Talent Magnet Institute Podcast

Take the FREE Self-Care Inventory Quiz https://www.talentmagnet.com/quiz Season 3, Episode 206 Unconventional Leadership is About Unlocking Human Potential (feat. Mike Sipple Jr. & Jordan Huizenga) In this episode of the Unconventional Leadership Podcast, we explore how vulnerability, self-care, and authentic conversations can transform organizations and inspire teams to reach their full potential. Mike Sipple Jr and Jordan Huizenga discuss the power of holistic leadership, the evolving workplace post-COVID, and how leading with intention creates lasting impact. Whether you're a seasoned executive or an emerging leader, this episode is packed with insights to help you unlock greatness within yourself and those you lead. ================================ Subscribe & Listen to more content here: ➡️ Web: https://www.talentmagnet.com/podcast ➡️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@talentmagnetinstitute/ ➡️ Apple Podcasts: https://www.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unconventional-leadership-podcast/id1378659047 ➡️ Spotify: https://www.open.spotify.com/show/4O6tNE9H2cuWba5Ovnum8C ================================ TIMECODES: 00:00 – Intro 02:22 – The origin of the podcast and its mission to inspire transformation through authentic conversations. 18:10 – Why vulnerability and personal growth are essential to leadership. 24:08 – The critical role of leaders in creating meaningful purpose and passion in work. 45:50 – Self-care is a cornerstone for showing up as your best self in leadership and life. 58:00 – How unconventional leadership inspires teams and achieves profound impact. ================================ Connect with the Mike Sipple, Jr! LinkTree: ➡ https://www.linktr.ee/mikesipplejr LinkedIn: ➡ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikesipplejr ================================ Connect with the Jordan Huizenga! LinkedIn: ➡ linkedin.com/in/jordanhuizenga ================================ Connect with the Talent Magnet Institute! YouTube: ➡ https://www.youtube.com/@talentmagnetinstitute LinkedIn: ➡ https://www.linkedin.com/company/talentmagnetinstitute ================================ Connect with the Centennial on LinkedIn: ➡ https://www.linkedin.com/company/centennial-inc ================================

Tune in to today's episode of the Unconventional Leadership Podcast as host, Mike Sipple Jr., visits with Deb Coviello, a trusted partner to C-Suite leaders with 30 years of experience in helping clients identify, assess and solve issues preventing their businesses from growth. Their discussion weaves between the biggest issues facing CEOs in today's culture to helping teams deal with conflict. If you are a leader in today's culture their conversation will cover a topic that is relevant to you.  Main Points from the Episode: Main struggles facing CEOs today Feedback is freeing not fearful Viewing conflict as an opportunity The impact of failing to develop people Quotes from the episode: The ultimate goal is peace of mind not only for them as business owners, or C-suite leaders, but for their customers as well, and focus a little bit less on the results. If you're not in a culture where people are freely giving you feedback, we as an individual need to know how to solicit feedback in a way that is positive and actionable. When giving feedback, the framework is what should one continue? What should start? And what should they change? A little bit of the framework is to find common ground to slow things down, seek to understand the gap from a place of curiosity, and agree what the gap is, and then each take action moving forward. Resources: Mike Sipple Jr. "People Fusion: Best Practices to Build and Retain a Strong Team" (with contributions from various other authors) Deb Coviello "The CEO's Compass: Your Guide to Get Back on Track" Click here for our Leadership Foundations course Mike Sipple Jr. | LinkedIn | Twitter Deb Coviello | LinkedIn | Twitter Access the transcription of this episode here. Join the conversation and share your ideas with us!  If you like our podcast, be sure to follow us on social media as well for more content on how to be the best unconventional leader.

How often do you stop to truly listen to the people around you? Everyone wants to be heard. Too often frustration and resentment build within a company because no one feels like they are being listened to. Join Mike Sipple Jr. and Heather Younger as they dive into a conversation about what true listening looks like and how it can impact the culture of your workplace.   Main Points From the Episode: Create a culture of listening. The end result of listening is that people are heard, valued, and understood. Listening is for everyone, leaders and employees alike. Quotes from the Episode: The activation part is the thing that happens after you seek, or after you lean in, or after you do the thing that was fully encapsulating and listening. You build trust via listening, but you have to have trust to get to the truth of your listening. Are people comfortable enough to openly tell us their whole truth? It's super important to set expectations right up front. You may not be able to act on any or all of the things, but you do have an intent to do the work. The act of listening is a tennis match where one person is kind of delivering back and forth, and you're always interacting. It's a two-way street. Resources: Mike Sipple Jr. "People Fusion: Best Practices to Build and Retain a Strong Team" (with contributions from various other authors) Heather Younger "The Art of Caring Leadership" Heather Younger "The Art of Active Listening" Heather Younger "The Seven Intuitive Laws of Employee Loyalty" Stephen Covey "The Speed of Trust" Stephen Covey "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" Click here for our Leadership Foundations course Mike Sipple Jr. | LinkedIn | Twitter Heather Younger | LinkedIn | Twitter Access the transcription of this episode here. Join the conversation and share your ideas with us!  Listening without action isn't effective. Take action after listening to this podcast and subscribe to the Unconventional Leadership Podcast.

Philosophy isn't just meant for old guys with white beards living in ivory towers. Philosophy has a place in today's world and in today's company culture. Paul LaLonde, VP of People and Culture of CETA of Cook County, joins Mike Sipple Jr. for a conversation about what philosophy is and how to integrate it into the workplace. Philosophy has you look at yourself and helps you determine how to live better. Who wouldn't benefit from implementing that practice in their life both personally and professionally? Tune in as they take a closer look at philosophy, conflict resolution, and more! Main Points From the Episode: The place philosophy has in the modern workplace The cyclical nature of life The importance of conflict as an opportunity Quotes from the Episode: True philosophy to me, and to a lot of the philosophers that I study, is meant for the real world. It's meant for the real individual. To be a philosopher means to look at yourself every day and try and live a better life, and live by values that you espouse to make the world a better place. You're not going to become a great leader overnight. It's something you need to work on daily. It's something you need to work on minute by minute, hour by hour, opportunity by opportunity. Communication is key. So all problems and I thoroughly believe this in personal life, but also business, I would say almost all, if not all, problems arise from miscommunication, poor communication, or lack thereof. We can't be afraid of failure because it's the greatest teacher that anybody is ever going to have. Resources: Mike Sipple Jr. "People Fusion: Best Practices to Build and Retain a Strong Team" (with contributions from various other authors) Matthew Desmond "Poverty by America" Click here for our Leadership Foundations course Mike Sipple Jr. | LinkedIn | Twitter Paul LaLonde | LinkedIn | Twitter Access the transcription of this episode here. Join the conversation and share your ideas with us!  If you like our podcast, be sure to follow us on social media as well for more content on how to be the best unconventional leader.

When do we stop growing? Sure we stop growing physically at some point, but maintaining a growth mindset is vital to our success both professionally and personally. You have to believe that you are able to learn new things, tackle new tasks, and take on new responsibilities. No one knows the importance of maintaining a growth mindset more than Danielle McCombs, our guest on this week's episode of The Unconventional Leadership Podcast. Tune in to learn more about growth mindset and how to apply it to all areas of your life! Main Points from the Episode: Growth happens best when you understand your learning style Growth leads to opportunities Growth mindset is for everyone Be curious and ask questions  Quotes from the Episode: The best way to define growth mindset is your belief in your ability to learn, not your ability in playing the saxophone, or your ability in algebra, but your ability to learn those things. There are also places where you can have a fixed mindset in some things and a growth mindset in others. It's not an either-or. We want to build up individuals who think intentionally about themselves and those around them, both professionally and personally. So much of what you do is helping give people the confidence and the voice to own who they are. Building that confidence and being willing to be bold in whatever your past says, this might be part of your past, but it doesn't define your future. Resources from the Episode: Mike Sipple Jr. "People Fusion: Best Practices to Build and Retain a Strong Team" (with contributions from various other authors) Click here for our Leadership Foundations course Mike Sipple Jr. | LinkedIn | Twitter Danielle McCombs | LinkedIn Access the transcription of this episode here. Join the conversation and share your ideas with us! Continue listening to The Unconventional Leadership Podcast to continue in your growth as a leader!

The culture of a company or business is vital to an employee's experience. But many organizations spend little or no time developing a healthy culture. Join Melanie Booher, president of Influence Network Media, and Mike Sipple Jr. as they talk through how to build a culture within a company, and how enhancing an employee's day-to-day can affect the bottom line. Culture is about all the little experiences people have within a business, so no element is too small to discuss! If you are a leader within an organization, this is a must-listen episode! Main Points from the Episode: Culture drives the bottom line of a company Culture is about hundreds of micro experiences within a company People stay with a company based on the level of care they are given Quotes from the Episode: They either are repelled by your culture or they're attracted by it. The way you show up for them is what they're going to remember most. They may come for your values and mission, but they're going to stay based on how you treat them and how you make them feel. Resources from the Episode: Mike Sipple Jr. "People Fusion: Best Practices to Build and Retain a Strong Team" (with contributions from various other authors) Melanie Booher "Conscious Culture" Catherine Ryan Hyde "Pay It Forward" Mike Sipple Jr. | LinkedIn | Twitter Melanie Booher | LinkedIn | Twitter Click here for a new retention course for leaders. Access the transcription of this episode here. Join the conversation and share your ideas with us! Subscribe to our podcast to stay current with important ideas surrounding unconventional leadership!

Being a great leader includes caring for your employee's home life. As much as we try to separate home and work life, they bleed together. One affects the other and vice versa. Join Cory Carlson on The Unconventional Leadership Podcast as we talk about the importance of caring for the entirety of your employees. Cory shares from his personal experience in corporate America, his own burnout, and from the coaching and speaking business he has built. Tune in to learn how you as a leader can invest in your employee's personal life as well as their professional one! Find Cory Carlson Online at: https://www.corymcarlson.com/ Quotes from the Episode: My encouragement is no matter where you're at, you don't have to stay there. All leaders get knocked down. Great leaders get back up quicker. We know that being intentional takes work. It also takes inspiration. My vision statement is to connect people to greater performance and even more significant purpose. We all know we have to hit those numbers, but what I also know is we need to hit those numbers and cross that finish line- look back and not see shrapnel, not see broken marriages, not see parents that don't know their kids. Instead, we want to go across that finish line together where as a company we hit our goals, we're still married, we're doing well physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. Imposter syndrome is real, and sometimes it's so helpful to have a coach to help encourage you, and hold you accountable to stay focused on what really matters and not shiny object syndrome. With technology, our whole days are blended together, and it can get messy. People leave jobs because they don't feel seen, known, and heard there. You may find someone bigger and better, but if you don't fix your purpose, your culture, and how you're treating the whole self of people, that next bigger, better person will leave. Join the conversation and share your ideas with us! Mike Sipple Jr. "People Fusion: Best Practices to Build and Retain a Strong Team" (with contributions from various other authors) Cory Carlson "Rise and Go" Cory Carlson "Win At Home First" Mike Sipple Jr. | LinkedIn | Twitter Cory Carlson | LinkedIn | Twitter

What kind of experiences are people having within your organization? The human experience extends and encompasses our careers and work life. Stacie Baird who has 20+ years in Human Resources joins the show to talk about how as leaders, we can positively impact the human experience when people choose to work within our organization. A huge part of that experience takes place through communication, both verbal and written. Join our conversation and learn how you can positively affect the human experience of anyone working within your organization. Find Stacie Baird online at: https://staciebaird.com/ Quotes from the Episode: Every time we send out an email, there's an opportunity to create an experience for someone. Every time we talk about launching a program, it's an opportunity to affect and change people's experiences inside and outside of the organization. The work is always inside out. We start inside and that's what reflects back out to the people that we work with every day. Everything in life, everything we do, influences others' experiences. Be mindful about written communication and do your best to understand how someone may accept and receive that information. I will say communication, and effective communication, certainly has a huge impact on people in their experience inside of the organization. We're constantly looking to evolve and see where people are. That's a really healthy practice. One of the big challenges in our business is that there is a lived experience, a human experience in our organization that is very heavy. We are working with people that are struggling with substance use disorder and opioid use disorder. The biggest thing we can do is reduce the stigma of getting help, and there is an incredible amount of stigma around seeking and accepting help for opioid use disorder. We are very focused on harm reduction. We don't expect perfection. We would love people to make progress. There are so many employees around us and team members around us that are dealing with emotional trauma in their life that their employers step away from. How do we look at the lens of trauma-informed care related to the human experience of people within work? When someone's failing, or not succeeding in a role, it's really challenging for them emotionally to continue to navigate. I think that unconventional leadership is by definition that everyone, every human has their own perspective, history, background, and experience. There is nothing better as a leader than showing up with who you really are, your strengths, and your vulnerable areas of opportunity to your team. Join the conversation and share your ideas with us! Mike Sipple Jr. "People Fusion: Best Practices to Build and Retain a Strong Team" (with contributions from various other authors) Mike Sipple Jr. | LinkedIn | Twitter Stacie Baird | LinkedIn

