Grow Strong Leaders Podcast

DescriptionWhat leadership lessons can we take away from the Elders in traditional communities around the world? Eboni Adams Monk has first-hand experience living with and learning from these wise individuals, and we uncover several of them in this inspiring conversation. Eboni is Vice President of Marketing and Commercial Excellence at a specialty chemical company. She draws from her studies with Elders to inspire transformational leadership and life-changing growth so others can succeed at work. Her experiences with these cultures led her to write her beautiful and powerful book, Leading Wise: Inspirational Reflections for Corporate Leaders.You’ll discover: Why Eboni makes no distinction between work life and personal lifeWhat inspired her to write her book and the key messages she wanted to conveyThe benefits of taking time to reflect…and the consequences if we don’tWhy Eboni considers the power that leaders have to be sacredHow leaders can build a feeling of communityCheck out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedIn

What does it look like when the CEO of a publicly traded company treats people as the company’s #1 asset? Phil Gallagher does just that. He’s an extraordinary leader whose motto is, “When people feel good, they do good.”Phil is the CEO of Avnet, a publicly traded company with annual sales north of 20 billion dollars and more than 14,000 employees worldwide, and ship to 140 countries. They’re #167 on Fortune 500.You’ll discover: The value of self-awareness in a leader’s growthHow Phil developed his own EQWhy asking for feedback and receiving it well is a critical skill for every leaderSome of the little things Phil does to strengthen relationshipsThe difference in leaders who head Avnet’s highest-performing locations vs. the lowest-performing locationsCheck out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedIn

What does it take to help people unlock their true potential? Peter Walmsley is masterful at doing this, and you’ll learn the key approaches he’s taken over the years. Peter has lived and breathed everything my podcast is about, so I know you’re going to value the insights and ideas he shares in our conversation. Peter is the Senior Vice President of Organization Effectiveness at Scopely. He’s a highly committed leader with extensive experience in global organizations covering the U.S., Europe, Asia, and North Africa. He’s originally from London, and he’s lived and worked primarily for US companies in Paris, Madrid, Geneva, and San Francisco. You’ll discover: Why Peter creates an environment for people to flourishWhat he does to convey his belief in an individualThe role of courage in decision-makingHow Peter developed his own courage muscleWhat leaders can do to become more comfortable with uncertainty and help their team members with this, tooCheck out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedIn

We all know about the “elephant in the room.” But what about those less obvious thoughts and feelings you might be having? My guest David Wood describes them in his captivating new book, The Mouse in The Room – Because the Elephant Isn’t Alone. You won’t want to miss out on the mice he names during our conversation…and the simple 3-D process you can use to determine if you want to bring them up. We’re at a time when our world needs more vulnerability, transparency, and connection. David’s experiences make him the ideal person to teach us how to do that. He built the world’s largest coaching business and coached thousands of hours in 12 countries, and he’s advised business owners and leaders. The Mouse in The Room can be a powerful guide to fostering more connection, influence, and understanding with the people who matter to you, both at work and at home. You’ll discover: What “mouse naming” is and why it’s important for your wellbeingWhat Toleration Mouse and Desire Mouse are connected toWhy we tend to hide our mice…from ourselves and from othersThe impact that self-esteem has on our ability or willingness to identify mice and talk about themHow to receive a mouse from someone else without getting defensive Check out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedIn

Want to stand out from every other candidate when you’re being considered for a new position or a promotion? Debra Olshan Cooper is a genius at helping clients answer the question: “Who are you?” You’ll find out the exact approach she uses with clients to uncover their true talents and passion. She’s a masterful storyteller herself, as you’ll hear in the many client examples she shares. Debra is the founder of Your Career Design Lab, which mentors and coaches college graduates to excavate their passion and turn it into a paycheck by crafting their unique story. She’s worked with young adults and people in their 60s. Her 30 years of experience as CEO of two highly successful public relations and marketing firms puts her in a unique position to teach her clients how to create, tell and sell their individual story.You’ll discover: How to turn an interview into a conversation where you share compelling storiesWhy it’s important to ask for what you wantHow to transform imposter syndrome into a strengthWhat you can do to turn a No into a YesWhat employers need to know and do to maximize performance of younger workersCheck out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedIn

What’s it like to work in a company whose core values are practiced daily by leaders and employees alike? Christopher Lind paints a clear picture, describing the positive impact on relationships and results. Christopher is Chief Learning Officer at ChenMed. He’s a globally recognized, digital-first leader in learning and workplace technology with a career at the intersection of people, business, and technology. He’s the founder of Learning Sharks and host of the Learning Tech Talks Podcast. You’ll discover: How ChenMed teams live their core values when interacting with each other and their patientsFour challenges that Christopher is hearing about when talking with leaders in organizations A simple solution for eliminating the problem of poor managersHow leaders can reduce employee anxiety and build a foundation of trustCheck out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedIn

What if every CEO understood that their title really stands for Chief Environmental Officer? My guest Jay Steinfeld makes the case that the #1 role of a CEO is to create a culture that helps people thrive and achieve their potential. He should know. His company maintained an astonishingly low turnover rate of 8% throughout his years of leadership. Find out how this exceptional leader built a healthy workplace that encouraged people to evolve continuously, experiment without fear of failure, express themselves, and enjoy the ride along the way. Jay was founder and CEO of Blinds.com, the world’s number one online window covering retailer, that was acquired by The Home Deport in 2014. Jay remained on as its CEO and later joined The Home Depot Online Leadership Team. He stepped away from these positions in early 2020 and has RE-WIRED himself for new roles as advisor or Board member for several companies. You’ll discover: How Jay brought the 4 Es to life everyone in the companyThe practices that helped Jay and his team hire the right peopleWhat leaders can do to make it safe for people to take risksWhy generosity and gratitude are two of Jay’s core valuesWays that Jay instilled fun and humor so people actually enjoyed coming to work Check out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedIn

Are you aware of the kind of energy you bring to conversations? My guest Marcel Daane has combined his study of martial arts and neuroscience to create a powerful, practical model you can use to apply the right energy in any situation.. In our conversation, we discussed the model and Marcel’s latest book, Five Energies of Horrible Bosses and How Not to Become One. You can take his free 5-minute assessment to become more aware of your own dominant energy and learn how to adjust it for the person you’re with. Marcel is the CEO of Level V Partners, a global network of uniquely trained Executive Coaches working with multinational organizations, teams, and leaders. In 2020 Marcel was voted Executive Coach of the Year by Singapore Prestige Brands, and in 2016 he was awarded the Global Coaching Leadership Award.You’ll discover: How to identify an organization’s culture in terms of weatherThe 3 Pillars of Wisdom and the one most leaders mistakenly rely onA practical definition of EnergyWhy the acronym W.I.S.E. serves as an excellent model for leadersThe 5 Energies we all have and what they look like on our behaviorCheck out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedIn

Want to know what separates peak performers from everyone else? Dr. Ruth Gotian has studied super successful people for decades and shares the four elements that set them apart. You can learn and adopt these same behaviors. Ruth is the author of The Success Factor: Developing the Mindset and Skillset for Peak Performance and a contributor to Forbes and Psychology Today where she writes about optimizing success. She won the Thinkers50 Distinguished Achievement “Radar” Award, ranking her the #1 emerging management thinker in the world to bridge theory and practice. You’ll discover: A definition of success that has nothing to do with moneyThe single sentence from one of Ruth’s mentors that totally changed the focus of her workThe four elements that all super successful people have in commonWhat you can do to identify and work with a mentorHow the mindset of very high achievers differs from everyone elseCheck out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedIn

What if you could find out secrets to a strong marriage and then discover that these same secrets can apply to all your relationships? That’s exactly what you’ll learn in this profound conversation I had with John David Mann and Ana Gabriel Mann, co-authors of The Go-Giver Marriage. John is coauthor of more than 30 books, including his classic 2008 parable The Go-Giver, coauthored with Bob Burg. Ana is a clinical psychologist and therapist currently focused on training coaches around the globe to lead The Go-Giver Marriage workshops.You’ll discover: The role John and Ana each played in the creation of this bookThe one principle that underlies all 5 secretsSpecific words you can say to express appreciationWhich secret is a favorite for John and for Ana – and whyWhy they refer to one’s partner as an “unexplored continent”Check out all the episodesLeave a review on Apple PodcastsConnect with Meredith on LinkedIn