

Let Go & Lead with Maril MacDonald
Gagen MacDonald
As a leader, letting go doesn't mean abdicating responsibility. In fact, it's just the opposite. Letting go to lead means encouraging your people toward mastery, infusing the workplace with a sense of purpose, allowing room for self-direction and giving others more autonomy in their jobs. In the Let Go & Lead podcast, Maril MacDonald, Founder and CEO of award winning strategy firm Gagen MacDonald, unpacks these topics and more in conversations with today's business leaders, academics and creative thinkers.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 19, 2019 • 35min
16. The Power of Purpose | Tom Wilson
Tom Wilson, Chair, President and CEO of Allstate, is passionate about the purpose of individuals and the purpose of business. He recently shared the stage with Maril at an Executives' Club of Chicago event. Their conversation, released here as the Season 2 finale of Let Go & Lead, dives into leading through change, balancing visionary leadership with detail oriented execution, making effective decisions and of course, leading with purpose at Allstate.

Nov 12, 2019 • 34min
15. The Heart of Transformation | Jenn Hulett
Jenn Hulett, Vice President of People for Ericsson North America, shares her region's transformation story. Following a downturn, and harnessing the team's energy and readiness to change, Jenn led the development of the team's transformation strategy, putting the business on a path to long-term success. In this episode, Jenn shares how this journey began, progressed and also coincided with her own personal transformation journey.

Nov 5, 2019 • 26min
14. Building Coalitions | Devry Boughner Vorwerk
Devry Boughner Vorwerk, CEO of DevryBV Sustainable Strategies and former head of Global Corporate Affairs and Communication at Cargill, is known for her courageous leadership and expertise building coalitions at the intersection of government, NGOs and the private sector. In this episode of Let Go & Lead, Devry shares what makes a successful coalition, the distinction between a coalition and a movement and how she sees the future of leadership.

Oct 29, 2019 • 33min
13. Leading with Intention | Peggy Alford
Peggy Alford, SVP of Core Markets at PayPal, has had a big year. She returned to PayPal after a stint with the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and was named to Facebook's Board of Directors. In this episode of Let Go & Lead, Peggy, who is known for curating strong, diverse, high performing teams, shares her tips on leading, coaching and mentoring others in today's world of accelerated digital transformation and growth.

Oct 22, 2019 • 32min
12. Finding Fulfillment | Dave Hollis
Dave Hollis, CEO of The Hollis Company, gets to work alongside his wife, New York Times best-selling author Rachel Hollis, every day. As a senior executive at the Walt Disney Company, Dave had a career that looked great on paper, yet deep down he yearned for something deeper. In this episode of Let Go & Lead, Dave shares his journey from Disney to The Hollis Company, how he's moving from a fixed mindset to growth mindset and how success must be defined by oneself, not others.

Oct 15, 2019 • 29min
11. The Competitive Advantage of Culture | Ginger Hardage
Ginger Hardage, CEO of Unstoppable Cultures and former SVP of Culture at Southwest Airlines, knows a thing or two about building and sustaining the healthy, authentic and world-famous organizational culture at Southwest. In this episode of Let Go & Lead, Ginger showcases how deliberately investing in culture can differentiate an organization, build authentic brand zealots and deliver positive business results.

Oct 8, 2019 • 36min
10. Transformational Leadership | Jeff Jones
Jeff Jones, CEO of H&R Block, is leading the company through a massive cultural transformation. He's redefining leadership expectations in surprising and inspiring ways, setting a tone and activating a culture. Drawing on his experiences at Target, Uber and Coca-Cola, Jeff is taking his team on a journey unlike any before.

Oct 1, 2019 • 31min
9. The Science of Perfect Timing | Dan Pink
Daniel Pink, New York Times bestselling author, joins Maril as she kicks off Let Go & Lead's second season. They discuss the research behind Dan's latest book When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, which examines the psychology, biology and economics of timing. Dan shares his top timing tips for leaders, what business leaders can learn from choral singers and more.

Sep 24, 2019 • 38sec
Season 2 Trailer
We're thrilled to share that the second season of Let Go & Lead will premiere on October 1. Each Tuesday, look for new interviews with featured guests, including New York Times Best Selling Author Daniel Pink, H&R Block CEO Jeff Jones and PayPal SVP and Facebook Director Peggy Alford. Thanks for listening and for being a part of the Let Go & Lead community!

Jun 18, 2019 • 30min
8. The Potential of People Analytics | Michael J. Walsh
People analytics expert Michael Walsh helps organizations improve employee retention, rethink succession planning and elevate talent through data. In this episode of Let Go & Lead, Michael and Maril discuss what a strong people analytics team looks like, why it's critical not to broad-brush demographic assumptions and how people analytics can strengthen diversity and inclusion efforts.