60% of Americans are emotionally disengaged from their work life. That means a majority of Americans aren't emotionally invested in what they spend a majority of their life doing! Join John McCarthy and myself for a conversation surrounding finding purpose in life and in work. A big part of finding purpose is knowing oneself. How can you know what you want, if you don't spend any time on introspection? Tune in and learn how you can find purpose not just in your work life, but life in general. Find John McCarthy online at: http://purposepartner.org Quotes from the Episode: We don't want to create great managers, people, and leaders that only think about work. I want people to think about the whole human and how we can help those around us succeed. The muscle memory to really contemplate oneself is something that we're not learning at an early age. We all want to see people go deeper into the introspection of taking information and gaining the knowledge they need about their unique self. Every unique person has unique views, we should have unique views on success, but we can only obtain it through wisdom. If I'm a manager, what's my responsibility for the team around me to help them find their purpose? If I'm a leader, I need to stop looking at the people that I lead as a cog in the wheel of my productivity and start realizing my job in leadership is to help them define their best life. To understand the difference between management and true leadership right now is absolutely critical for any organization that's looking to attract and retain top talent. 60% of the American workforce is emotionally detached from work. This was a unique metric that they brought out this year, and 19% were flat out miserable. Emotions are a gift from God and they're beautiful and we all show up with them each and every day. When we create an environment where we have greater emotional awareness, we are creating environments where people are not going to check them at the door. No strategy ever got accomplished without people. You matter because we're going here, and you are a part of getting there. A cog in our wheel of getting there so that we can increase profitability, but we can change the world with you uniquely and we honor who you are in it. People are so excited when they can be inspired by purpose -organizationally and individually. The collective nature of crafting these visions, these missions, these core values are essential. The question is, do your values on the wall align to the behaviors that people experience? One of the things that we have been sharing with individuals is, don't talk about the value. Talk about acknowledging when the values are lived. You don't get things accomplished when your people don't even understand the definition of what you're trying to accomplish. We need to have strong systems and boundaries in place. People crave boundaries, but they love those boundaries when they have a say in what they are. We're in an era where we're going to see organizations get back to the root of why we're actually in business, and that's caring for people all across the org chart. It's really about helping people understand what self-care looks like for themselves in order to create psychologically safe environments. Why would we tell them to rest while they're at home and not create environments where they can feel rested and balanced at work? We can't just create a culture of wellbeing based on what we feel we need. We need to help them discover what they need and meet them in that place. You have to prioritize and realize that there's amazing value in contemplating oneself. Ask a question or leave a comment at: https://forms.clickup.com/2253800/f/24rz8-20340/XTWGWO599F6S42X0JU Mike Sipple Jr. "People Fusion: Best Practices to Build and Retain a Strong Team" (with contributions from various other authors) Mike Sipple Jr. | LinkedIn | Twitter John McCarthy | LinkedIn

What's the exit strategy? Every member of your team, from the CEO down to the front desk manager needs to have a succession plan, and it can't begin once that individual puts in their notice. Becky Scheeler joins us again on the Unconventional Leadership Podcast to talk about how to prepare your line of succession within your business. Bottom line, it's never too early to begin the grooming process! Tune in to learn how and when to start replacing your most valuable assets as a company, your people. Find Becky Scheeler online at: https://centennialinc.com/ Quotes from the Episode: I think one of the most important things is that they fit in your organization, not only where you are today, but the right fit for the future. Inventory your values. Ask other people in the organization that you know and respect. Ask your advisors. It's really about succession planning. I suggest three years out. You want to have a long-term vision of 5 to 10 years, but as far as talent goes, what are we going to need to get us through the next three years? Have people do an inventory of their job description on a regular basis. You always want to have a contingency plan. We are seeing a trend, and they're usually larger, privately held companies, where they're asking: we really want our succession plan to be this person that you're bringing on now to probably stay for 15 or 20 years. When we add someone to our team, if we help this person unlock their fullest potential and create a culture inside the organization that this person really integrates with well and brings a lot of additional value and experience to, what are the possibilities? It takes intention to reach those possibilities. We know that when a candidate walks in, they don't just interview with the hiring manager. They're looking at their whole experience. Find, as a team, those key things that you're looking for. Candidates want to know the big tough questions that we're working through as an organization. Why we are where we are, and what we're processing as a group. Before we ever recruit, we have to make sure that we're all aligned to build that attraction for the candidate pool. The best assessment is an assessment that's already been given to your leadership team. It's something that you've already validated within your organization. Ask a question or leave a comment at: https://forms.clickup.com/2253800/f/24rz8-20340/XTWGWO599F6S42X0JU Mike Sipple Jr. "People Fusion: Best Practices to Build and Retain a Strong Team" (with contributions from various other authors) Mike Sipple Jr. | LinkedIn | Twitter Becky Scheeler | LinkedIn | Twitter

Did you know that your moral compass plays a huge role in your professional life? In this week's episode of the Unconventional Leadership Podcast, Kimberly Luse shares the importance of knowing your moral compass. It's vital to know where your value system lies, and how to honor it in your workplace. As leaders, we have to lead by example by walking according to our own moral compasses. The first step to living a moral life is defining what morality looks like to you. You may be able to finish the sentence, but tune in to learn how to start it! Find Kimberly Luse Online at: https://www.strategicethicalsolutions.com/ Quotes from the Episode: If you don't know where your moral compass lies, if you're trying to figure that out under duress, it can be very complex and maybe not get you where you need to go. People will get to the end of the sentence pretty easily, but that elusive first part is where your moral compass lies. What is the core thing, whether it's professional or personal, and lots of times they overlap, where you know that if you get out of alignment with that, you're going to be frustrated and not productive. What we're trying to find is that place where, if you cross that boundary within yourself, you're not going to be able to sleep at night. We're always struggling with how do we act and behave towards others, but it's also how do you allow people to treat you? People become terrified that if they speak up, they may lose their position. They might make decisions based on the fear that they are going to be somehow harmed: their reputation, their livelihood, or their ability to support themselves and their families. You can't possibly have all the answers. That's why you put good people around you that you trust. I don't know what to do right now, but together we'll be stronger to figure it out. If you're in business and you're executing any type of plan or strategy, no plan or strategy ever got accomplished without people. We are not built to have the foot on the gas all the time in a heightened state of stress, worried sick about what the next day's going to bring. Be the example of what's really going on in life. It is the definition of being strong enough to stand in your value system, that you have to have done the work to know what that is, to know why you're behaving the way that you do. Be vulnerable enough to stand up and say, I've done this work. I value that time. I want you to take time to take care of yourself. We are going to approach each other with a trauma-informed lens. We are going to make sure that we set the example that we are not going to violate one another. Ask a question or leave a comment at: https://forms.clickup.com/2253800/f/24rz8-20340/XTWGWO599F6S42X0JU Resources: Brenda Corbett and Jennifer Chloupek "Why It Matters, the Sherpa Guide to What You Are Looking For" Scott Eblin "Overworked and Overwhelmed the Mindfulness Alternative" Kimberly Luse "Losing Your Job Without Losing Your Mind" Mike Sipple Jr. | LinkedIn | Twitter Kimberly Luse | LinkedIn

Every entrepreneur has a story, but not everyone has the ability to write a complete book about it. Collaborating is a great way to share your story and expertise in conjunction with others in a similar field. Jodi Brandstetter joins us on the Unconventional Leadership Podcast to share her knowledge in the realm of collaboration. A key element to developing your story is curiosity. Asking questions and seeking answers helps you develop yourself and those around you. Get to know yourself, and your team so you can build a brand that is recognizable. Tune in to the podcast to dive deeper into these topics! Find Jodi Brandstetter online at: https://jodibrandstetter.com/ Quotes from the Episode: If you are not willing to ask questions or Google something to find out what's happening, you are really going to be stuck in your career. Once you really can see what curiosity can do for you, then you should absolutely be pulling that out of your team, letting them explore, and be able to do what they want to do. Let them fail. You have to accept that you have that inner critic. You have to listen to it, but it doesn't define you. A collective is an opportunity for someone who wants to become an author, but they do not want to write a book alone. There's a lot of time, energy, effort, and money to writing your own book. A collective book gives you the opportunity to write with other authors. Branding is understanding who you are, what drives you, what motivates you, what makes you- you, and then being able to highlight that to the world so people can really understand who you are. Truly understanding your gifts, your passions, your strengths, and your weaknesses is really going to help you with your profession. Every human has a brand. It's a matter of how we manage it and how we lead it. There are some amazing stories that people don't even know that they have. Resources: Matthew Kelly "The Dream Manager" Jodi Brandstetter "Breaking Through" Mike Sipple Jr. | LinkedIn | Twitter Jodi Brandstetter | LinkedIn

It's not easy to be a female leader in today's society, but Carol Lawrence has been leading teams well for almost 30 years. It's our privilege to have her share some of her wisdom with us on today's episode of The Unconventional Leadership Podcast. Good leadership is about trust. Good leaders trust their employees, and employees, in turn, trust their leadership. When there is a healthy balance of respect, fun, and trust, companies thrive. The tone must be set by the leader for the trickle-down to be effective. Regardless of the generational gap among employees, there is a universal truth that if you meet individuals where they are and hear what they have to say, your team has a better chance of healthy chemistry. Carol has a wealth of knowledge and we are grateful for all she has to share! Find Carol Lawrence online at: https://centennialinc.com/ Quotes from the Episode: Even though I worked in several male-dominated industries as a leader, I did not have to put aside my femininity. I did not have to become one of the boys. Sometimes even when you don't have your voice, you find your voice to help someone else. You don't have to know everything. It's not just the leader, it's the whole team that needs to succeed. I'm not going to ask anybody that I supervise to do anything that I'm not willing to do. I will actively show them that I'm part of the team. Just because it worked before doesn't mean it's going to work this time. We are not cookie cutter people. We don't take the time to enjoy what we've done and the impact that we might have had. Even when somebody comes and tells us we made an impact, we tend to, as human beings, be like, oh thanks for that, but I could have been better. We have to take the time to celebrate the small things because when we have the big things, we'll be comfortable to celebrate it. You have to show that you care enough about the people you supervise to care for yourself. As the leader, you have to take the time to be genuine. Let your staff and your team know that they can trust you. As a good leader, you then learn how to tailor the message and meet that person where they are. You don't have to be shouting from the rooftop to be a leader. I can sit quietly in a room and still lead that room. Resources: Jay Steinfield "Lead from the Core" Stephen Covey, "Leading at the Speed of Trust." Mike Sipple Jr. | LinkedIn | Twitter Carol Lawrence | LinkedIn

People need to feel connected to people. There is no doubt that over the last 3 years, human connection has been threatened in the workplace. While good has certainly come from employees working from home (having a sense of control over their environment) there is a definite lack of connection to their work, their coworkers, and their bosses. Laura Canter shares a bit about the psychology of human behavior and leading people through change. She shares the importance of focusing on individual strengths rather than weaknesses. We've all had change forced upon us over the last three years and today on the Unconventional Leadership podcast we want to talk about how you can weather the changes well! Find Laura Canter online at: https://canterassociates.com/ Quotes from the Episode: Covid kind of exacerbated it and let everybody throw their hands up and say, okay, this is what I actually need and want from either my organization or my boss or just life in general. People don't become teachers or nurses for the big bucks. They don't do it because it's just a job. It really is a calling for them. We have to manage more. We have to keep up with more. I need to take a mental health day. People don't laugh at that anymore. They see it as a, wow, you know what? I think I might need to as well. There's such an, innate protection element that we all want to hold on to what we've always done. Working from home, it allowed people to maybe set their own schedules a little bit more, have a little bit more of that flexibility again, feeling like they actually had some sort of autonomy within their role. We have to talk to the individual. We have to understand their individual priorities, motivators, stressors. If you don't take time to do that, this is where you're going to create chaos in a team. We spend more time in a job than we do with our families. It's completely unrealistic to think that you're not going to have a personal and emotional connection to whatever it is that your occupation is and what you're doing If you had one negative interaction with someone on your team, you need more positive events to get you back to neutral, you're never going to build that positive relationship with them. As a leader, when you know your strengths, the way that you manage "the weaknesses" is to go hire people who have incredible strengths in areas that you don't. Number one, do you even recognize the strengths and the talent of the people on your team first? Second, do you acknowledge and appreciate then how well those strengths and talent can come together? If a company is actively investing in you and feeding into your interests and the strengths that you have inside of you, you're going to naturally be more engaged. By putting so much on managers, they don't feel like they have the time to even get to know people. That's the biggest mistake you can take, not genuinely getting to know your individual team members. Resources: Mike Sipple Jr. | LinkedIn | Twitter

Some of the greatest ideas are birthed from silence. When you ask questions of your team and your employees, it's okay if it takes a while for them to respond with their answers. Becky Scheeler is back on the Unconventional Leadership podcast sharing about the importance of culture and communicating with your team. It's important to foster an environment where employees can share their good ideas and their opinions. Conversely, if a company's culture is toxic, you have to be ready to dig into the issues. Listen into a conversation with a guest so full of knowledge we had to have her on multiple episodes! Find Becky Scheeler online at: https://centennialinc.com/ Quotes from the Episode: If you treat your employees right, they're gonna know what good looks like and they're gonna treat their customers that way. So it's very simple, you treat others the way you get treated most often. The first thing that I work on all the time is trying to keep my mouth shut and reflect the question back. You gotta have fun at work. I mean, people wanna have fun. People wanna work with people that they like. I don't mean fun like you don't have to have a party every day, but be able to laugh at ourselves and have a clear goal. Have that dialogue. Well, what do you think? What are the pitfalls? What's the worst that can happen? What's the best that can happen? It's okay to have silence. It's okay to let people process for a few minutes. One of the ways to evaluate the health and safety that you've created in your company is to identify where the greatest ideas are coming from. Because if they're all in the boardroom or all in the executive leadership team meeting, you're probably not creating a safe environment where people aren't afraid to raise their hands and ask questions. They feel judged or evaluated by the questions that they're asking or the ideas they're bringing at the table. It's really important to be on the floor, to be in front of the customer, to listen to all levels of employees, because they're all seeing ways that things can be done better. You really have to know yourself. And when I say yourself, I'm not talking about just the executive, but those that you know and trust.

