The Leadership Podcast

Jan, Jim, and their guests discuss the importance of trust for teams, how to build it, and what roles vulnerability and shared experiences play in creating trust. Also, is there a disconnect from people being motivated by autonomy as an individual, and the need for selflessness when it comes to what's best for the team? Jim and Jan are joined by Isaiah Burkhart and Clay Othic from past Crucible expeditions; from DKS Associates, Jim Peters, Jim Strain, and Chris Maciejewski; curiosity expert Becki Salzman; Intel PhD/executive Candi Cook; Mara Othic, special operations veteran and currently in law enforcement; former Ranger turned entrepreneur, Kyle Morris; and senior executives Ken Schrader and Ed Stoner – both with stellar business and academic backgrounds! Key Takeaways [1:55] The first Leadership Podcast dinner party, in Portland, Oregon, starts with a discussion of trust. In The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni resolves the dysfunctions with a foundation of trust, leading to healthy disagreement, commitment, accountability, and results. Trust provides strength. [2:59] Daniel Pink, in Drive, says to motivate people, you need mastery, autonomy, and purpose. Members of a team need to be selfless, and let trust reign. Zack, the videographer on the first Crucible, establishes trust with locals in dangerous places through interviews, references, and triangulation. [5:57] Trust may be tied to interpersonal skills, or organizational design, or both. Building trust takes time. On the crucible, Clay Othic had pointed out the Point of No Return (PONR), and Jan realized how much they needed to rely on each other. Trust was mandatory. In business, a goal large enough may create a circumstance of mandatory trust. [7:25] Jim Strain, of DKS, in watching the Patagonia Crucible documentary, was struck by the transition from level ground, where everyone was independent, to crossing a glacier, where they had to rope up. The glacier crossing required a higher level of awareness, communication, and trust, to work as a team. He then used that transitional analogy of roping up, in an actual business structural change at his firm. [11:22] Isaiah Burkhart participated in the Patagonia Crucible, mostly out in front. Every day they held an After Action Review (AAR), which allowed each team member to process the mistakes they had made. Everyone was comfortable to make suggestions, which helped build trust. To be a really great team, people have to receive correction for the good of all. [13:36] Becki Salzman was curious what would have happened if the PONR had been on day one, before the team had learned to know each other. Clay Othic referred to competence in the basics, shared by the military members. With competence, comes confidence, which leads to trust. He believes they could have observed enough in 30 minutes to have managed the PONR on day one. [16:14] Circumstances are important for establishing trust. Jim relates how, when he was tired on day two, Clay Othic stood up for Jim's need to carry his own load up the hill, and then stayed by Jim, reciting the Ranger Creed while they climbed. Clay's outreach inspired Jim to find strength and manage his burdens up the glacier. To honor Clay, Jim toasts him with Three Rangers Whiskey. [20:17] Clay speaks on the Three Rangers Foundation, a veterans nonprofit based on the brotherhood and friendship Clay found early in his Ranger career. You always have the back of your military family, even years later. After 20 years, brother Ranger John Collett approached Clay for help. John was distilling whiskey, and wanted to support a foundation for Rangers. They created the Three Rangers Foundation. [21:39] 100% of the money donated to Three Rangers Foundation goes to the veterans they assist. The Foundation staff works without pay. All administrative costs of the foundation are paid for by Three Rangers Whiskey, and a portion of the profits from the sale of Three Rangers Whiskey is also donated to the foundation. Clay explains the four symbols on the bottle label, starting with the Gold Star. [25:16] Ken Schrader gives his experiences of turning around small companies, where trust is mainly absent. Ken discovered most people just wanted to be heard, and to be understood as people. As they told their stories to Ken, and he authentically listened, trust grew. Ken turns the discussion to explore how trust grew on the Crucible. [27:12] Pairin behavioral assessments were administered to all before and after the Crucible. At the beginning, trust wasn't high, but self-confidence was. After the Crucible, there was a movement away from individuality and toward teamwork. In addition to behaviors, the desire to be a team player also improved. For the two weeks, no one complained about anyone. [28:46] Isaiah talks about his experiences with trust, and how his trust was fairly low before he got acquainted with the non-veterans. [31:35] Becky suggests exploring uncommon commonalities to build trust. She illustrates it with a story of how she marched on Washington, and created a motorcycle interest commonality with Bikers for Trump, that allowed them to take a selfie with her, although of a different political stand. [33:42] There will be a Crucible in September, with an equal number of men and women, hoping to explore unconscious assumptions made around gender issues, and how to apply more diversity to business, to make better decisions. Candi Cook will be one of the team, climbing Sacagawea Peak. [34:23] Jim Peters is trying to relate the military family to the business world. You can go a whole day in the office without interacting with any of your coworkers. He comments on the After Action Reports from the Crucible. We need to have that AAR in the business world, to slow down and give feedback. It depends on making time, making it about the other person, and seeking to understand. [36:03] Jim notes that in business there is generally only an AAR after an absolute train wreck. No one talks about normal activities, even if they could have gone better. You don't get better if you don't have a feedback loop. If you don't know if you're meeting expectations, you'll never exceed expectations. This is the role of a leader. Jim and Jan create feedback loops for themselves. [39:04] Isaiah talks about the many leaders he has had, in the military, and now in the fire service. He has seen fantastic leaders, and some that could have made some self-adjustments and changed an entire organization. The leader must foster an environment where trust is a key component. He tells a story of an unsympathetic leader who eliminated trust immediately. [42:16] Chris Maciejewski comments on developing staff, and creating new independent project managers. Relating to the roping up concept, he talks to managers about the difference between leadership and directing. Chris discusses the career path with staff. Getting to project manager is a hard achievement. Directing staff does not develop their decision-making abilities. Working with them, does. [44:48] Clay says Isaiah's story shows that trust is built through shared challenge. Leaders can't always be present for the experience, and must give task and purpose, but they can choose to lead, or just to manage. He answers Becki's question about gender dynamics. His wife Mara is also special operations, and she would have had some effect on the dynamic, but she would have been tight with the team. [49:04] Jim summarizes: Trust is the foundation of a team, the foundation of relationships, it takes a long time to earn, and it can be gone in the flash of an eye. Leaders need to give trust to get it. Don't beat people down for mistakes; help them learn, and grow. He opens the floor for Lighting Round comments. Books Mentioned in This Episode The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable, by Patrick Lencioni Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, by Daniel Pink Website: TheLeadershipPodcast.com Website: Leadership Podcast Academy Website: ThreeRangersFoundation.org Website: ThreeRangers.com

Jen Paquette, Executive Director of the Green Beret Foundation, discusses how her husband's injury changed her mission, and how she leveraged her business experience to lead a dynamic non-profit organization. Jen covers the lessons learned running a not-for-profit; the difficulty of fund raising; building her own credibility; and effective board management. Jen also discusses the women of Steel Mags, and the vital role they play in the organization. Most important to Jen is that a fallen Green Beret is never forgotten. Jen is an Honorary Member of the Special Forces Association - only the sixth woman in history to receive this honor at the National level. Key Takeaways [2:03] Jen became involved in the Green Beret Foundation from her husband, Roland's, experience in Special Operations Forces. He was traumatically injured by an IED, and stayed a year at Walter Reed; then they moved to San Antonio. In San Antonio, SOC asked her to help start a program for all of SOF. She used her business experience to help, but saw that the Green Berets had no program of their own. [5:35] Jen resigned at SOCOM and started working at the GBF, with no salary for the first 24-30 months, running it out of the Anderson and Paquette homes. [7:13] Jen covers some of the lessons learned running a not-for-profit; the difficulty of fund raising for a not-for-profit, the complexity, building her own credibility, building institutional credibility, donor fatigue, and dealing with a board. [11:16] Transitioning from an executive business role to directing a not-for-profit taught Jen to do more with less. Jen hasn't been on a vacation since 2005. The staff is small, and emergencies happen. She either had to figure out various jobs herself, or find someone to help her. She has learned to network. [16:15] Jen talks about Gold Star families. Jen's commitment is to improve their quality of life, and to make sure that that soldier's name does not get forgotten. [20:49] Jen talks about transition support. [25:53] Jen has noticed that ranks such as Sergeant Major and above have a rougher time to humble themselves. They have to be audacious in battle, but in civilian life that has to be unlearned. The younger guys are still in learning mode, and have an easier adjustment. [29:29] Jen discusses her involvement in the Steel Mags. They are purpose-driven, just like the Green Berets. This is a lifestyle for us, not a 9-to-5. They also do good in the community outside. [34:01] Jen explains her lifestyle with one word: passion! It's not emotion; it's drive. [36:47] Jen ends with a story. Bio Jen Paquette is the Executive Director of the Green Beret Foundation. At Jen's request, her children call her Mrs. Boss Lady. Her community calls her MBL. Jen has served as Executive Director of the Green Beret Foundation beginning 1 August 2011. In 2009, Jen served on the GBF's Board of Advisors helping establish the Foundation and later as Vice-President, Chief Operating Officer and Treasurer since January 2010. She has identified and developed programs and services, planned and executed GBF's numerous fundraising events raising millions of dollars and awareness for the US Army Special Forces. She has fostered business relationships with other not-for-profits and corporate sponsorships for the Foundation. Jen is the founder of the GBF's sorority, the Steel Mags. She manages critical aspects of day- to-day operations and handles strategic business development at the Foundation including strategic planning, fundraising, building and maintaining donor and investor relationships, coordination of services with USSOCOM