The Leadership Podcast

Part of your role as a leader is to create an environment where people are performing at their best; and that means creating an environment where risk is mitigated. However, how safe is too safe? Google conducted a study that looked into what defines a high-performing team. When people see each other as humans first, and coworkers second, it builds psychological safety. Jim and Jan discuss how to provide clarity for effective teaming, and the generational perspectives on risk… and reward. Key Takeaways [2:55] Teams that followed the agenda precisely to a 'T' weren't as effective as those who saw each other as people/humans first and coworkers second. [3:40] If you've ever watched elk in the wild, you'll know that they all face outward watching the horizon so that the herd has everyone's back. The same is true in trusted teams. [7:05] Find the good in others. [7:40] It can be a hard pill to swallow, but your opinions might be wrong. [10:15] Jim remembers a time where he and the neighborhood kids would make up new rules when they played sports and adapt to different situations being thrown at them. It seems the younger generation has a harder time working 'off the cuff' and this might be why there is a backlash with safety. [10:40] There are generational differences in how risk and safety are viewed. [11:35] Leaders might be sending two very different messages to people: We're saying we need to hyper-communicate/collaborate with the team, but at the same time you need to work independently and be resourceful. [13:25] Remember, risk is relative. As leaders, we need to be hyper-vigilant of what that looks like to different people. [18:10] Really pay attention to the assumptions you and others make. You break out of this by having difficult conversations. [23:10] Argue as if you're right, but listen as if you are wrong. [25:50] Stoicism is a balancing act. You don't want to completely control your emotions where you feel nothing. It's about recognizing them and responding to them without impulse. [28:45] You own the responsibility to be clear to your team. When you have empathy for the members of your team and the kind of journey they're on, you will have much more success getting alignment and engagement from your people. Quotable Quotes "Argue as if you're right, but listen as if you are wrong." "We have a whole bunch of biases. Check them at the door." "Hold your views lightly." "Do we pick actions that are for the greater good or do individual needs or rights — do they take precedent?" Resources Mentioned Project Aristotle Spitzercenter.org Steve Justice David Cote The Leadership Podcast is Sponsored by: Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Investing in yourself isn't selfish. Click HERE to get gritty! Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more.

Frances Frei is a Professor of Technology and Operations Management at Harvard Business School, and her research involves understanding how leaders create the conditions for organizations and individuals to thrive. Frances discusses her new book, Unleashed: The Unapologetic Leader's Guide to Empowering Everyone Around You. She dives into fixing broken cultures by creating an environment of psychological safety. Key Takeaways [3:50] Trust can be lost in three critical ways: authenticity wobble, logic wobble, or an empathy wobble. [5:50] The logic wobble typically means you have sound logic but you lost the person in communication somewhere. [11:40] When it comes to delegation, it's on the leader to delegate well and to really examine where the process can be improved if tasks aren't being performed as expected. [12:35] Take radical accountability for your team member's success. [13:35] To achieve high-performing teams, they need to have psychological safety. In this climate, it can be hard to navigate this safety because people become guarded by another person's opposite opinion. [18:55] Cultures really like a redemption story. [21:25] It's on your shoulders, it's your obligation, to build trust when there is no trust. [25:35] If you want people within an organization to behave and act differently, you must get them to think differently. [29:15] Cultural values can become weaponized. When this happens, you have to scrap it and create a new one. [35:00] When it comes to diversity and inclusion, Frances wishes those words were reversed. If you are inclusive of difference, more and more difference is going to want to come and flourish. [38:00] We are instinctively tribal and try to find people who are similar to us. This means if we can't think differently, we have to go through our instinctive nature and put in new processes to help us think differently. [41:30] Listener challenge: Seek a room where you're the least smart person in that room. Quotable Quotes "If I can delegate, I will be better off. Now, I have to learn how to delegate well." "Whether or not you trust me, it's my obligation." "Culture can fix good people behaving badly." "Culture exists in our minds and it manifests in our behaviors. Culture can change through education." "It started as diversity and inclusion, I wish we could reverse those words. I can bring in diversity, but if I'm not inclusive of it, it doesn't make anything better." "I don't want to take my difference and learn to be similar. I want to learn how to be different." Resources Mentioned Frances's website & book: Unleashed: The Unapologetic Leader's Guide to Empowering Everyone Around You Frances on LinkedIn "The Coddling of the American Mind," by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt The Leadership Podcast is Sponsored by: Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Investing in yourself isn't selfish. Click HERE to get gritty! Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more.