Businesses without a clear vision at the top won't have buy-in from employees. Mehmet Yuksek is a globally seasoned and accomplished strategic business leader with a demonstrated track record of building high-performing teams. He shares in the Unconventional Leadership podcast the importance of leadership within a company creating and sharing a clear vision. For a business to truly thrive, leaders need to spend time sharing with and listening to all aspects of the company. Mehmet and Mike sketch out the ideal ecosystem for a healthy business. It starts at the top but trickles all the way down. Wherever you fall on the totem poll, there is something for you. Find Mehmet Yuksek on LinkedIn. Quotes from the episode: I boil (leadership principles) down to three things, from my perspective, number one would be what I call the 3H principle, I tried to lead with my head, my heart and my hands. The teams that you have in the organization are the foundation of anything you do. Any sustained success happens with the right people in the right seats. What do I want it to be known for? How do I want to be remembered inside of the organizations that I lead? It's not just about you. It's not about me, it's about we. If you want to strengthen, if you want to leverage that, we, we need to be able to sit down and make sure that we're listening to our people. Lead with humility and confidence. If there's no organizational health, then its intelligence is not gonna last. I would always finish with two questions. The number one is, how am I? And number two is, what else can I do to support you better? Give me the good news and the bad news. Every single time I always ask. Not just the good news, but the bad news so that we can do something about it, because we should be doing something about it collectively. So, definitely, there's always a reason to try, but I do believe certainly that for it to really be sustained in the mid to long term, it needs to be really nurtured and supported and enabled by the greater organization. So there's only so much one person can do. It's not about heroism, it's about being an agent of change. That's one of the reasons why, when you look at data, employees thrive in environments of clarity and engagement because clarity makes everything about work and life better. It really transcends all borders. It's just the universal truth. Resources: People Fusion

Are you ready for a quick but impactful way to strengthen your leadership development? Talent Magnet has a digital leadership development platform and a FREE way to take it for a test drive! Sign up for Leadership Foundations here. On this episode of the Unconventional Leadership Podcast, we're sitting down with Mark James, the founder and president of HIRE Consulting Services. We talk about how to build genuine relationships and how they help you as a leader. Mark encourages us to see what we can give, and how we can help those around us. Mark James, CPC, is the founder and president of HIRE Consulting Services, established in 1999. Mark is a Certified Personnel Consultant and the author of the best-selling books; "Keys to the C Suite: Unlock the Doors to Executive Career Path Success" and "The Interview Mindset: The Ultimate Guide to Mastering Your Career." Mark has over 25 years of experience in Executive Career Management Coaching, Outplacement, and Executive Search Consulting. He has been a Certified Partner with the Predictive Index since 2016. Find Mark James here: https://hireconsulting.com/ Join in the conversation and share your ideas with us! Interview Quotes: You pretend you're the doctor and the hiring manager is, the patient. Your goal is to determine where's the pain, and what's not working? What are the objectives for the person that gets the job that he or she needs to do? Very much like a doctor, when you're sick, a doctor has to ask very compelling questions in order to determine what's wrong, and how to provide a remedy. One of the things that I believe, is in short supply is, ethics, integrity, and honesty. I believe that everything we do, it's imperative that we use honesty, ethics and integrity in the way we deliver services, and deal with customers on a daily basis. So, I believe that 93% of all communication is nonverbal. A big part of that is listening, and asking questions to get people talking, who are shy, and you learn about them. It's a sign of respect. I make it a point that, everybody I have a conversation with, I always want to try to have a call to action or a reminder before we finish talking. When's the next time we should meet up, revisit and talk about the subject that we were talking about. 80% of your good relationships will come from 20% of the people, right? So you really need to pay attention to the top 20%. When you're in business for yourself, everybody's first question is how much is this going to cost me? Right? You know, they're thinking ROI - return on investment. I think it's a mistake, or an oversight if you will. I think people need to think what will the outcome be? How are we going to get there? What are the steps that we're going to take, so that I could make good decision? Just two words come into my head when I think of unconventional in the form of leadership, those two words are "I care."

Are you ready for a quick but impactful way to strengthen your leadership development? Talent Magnet has a digital leadership development platform and a FREE way to take it for a test drive! Sign up for Leadership Foundations here. Could you use a break? What about quitting your job with no backup plan? In this episode, Megan Leasher, an industrial and organizational psychologist, shares her story of how she quit her job without another job lined up. She learned about herself, about routines, and is continuing to learn new things through this break. Join in the conversation and share your ideas with us! Find Megan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganleasher/ Quotes from the episode: Human behavior is not just behavior at work. It's behavior in your personal life, it's behavior in your volunteering, your parenting, and your friendships. All of those aspects. Predicting futures is about your whole self. Because we are bringing our whole selves, we're bringing our fears, our discomfort, our frustrations, our passions, the goods and the bads. Companies, having realized that, with all the data and the research that's out there, I think there's a greater awareness to get first time leaders ready. I think companies are really bringing the "human" into first time leadership training. There's a greater awareness in helping first time leaders understand, "Hey, this is what's going to be coming at you and you know what, you're a person too." I made a choice last September to leave the job I was in without having another one lined up. I just said, "You know what, I'm going to step aside, I want to take a break. I've never had one of those before. And I'm going to have some rest. I'm gonna see what this space provides." What I didn't know, was how much my leadership would be on a stage by doing that, and by being in this in-between space. Is there a scenario where maybe a few months off is okay, maybe things might be a little tighter? What is the gain for your mental health, for your rest, for operating at your best self, embracing your potential, maybe learning something new? Could there be more to gain in those areas that might make some financial tightness worth it? In terms of knowing it's time, for me was a lack of fear. I wasn't paralyzed by the idea of having nothing. I was really excited about it. There was a calm with it. Another direction I really want to lean into more, is support for first time leaders. So many people, as individual contributors get promoted for the first time to become a leader, a manager, and they have no idea what to expect. They're thrown into it, and maybe a month or so later, they start to get some training. It's kind of the backwards order for me. When I think of an unconventional leader, I think of someone who really owns a mistake early and openly. A manager told me an email can always be good news. But if it's bad news, pick up the phone or do it face to face. Add the extra level of dignity, integrity, and human connection, if you're sharing something that's not positive. That, that really stuck with me. Megan's Recommendations: Book: Presence by Amy Cuddy Tool: Focus Mate

Are you ready for a quick but impactful way to strengthen your leadership development? Talent Magnet has a digital leadership development platform and a FREE way to take it for a test drive! Sign up for Leadership Foundations here. It's no secret that HR deals with heavy subjects and has hard conversations. When anyone else in the company is struggling, they go to HR. So where's the HR for HR? In this episode, Julie Turney, the brainchild of HR@Heart Consulting Inc., talks about some coping mechanisms and how to deal with the hard things we face as leaders. Find Julie on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hratheart/ Join in the conversation and share your ideas with us! Julie's Quotes from the Episode: Whether it was dealing with a leader who I wasn't able to get in alignment with, or whether it was a death in service and just dealing with that, or the trauma that comes with dealing with a difficult termination. Sometimes at the end of those things I would ask myself, where is the HR for HR? A lot of times, because we're dealing with all of those different things, we're not taking the time to pause, and take care of our own emotions and feelings. Then, we end up in this cycle of burnout. HR people really do need the support. I think communication is key and really taking the time to have those conversations with your HR teams is really important. Then determine what are their struggles and what do they need? One of the things that I always recommend to people is to create a gratitude jar for yourself. Then, when good things happen, or when you're feeling at your lowest, you can always go back to that gratitude jar. Look at something that reminds you, this is the good stuff that I'm doing. Journaling questions: What will I take with me into tomorrow? What will I leave behind? Make sure that when you're trying to help people, you are actually in a position to help people. A coach can help you when you set those goals of I wanna protect my heart, how do you do that? Well, let's try to think about all the things that impact your heart on a daily basis, and then let me help you to find practical ways to either move people forward that doesn't impact your heart. My leadership style is my leadership style. Whether people think it's crazy eccentric, whether people think that it's um, weird. It is my leadership style, and as long as my team are happy, that's the most important thing. But previously I would've thought more about how other leaders felt about how I led my team. How do you define what an unconventional leader is in today's world? I think the basic definition for me would be if you're an unconventional leader, you're not doing the normal things that most people do when it comes to leadership. For me, leadership is about the people I'm leading and for me, leadership is also about servitude. The higher I climb as a leader, the more I serve the people below me. The comeback is stronger than the setback. Focus on the comeback, not the setback.  Recommendation: The Calm App

Are you looking to take your leadership skills to the next level? Want to learn from the best and most successful leaders in the world? Then you won't want to miss the Unconventional Leadership Podcast, sponsored by Talent Magnet Institute. Our incredible team took a year off to practice what we preach, investing in our team and our people. That's the heartbeat of who we are and now we are ready to share all that we've learned. We are back, ready to serve up the best leadership news, tips, and advice to take your organization to the next level.

On this episode of the Talent Magnet Leadership Podcast Mike is reflecting on his journey with the podcast, what he has learned, and what's next for the Talent Magnet Institute Team. He also talks about the importance of taking pauses, and the impact the podcast has had on its listeners, clients, and its team. Growth-minded leaders are willing to pause and assess, and then go after what's most important. These leaders focus on the things that most align to their values, and lead them closer to where they want to go. In order to do this, leaders also have to learn how to say no. [00:54] Mike gives a brief recap of all past episodes, and the impact they have had on listeners. The episodes and conversations have helped people connect and let them know that they are not alone in their leadership journey. [2:11] Saying ‘I quit' does not have to be negative. Quitting can open doors of opportunity that you would not have had otherwise. [6:27] Mike talks about the various leadership courses that are available on the Talent Magnet Institute website. [8:23] The world is changing and that is inevitable and uncontrollable. However, leaders can control how they invest and develop themselves to adapt to these changes and successfully harness the opportunities that come their way. [9:27] “We're going to put 100% of our focus on our community and direct our time and effort on serving alongside those in our community and those clients and members who rely on us,” Mike begins. “The last couple of years have taught us that we all need support, we need guidance, and we need to be proactive in the trenches,” he adds. [10:32] In his closing remarks, Mike thanks everyone who has been a part of the podcast from the beginning, and shares where listeners can go to access the free leadership courses. [13:28] Resources Mike Sipple Jr. | LinkedIn | Twitter Talent Magnet Institute

