt brings his deep expertise and first-hand insights into the ever-evolving talent industry. We explore the expanding scope of executive search firms, private equity's growing role in the human capital space, how AI is reshaping hiring, and practical tips for corporate HR teams on maximizing their partnerships with search firms. If you're responsible for leading or building teams, you'll gain valuable insights from Chris' vast experience and industry knowledge.

My guest today is Dr. Kerry Sulkowicz, the founder and managing principal of the Boswell Group, a management consultancy based in New York since 1998. Trained as a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, Kerry advises on a whole range of issues, including leadership challenges, CEO succession, management team and board dynamics, and culture change. Kerry has coached numerous CEOs and executive teams, from startups to Fortune 500 companies all over the world. Today, we get to spend some time focusing on the role of the CEO, starting with some of the most common missteps or mistakes he sees incoming CEOs making and his insights on what the best CEOs he's worked with do well. Whether you're a CEO, aspire to be the CEO, or lead a team. I know you learn a lot from Kerry. I learn from him all the time. I am so excited to get to share this conversation with all of you today.

My guest today is Tricia Breeger, CEO of Mitsubishi Electric Power Products, also known as MEPPI. Tricia is the first female CEO to be appointed throughout the Mitsubishi Electric Group. Prior to taking on the role as CEO in April 2023, Tricia served as president since 2022 and has had a long career at the company, having joined back in 2000. MEPPI is “Engineering the infrastructure of the future” in energy, data, and transportation. A future that empowers their customers to achieve their decarbonization goals through MEPPI's innovative solutions. A future that prioritizes advanced technology, electrification, and environmental responsibility with a purpose-driven workforce where employees can make a meaningful impact on the industries they serve, their customers, and the communities in which they operate. We discuss how Tricia's perspective on leadership has shifted now in the CEO seat versus other leadership roles she's had. We explore lessons from her leadership journey to becoming CEO and what she's learned about leading and driving change across a large and complex organization.

Today, I got to sit down with Jim Calhoun, the CEO of Cummings Resources. Jim has been in the sign manufacturing business for over twenty years, working his way from the manufacturing floor when he graduated from vocational school as an electrician to leading one of the oldest and largest sign manufacturers in the US. Jim spent three years as the COO before being the CEO for the last seven years for Cummings, which has served many of the world's iconic brands since 1946. In our conversation today we talk a little bit about Jim's non-traditional journey to the CEO job and some of the changes that leaders have to make going from being a subject matter expert to becoming a leader of leaders. And ways that CEOs can build a strong, cohesive leadership team.

I'm so excited to have my mentor and dear friend, Flip Flippen, on the show today. Flip founded The Flippen Group over 35 years ago, and it's now grown into a premier leadership and organizational development company that specializes in talent assessment, alignment, and development. Teamalytics is a brand of The Flippen group that serves companies, pro-sports teams, and the federal government. The Flippen Group's team members work with organizations around the world in a variety of industries to cultivate and support specific skills, behaviors, and relationships that clear the way to greater success. Flip and his wife, Susan, were the first couple to ever jointly win the E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year award, and have founded and built several companies over the last 40 years. In our conversation today, we talk about the difference between an A-Team and a Good Team and how you, as a leader, can take your team's performance to the next level.

Today, I'm excited to share my conversation with Joey Havens, author of Leading with Significance, published in 2023. Joey draws insights for leaders from his 39-year experience of growing Horn, LLP. from a startup to one of the top 25 Professional Services firms in the US. Joey's insights on intentionally fostering a healthy work culture that empowers leaders is particularly relevant today as leaders find themselves facing an unprecedented level of complexity in the workplace. Leading diverse teams, whether in-person or this hybrid environment we're all still getting used to, the increasingly polarized socio-economic and political environment we find ourselves in, and the unpredictable market environment all combine to keep us on our toes at best, and if I'm being honest, remind me and us how unprepared we and other leaders in our organizations are to face all that's ahead. I hope you'll take away as much as I did from this conversation with Joey.

Today, I have Kerry Olin, who until recently was corporate vice president of Human Resources at Microsoft. Over his 40-year career, spent almost equally at P&G and then Microsoft, Kerry is focused on helping architect the HR operating model and significantly shape people policy decisions at two of the largest and most successful companies in the world. In our conversation today, I asked Kerry to reflect on his 40-year career and share what he feels like separates the most effective leaders he's worked with from the good leaders. And share some insights into how we can not only develop these traits or aspects in ourselves but also in the people that we lead.