Joel Peterson is the chairman of JetBlue Airways, and has a long history of successful growth capital investments in a variety of industries. He currently teaches Entrepreneurial Management at Stanford's Graduate School of Business, and serves as a Director of Franklin Covey. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. Joel is the author of Entrepreneurial Leadership: The Art of Launching New Ventures, Inspiring Others, and Running Stuff, and The 10 Laws of Trust: Building the Bonds that Make a Business Great. Key Takeaways [2:10] Joel has 7 kids and 28 grandkids. He had to get good at time management as well as people management! [4:00] It's important to fire people with empathy. Just because they no longer fit your organization's needs doesn't mean they're still not great people. [8:20] Sales is incredibly vital to an organization, but the way people buy today is completely different than 20-plus years ago, and for that, we also need to be adapting and changing our sales strategies. [10:25] Trust is the most powerful currency you have, but in order to have trust, the other person must feel like you have their best interests in mind and you're not just looking out for yourself. [12:20] Love sounds like it shouldn't be part of a business book or dialogue, but truly, if you have love for other people, it is an unlimited resource that will never be exhausted. [17:40] It's more important than ever for people to have a personal brand and to also best balance that with the interests of a company but this is not a new concept. People have always had an interest in protecting their reputations. [20:55] Trust has become a very precious commodity because it's so easy to violate it. [23:45] The best way to build trust is to trust people one event or one promise at a time. [27:30] It's a cop-out to repeat patterns that no longer serve you and blame it on how you were raised. You can change your patterns and rewrite upbringing. [30:30] Embrace the hardship in your life. It will be one of your best lessons. [33:35] Joel believes if you don't have adversity in your life, you end up creating your own trouble. To counter that, Joel believes reading biographies can help center you in a world that's otherwise pretty good, pretty positive, and low in conflict. [38:10] Listener challenge: Be intentional with your life. Quotable Quotes "In a dynamic business, you are going to outgrow people and people are going to change. Like a coach, you want the very best on your field and you need to do that in a good way." "None of us like to be sold, but we do like to buy something. Once you realize that, what you're really doing is becoming a phenomenal listener and solving problems." "The one resource that is never exhausted and can grow without bound is love." "You can actually rewrite your upbringings. You can overwrite what you inherited." "Break it down, get it simple again. If it gets simple again, you can execute. Being intentional and executing, you become a high-trust person." Resources Mentioned Website Joel on LinkedIn & @JoelCPeterson on Twitter Joel's books: Entrepreneurial Leadership: The Art of Launching New Ventures, Inspiring Others, and Running Stuff and The 10 Laws of Trust: Building the Bonds that Make a Business Great The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion, by Jonathan Haidt Churchill: Walking with Destiny, by Andrew Roberts The Churchill Factor: How One Man Made History, by Boris Johnson The Leadership Podcast is Sponsored by: Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Investing in yourself isn't selfish. Click HERE to get gritty! Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more.