On this episode of the Talent Magnet Institute Podcast Mike explores true leadership in light of the Great Resignation. He also discusses the Great Realization, and how leaders can use these principles to improve their leadership as well as create better environments for their employees. Mike posits that the Great Resignation is happening because of the Great Realization: people are taking stock of their lives and realizing that where they are is not where they wanted to be. They are changing jobs, and resigning because they're prioritizing their life goals, their families, and their careers. [2:39] If you influence people, you're a leader, and as a leader, people are watching how you respond to situations and problems. The pandemic has made this very clear, Mike says. The Great Realization has made us think critically about what we want to be doing, and who we want to be doing it with. We don't want to work with leaders who aren't responsive and proactive. [6:43] Mike talks about research papers on the Economic Drought from EMSI and The Global Workforce. Research has found that there are fewer people in the workforce now than years ago, and fewer people are looking for traditional full-time jobs. [8:10] Leaders nowadays - and especially in the future - need to be more compassionate, empathetic, and patient now. They also need to be more focused on their professional development. If you do not develop yourself as a leader, you cannot develop others. You need to recruit employees and build a pipeline, but most importantly, you need to create a culture where people want to work with you, and furthermore, stay with you. [13:55] Leadership is a privilege and leaders must view it as such. You have the opportunity to help others realize their full potential and become their best selves. Be proactive when it comes to talent development. Create an environment where employees are valued and supported, not one where everything is a competition. Create fair and inclusive environments that invite people to bring their whole selves to work. [16:55] Mike talks about the course on the Talent Magnet Institute's website that he created, that helps individuals better their leadership skills. [22:10] At the Talent Magnet Institute, the goal is to build employers who create organizations that encourage their employees to bring their authentic selves. [26:06] Mike's closing remarks are an encouragement to leaders to become more proactive, never give up, and make use of the tools and resources available out there to become the best leader they can be. [30:09] Resources Mike Sipple Jr. | LinkedIn | Twitter EMSI State of the Global Workplace Report The Leadership Basics

Can we create effective leaders with AI? Carolyn Peer and Mike Sipple Jr. share the answer on this episode of the Talent Magnet Leadership Podcast. Carolyn is the CEO and co-founder of Humaxa, and an award-winning human capital management industry luminary. She uses Humaxa - a machine learning-powered employee engagement and performance platform - to connect feedback with actions, through meaningful AI conversations. Carolyn and Mike explore what Humaxa can do for companies and why it is a tool for the future, in this intriguing conversation.  Humaxa functions like a helpful assistant, that helps solve problems within the workforce and empowers employees. The program gathers workforce data via anonymous conversations, and immediately offers solutions to the individual who's talking to Humaxa. It's main function is to reduce the time taken for an employee to receive feedback, to zero. [3:22] "A lot of the research that we did before building anything, was looking at how willing people would be to communicate with a computer," Carolyn stresses. What she found was that people were more willing to communicate with a computer because of the level of anonymity, and because they didn't feel judged whilst voicing their opinions. She and her company used that concept to empower both the employee and the employer. [5:54] Humaxa works as an early detection system, and lets leaders know when there are problems that need to be addressed, such as employees feeling like their voices are not being heard. Humaxa fills those gaps by offering strategies based on what the program deems the best solution, and what each individual wants and needs at that particular time. [10:03] Humaxa anonymously alerts managers when something isn't quite right within the organization. This opens up an opportunity for a conversation on what issues at that time need to be addressed. Even if a conversation doesn't happen, the manager is still aware that something is wrong. "Being able to have those live anonymous conversations with employees based on how they feel is a way to really get into the root cause; not just how they feel but why," Carolyn expresses. [14:19] Humaxa allows leaders to organize their teams however they desire. The one thing Carolyn cautions leaders against, is having too many matrix teams. "As long as there are at least eight people in a group, the data is anonymized and you can look at the detailed analysis for just that team," she adds. [20:26] The long feedback process of employee surveys prompted Carolyn to come up with a solution that was more immediate, more meaningful for the workforce, and that would also benefit the company. This is why she created Humaxa. [21:38] Employees have most of the answers as they are the individuals who deal with the customers the most and converse with each other the most. Leaders need to be able to respond faster, quicker, more efficiently and validate that they are listening. [25:22] Carolyn's closing remarks are a reminder that Humaxa is not a replacement for manager-to-employee communication, but rather simply a tool to augment those conversations so that managers and employees know what to talk about, and how to get ahead of any problem that may be brewing. [26:54] Resources Mike Sipple Jr. | LinkedIn  Carolyn Peer | LinkedIn | Twitter  Humaxa

How do we define happiness? Vanessa King and Mike Sipple Jr. share the answer on this episode of the Talent Magnet Leadership Podcast. Vanessa is a writer, speaker, and leadership and organization development consultant. She is also Director of The Change Space, and a board member of Action for Happiness. Vanessa and Mike explore the true meaning of happiness, how leaders can nurture it at work, and how organizations can build a better and brighter future for upcoming professionals.  Leaders have to think about happiness as not just a word but as an action. Happiness has two parts: joy and euphoria, and accomplishing challenging goals. “Happiness is focused on the things that are within our control, whether individually, collectively or systematically to shift and change,” Vanessa says. [3:26] COVID has made it easier for organizations to have conversations about happiness. It has also allowed individuals to have more human interactions as people move into a hybrid work environment. [7:30] When a leader takes the time to ask after an employee's wellbeing, it builds trust between leaders and the team. This trust lets people feel safe enough to bring their whole selves to work. “It's about these tiny micro human connections,” Vanessa insists. Human beings need to feel good to function well and bringing these tiny interactions in the workplace can ensure that. [10:47] While working from home is convenient for a lot of people, it has also taken away the boundaries between work and the rest of their lives. It's not so much about finding a work-life balance because your work is a part of your life, but more so getting a life balance which work is a large part of, Vanessa and Mike agree. [15:30] Help others become great, but not in the way that you become a pathway to success. Also, ensure that it isn't going to undermine your own performance or sustainability. [20:12] “The difference between a good day at work and the worst day at work is a sense of progress,” Vanessa remarks. It's micro progress that matters: leaders should help their employees feel a small scale of progress that builds up rather than just having one goal. Micro progress is also about cultivating a sense of control and autonomy in people so that they have some choice and freedom about how they do their jobs. [21:20] Self-compassion is one of the keys to living a happy life. Some other steps are recognizing that no one is perfect, and turning your internal critic into a wise coach. Acknowledge when you make mistakes and do better the next time. [24:12] When you do helpful things for other people, it makes them feel good, and it also activates the reward centers in your brain which makes you happier. [29:50] Organizations should be designed to support the growth of their employees and bring the best out of their teams. [31:41] Resources Mike Sipple Jr. | LinkedIn  Vanessa King | LinkedIn | Twitter  The Change Space Action for Happiness 10 Keys To Happier Living

What truly qualifies an employee? John Baldino and Mike Sipple Jr. share the answer on this episode of the Talent Magnet Leadership Podcast. John is the CEO and founder of Humareso, an HR consulting company. He has spent over 25 years in the field of HR. John and Mike explore hiring, the reasons leaders are having difficulty acquiring and holding onto talent, and what they need to do better to be able to attract talent in a genuine way.  The changes of the past year required business leaders to refocus. John remarks that now more than ever you need to be focused on truth. Be concerned about what's happening in the world and in your employees' lives. Take into account everyone's perspectives, experiences and their own truths, and let that inform the decisions you make as a leader. [1:53] "If you sit in that sort of spot where you have such a large stand of control and influence, start with small," John advises. Start at your management level, and discuss any decisions you plan to make with them first. Share your reasoning and then listen for responses. It's important to have these discussions before making any decisions because your team will see perspectives and ideas you might not. [9:10] John cautions against making compensation be the main incentive for holding on to talent. While there is a talent shortage, just because you are paying your employees more, it doesn't mean that they are the right fit for the job. Also, the talent market may not be sustainable in the future. Be wise about compensation and do it in such a way that your employees are not bound to a base compensation for life should there be a market correction. [12:20] When it comes to the employee life cycle, it's important to think critically about the roles that need to be filled. Analyze the job description that you are putting out and whether the major requirements are truly necessary. Performance management is usually poor within organizations because the HR departments are measuring against what they do not have. This ends up causing employees to leave, and at a fast rate. [14:40] The problem with modern job descriptions is that leaders are unaware or unsure of the audience they are posting to. The majority of times their qualifications are very exclusive, and that is why they end up struggling in their equity and inclusion objectives. Many roles within organizations are not given based on qualifications but on leaders' comfort, and John challenges that. [17:10] The amount of years a person has at a particular job or position does not mean they have a defined skill. An assessment of someone's resume can't tell you how their skills will be utilized at work. The interview process is the perfect medium to facilitate this. "I need to be able to ask you behavioral and or situational questions and let you unpack how you would apply certain things," John says. [22:27] Inclusion is the one of the most important pieces to making sure employees are cared for in their workplaces. Beyond that however, is the concept of what John calls the 'cultural fabric.' "How do we have the thread of this new person weave into the tapestry that has been created to this point," is a stunning analogy that John uses to describe the better way to approach diversity and inclusion within organizations. [27:22] Companies need to make a conscious effort to train their managers how to be inclusive. They have to be trained on a daily basis on how to communicate with, edify, and uplift their employees. It's not about discipline anymore but about corrective action. [30:20] When you can give your team the truthful perspective that you're committed to their growth, there won't be enough money that someone can offer them that will make them want to leave. [34:28] Resources Mike Sipple Jr. | LinkedIn  John Baldino | LinkedIn | Twitter  Humareso

There are so many intersections between conducting an orchestra and leading a business. Raphael Hoensbroech and Daniel Wachter delve into some of them in this episode of the Talent Magnet Leadership Podcast. Raphael is the Artistic Director and Managing Director of the Konzerthaus Dortmund, one of the leading concert halls in Europe. He has also spent eight years at the Boston Consulting Group where he worked as a management consultant, giving him invaluable insight into the corporate world. Raphael and Daniel have an intriguing conversation where they explore the bridges between orchestra and business, leading in the now and anticipating for the future, and what lessons leaders can gain from conductors. Inexperienced leaders often do not think of the entire group. "In order to lead, you have to be a part of the future," Raphael shares with listeners. Leaders need to work in the three time zones: what is about to come, what will come, and what has come. [4:17] For first time conductors, it is better to take only one decision at a time. The moment the conductor has this decision in mind, the orchestra is already following. "If the inner idea is clear then your expression follows almost automatically," Raphael remarks. Conversely, if there is no clear idea or goal then there is nothing to follow, and you are simply managing a process. [5:55] There are people who have come out of their teams and ended up in leadership positions. They grow from the inside into a leader. They need to be mindful not to spend so much time micromanaging, that they miss the leading part of the job. [10:06] New leaders often think that good leaders should mirror other good leaders. This isn't truly the case. It's much more about finding your leadership personality and living that personality because it is that makes people follow you. "It's not your ability to perform leadership situations or leadership tasks, but it's much more that they at first follow your personality," Raphael explains. [14:21] Find the right balance between working in the system and working on the system. Working in the system is how detailed or directive the conductor gets about how exactly a musician should perform a piece. Working on the system is orchestrating the totality of different instruments and musicians playing in the orchestra. In the business world , this means that leaders should have a balance in how much they manage and direct their employees, but also how much they trust them to do their jobs without having to oversee everything they do. [17:25] Make music instead of playing notes. If you only stick to playing notes as a musician, you're only operating on a management level. The goal of a conductor is to empower people so that they can come into a stage of making music. The goal of business and a conductor is to put the right people at the right place. [21:14] A mistake is not the worst thing that can happen. When mistakes do occur, first rely on the peer feedback structures in place in your organization. As a leader, you cannot correct every mistake that happens with your employees but you can encourage and help them so that they can avoid making the same mistake in the future. [23:59] In times of crisis, it's important to look to the future and the opportunities you may have. Go into that scenario with strategic thinking, and take the entire organization with you. Involving your entire team will help you to not get stuck in the crisis, see different perspectives and help your organization in the long run. [28:58] Resources Daniel Wachter | LinkedIn  Raphael Hoensbroech | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram

How does cultural responsiveness play a part in uplifting the leaders of the future? Jenn Kleiber and Mike Sipple Jr share the answer on this episode of the Talent Magnet Leadership Institute Podcast. Jenn is the founder of Pressing Onward, a company that focuses on equipping teachers to be culturally responsive. She is also an author, coach, educational consultant, and the host of the Teaching by Reaching and The Faith Filled Entrepreneur podcasts. Jenn and Mike have an exciting conversation where they explore what it means to be culturally responsive in the field of education, and how teachers can elevate and uplift the next generation of leaders. Teachers need to be culturally responsive: this means that they need to reach their students with the whole child approach. Students bring different perspectives and experiences, and teachers should consider this in structuring their classrooms and in how they relate to their students and their families. The ultimate goal of culturally responsive teaching is to move all students - including those who have had a history of struggling, or who are marginalized - to a place of success. [4:12] Pressing Onwards' has three main types of students as its target audience: students of color, students who are ESL, and students living in generational poverty. One of the main reasons holding these students back is their lack of exposure to successful individuals who grew up with their same experiences. Showing these students life outside of the ones they live can be a powerful tool to broaden their perspectives. [9:10] The Faith Filled Entrepreneur Podcast was created to give budding entrepreneurs a space and platform where they could share experiences, strategies, ideas, and encouragement. It's a place where Jenn can be open about her faith and be her authentic self. [13:41] Running a business is a long game. It takes consistency and persistence, especially because you're in the business if serving people. You are growing and scaling, and it may cause burnout because you might not be seeing results immediately. As a leader, you need to go into it with the right mindset, and if you have a team, you need to build an alliance with them and set and explain your goals. Celebrate your wins, build trust, and have patience. [18:02] Working in your desire zone is important. It is where your skill and passion meet and where you are most productive. Make sure that the individuals and the teams you hire are also working in their desire zones. "If they're doing what they love the majority of the time, they're going to stick with you; they're not going to get burned out as quickly," Jenn adds. [19:45] Leadership sometimes means letting go. Mike remarks that this problem is seen frequently in family businesses where the only individuals who are successful are the matriarchs or patriarchs. [23:13] Leaders need to empower and equip their teams so that the company goal can become the common goal. Empowering and equipping them allows your teams to take ownership of the goal you're trying to achieve. Having transparency, giving them the tools they need to achieve their own goals as well, further builds trust and an alliance between you and them. [29:16] Resources Mike Sipple Jr. | LinkedIn  Jenn Kleiber | LinkedIn | Twitter  Pressing Onward Teaching By Reaching Podcast The Faith Filled Entrepreneur Podcast

What is the secret to becoming a good leader? Steve Hess and Don Frericks share the answer on this episode of the Talent Magnet Leadership Podcast. Steve is the Director of Client Engagement. In this fascinating conversation, Steve and Mike explore what it means to be a great leader, the traits great leaders possess and how listeners can become great leaders themselves. It was Steve's time as a teacher that gave him the foundation to be a leader in the corporate world. When starting in leadership, it's important to start with a small group, or in an area you are familiar with. Also, observe the leaders who are around you and get inspired by them. [4:44] Steve advises listeners to take the time to learn people's names because it's important to them and makes them feel good. [10:52] You can learn what not to do from bad leaders, but they also have skills that are good that you may want to emulate. [14:00] Being introverted does not deter you from being a great leader. Introverts simply need to develop some skills that allow them to communicate easily. You can't have introversion when dealing with clients or customers. "You have to crawl out of that space and become more extroverted," Steve tells Don. You can be an introvert with knowledge on how to converse with clients. You can be quiet with quiet confidence. [17:37] Steve and Don shift focus to feedback. 360 feedback is so invaluable because it gives rated feedback across various aspects, but also verbatim comments on what you as a leader are doing right, and what you can improve on. [19:14] Steve talks about the leadership course he attended and meeting his leadership coach Sherry Howard. Having a leadership coach is a great way to become a better leader. It is a great relationship to establish and a way to be completely open with someone about your fears, hopes, and aspirations as a leader. Good leadership coaches help you unpack and understand yourself and give you options to problems that you probably would not have seen. [21:41] In developing businesses for the future, leaders need to fine tune their skills to suit the remote working world that will exist. Being a great communicator is easier in face-to-face interactions; nonetheless, leaders will have to hone their communications skills for the virtual work environment. Steve is hopeful for an increased focus on leadership because employees need to see their leaders steering the ship, especially after the events of the pandemic. He is also hopeful that businesses will focus on growing leaders in order to properly prepare them for their roles. [30:16] To accelerate your leadership development, go out and learn more about the business in which you operate. Meet with people and help them grow, interview other leaders on their leadership styles and what they do to become a great leader. [34:26] Not everyone can be a manager, but you don't have to be in a management position to lead people. Some people are comfortable staying in their own position and growing and learning new things in that position. They can still lead from that vantage point. [38:42] Resources Don Frericks | LinkedIn  Steve Hess | Facebook  LexisNexis

Are leaders unwittingly putting a price on human interaction? James Lenhoff and Mike Sipple Jr share the answer on this episode of the Talent Magnet Leadership Podcast. James is the Director of Mission at Wealthquest and the host of The Rich Life Podcast. He is also the bestselling author of Living a Rich Life. In this exciting conversation, James and Mike dive deep into his role at Wealthquest, the value of teamwork and showing up for employees within your organizations, and why it's important to nurture the personal relationships you have outside of work. Before James was the Director of Mission at Wealthquest, he was the President of Wealthquest. He talks about how he acquired his new role and what it means to him. "The vision [of this role] is to be the conduit between all of our team members and the leadership team." [2:26] Wealthquest's mission is to empower families to live meaningful lives. In order to do that, it requires a team that's engaged in and passionate about that mission, and who aren't afraid of shying away from hard conversations. Wealthquest keeps its employees engaged via standing meetings, team meetings, and in some ways, over communication. "We really don't want people to feel like they didn't hear about something, or they didn't understand what's going on," James adds. Keeping an environment where communication is frequent and normalized, allows for higher employee engagement. [5:08] Listening to your employees makes the work environment healthier. Leaders should be actively listening to employees' wants and needs, and establishing a way to deal with conflict when it arises. [9:40] Companies often make the mistake of trying to squeeze every ounce of productivity out of their employees. Leaders need to establish boundaries instead of assuming that their employees are going to work until the work is done. Establishing boundaries like a strict cut off time for work makes for more rested and more productive employees. [11:11] "If we are in the service business, we need to exercise serving," James tells Mike. Wealthquest incentivizes this mindset at any possible opportunity and encourages their employees to get engaged in charitable actions. Practicing serving others translates into how they care for clients' families. [14:27] James shares why he wrote his book, Living a Rich Life, and his vision for the future of people reading it. A main takeaway while interviewing elderly individuals for the book, is that 'Regret compounds more than money does if we're not careful.' [16:44] The biggest regret that people in the working world have, is the willingness to sacrifice relationships for money and the willingness to chase the next promotion instead of focusing on the life and family they have. Another major regret James remarks, is when people realize later in life that they have over accumulated when they could've been giving away. James answers both dilemmas with the concept of an Abundance Fund.  [18:42] Relationships are more important and make everything better. They need to be the priority in your life so that you don't miss out on what's happening around you. Give quality over quantity. [22:50] Resources Mike Sipple Jr. | LinkedIn  James Lenhoff | LinkedIn  The Rich Life Podcast Living A Rich Life  Wealthquest

Daniel Wachter is the guest host on this episode of the Talent Magnet Leadership Podcast, as part of his series Making Leadership Tangible. Stefani Matsuo is his guest. Stefani is the Concertmaster at the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and also serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Violin at the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. In this exciting conversation, Stefani and Daniel talk about her role as a concertmaster and how the disciplines related to that role can be translated to leadership in the business world. Stefani describes what it's like to be a concertmaster, and what it takes. [3:09] The partnership between a concertmaster and a conductor can start before the first rehearsal. The concertmaster and conductor can have meetings to discuss the music in advance, as it's being prepared for performance. The conductor's job is to communicate their interpretation of a score through speaking and through their actions, and the concertmaster's job is to interpret the conductor's interpretation and convert that to the orchestra. Concertmasters also have to be able to collaborate with their colleagues on stage and guide dialogue in rehearsals when an interpretation is not clear. [5:26] In music and the business world, individuals will not always agree. Oftentimes, however, these conflicts and the difficult conversations that ensue, can lead to better outcomes as it allows for people to make suggestions and for new methods and avenues to be applied. Making agreements even when you disagree, and being open-minded are traits all leaders should have. [9:39] Trust is one of the key principles of leadership. [14:31] Stefani talks about the many ways concertmasters convey to the orchestra during performances. [15:53] Successful leaders balance being direct and taking a step back, without being laissez-faire. To scale and to motivate people, you need to give them freedom of action. Leave them the space they need and allow them to have their own interpretation, as long as it still aligns with the framework of the composition. [21:00] Learning by doing is the best way to get into the leadership mindset. Leaders also learn by reading, listening to podcasts, and picking the brains of other leaders they know personally. [23:56] Stefani talks about how being a young female concertmaster has impacted her career in the music industry. [27:25] For young women who are or hope to be in leadership positions, be persistent and know that your skills are important and good. If you're turned down for a job, use that critique and build on it to approach your next job. Use the criticism to strengthen your skillset instead of letting it hinder or discourage you. [31:23] Resources Daniel Wachter | LinkedIn  Stefani Matsuo | Instagram

Stefanie Krievins is the guest on today's episode of the Talent Magnet Leadership Podcast. Stefanie is the founder and CEO of Stephanie Krievins & Co, and the host of the Hot Mess Hotline Podcast. She has spent her career helping businesses grow with their teams by combining change management and leadership developing principles. In this exciting conversation, Stefanie and Mike dive deep into change management and what leaders need to do to equip themselves and their employees for change in their organizations. Leaders need to ask themselves how they can create change, and remain adaptable. Stefanie asks leaders, “Do we have the skills to help our people transition to the next best thing when there's ... no external forces forcing us to change? Can we have better self-management as a team to make that happen?” [2:09] Companies need one-year or two-year plans at the most in these uncertain times. Break plans into quadrants with important and urgent items in one quadrant, and important but not urgent in another. This is a good strategy that allows for flexibility and adaptability when changes happen in stakeholders' lives. [5:08] Leaders need to communicate more to bring their employees along with them into new changes at their organizations. Stefanie discusses the two tools she uses to do so: the Change Curve, and her 7x7x7 Communication plan. [8:59] Send seven messages, seven times, through seven channels to adequately communicate change. [12:07] Growth, change, and challenge are three important pillars of employee development. Employees thrive on change and challenge when the work environment is focused on their personal growth, and knowing they are a part of the solution to change, especially when they have trust in their leaders. [14:45] Vision, results, individuals, teams, and the processes needed to get there are the baseline for company communication. Formal and informal communication are also important. “Don't underestimate the power of popping into somebody's office,” Stefanie remarks. [17:41] DiSC is helpful for self-awareness and as a way to help people acknowledge their weaknesses. It gives you a better understanding of yourself so you can connect with other people and adapt to their styles. [20:55] Create an environment where change is welcomed. Leaders should never let their employees get too comfortable because change breeds excitement. This can only work when leaders first establish an environment of trust with employees. [24:30] A troublemaker in an organization is an individual nobody wants to be around because they cause dissension or stir up trouble for no reason. Alternatively, a pro troublemaker is someone everyone wants to be around. A pro troublemaker has an energy of joy, curiosity and is charismatic. Pro troublemakers are high achievers and do everything that they do with excellence. [27:08] Stefanie talks about the steps it takes to create pro troublemakers in an organization. [30:53] A person who is “too” anything - too ambitious, too nice, too helpful - is a person who is here to serve the world. They've simply overused their strengths and need help reining back in so that they can be their authentic selves. [32:32] Leaders are good at defining the vision but skip over getting their employees aligned with what actually needs to happen. [39:01] Resources Mike Sipple Jr. | LinkedIn | Twitter   Stefanie Krievins | LinkedIn  Stefanie Krievins & Co The Change Curve Hot Mess Hotline

Don Frericks is the host on today's episode of the Extraordinary Leaders Series on the Talent Magnet Leadership Podcast. Don's guest is Richard Davis, CEO of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, an organization that fulfills the wishes of critically ill children between 2 ½ and 18 years. He has been in the corporate world for over 30 years and has experience in the banking sector. In this exciting conversation, Richard and Don share thoughts and insight on Richard's career path and the makings of great leaders. A good leader inspires and informs the way an organization runs. He or she thinks about succession and the skills and traits that would be necessary for the future of their organization. [5:00] Richard talks about Make-A-Wish with Don. It is a global organization that grants the wishes of children who are critically ill. Richard explains, using an anecdote about one of the children Make-A-Wish has helped, that the organization provides hope and gives the children something to look forward to. It not only gives them memories to hold on to, but their families and friends as well. [6:50] Richard talks about his childhood and what life was like growing up with his parents. [11:22] Be open to whatever promotion is out there. “I kept taking lateral positions that were available to me,” Richard shares with Don. “I did it because I wanted to learn...If you build a foundation, you can go so high, but if later in life you want to go higher in the building you'll regret you didn't build a larger, wider foundation,” he adds. Set a direction instead of a goal because goals limit what's possible. Decide what direction you're going in and be open to all possibilities. [15:59] When you set goals you get there fast, but if you're open to simply going that direction you're able to see the various options available. Getting to where you want to go quickly as a leader isn't the goal, neither is getting there the goal. It's about going in that direction. [18:10] Being a leader is like being a conductor. Conductors don't have to play all the instruments, but they know how to get the most beautiful music out of the ones who do. [19:50] Presuming too much about an employee's aspirations is a big mistake leaders make. Not everyone within an organization wants to move up in position. Some of them are happy with where they are and just wish to be acknowledged for the work that they do. Learn to ask people how they love what they do instead of presuming that they hate where they are. [23:07] Organizations cannot read minds and so it is up to you as an individual to figure out and decide what you want to do next. Find a way to let it be known that you're eager to do something else one day but don't be pushy. Don't try to jump ahead of everyone else. This is all part of managing your own career. [25:50] Leaders decide where to spend their energy. [28:02] Good leaders have intellectual skill and the ability to be thoughtful. They also have EQ, which is the ability to get people within their surroundings to listen. Good leaders are engaged in their environments. [29:24] We learn to know, we learn to teach, and we learn with the intent to act. Learning to act is part of curiosity which leaders should have. “I don't want to be able to tell people I know it ...I actually want to inform the way I live my life because [of it]. That all kind of comes back to... being curious enough to therefore intend to impact the world you're around,” Richard says. [31:19] When you're given permission, you have the inclination to lead. Many people have leadership traits, they just need to have them be brought out. In that same vein, not everyone can be a leader. [36:07] Richard gives advice on how a person can grow their leadership and accelerate their development as an authentic leader. [36:45] Resources Don Frericks | LinkedIn  Richard Davis  Make-A-Wish Foundation

