Grow Strong Leaders Podcast

What causes so many leaders to fail when they are transitioning to a senior leadership role? Robert Witherspoon reveals important reasons, based on his decades of experience coaching leaders in transition. What he shares can help your organization avoid those pitfalls and instead ensure success. Robert is a leadership coach for top executives, and he’s been serving leaders in business and government since 1990. He specializes in C-Suite and Leadership Transition Coaching.  Robert is the lead author, along with Randy White, of Four Essential Ways That Coaching Can Help Executives, the first field guide to executive coaching, published by the Center for Creative Leadership in 1997. Robert has been doing this work well before executive coaching and leadership development became popular boardroom language. Today he is considered a pioneer in the coaching profession. His mission is to provide immediate impact, measurable results, and sustainable success. He achieves this by helping leaders develop their leadership skills and facilitating their transitions to new roles. You’ll discover: What Leadership Transition is and why it mattersSome of the key transitions that have major impact on an organizationWhat’s often missing before a leader moves into a new positionThe role of robust assessments in identifying potential challenges for the leaderHow to increase the chances for success Check out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedIn

What do the best founders do when leading others to fulfill the company’s mission? You’ll find out in this valuable conversation with Raja Skogland, who’s based in Norway. Raja is not only an entrepreneur herself, she has also invested in more than 70 start-ups and small businesses. She’s observed firsthand—and also practices herself—the leadership skills necessary for building a successful company.Raja is the Founder and Chair of The Visionary Company & VC. She’s created an ecosystem of experts, board members, investors, and serial entrepreneurs. Their purpose is to help startups, scale-ups, and small- to medium-size businesses raise money and build profitable, scalable businesses. Raja is also a Board Member of NorBAN, the Norwegian Business Angel Network. You’ll discover: How Raja’s experiences in the business world led her to the work she does todayWhy Raja works on her mindset on a continuous basis and encourages entrepreneurs to do the sameThe power of surrounding yourself with “friend clients”Key leadership skills needed to run a successful business or teamHow Raja applies these skills with her children and with her teamCheck out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedIn

To celebrate Episode #250, Meredith invited her business partner of 32 years, Dr. Denny Coates, to be her guest and discuss insights they’ve acquired around skill development and behavior change. Denny and Meredith were introduced to each other in 1990 and met for breakfast to get acquainted. Three hours later, they were still talking. They are still fascinated with each other’s thinking as they’ve evolved as individuals and as a company over the past 3 decades. Denny is CEO of Grow Strong Leaders and is the primary author of the company’s products and books. He’s a graduate of West Point and the Army Ranger School and earned his Ph.D. from Duke University. He served on the faculties of the United States Military Academy, the Armed Forces Staff College, the College of William and Mary, and the Center for Creative Leadership. You’ll discover: How knowledge and skills are differentWhat it takes to establish a skill so you use it automaticallyWhy it’s important to focus on improving just one skill at a timeHow to provide coaching to every person in an organizationWhat the peer coaching process looks likeCheck out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedIn

You may think that success requires striving and pushing hard. Dr. Jeff Spencer dispels that notion and presents an alternate approach that results in a joyful life. You’ll want to take notes as you listen to this amazing man drop nugget after nugget of wisdom. Jeff builds champions. He has spent more than 400,000 hours mastering the art and science of full potential play. His extraordinary track record helping athletes win gold medals, entrepreneurs dominate their fields, and business titans become iconic come from his experience as an Olympic cyclist, author, hot glass artist, sports scientist, doctor, husband and father. Jeff’s clients include Tiger Woods, U2, Nike, Hitachi and Bulletproof. His proudest achievement is the raising of his adopted daughter, Kin, with his wife Kristina.You’ll discover: The difference between a human mindset and a champion mindWhy a state of Receivership beats hard work every timeWhat’s required to play the long game in lifeJeff’s definition of Imposter Syndrome that’s sure to resonate with youWhy Jeff “answers callings” instead of chasing dreams or goalsCheck out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedIn

Did you know that stress is actually something we create in our own minds? It’s true! And Dr. Bridget Cooper shares specific Stress Busters that can help you become calmer in the face of any challenge. This is a must-listen episode if you’d like to ditch the drama in your life while maintaining your inner peace and personal power. Bridget, or Dr. B as she’s called by her clients, is a cage rattler. Over the past 20+ years, she’s  helped teams and leaders think and communicate more clearly so they can navigate problems proactively and effectively. She works with clients to overcome the attitudes and behavior patterns that derail their success by offering down-to-earth insights and action plans.  Bridget does this through coaching, corporate consulting, and leading workshops that guide people to live more authentic, peaceful, and powerful lives. Her mission is to change the world, one life at a time. She has also done this in her new book, Unflappable: How Smart People Quit Overthinking, Ditch the Drama, & Thrive at Work, which is packed with practical suggestions you can start implementing right away. You’ll discover: Why Unflappable is the perfect title for her bookHow we create stress and what we can do to reduce itThe benefits of creating a “bubble” in conflict situationsWhy it’s important to create a Professional Avatar and why Bridget calls it “the holy grail”The power of using the “Meet Them Where They Are” strategyCheck out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedIn

What does it take to be someone who can benefit from coaching? Jacquelyn Lane and Scott Osman share the qualities that are essential to make the most of the coaching process.  Scott and Jacquelyn are the two lead authors of the new book, Becoming Coachable: Unleashing the Power of Executive Coaching to Transform Your Leadership and Life. Their co-author is Marshall Goldsmith, a familiar name to everyone in the business world.Scott is the founder and CEO of the 100 Coaches Agency and Jacquelyn is the president. Together they designed a proprietary curation process for matching leaders and executive coaches for an extraordinary experience. Scott co-founded the 100 Coaches Community with Marshall Goldsmith in 2016, and Jacquelyn is a critical pillar in that Community of coaches. They are committed to not just elevating the quality of leadership, they are also focused on guiding leaders to elevate everyone in their organization so that every person flourishes. You’ll discover: How Scott and Jacquelyn have worked on becoming coachable themselvesThe 4 qualities required for someone to become open to coachingThe distinction they make between Rising and FlourishingWhy flourishing (for self and for others) is the ultimate goal of coachingExamples of CEOs who’ve turned around companies based on their own coaching experiencesCheck out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedIn

Would you consider yourself a CURIOUS person? I hope your answer is YES. In this interview with Dr. Michele D’Amico, you’re going to learn some of the benefits of curiosity and why it’s even more powerful when combined with reflective listening. Michele is the founder of Vetta Consultants, an organization that specializes in developing leaders and team members who are emotionally intelligent, curious, and resilient.  Michele has a Doctor of Psychology degree and is certified as a mediator and coach. Her ROE system (Return On Empathy) educates leaders and their organizations on the power of empathic leadership and  the building of safe environments where people want to work. You’ll discover: The meaning behind the title and tagline of Michele’s companyThe 4 components of Emotional IntelligenceTips for regulating your emotions so you can maintain your coolElements involved in creating an environment of psychological safetyCheck out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedIn

What comes to mind when you hear the word INFLUENCE? Think about people who have influenced you in the past – and what it was about their approach that you found persuasive. Elaina Zuker has studied this topic for decades. It’s her specialty and her passion, and you’ll come away with important insights about influencing others at work and at home. Elaina is President of Elaina Zuker Associates, a management training and consulting firm in Montreal. She’s an expert in the area of Influence and the author of 11 books, including the best-seller, The Seven Secrets of Influence. She has recently published a new mini e-book called “INFLUENCE: The 7 BIG Secrets in 7 Little Minutes.”  Elaina’s unique “Secrets of Influence ™“ theory and training program were developed from her experience in Sales, Advertising and Marketing and helped her sell millions of dollars in products and services. Her program is now available as an eLearning package. You’ll discover: The experiences in sales and advertising that shaped Elaina thinking about influenceThe distinctions she makes between Influence and ManipulationHow Elaina created the 6 styles of influenceWhy it’s important to learn your own style and adapt to those who aren’t like youThe approach Elaina took in a competitive sales situation with decision-makers at AT&T that caused them to choose herCheck out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedIn

If you were dealing with personal challenges, such as a special needs child or being caretaker of an aging parent, would you feel comfortable sharing them with your boss? Andrea Grant had both situations, and her answer was a resounding NO. In this conversation, you’ll find out why and how her life experiences led to the work she’s doing today. Andrea leads the growth and expansion efforts for the Human Capital division of FutureSense. She partners with organizations to design and execute critical business and HR programs that identify and leverage talent within underrepresented groups. Andrea is also a devoted special needs parent and was the caregiver to her disabled veteran father. Giving back to others is at the core of her being. You’ll discover: Why Andrea didn’t share with anyone in her workplace the personal challenges she was going throughWhat leaders can do to encourage someone to open up about difficult situations they may be dealing with in their personal lives5 areas that FutureSense’s Inclusion Services can add value to clientsSpecific, practical actions organizations can take to implement DEIB practicesThe practical reasons why organizations should care about DEIBCheck out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedIn

Being voted a “Best Place to Work” doesn’t happen by accident. Aaron Wilmot shares what’s he learned about creating the kind of culture where people are excited to come to work and put forth their best efforts. He points out several leadership behaviors that are key to this environment, including the investment of time in getting to know people and what’s important to them.  Aaron is the Vice President of People and Talent at AgentSync, one of the Best Places to Work in Denver. Aaron has been working in the People space for nearly 20 years, and he has experience in a range of industries from Ground Handling to SaaS and a variety of stages from mature to start up. You’ll discover: What a Best Place to Work looks likeWhy time, not money, is a key element in leadership The role of the C-suite in creating a positive cultureKey traits Aaron looks for when hiring new employeesThe 5 expectations AgentSync has laid out for leadersCheck out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedIn