Leadership and Business

This week we start our Summer Look Back Series with an episode that was originally posted last fall with Jennifer DiMotta, who talked with us about the changing landscape of retail, and the way retailers are working to connect with their customers in a variety of ways. DiMotta is Vice President, Digital and Omni Channel for Blue Mercury, a leading luxury beauty retailer. She talked about creating the customer experience. Please enjoy our conversation from last November with Jennifer DiMotta. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Last week we shared the first half of our conversation with leadership coach Margaret Liptay on "managing up." Liptay explained how your relationship with your boss can be more meaningful than the usual supervisor/subordinate relationship. She said when you position the boss as the organizational "parent" you place unnecessary limits on the partnership. This week in the second half of our discussion, Liptay explains how you can reframe the relationship so it becomes more complementary, which leads to better results for you, your boss, and the organization. In addition, she says the concepts of synergistic relationships can be applied in all of your interactions. Here's the second half of our conversation with Margaret Liptay on how properly managing your relationships can create results and growth for everyone involved. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

One of the top priorities for many professionals is cultivating a positive relationship with the boss or direct supervisor. Doing so it often referred to as managing up or communicating up. Managing up often entails learning about the boss's habits such as which channel he prefers for communication, or when she prefers to hold weekly meetings. Our guest on the podcast today has a different take on managing up. Rather than seeing the relationship as a supervisor-subordinate dynamic, leadership coach Margaret Liptay recommends a different approach - one that's more complimentary and reciprocal - and one that leads to results thanks to a one plus one equals three model. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Two weeks ago we spoke with Dave Heenan, a successful leader, executive, educator, and author, about this book "Leaving On Top: Graceful Exits For Leaders." We asked him back to talk about another book he wrote, "Hidden Heroes: Finding Success in the Shadows." In the book, Heenan writes about the way society tends to focus on celebrities. But when examining how the real work gets accomplished, Heenan found one group of professionals - the "exceptional subordinates" - who he calls "hidden heroes." Heenan joins us again today to discuss these selfless individuals who find success in the shadows. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

One of the hottest topics in business today is finding effective ways to connect with others by sharing compelling stories. Whether it's building the brand, closing the sale, or presenting to the board, many professionals and organizations are spending time and effort improving their storytelling abilities. Often, stories in business include data, and that presents a hurdle for many: How to present complex data in a way that helps the audience easily understand. That's where data visualization comes in. Skye Moret is a data visualizer at Periscopic in Portland, Oregon, and joins us today to discuss the many ways data visualization helps professionals tell compelling stories. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

We've all seen it: The CEO, the leader, the athlete, who continue in the role despite the fact their best days are clearly behind them. Clinging to a role in which you're no longer effective can tarnish an otherwise outstanding career and reputation. For many professionals, knowing when to leave or move on can be extremely difficult. Dave Heenan is a career executive, educator, and author of the book "Leaving On Top: Graceful Exits For Leaders," where he examines many ways leaders approach the end of their tenure. He joins us today to share what he learned about the psychological challenge of leaving a leadership position. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Retirement. We all look forward to it and spend our entire career saving for it. How do we make it an enjoyable and meaningful transition once it happens? How can we use and re-purpose the talents that made us successful in our prior careers throughout volunteer efforts on boards and service organizations while still enjoying our retirement years? Today's guest has done just that. After a successful career spanning nearly 45 years, Dane Brooksher has established himself as an innovative leader and world-class manager. He's retired from not just one but two careers and joins us today to discuss how to retire successfully. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Non-profit organizations play a significant role in the lives of Americans. In fact, 1 in 4 US citizens volunteered with a non-profit in 2014. One of the best-known and most successful non-profits is the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, helping all people in the US and developing countries lead healthy, productive lives. Olympia Trumbower is Program Manager in the Global Policy and Advocacy Division at the Gates Foundation, and joins us today to discuss the Foundation, and what it's like to have a career in the non-profit space. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Communication is a critically important element of leadership. Even in small tightly-knit companies where everyone seems to be on the same page, it can be difficult to create a positive culture where quality communication is expected and practiced. Imagine being a CEO in a country and culture other than your own. Tim Murray knows all about that: Born, raised, and educated in the United States, he is CEO of Aluminum Bahrain - also known as Alba - and is one of the top aluminum producers in the world. Murray joins us today to discuss his leadership experience at Alba, and what it's like to lead in a country and culture other than your own. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Being the founder and CEO of a new venture is the goal of many professionals. In fact, 1 in 4 of today's MBA students plan to start a business at some point. Some entrepreneurs manage to start companies that not only fill a need, but also align with their personal goals and interests. After 17 years with JP Morgan advising families on their investment portfolio, Rhian Horgan decided to focus on her passions of technology, health, and wealth and started Kindur, an innovative startup that reimagines financial wellness during retirement. She joins us today to discuss her startup, how it began, and how it intends to change the way retirees manage their money. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.