Today's guest on the Talent Magnet Leadership Podcast, Jacob Morgan, shares his thoughts on the future of work with host Mike Sipple Jr. Jacob is a best-selling author, futurist, and keynote speaker. He is the founder of the Future of Work University and the co-host of the Be Your Own Boss Podcast. In this must-listen conversation, Jacob dives deep into the future of work and how leaders can shift their mindsets to adapt to the times to better serve their employees and customers. Many leaders assume the future of work is not something that can be controlled. On the contrary, the future of work is what you make it. Leaders need to ask themselves how they want to build, shape, and design the future they want to see. [2:04] Jacob talks about what personally drives him. “My goal is to help create organizations where we all want to be a part of, and leaders who we all want to work with and for…” [5:43] An ego is a dangerous quality for a leader to have. As leaders become more successful, so does their power, status, and wealth. “Your head starts to get a little bit bigger and you feel like your ideas are always the best, that you should be the smartest person on the team, that people shouldn't question you,” Jacob remarks to Mike. This is one of the biggest downfalls for a leader as it keeps them from learning, growing, and seeing opportunities. [7:35] Growing in your career means maintaining a mindset of curiosity. You have to get out of your comfort zone, and you have to learn how to learn. [9:00] The most effective thing a leader can do is unlock their employees' potential. That means you need to understand them as human beings: understanding what your employees care about, what drives and motivates them, will go a long way in making them feel cared for and valued. [10:50] A leader's role is to be a guiding light for their organizations and employees. “Your responsibility is to help make other people more successful even if it's more successful than you,” Jacob posits. [11:54] Jacob and Mike discuss the difference between listening and hearing. Listening is a conscious act while hearing is an unconscious act. People can tell when they're being listened to. When leaders do the conscious act of listening, they're letting the person they're engaging with feel motivated. [14:29] Listening is a skill that some people are better at than others, but it's something that we can all develop. All it does is require time and effort. [16:53] Leaders can motivate their employees by letting them know they're there to serve them. Make yourself present, available, and approachable. Be okay with being vulnerable and not always having the right answers: this will help your employees see you as someone they can talk to. Practicing empathy is another tool that will also help leaders. [20:40] Jacob and Mike discuss the steps in becoming empathetic leaders. [22:43] Resources Mike Sipple Jr | LinkedIn | Twitter  Jacob Morgan | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram The Future of Work by Jacob Morgan Future of Work University The BYOB Podcast

Being a great conductor is just like being a great business leader. Today's guest on the Talent Magnet Leadership Podcast, Louis Langrée, shares this insight with guest host Daniel Wachter. Louis is a conductor and has been the Music Director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra for the past eight years. He has won several awards including the Best Recording of the Year Award at the International Opera Awards, and Best Video Performance at the International Classical Music Awards. In this episode's conversation, Louis and Daniel talk about his role as a conductor, and how the disciplines in that field can be applied to leadership in business. Leaders have to create conditions where their employees can be their best, and where energy and talent thrive to build a unique culture. [3:10] Louis explains that conductors interpret a composer's work through the prism of their own sensibility and experience. The conductor also takes into account what the composer envisions for their piece. [4:55] The more you know a score, the more freedom your musicians have. If you're not sure, you micromanage. It's the same in business: the more leaders understand and are confident in the bigger picture, the less they will micromanage their employees.  [9:14] Musicians in an orchestra must listen to one another, and tune together. They have to  give their best as a collective, and know how to blend and balance with each other. [12:24] It is arrogant and counterproductive to enter a new environment as a leader with the intention of changing the established culture; even more so if you're only there temporarily. “You have a limited impact in a short amount of time,” Daniel remarks. [17:36] Louis talks about the challenges of having to perform without rehearsal with an orchestra. [19:47] If leaders try to control too much, it's no longer leading but reacting. [22:19] Encouragement is the most powerful thing a leader can give to their employees. This can become problematic however, as it can go so far that the leader becomes obsolete. On the other hand, pushing too much can cause your team to become demotivated. [24:47] Louis talks about staying motivated when you're not playing in front of an audience. [28:00] In a business crisis, having a turnaround mindset and using that crisis as a catalyst for change is much more productive than a mindset of resignation. [33:57] Resources Daniel Wachter | LinkedIn  Louis Langrée | Twitter | Instagram

How do we become active allies in our organizations? Today's guest on the Talent Magnet Leadership Podcast, Julie Kratz, shares the answer with host Mike Sipple Jr. Julie is an Inclusive Leadership Trainer, highly-acclaimed TEDx speaker, the founder of Next Pivot Point, and the host of the Next Pivot Point Podcast. She has spent her career helping women create their winning career game plan. In this must listen conversation, Julie gives valuable insights about why leaders need the skill of active allyship to lead their organizations well. More leaders are educating themselves on the issue of diversity and are taking active roles in unlearning a lot of the biases they may have had. Organizations are being actively engaged in the work of diversity and inclusion. “The word ‘active ally' is really important because sometimes if we just show up when it's the flavor of the month, we give the impression that this is a one and done conversation… [and] that we're not really there for people that experience hardships that are underrepresented in the workplace and marginalized more than others,” Julie remarks. [3:09] For leaders to put the resources into action and ensure the people they employ feel valued and understood, they need to be including everyone in the conversation. The more people you can bring to the table, the more you can get them to connect and appreciate differences because everyone has a unique experience. [6:22] For a team to respect and value everything about the people in a room, a great deal of unlearning and unpacking biases needs to occur. Personally reflecting on your own experiences and realizing that a lot of the messages you were raised with were inaccurate is important. From the business perspective, if teams don't mirror the communities that they serve then they're going to lose out. [14:07] Leaders and teams have to do self discovery work to reckon with where they've been, where they want to be and why it's important to the mission of the organization. If you do diversity work without that, you're doing it without any connection to it, or any emotion behind it. [15:52] 80% of the ally journey is education. People can't know how to solve a problem if they don't know what the problem is, or if they don't know the problem exists. [19:10] One of the most actionable things you can do when you educate yourself is have a conversation with someone different than you. Listen with curiosity, listen to learn and not with the intent to tell them what they need to do. [20:45] Leaders need to align people to a purpose in order to create profound impact. This will also create buy-in where they all know what direction they're going, why they're growing and who they're growing with. [23:30] Conversations about diversity have to be intentional because you can possibly impact someone who's on the fence. “The patriarchy and the systems that support white supremacy don't work if the people that it was built for don't comply; ... that does mean our individual actions truly do matter, because they set a precedent, they set a model for others to follow,” Julie shares with Mike. [28:15] As an ally, amplifying the voices of those who are going unheard is one of the best things you can do. [32:10] Hiring diverse talent but not doing anything to make that talent feel safe or valued is counterproductive. They won't want to stay, or even take the job. Leaders have to be committed to helping their employees feel valued, included, and that they belong. [34:46] Creating a future where people feel as if they belong is important now more than ever. [37:00] Resources Mike Sipple Jr. | LinkedIn | Twitter Julie Kratz | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram Next Pivot Point Next Pivot Point Podcast

What is the link between composition and being a leader? Daniel Wachter's guest on the Talent Magnet Leadership Podcast, Julia Adolphe, shares the answer in this week's episode. Julia is a contemporary composer of classical music. She has received numerous awards, including a 2017 ASCAP Young Composer Award. In this must listen conversation Julia dives into the nitty-gritty of music composition and how leaders can apply those concepts in the business world. Julia introduces herself and gives the audience a brief history of her life and her musical career. [2:29] A musical score tells a story, but the story it tells, while having an intention, is left open for interpretation. The conductor is in charge of making sure that the story is told, and that each part of the orchestra is playing and communicating together. The conductor is the one with all the information. [4:22] Art is different for every person, and as a composer, you create a framework and vision, but you allow other musicians to inhabit that world. You let the music speak for itself, instead of being overly instructive. [7:05] If a musician has feedback for another musician within that orchestra the concerns are brought to the conductor. This same structure exists in business. The leader must be given the opportunity to lead and mitigate any issues, or hear any feedback. [12:38] Never assume to know everything there is to be known about your own piece, despite being the person to compose it. Don't assume to have all the best answers for what's right for your work. You have to let go, whether as a composer or a business leader and allow people to perform your work, or tackle the tasks you've given them, in ways that work for them as long as the end result meets the goal. [14:38] Allow space for feedback. "No matter how many years of experience you have, someone playing the violin is going to know more [about how the music flows for them] than someone playing the tuba," Julia remarks. Leaders must allow for this same type of feedback in business. [17:20] When composing for instruments that she has never played before, Julia stresses that the main key is listening. [19:45] Julia talks about how the 'magical sound of an orchestra' matters to what she composes. [22:20] In adding new people to startup businesses, get honest about what your strengths and weaknesses are. Be open to collaboration and leave room for interpretation so that people can perform in their own ways. Open and honest feedback should be encouraged and nurtured. [25:14] Orchestras are being forced to create online content, and Julia credits this as a boon as it allows for more diverse ways to consume the arts. Going digital and having content online breaks down barriers of accessibility. Resources  Daniel Wachter | LinkedIn | Twitter Julia Adolphe | Instagram | Twitter 

How do we get right within, in our workplaces? This week's guest on the Talent Magnet Leadership Podcast, Minda Harts, shares the answer with guest host Wendy Dailey this week. Minda is an author, speaker and thought-leader. She has given various talks and seminars on leadership, diversity and entrepreneurship, and advancing women of color. In 2018, she was named one of 25 Emerging Innovators by American Express. In this must listen conversation, she dives into her new book Right Within, and shares how employers and managers can make the workplace safer for marginalized employees. Minda gives a recap on her previous book, The Memo, and why she wrote it. “I just didn't see myself represented in a lot of the career books that were being put out there. I really wanted to be able to put something out there where we can talk about our stories and not only affirm ourselves, but then share ways that our colleagues and counterparts and allies could also be part of making the workplace better than we found it.” [2:49] Minda's new book, Right Within, came from talking to different women and thinking back on her own past experiences of racialized trauma in the workplace. [4:55] Right Within is written with women of color in mind. She wants to shed light on the racial discrimination that happens in the workplace, and the traumas that come with it. The book is also an opportunity for managers to create psychological safety inside their organizations and commit to equitable practices. [7:40] Minda's goal is that after people read Right Within, they'll be more willing to take steps toward equity. People of color reading it will have the tools they need to assert themselves and their boundaries, and have conversations about what is acceptable for them in their work environment. [9:50] The true problem with bias is unchecked bias, as opposed to unconscious and conscious bias. Too many people are walking around with biases and no one is doing anything about them, or holding them accountable for them. [10:29] Writing about the racial trauma she experienced in the workplace allowed Minda to tell her truth so that others could understand the harm that can be caused. It was also healing because it allowed her to give voice to the issues that she had downplayed. [12:36] That leaders are more courageous, and are more willing to do the work in order to have equity in their organizations, excites Minda greatly. Reaching that equity goal however, means that leaders have to engage in bystander intervention, and commit stand against inappropriate behaviour in their work environments. [17:06] Managers and leaders have to be committed to equity and equitable practices so that everyone on their teams is invested in and supported. It has to be mandatory and not something managers can opt into. Equity has to be normalized, part of the overall process, and part of the entire organization. [20:57] Resources Wendy Dailey | LinkedIn | Twitter Minda Harts | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram Right Within The Memo