Gary Hamel is on the faculty of the London Business School and is a cofounder of the Management Lab, an organization that builds technology and tools to support breakthrough management innovation. Professor Hamel has been hailed by the Wall Street Journal as the world's most influential business thinker, and his landmark books have been translated into more than twenty-five languages. They include The Future of Management, What Matters Now, and Humanocracy: Creating Organizations as Amazing as the People Inside Them. Gary makes a passionate, data-driven argument for excising bureaucracy and replacing it with something better. Drawing on more than a decade of research and packed with practical examples, Gary lays out a detailed blueprint for creating organizations that are as inspired and ingenious as the human beings inside them. Key Takeaways [3:40] Employees feel powerless because they're not the CEO or in a leadership position. Truth is, employees hold a lot of power. [6:15] You don't need to take down the whole system to fix it. Experiment and see what works. [7:50] Most communication in organizations is horizontal, not vertical. [9:10] Gary shares an example of how employees can get the funding they need within their department without going through the lengthy budget planning and permission process. [12:20] In a recent poll, more than 56% of people thought that capitalism was doing more harm than good. [13:45] No matter your political side, people are frustrated by the broken system. [20:45] Being in a physical location does not impact whether an employee feels more connected to the company mission. [22:40] We live in an increasingly complex world, where changes happen rapidly and often. At the same time, bureaucracy is growing. Gary shares his thoughts on why that might be. [30:30] Breakthroughs often come from people who are very young or from outside the system. If you want to succeed, you need an outsider mindset. [33:35] We see human beings as instruments. We need to shift our focus and see them as agents instead. [35:45] Leaders think their people are resistant to change. This is a false narrative. [37:35] There is a reason why employees are so cynical. [42:00] Gary shares his proudest achievements and what he looks forward to in the future. [45:25] If you're a leader, ask yourself how do you increase the power of those around you? Quotable Quotes "If you're really fed up with all of this and you think we need to change, don't wait for the bureaucrats to uninstall bureaucracy." "Every human being wants dignity and opportunity and equity. You want to believe you matter as a human being." "Only one in five employees believe their opinions matter and only one in 10 say they have the freedom to experiment and try new things." "You gotta empower people to make decisions on the frontline, give them the tools, knowledge, and incentives to do the right thing." "We are eager to change, but our organizations give people very few opportunities to be masters of their own destiny and lead change." Resources Mentioned Website Gary on LinkedIn & @Profhamel on Twitter Gary's books: Humanocracy: Creating Organizations as Amazing as the People Inside Them, What Matters Now: How to Win in a World of Relentless Change, Ferocious Competition, and Unstoppable Innovation, The Future of Management Dreams and Details, by Jim Hagemann Snabe and Mikael Trolle The Leadership Podcast is Sponsored by: Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Investing in yourself isn't selfish. Click HERE to get gritty! Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more.

As a sports psychologist, Dr. Jerry Lynch works with world-renowned coaches and athletes. He's incorporated the teachings of a wide variety of different philosophies – from Eastern thought to Christian mysticism. Jerry shares stories of how to reframe your narrative, and use meditation to achieve both high performance and a relaxed state. Key Takeaways [7:50] Jerry provides an example of why you shouldn't focus on winning 100%, but instead focus on why you want to win the day. It takes pressure off the team. [10:55] Losing is, in many ways, winning. [13:30] Mistakes are a great learning point, but they can also kill you in war and other acts of conflict. [14:25] Focus on what you can control. When you're relaxed you have the ability to perform at higher levels. [16:15] Jerry shares stories of his father and his leadership capabilities. [18:15] Jerry was faced with his first leadership lesson when he was 25 years old and in the Navy. [20:15] Positivity is a critical piece to building a championship culture. [23:05] Jerry was starstruck by basketball coach Dean Smith (then retired), but Coach Smith had all the time in the world to answer his questions. Dean had a power of influence that moved Dr. Jerry. [33:35] Many athletes, Like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, have used mediation to help them win. [36:45] Coaching is a profession of love. [40:00] There's a lot of fear in our environment. Fear breaks down our immune system and health. Win the day is about faith. Let's look at faith rather than fear. [43:45] Remember: Champion is a state of mind. Quotable Quotes "From our losses and our setbacks, we become better athletes." "The great teams that I've worked with, they had a way of going into battle and winning the battle before the war began by focusing on what they can control." "Your power of influence is so strong and it changes lives, it allows people to realize their full potential." "I want to feel my energy, I want to feel so connected to the work that I'm doing, the work that's ahead of me, that you can feel it too." "Coaching is a profession of love. You can't coach athletes unless you love them, when you do, you win the day." "Let's look at faith rather than fear." Resources Mentioned Website Dr. Jerry's book: Win the Day: Building and Sustain a Championship Culture Coaching with Heart: Taoist Wisdom to Inspire, Empower, and Lead in Sports & Life The Infinite Game, by Simon Sinek The Tao of Leadership: Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching Adapted for a New Age, by John Heider Jim Thompson Phil Jackson Dean Smith The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream, by Barack Obama The Leadership Podcast is Sponsored by: Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Investing in yourself isn't selfish. Click HERE to get gritty! Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more.