I'm excited to have Chet Kuchinard on the show today. Chet has executive level HR experience at various sectors like retail, consumer products, private equity, working with brands like Nike, Starbucks and McDonald's. Chet currently serves on the board of Jerónimo Martins, a €29 billion international retail company based out of Portugal, serves as board advisor to Recaro Health, and is a board member at Atlas Core, a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. Today, we're talking about a transformation in change levers that leaders often overlook in large organizations based on chest experience, leading change initiatives, and lessons that you can apply today in your company.

I'm so excited to have my good friend Dr. Rebecca Newton. Bec is an organisational psychologist and a senior visiting fellow for the London School of Economics. Bec has advised leaders and teams in best in class companies like Accenture, Coca-Cola, Google, The United Nations, and many many others. Her book Authentic Gravitas: Who Stands Out and Why was published in 2019, and in our conversation today we talk about what gravitas is, why it's even more important in this hybrid world we find ourselves living in, and practical things that you can do to help increase your own gravitas while still being authentic to who you are.

I'm really excited to have my friend and colleague, Kevin Mangum, on the show today. Kevin retired in 2017 after 35 years of service as a 3-star lieutenant general, where he served and commanded one of the most elite units in the world. He then joined Lockheed Martin as Vice President, where he served for four years before joining our consulting team here at Teamalytics. In our conversation today, we focus on Kevin's work in both the military and the business world to understand what the most elite teams do differently from good teams. And how you, as a leader, can take your team's performance to the next level.

In this next episode, I spend time with Lee Bason, one of the founders of our company who has worked closely with thousands of leaders over the last 33 years. As a coach and trusted advisor to senior leaders and CEOs all over the world, Lee shares some of the challenges that he's seen all leaders face and some of the strategies that he's used to help them work through these challenges. And as we head into 2023 I hope you'll draw some encouragement, inspiration, and a renewed commitment to your team from what Lee shares in this episode of Optimize Your Team.

I'm so excited to have a good friend of mine, Richard Tripp, on our podcast this month. Richard has extensive experience as a Chief Product Officer for several tech companies and currently serves numerous companies as an advisor and consultant. Richard has been tremendously helpful to us here at Teamalytics as a sounding board and resource over the years. And in our conversation today, we dive into the concept of Shared Purpose. What is it? Why it has the power to transform your team's ability to work together and deliver exceptional results, and probably most importantly, how to build it as a leader on your team. I hope you take away as much from this podcast as I did.

In today's episode I am excited to have one of my mentors and someone I am proud to get to work with as a teammate, retired Lieutenant General Robert VanAnterp, who most just call General Van. Van truly is a leader of leaders, serving his country for 39 years. Van served the military most recently as the 52nd Chief of Engineers and Commanding General of the US Army Corps of Engineers, where he led a large global organization of close to 40,000 people tasked with a complex mission from critical infrastructure construction and maintenance, our nation's ports and waterways, to power generation, and support of troops and allied nations around the world. Van serves on our leadership team here at Teamaytics and on the board of several organizations, including USAA. Today we talk about some of Van's key leadership lessons when it comes to driving alignment and focus in a large, complex organization and some of his insights on how to get people within your organization to collaborate and work together effectively. I also asked Van to share some of the leadership lessons he's learned in his lifelong pursuit of leadership. I hope you enjoy and learn from this conversation as much as I did.

We've all had to change and adapt the ways we work over the last couple of years in many ways, and in this episode, I sit down with Chick-fil-A operator Brian LaCroix to learn some of the ways he and his team have adapted to the new normal. We also spend some time talking about what he's noticing about the next generation of leaders: his restaurant hires young people at both the front line and supervisor level: Brian has more than 100 people under 18 working at his restaurant! So for those interested in investing in the next generation, whether a parent or business leader, we learn how Brian and his colleagues look to identify and develop young leaders.