Why is the candidate experience so important? Mike Sipple Jr's guest on the Talent Magnet Leadership Podcast, Kevin Grossman, shares the answer in this week's episode. Kevin is the current President and Board Member at The Talent Board. He is a certified Talent Acquisition Strategist, and a Human Capital Strategist with over twenty years experience. In this must listen conversation, Kevin dives deep with Mike into why leaders should care about candidate experience, and the impact it has on our organizations. Kevin shares that The Talent Board was created to carry out survey research on companies' performance and give them awards based on their ratings. It's also about getting benchmark data for them to understand what their strengths and weaknesses are based on the feedback from candidates who were not hired. [1:36] There are four key metrics that make up Kevin's audit: the overall rating from candidates, how likely candidates are to apply again, how likely they are to refer the company to others, and what kind of relationship the candidates intend to have with the company going forward. “Application finalists are willing to refer if they perceive everything was fair and they have positive sentiment,” Kevin tells Mike. [5:12] Leaders should focus on creating positive and fair experiences for candidates during the application process, including communicating feedback to finalists who are rejected. This contributes to higher positive ratings. [9:25] Leaders need to take candidate experience seriously because many candidates become future clients depending on how we made them feel, and how we treated them. [16:27] As our businesses and organizations grow, we need to scale and invest in automation. During the application process this means that we need to have a system to quickly sift out applicants who don't fit the criteria of what we're looking for. [17:34] The candidate resentment rate, where candidates express no desire to work with a particular employer again due to a poor experience, plummeted in 2020. Kevin shares that this was due to employers and companies being pushed into a forced level of transparency. This transparency, coupled with continuous empathetic communication, garnered sympathy from candidates. [20:20] Kevin shares tips and recommendations for companies navigating through lots of negative feedback. [27:03] As leaders, we need to invest the same effort and time, and thoughtful communication  into our employees as we do our customers, as well as those who aren't our employees who will experience our brand in some way in the future. [30:01] Resources Mike Sipple Jr. | LinkedIn | Twitter Kevin Grossman | LinkedIn | Twitter  Talent Board

Why do we need innovative disruption? Mike Sipple Jr's guest on the Talent Magnet Leadership Podcast, Maggie Nichols, dives deep into this topic in this week's episode. Maggie is the CEO and President of Eureka! Ranch. She also leads the team at The Innovation Engineering Institute and helps C-level executives around the world guide their employees through innovation. This is a must listen conversation where Maggie explains the need for innovative disruption in our organizations, and creating a culture of trust where leaders allow employees to lead their own projects. Disruptive innovation is anything that wreaks havoc in a place - especially in a new market - and changes the current way of operating. It shakes things up, and that may either excite or terrify you. Disruptive innovation is what's needed to make a change in today's society. [2:19] What are we doing as leaders to bring value to our customers and impact their lives? What are we doing that has never been done before? Disruption in innovation has to be purposeful disruption. [3:33] The real challenge of disruption is making it happen. The work that is going to make a maximum impact is fixing the system in which you work. To allow for disruption, leaders need to create the energy source for change. Maggie shares the secret trick to making this happen. [6:02] Maggie dives deep into the three ingredients for cultivating a culture that's both learning and innovation based. [7:41] In order to create change, we need a reason for change. We need cool ideas to give us a reason to ‘walk the talk'. [10:33] Give some direction about where you want the conversation to go in a brainstorming event with your team. Open the floodgates but channel it correctly, and you'll get many amazing ideas. [11:55] When an employee says they have an idea, do they know what to do next? If you can't answer that question, or five different employees give five different answers, you don't have a system for ideas. You may be unintentionally squashing innovation that could really help your business. [15:26] The best job of a leader is to identify “death threats”. These are the hindrances to company projects, and the issues that will “kill” the projects so to speak. Rather than solving these issues for their employees, leaders should be good at identifying these issues and giving the reins to employees to come up with ways to resolve those issues themselves. [18:40] Maggie helps Mike understand the six types of employee stimuli. [23:35] To make a real idea happen, we need collaboration. Collaboration through diversity is an exponential lift for the business because it allows for a multitude of different perspectives. The more diverse, the better. [29:46] Resources Mike Sipple Jr. | LinkedIn | Twitter Maggie Nichols | LinkedIn | Twitter  Eureka! Ranch

What is the ‘three word concept' and how can it impact your leadership? Mike Sipple Jr's guest on the Talent Magnet Leadership Podcast, Lisa Thal, dives deep into this topic in this week's episode. Lisa is a sales and marketing speaker and the General Sales Manager of Hubbard Cincinnati. She is also the author of Three Word Meetings and the Host of The Three Word Podcast. This is a must listen conversation where Lisa shares​​ how the ‘three word concept' has transformed her leadership, and how it can change your life as well. About 50% of sales meetings are a waste of time, mainly because leaders aren't taught how to do them well. If your meeting doesn't have a clear message, with clear meaning, it ends up costing your team productivity and ultimately, money. [1:53] Lisa recounts how the Three Word Meetings concept was created. Simply using three words to summarize your team's needs is very effective. Her own team has reaped the benefits. “If I decided to cancel a meeting, they're like ‘What's the three words Lisa? We might not need all your other stuff, but we need to know what your three words are,'” she says. [3:45] The first step in implementing the Three Word strategy is identifying the team's needs. This helps you to structure your meetings: now you know what direction you need to take, and how to drive action within your team. Come up with the three words for your meetings based on the team's needs. Begin and end your meeting with these three words so that your team members can leave with the most actionable thing you need them to do. [6:32] The pandemic shifted Lisa's sales meetings from presentation to conversation. It's a philosophy more leaders should adopt, she advises. People want to talk about what's going on in the business. [13:52] When we have diversity in our teams, we uncover different ideas and that creates a much stronger company. [17:34] Leaders can listen and ask questions, but they can't fix everything for their employees. Allow employees to ask the right questions so they can discover solutions to their issues themselves. [18:18] When you're doing a presentation, aim to understand the type of personalities you're presenting to and their learning styles. [20:33] Your job as a leader is to develop talent. If you can say down the line that your team is better than it was in the beginning, you've done your job. [22:22] Leadership is not a destination; it's a journey. [24:30] Lisa shares her three-step formula to leading more effectively. [26:46] We need to structure our meetings around needs and communication, as shared in the three-step process. This will help us as leaders to simplify our meetings. [32:00] Resources Mike Sipple Jr. | LinkedIn | Twitter Lisa Thal | LinkedIn | Twitter  Three Word Meetings The Three Word Podcast

Mike Sipple Jr's guest on this episode of the Talent Magnet Leadership Podcast is Dave Ulrich, ‘The Father of Modern HR'. Dave is a university professor at The Ross School of Business and the co-founder of The RBL Group. A renowned author and speaker, he is also a Thought Partner on Leadership and Organization. In this episode, he and Mike talk about becoming great leaders by embracing change. To create an environment that allows people to bring their whole selves to the workplace, we have to focus on relationships. [1:40] People want three things at work: to belong, to become, and to believe. Employees want to feel a sense of purpose and fulfillment, they want to learn and grow, and they want to be connected to a community. These three elements are the foundation of a positive employee experience. When we connect the metrics of belief, belonging, and becoming we create an environment where people can thrive. [5:20] The nature of becoming is change. "To become is to learn to experiment, to get out of my comfort zone, to not be afraid of failure, to relish the opportunity to fail, to continuously improve,” Dave shares with Mike. [9:01] Dave gives valuable insights about incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusion into the workplace in phases. The first phase is through affirmative action; phase two is incorporating diversity and inclusion into HR programs which would include unconscious bias training, and phase three is succession planning with diversity. The strategy is to innovate through diversity. [14:24] Leaders must look at leadership as a way to empower others. The job of a leader is not to exercise power but to share the power that they have and empower employees to reach their fullest potential. [16:34] Creating an open environment means learning and growing from each other. “One of the most powerful opportunities is to start conversations and to share and create safe spaces,” Dave says. It is a journey and not an event: this is a heart change and a heart change takes a long time. [21:00] Personalized leadership is how we show care, and the more we do this, the more we help unlock our employees' full potential. This is the type of leadership that changes organizations, hearts, and behaviors. [24:17] HR leaders should be asking employees how they feel, what their experience that day was like, and what they did that day that helped a customer have a better experience. [27:49] Resources Dave Ulrich | LinkedIn | Twitter The RBL Group

Mike Sipple Jr's guest on this episode of the Talent Magnet Institute Podcast is Teresa Quinlan. Teresa is the founder of IQ+EQ=TQ. As an author, executive coach, and podcast host, Teresa is an advocate for exceptional performance. She believes that it's our personal responsibility to use our talents to reach our highest potential. In this episode, Teresa and Mike are talking about the importance of emotional intelligence in the workplace, in order to be the leaders our employees need us to be. Teresa talks about what motivated her to start IQ+EQ=TQ. [1:46] Leaders must care about their employees. Emotional self-awareness is key: we have to be aware of our own emotions, and how they're impacting us, so we can understand others. We also need empathy and being able to understand where people are coming from. [4:05] Identifying gaps in team engagement is twofold. The first part is that employees have to take responsibility for their emotional well-being. The other part is leadership excellence. Leaders need to hold their employees accountable up to the behavioral standards that are set. Failure to address toxic work behavior will cause those behaviors to continue to grow and disrupt the productivity of the organization. [7:18] Teresa tells Mike about the self-awareness assessment tools she uses with leaders. [10:43] Authenticity commands esteem. When leaders bring their authentic selves to work, it builds trust between them and their employees. [14:48] The pandemic brought to light how much our emotions impact our performance. One of the main challenges going forward is that the 'Wellness' initiatives many companies are adopting aren't the right kinds of initiatives. To make their workplaces better, leaders need to model active communication with their employees. [19:21] We need to be aware of our employees as leaders. We need to be able to pick up on changed behavior and act accordingly. "When our employee behavior shifts, it means they've already been in an emotional state that disrupts them for a little while, and we want to correct that as quickly as possible in leadership," Teresa says. [23:50] The more we create resonance in our workplace and the more we pay attention to the emotional climate, the better we will be at addressing it when it needs to be addressed. [25:48] Teresa talks about identifying the goals and objectives of the people we employ. [30:01] Teresa talks about her podcast and the Humans First Movement. [32:58] Resources Teresa Quinlan | LinkedIn  IQ+EQ=TQ TNT ESQ HumansFirst

Do you have the true DNA of a leader within you? Mike Sipple Jr's guest on this episode of the Talent Magnet Institute Podcast is Ryan Hawk. He is a Leadership Advisor, Keynote Speaker and the author of Welcome to Management: How to Grow from Top Performer to Excellent Leader, a book in which Forbes called the Best Leadership Book of 2020. In this episode, Ryan and Mike are talking about what it takes to be a successful and impactful leader. Leaders display three key behaviors: they are thoughtful, intentional, and they have a bias for action. Leaders reflect on what they have to do, act with great intention, and take what they've learned and apply it instead of simply reviewing the knowledge they've acquired. It's these behaviors that help them achieve excellent levels of performance within their organizations. [2:40] The leaders who are making it happen, are the ones who bring their whole selves to work. If they are intentional at work, a lot of the time, they are also intentional at home. If we want to be effective leaders, we should not change who we are to fit whichever room we're in. We have to be authentic, and authenticity will breed trust between us and our employees. [5:42] To be an effective senior level executive, we must have the ability to bring out the best in others, be great listeners, and be someone who enables others to bring their best selves. "Organizations that have a leader with those three abilities typically see tremendous trust throughout the entire company alignment with customers," Ryan tells Mike. [8:50] Ryan talks about the various tools he has in place to manage the difficulties others face when it comes to leadership. [11:28] When addressing a room of people, leaders should do their best to make each person feel like we're speaking directly to them. [15:56] One of the key takeaways from the social unrest leaders should consider is how they want to be remembered. Leaders are the emotional thermostats of their teams, and so the way they respond to these types of situations have a large impact on their teams. [19:48] The attitude of a leader is important. Are your employees looking to you as a mentor or coach during trying times? Is there any type of void between how you say you're leading, and how you truly wish to be leading? If there is, you should be doing your best to bridge those gaps. [24:15] Build good relationships with people. Try to add value and be intellectually curious whenever you have the opportunity to meet with the people you admire. Be a good listener, and do your best to show you care. [27:42] Resources Ryan Hawk | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram The Learning Leader Show