Amy Webb is a quantitative futurist and a bestselling, award-winning author. She is a professor of strategic foresight at the NYU Stern School of Business and the Founder of the Future Today Institute. Amy discusses what leaders need to be doing today to gain valuable foresight into their industry when faced with regular uncertainty. She also shares the framework on how we tend to think of future problems vs. how we should be thinking of future problems. Key Takeaways [3:00] Futurists don't make predictions, they make connections. [7:05] In artificial intelligence, some of the systems do not work as well as they could because they suffer from the 'paradox of the present.' [9:35] AI has been in development for hundreds of years now. [11:25] The best way to think of AI now is that it's the 3rd generation of computing. [15:55] If you want to make things better, you need to know what to measure. The problem is, people don't know how to measure the uncertainty of what's outside of their realm of knowledge. [17:25] The best way to navigate the unknown is by accepting that there will be a number of things you simply cannot control. [18:15] Most people are really good at measuring the stuff that they can control, but they do not account for everything else. You have to actively look outside of your field for trends and other signals. [20:50] Amy uses a framework called a time cone. The tip is filled with certainty, but as the base gets wider and wider, it becomes unclear where to go, yet we still have to make leadership decisions. [24:00] Take a look at Nintendo. Multiple times that company should have been disrupted out of business. [26:45] Just like anyone can be technically proficient at playing piano if they sit down and study it long enough, the same is true with foresight. [38:20] What prevents organizations from moving forward is the attempt to maintain the status quo in organizations. [42:15] If you do not comfort cherished beliefs over and over again, you become vulnerable. [45:05] Elon Musk and other technologists are concerned about AI and its power, which is why we need incredibly courageous leadership during this time. Quotable Quotes "I cannot think of an instance wherein an academic discipline or industry does not really, truly benefit from a cross-functional team and a diverse team." "This term artificial intelligence is meaningless because as soon as something works, we no longer think of it as approaching human-scale intelligence." "The only way to really solve that doubt is to go forth knowing that there are unknowable things over which you will have no control. That is a terrifying prospect." "Machines learn by repeatedly completing tasks that are in service of the stated goal or purpose." "What preserves the status quo is nobody is willing to ask difficult questions." "You can't chase certainty. Certainty is brittle. So instead of certainty, you should aim for being confident and instilling confidence in the people that work with you." Resources Mentioned Website Amy's book: The Big Nine: How The Tech Titans & Their Thinking Machines Could Warp Humanity NYU Stern School of Business The Leadership Podcast is Sponsored by: Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Investing in yourself isn't selfish. Click HERE to get gritty! Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more.

Chris Kolenda is the Founder of the Strategic Leaders Academy, a West Point grad, retired Army Colonel, and author of the book, Leadership: The Warrior's Art. Chris has had the pleasure and not-so-great pleasure of working with a wide variety of leadership types and styles, including bullies. He explains how junior leaders, or anyone without leadership power, can stand up to abusive leaders and take control of their future. Key Takeaways [3:15] Chris served as a senior advisor for the Under Secretary of Defense, Michelle Flournoy, along with many 3-star and 4-star generals. Chris noticed that there is no single leadership ideal. [5:00] There are four different leadership archetypes: Pioneers, Reconcilers, Operators, and Mavericks. [7:45] Myers-Briggs is extremely useful, but it's difficult to keep 16 personality type of mind. [9:00] Chris has worked with three of these archetypes and shares the impact each one has had on him. [11:45] Leaders are like gardeners. They help people grow to the biggest and healthiest version of themselves. [14:45] Empathy plays an important role during a crisis. Take on the ability to see yourself in a situation in the eyes of others. [18:45] Wash away your assumptions and learn to adapt. [22:05] Chris was bullied and sexually assaulted when he was younger. He shares the long-term effects bullies have on a person. [25:25] If you've been bullied or assaulted, first recognize that this is not your fault. [27:15] You can stop a bully dead in their tracks by acknowledging them and calling them out (the right way). [29:25] Tell people right away. Don't wait 35-plus years to share your story. [36:15] Most organizations can't afford to take 6–8 months to go to a leadership course. It's just not feasible, so we need to find better ways to multiply our experiences. [42:45] Always lead with value. [43:30] Challenge to the listeners: Look at your culture and see if the most vulnerable people in your organization feel safe enough to bring their best and most authentic selves to work. Quotable Quotes "You don't have to try to copycat somebody else, you can just be you." "Leaders are like gardeners; they help each thing they are growing be the best and healthiest version of themselves." "The more people who are affected by bullying tell their story, the more it deters predators." "I encourage every person who is employed by a toxic, abusive bully, to leave." Resources Mentioned Website Chris's book: Leadership: The Warrior's Art Chris on LinkedIn Michèle Flournoy on The Leadership Podcast Stan McChrystal on The Leadership Podcast The Leadership Podcast is Sponsored by: Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Investing in yourself isn't selfish. Click HERE to get gritty! Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more.