In today's episode, we hear from Jay and Jason, who are co-founders of The Nashton Company: a holding company investing in recurring revenue services businesses. Nashton builds leading companies in niche markets over a very long period of time. In our conversation, we explore Jason and Jay's experience buying and growing their first company back in 2008 and what they learned from that experience that can help you think about your leadership journey. Incidentally, Jay and Jason have run their own businesses and the businesses they invest in remotely over the last 15 years, and we talk about some of the things they have done to make that work effectively. We also hear about their current business leading a search fund and how their firm is creating opportunities for a new form of entrepreneurship for the next generation of leaders… and what implications this has for us as we look at developing and empowering the next generation of leaders for the companies and teams we lead.

In today's episode, I spend time with another Teamalytics teammate, Deondra Pardue. Deondra shares a sneak peek into her upcoming book on impacting work culture based on her experience in turning around underperforming organizations. We also get her insights into what helped accelerate her career as a young minority woman and her advice to leaders who want to accelerate the potential of ALL their teammates, no matter who they are.

Dan Broekhuizen is the Global VP of Leadership Development, Succession Planning, and culture for the 140,000 employees at NTT Data. Dan's had a fascinating career from undercover narcotics investigator to holding various executive roles in the talent development space for tech companies. Dan shares the leadership lessons he learned as an undercover officer and a couple of the key things he's helping leaders do to navigate the current environment we all find ourselves in. I hope you'll take away as much as I did from this short but insightful conversation with Dan.

Bruce Robinson spent several years working for the government in the foreign services and intelligence community, serving law enforcement. Most recently, he was head of global security for a multinational oil and gas firm. In this episode, we talk about what he's learned living and working as a diplomat overseas and how we can apply these lessons to our own leadership roles.

Dr. Jessica Grossmeier is a worksite wellness thought leader with more than 25 years of experience advancing individual and population health. Her research has focused on identifying best practice approaches to workplace wellness initiatives that are associated with wellbeing and business outcomes. Today, we're talking about Jessica's book, “Reimagining Workplace Well-being”. For more information including free bonus material, check out the website: www.jessicagrossmeier.com/book Jessica shares practical insights on what we can do as leaders to help tend to the overall wellbeing of the people that we lead.

When Rob took over as CEO at IMA in 1998 the company had about $11m in revenue. Over the last 20 years, IMA has grown to place $8bn of insurance premium with $500m in revenue and just under 2,000 employees all over the US. I have enjoyed getting to know Rob and his team at IMA over the years and in this episode we talk about some of the lessons learned leading a fast growing firm that has been very acquisitive. We explore how his leadership style has changed as the company he's led has grown exponentially and learn a little about the unique challenges and opportunities that come from leading an employee owned company.

Donna is a turnaround CEO extraordinaire… she now works with Prophet Equity in Southlake, Texas and has taken on some of their most challenging turnarounds. Typically when you hear “turnaround CEO” you think of someone coming in to “slash and burn” or taking a cold-blooded approach to people while making difficult decisions… Ironically, Donna can best be described as kind, thoughtful, and possibly too nice… So, what's her secret? How is she so effective while maintaining such a wonderful reputation? What's her method for turning around underperforming organizations? That's our focus in this episode.

It's impossible to leave a conversation with Karen without feeling encouraged, inspired, and informed! In this episode, Karen tells us about the ONE CHANGE that made THE difference in her leadership style, what she's seeing in the next generation of leaders as a professor in the Executive MBA program, and how she helps teams through her consulting practice.

Steve immigrated to the US from Guyana, went to Westpoint, and recently retired as a one-star general. He now runs a financial services franchise in Kansas City. We talk about the leadership lessons that shaped him and his top tips for what leaders can do to lead more diverse teams… We also get insights on how to balance two key behaviors that most leaders we coach struggle with AND how that helped shape him as a young leader to go on to become a general.

With nearly four decades of experience, Debra is a former Partner at EY where she specialized in advising rapid-growth companies, and also served as Director of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Program. In this episode we dig into the lessons she learned working closely with some of the most successful and well-known entrepreneurs in the world.

Dr. Gibson is a helicopter pilot, a battle-tested Army Commander, a life-long student, and a teacher of leadership at the United States Military Academy at West Point and Harvard Business School. We ask Dr. Gibson what most leaders get wrong when it comes to developing leaders and implementing diversity, equity & inclusion (DEI) efforts in their organizations; and his recommendations on how to do it RIGHT!