What influences employee engagement? Julie Jeannotte has spent many years researching what it takes to lead and influence people, and how companies help employees stay passionate about their jobs. Julie is an Employee Engagement Expert and Senior Researcher at Officevibe, an author, a panelist, and a keynote speaker. In this episode, Julie and Mike Sipple Jr. discuss becoming better leaders by enhancing employee engagement in your organizations. Julie shares with Mike that Officevibe was based around ‘the science of employee engagement.' The science is simply about understanding what motivates people at work. [4:01] Officevibe compiles data taken from their bank of questions to create a report, which gives leaders authentic insight into their team engagement. [4:49] Leaders have to be vulnerable. Employees feel seen and know that they aren't alone when leaders are transparent about their own feelings and experiences.  [10:43] Julie shares the 10 engagement metrics. [14:41] One thing leaders can do for their people is ask the right questions, so that they gather the right information. This should then inform how they respond. [16:40] 70% of the variance of employee engagement can be attributed to the relationship with the manager. To the employee, the manager represents the organization. If the employee has a relationship with the manager that isn't based in trust and communication, they're going to view the organization in a negative light as well. [17:55] There are four keys of leading courageously. The number one component is being more empathetic and seeking to understand from the other person's viewpoint. Being transparent is another, and leaders need to be both present and future-minded. [25:29] Silence is a powerful tool in listening as it allows us to listen with our ears and our eyes, and lets us observe what is happening. This is so important for leaders. [28:20] Resources Julie Jeannotte | LinkedIn  Officevibe

Mike Sipple Jr's guest on this week's episode of the Talent Magnet Institute Podcast is Heather R. Younger. Heather is an author, an experienced keynote speaker, and the host of the podcast Leadership With Heart. She is the CEO and Founder of Employee Fanatix, a consulting firm specializing in employee engagement and leadership development. Through her company, Heather helps leaders realize the power they have to ensure people feel valued at work. In this episode, Heather and Mike are talking about leading with heart and leading with a culture of listening. People seek out Heather's company because they want to take their organizations to the next level. They understand that Employee Fanatix has the capabilities necessary to help them make a change. "If they're not serious, they don't come to us," Heather tells Mike. [5:49] Now that people are working from home, leaders need to exercise empathy and compassion. They have to be active listeners now more than ever. "Those leaders who, during a pandemic, continue to build trust by listening intently and keep showing that care and compassion for their people...are the ones who are going to be fortunate enough to keep most of their people." [7:06] Leaders should think critically about how they want our employees and team members to respond to the question 'How is work going?'. Do you want your organization to be known as a place where it's a tragedy to be employed, or do you want to be known as a safe space for your employees? [10:40] The behavior that would best define 'leading with the heart' would be caring leadership. [12:45] Heather talks about the importance of employee recognition, especially from the manager. This recognition is the most meaningful to a team member, and it's important for organizations and leaders to implement this. [15:09] We have to empathize by listening deeply to the needs of those who are different from us. We as leaders need to step into their shoes to understand where they're coming from. We also have to take the next step of compassion where we do our best to alleviate the pain of the person who is hurt. [22:44] Leaders need to be active allies: we have to act on empathy and compassion. We should be always learning more about how to support the marginalized communities within our organizations. [24:07] Employee experience and retention are driven by emotions. How we make others feel, determines their next steps. [30:49] Resources Heather R. Younger | LinkedIn | Twitter Employee Fanatix

Jon Thurmond, of HR Social Hour, is the guest host of this week’s episode of the Talent Magnet Institute Podcast. He is pleased to welcome Katrina Kibben. Katrina uses their technical marketing expertise and way with words to help both established and emerging brands develop and deliver creative, strategic recruitment marketing that makes the right people apply. They are the Founder and CEO of Three Ears Media, a company of talented copywriters that specialize in writing for recruiting. In this episode, Katrina and Jon are talking about what leaders need to be doing to create positive impacts for their companies’ futures, how to eliminate the barriers that hinder people from applying to job postings, and how leaders can show they care about their employees. Leaders need to learn how to write for recruiting; this is an important first step in impacting their companies’ future. [1:39] Katrina says that many leaders are bringing unknown biases into the hiring process. This is hindering the people we want to attract from applying. [5:18] “We have created this friction between what we want and the actions we're taking to get those people [we want to attract],” Katrina says. “We have to stop using miscellaneous requirements and thinking people will just get it, and they'll know what's important.” [6:12] Leaders need to ask different questions at hiring and imagine success instead of just having a list of requirements. [8:11] Interview not only to gather data but also with the intention to be helpful. Make space for your interviewees to ask questions, and be prepared to just listen. [12:14] An important way for leaders to show they care is to listen to people and do emotional resilience training. This will make your employees’ work experience better for everyone. [16:15] “[A positive work experience for employees] is often the result of listening and acting with intent and allowing people to make mistakes and give them space to be human,” Katrina tells Jon. An important way for leaders to continue to implement a positive work experience, is to talk positively and regularly about the future. [18:41] One way to focus on the future is to figure out what you need to stop doing. [21:20] Resources Jon Thurmond | LinkedIn | Twitter HR Social Hour JonThurmond.com Katrina Kibben | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram Three Ears Media KatrinaKibben.com

Mike Sipple, Jr. is pleased to welcome Jennifer Brown to this week’s episode of the Talent Magnet Institute Podcast. Jennifer’s work in talent management and intersectional theory has helped make the corporate environment more inclusive. Her strategies have been used by some of the biggest companies around the world in order to help employees feel like they belong. Jennifer is a best-selling author, founder of Jennifer Brown Consulting, and the host of The Will To Change. In this episode, she and Mike talk about diversity, inclusion, allyship, and how to make the workplace a psychologically and emotionally safe environment for all employees. The year 2020 exposed the pain of racism, but we also gained knowledge and awareness from the experience. [04:46] Jennifer’s inclusiveness training doesn’t encourage shaming as she believes we don’t learn from shaming. [06:39] Leaders need to build relationships and establish trust in the workplace. Create psychological safety so that employees from marginalized communities are able to speak up about their experiences. [12:27] Jennifer stresses that we need to be invested in understanding experiences different to ours and actively doing the work to learn more. [14:20] Psychological safety is about belonging. Employees who feel they belong feel comfortable, that they can be themselves, and as such, they can collaborate effectively and cohesively. [18:00] As a leader, always strive to do a continuously better job at diversity. Don’t assume that you have everything under control. [22:54] We need to be better allies, but we also need allies ourselves. We need people who will stand in solidarity with us and speak up for us especially in this virtual world. [32:31] If you have privilege in any way, you should be using that privilege to help those around you who are disenfranchised. Endeavor to do what you can to help them get fair treatment. [40:54] Disengaged employees ultimately impact company profitability as disengagement usually equals lack of creativity, innovation, growth, and motivation. Jennifer suggests that this is another reason companies should care how their employees are treated. [43:52] Resources Jennifer Brown | Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram Jennifer Brown Consulting | DEI | Inclusive Leader Self-Assessment How To Be An Inclusive Leader Inclusion: Diversity, The New WorkPlace & The Will To Change The WIll To Change 

Mike Sipple Jr’s guests this week are Danielle McCombs and Kristy Olinger. Danielle is a Commercial Real Estate Professional with 18 years experience, and Kristy is a Product Manager at Citizen, and also the founder of KO Communication. They’re the hosts of the podcast, “The Opposite of Small Talk”. Mike welcomes them to this week’s episode of the Talent Magnet Institute Podcast. This month’s theme is career management and growth and Mike, Danielle and Kristy discuss how we can use friendship and growth mindsets to manage and lead more effectively in our own companies, and improve both our career and personal developments. Growth mindset is the idea that your effort matters. Kristy specifies that she and Danielle look at it through the lens of behaviors, a person’s willingness to be curious and to take on challenges. The growth mindset praises a person’s efforts and makes them desire to tackle challenges. [4:05] Individuals who are growth-minded are more amenable to feedback. They’re open to viewing conflict as a positive and to dealing with challenges as opposed to running from them. [8:40] Danielle and Kristy discuss five key tips on making and maintaining friendships. [16:47] We need to take friendships as priorities and treat them as such as well. Friendships, like any other relationship, have to be worked on to be meaningful. [22:57] When we realize that we don't know everything and that there's so much more to learn, we’re more inclined to meet new people and approach those new relationships with a curiosity. We want to learn more about them and what they do. This builds the foundation for a stronger friendship. [25:52] Friendships and a growth mindset go hand-in-hand with career growth and management because building friendships is networking which is what we need to advance our careers. [26:38] Resources Danielle McCombs | LinkedIn, Kristy Olinger | LinkedIn, Twitter The Opposite of Small Talk | Apple | Google | Spotify

Don Frericks is the guest host of this week’s Talent Magnet Institute Podcast, and in this installment, he’s continuing his series “Extraordinary Leaders.” Don is a faculty member of the Talent Magnet Institute and the author of “Best Boss Ever.” Mark Thompson is his guest, and the Chief Operating Officer at Infoverity, a global professional services company focused on solving business problems that are caused by the diversification of data. Don welcomes him as they discuss leadership, developing an owner’s mindset, and emphasizing the human aspect of business. Infoverity works with their clients to help them get more value out of their data through data governance. [2:19] Developing an owner's mindset doesn't happen instantly or naturally. We are usually brought up to see and to think of ourselves as employees. Being an owner brings a different kind of perspective than that of an employee, and it takes time for the ‘owner’s mindset’ to fully develop and grow. [07:35] In order to learn, we must teach. This drives us to a different level of competence. Influence is synonymous with leadership for management, and it involves teaching every workforce. [17:02] Every business is a people business. The care and psychological wellbeing of your team is more important than the numbers, finances, and operations. Everything that happens in an organization is based on an emotional conversation whether we know it or not. [28:20] Most innovation comes from stepping between two thought spaces and processes and then bridging the gap between them. It’s stepping into a vacancy and filling it. [39:53] We can learn as leaders in many different ways, and broadly and deeply. Great leadership is noticing where an opportunity is and where we can add value to our teams and organizations. Great leaders are also great innovators. [47:02] Resources Don Frericks | LinkedIn DonFrericks.com Best Boss Ever Mark Thompson | LinkedIn Infoverity.com Talent Magnet Institute | Twitter

Gayle Lantz is the Founder of WorkMatters, Inc. and the host of her own podcast “CEO on the Go.” A leadership expert, an author and speaker, she’s using her skills and talents to help CEOs and executives shape corporate culture and inspire change. Mike Sipple Jr. welcomes her to this week’s episode of the Talent Magnet Institute Podcast; they’re talking about strategic planning, organizational culture, making the work environment inclusive, and empowering employees. They’re also discussing some of the barriers workers may have to overcome. Organizations need to be as competitive, cutting edge, and forward-thinking as they can. Engaging employees and creating an environment that inspires and generates more productivity is key. [02:02] It's important for leaders to encourage employees to talk more and flesh out their ideas. Showing acknowledgment for their contribution inspires employees - even those who may be a bit more reluctant - to share and creates greater trust and respect. [12:15] Leaders should focus more on the employees who want to make a positive impact. Even the most negative of employees eventually fall in line. And if they don’t, the company can move forward without them. [17:11] When conceptualizing organizational strategy, we should pay attention to the influencers within our companies. The individuals influencing our customers the most, and the people on the frontline that are most sought after for guidance and advice, should be considered. They're the ones working with the customers every day, and they will be able to offer invaluable insight. [26:51] We have to acknowledge the existing barriers that stunt our employees’ productivity, and do our best as leaders to mitigate them. We must create a work environment that will let our employees feel happy, and inspire them to work. It is our responsibility as leaders and employers to make certain that all voices are heard. [31:27] Resources Gaye Lantz | LinkedIn, Twitter  CEO On The Go

Daniel Wachter, Chief Commercial Officer at Chromatic Technologies, hosts this week’s episode of the Talent Magnet Institute Podcast. His guest is Francois Lopez-Ferrer. Francois is the Assistant Conductor at the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. A son of a conductor, he’s carrying on in his father’s footsteps. Through his work directing musical orchestras over the years in both Europe and in the United States, he’s been able to observe how the psychology of conducting works across cultures.  Here are some key points from their interesting conversation: Each conductor has their own strong point: you’re never going to find two conductors who have the exact talents or techniques. People have different personalities, and it’s important to find the right balance, as the human aspect is as important - sometimes more important - than the musical aspect. [2:49] A good conductor is a motivator. “You need to take your team out of their comfort zone to make them excel, but not over-challenge them, because it then becomes counterproductive,” Francois says. [08:04] Accountability and responsibility on the part of leaders is key. If you try hard to lead but your organization does not follow, you cannot just blame the people. It may be that there’s a lack of communication, and leaders must take responsibility for that.[14:37] When it comes to making decisions, a conductor’s - and any leader’s - biggest challenge would be maintaining sensibility and openness. There’s a fine line between being confident that you’re making the right decisions and being arrogant. [25:37] Leaders have a major impact on the culture of an organization but they cannot define it. You as a leader cannot be the culture because the culture is so much more than the leader. It's the culmination of many interactions of people within the organization. [27:38]  Every institution should do whatever they can to stay relevant in their communities. [38:53] Now in its 126th season, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra reaches audiences locally, nationally, and globally with innovative and inspiring programs. For more information about how you and your business can support the CSO’s performances and free education programs, please visit cincinnatisymphony.org. Resources Daniel Wachter | LinkedIn Francois Lopez-Ferrer