Author David M. Cote, the much respected former CEO of Honeywell (who took the market cap from $20B to $180B) shows how you can hit your short-term goals without sacrificing long-term growth as a leader. In Winning Now, Winning Later, Cote shares a simple, paradigm-shifting method of achieving both short-and long-term goals. Even in a recession, accomplishing these two seemingly conflicting things can ensure you emerge from a crisis stronger than ever. Fortune magazine said, "Former Honeywell CEO David Cote just wrote one of the best guides ever on how to lead a company." Key Takeaways [2:10] David had a lot of ambition, but no role models or direction growing up. He quit college twice and it took him six years to finish. [4:15] When his wife got pregnant, David was working night shift, had $100 in the bank, and was scared to death. [9:00] Herd thinking is alive and well. Leaders need to be thinking independently. [11:25] One of the things only a CEO can do is balance long term yield with short term investment. [18:15] David was sick of seeing presentations 100-plus pages long about their competitive advantage. You're lucky if you have two to three things to your advantage, but 20? It means the team didn't really think about this consciously. As a leader, it's important to question everything and not just accept these presentations as fact. [22:05] David would ask the most junior of people to the most senior of people in the room, "What do you think I should do?" It creates some fascinating dynamics between your staff. [24:35] After understanding everyone's opinion, David would then make his decision and explain the thought process behind that decision. [25:15] People think that if you don't agree with their opinion, you weren't listening. However, there is a difference between listening and agreeing. By explaining a decision, people feel listened to and understand why you chose what you chose. [28:35] It's easier to criticize than to try and do something. [32:50] You want every business in the country to constantly become more productive. The downside to that is that certain jobs will disappear forever. [36:35] There are a number of professions in this country that we don't do a good job training for, which creates high demand and low supply. [38:25] Schools have an outdated teaching model. David hated school because he didn't know what was relevant to him and what was not. Schools need to adapt and find better methods to keep kids interested. [40:30] Business has been the biggest force of good the world has ever seen. [42:10] Leaders need to be thinking about how to do all the right things for the long term while at the same time providing short term results that validated the long term goals. Quotable Quotes "There were at least three times throughout the course of my career where I thought my career was over." "Success in business requires being able to accomplish two seemingly conflicting things at the same time." "I wanted people to understand even though what they said was something I disagreed with, I didn't care. I really wanted the development of their thought process." "If you're a leader, it means you have people working for you, it means you do have control over some things." "The trick is in the doing. How do you actually figure out what it is you gotta do, mobilize everybody to do it, and actually make it happen." "Business has been the biggest force of good the world has ever seen because it has taken billions of people out of poverty." Resources Mentioned David_M._Cote David's book: Winning Now, Winning Later: How Companies Can Succeed in the Short Term While Investing for the Long Term "What Only the CEO Can Do," by A.G. Lafley The Leadership Podcast is Sponsored by: Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Investing in yourself isn't selfish. Click HERE to get gritty! Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more.

Jim and Jan discuss why they have been very conscious about not discussing politics or religion on the show. Leaders are faced with uncomfortable situations every day and sometimes it can be challenging to navigate controversial subjects effectively. We're in an environment now where if we don't speak up, we are making a statement, and if we do speak up, we're on record. Listen in to a very deliberate and difficult discussion! https://bit.ly/TLP-211 Key Takeaways [2:25] Jim and Jan have made a conscious decision to not discuss politics on this show. [3:15] Viewpoints and perspectives change over time as new information is obtained. [4:20] It's not Jim or Jan's job to judge leaders. They study leaders and it's their goal to learn from them by asking questions to understand - for the benefit of the audience. [7:20] People are saying silence is complacency right now, but if you speak up and share your voice, you risk offending others. [9:05] Instead of trying to interject a comment or opinion when you're not sure what to do next, asking questions and listening intently will get you farther. [10:25] There are two things you have to hire for, and can't train, those are drive and curiosity. [11:15] Why doesn't the other side listen to reason? We were never designed to do so! [16:40] Look at those you disagree with as instruments of a lesson to learn. [18:40] The current problems we're all facing right now have been around since the beginning of time. [20:10] Through the act of listening, you can change. You can also hold two different positions at the same time! [25:45] What would a world look like if racism didn't exist or if the world didn't have religion? [26:45] People respect a strong dogmatic opinion, but hold your opinions lightly and consider other viewpoints. [29:25] We all want to serve, make a difference, and make the world a better place. [30:30] Always find something you can agree on first, and then work from there. [32:40] Jim's challenge: Be civil to one another. [34:20] Stop thinking of viewpoints as 'good' or 'bad.' Start thinking of them as 'weak' and 'strong.' Quotable Quotes "I'd like to think our viewpoints and perspectives continue to evolve. Why go on record for something that might change as we look at different points of view?" It's always all about the questions! The human default is not to entertain other people's points of view and to learn, but to advance our own opinion. "Hold your views lightly." Resources Mentioned Grandstanding: The Use and Abuse of Moral Talk, by Brandon Warmke and Justin Tosi The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion, by Jonathan Haidt Salesbrain.com TED Talk: Jonathan Haidt How to Win Friends & Influence People, by Dale Carnegie Brainyquote.com/topics/politics-quotes The Coddling of the American MindHow Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure, by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt The Last Dance Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It, by Christopher Voss and Tahl Raz 7500 (2019) Harvey (1950) The Leadership Podcast is Sponsored by: Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Investing in yourself isn't selfish. Click HERE to get gritty! Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more.

Ron Williams is the former chairman and CEO of Aetna Inc. Ron's new book is Learning to Lead: The Journey to Leading Yourself, Leading Others, and Leading an Organization. On the podcast, Ron provides practical, tested leadership advice, whether you're searching for a new career, looking for proven management solutions, or seeking to transform your organization. Developed from Ron's own personal and professional journey, as well as the experiences of America's leading CEOs, these strategies emerge boldly from engaging stories, outlined with practical steps Key Takeaways [4:25] Leaders aren't born. It is a learned skill. You have the ability to excel in whatever you put your mind to. Do not accept the narrative that others impose on you. [6:45] Surround yourself with people who are where you want to go. [9:15] When it comes to leading organizations, a critical skill to have is also the ability to lead yourself. [10:25] While most staff are concerned about this week, this month, this quarter, the CEO and the board have to look beyond the horizon to see what's next. [11:20] A piece of advice Ron gives to executives trying to delay gratification: If it feels good, don't do it. [13:15] As leaders, it's important to assume positive intent when it comes to your team. People want to do a good job. Most of them don't set out to miss deadlines. [14:15] 'Why' is a good question to ask, but it can sometimes make people feel like they're five years old again trying to justify a bad decision. Instead, rephrase the question to, 'help me understand what were some of the barriers.' Make your 'why' question a collaboration question. [18:15] In order to solve the right problem, you have to give your team the room to come forward and communicate. [22:55] Values are only real if the executives talk about it and live it within the organization. [27:10] Failure of leadership is when you create yes-men in your organization and your staff are too scared to speak up on bad ideas. [29:10] Leaders can achieve great success in organizations with different approaches: Fear, Money, Pride, Values. Just because someone is successful, doesn't mean their leadership style was a values-approached style. [32:45] As the workforce becomes globalized, it's more important than ever not to hire more people that are similar to you or practice groupthink. [35:40] Do you think you're inclusive in your organization? Ask yourself: When was the last time you were in a group where you were a minority? [38:45] Ron's challenge: A leader's role is to develop the talent within an organization. Ron has had five people under him go on to become CEOs. You want to hire people who have the potential to be as good as you, if not better. Quotable Quotes "If people say, 'You'll never be successful,' 'You'll never be a leader,' learn to not accept their view of you." "The CEOs are often the only customer for many of the things that are really critical to the success and prosperity of the company. The CEO and the board have to look out over the horizon." "You have to start with the assumption that people want to do a good job." "When people get promotions, how many think about the obligations they just took on?" "People merely strengthen their organization by this kind of unique perspective that they bring." "To bring inclusivity, the answer is to get out of your comfort zone and really have an understanding of what it's like to see the world through someone else's view." Resources Mentioned Ronwilliams.net Connect with Ron on Twitter: @AetnaPresident & LinkedIn Ron's book: Learning to Lead The Leadership Podcast is Sponsored by: Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Investing in yourself isn't selfish. Click HERE to get gritty! Free downloads of Quick Reference Guides on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more.