Care Coalition, USASFC, USASOC and delivering those services to Green Berets and their families. Jen's number one and most important position is being the wife of SSG(R) Roland Paquette III who was an 18D (Special Forces Medic) and now an Emergency Room Physician Assistant and owner and operator of Med Training Group LLC. Roland was traumatically wounded by an IED blast while serving in Operation Enduring Freedom giving both legs above the knees. Prior to her work at the GBF, Jen was asked by USSOCOM Care Coalition leadership to help develop and start the USSOCOM Care Coalition Recovery Program. This program was developed for traumatically wounded SOF warriors and their families' long term recovery and support. Jen has worked for companies such as Intel Corporation and Phelps Dodge Corporation now Freeport McMoRan Copper and Gold Inc. holding various positions. She has extensive experience in managing high profile multi-million dollar projects, developing and delivering leadership training throughout the country to private companies and schools, and providing consulting for private and not for profits businesses. Jen has over twenty-five years of experience in planning and executing complicated events of various sizes and formats and managing, networking and liaising, between contrasting demographics in all the different circles within her network. Ms. Paquette earned her B.S. in Business Administration majoring in Supply Chain Management from Arizona State University and her Master's in Public Administration with a concentration in Not-for-Profits and Public Policy from St. Mary's University. She is a member of Business Executives for National Security, the San Antonio Downtown Rotary Club, the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, and an associate member to the OSS Society. She is the Vice President and a Board of Director for Dancing Angels Foundation. Jen is also on the Board of Advisors for the National Special Forces Green Beret Memorial Project near Ft. Bragg, NC. She has been active with JINSA, AIPAC, and Catholic Charities. She was selected for the 2012 Outstanding Young San Antonian award. Jen is an Honorary Member of the Special Forces Association. She is the sixth woman in history to receive this honor at the National level, and the second within the SFA Chapter XV. Most recently, Jen was selected for the United State's Special Operation Command highest award- the Patriot Award, Jen splits her time between DC, NYC, Ft. Bragg and San Antonio, Texas where she lives with her Green Beret and their youngest son. Website: GreenBeretFoundation.org Facebook: Green Beret Foundation Instagram: Green Beret Foundation Website: DancingAngelsFoundation

Co-hosts Jan Rutherford and Jim Vaselopulos interview Tommy Spaulding - the author of "Heart-Led Leader." The conversation explores themes on being humble, authentic, and honorable vis-a-vis grit, edge, and tenacity. Tommy wrote about Return On Relationship (ROR), and says that with authentic relationships, you get lifelong customers. When you have a genuine interest in others, they will ask you, "What do you do? How can I help you?" Tommy believes the greatest leaders are the ones that connect the head to the heart. Listen in to learn more about leading with your head and heart.. Key Takeaways [1:59] Tommy's career started at Up With People. In the course of that job he met Ken Blanchard, who changed his life. Tommy followed his footsteps to become a thought leader, speaker, and author. Tommy sees his success as being based on 'heart.' He categorizes thought leaders as either arrogant about success or humble about their path to learning. [4:39] Tommy says within minutes of entering an event he can tell if the CEO is respected and loved. You can choose to work every day on being humble, authentic, and honorable. It's Not Just Who You Know is about 'net giving,' not networking. Net giving is where your heart should be when you meet people. Don't sell yourself, but learn about others, and how you can serve them and give to them. [12:03] Leadership books must deliver bottom line results. Tommy wrote about Return On Relationship (ROR) to steer people toward relationship building. Authentic relationships become lifelong customers. Tommy reveals the 'magical' key to monetizing relationships. Without this key, the relationship will fail. When you have a genuine interest in others, they will ask you, "What do you do? How can I help you?" [18:16] As Tommy met leaders, he observed the ones that people particularly loved. He started taking notes, and listing leaders that he felt were servant leaders, and interviewed them. The greatest leaders are the ones that connect the head to the heart. People want to follow them. [20:31] Tommy defines a great leader as one people choose to follow, because they love and are loved. Tommy uses the example of Roger Eaton, the global President of KFC. He is not just respected, but is loved by his people. Tommy talks on love in the workplace. Millennials will not follow you, unless they know that you are creating a place of goodness. [27:38] Tommy wants a Maserati, but he won't leave Lexus, because of service manager Kelly Kennedy. Kelly provides incredible customer service, and hugs Tommy every time he sees him. Any leader would want customers to feel about their staff the way Tommy considers Kelly. [36:54] In building authentic relationships with people, the goal is not get on their Christmas card list. The goal is to be invited to their Christmas (or Chanukah) dinner. Make a list of the top 20 important people in your life, and ask what kind of relationship you have. Ask, how would you love and serve them more? It can transform your life. It takes time. Tommy discusses authentic philanthropy. Books Mentioned in This Episode The One Minute Manager, by Kenneth Blanchard Ph.D. and Spencer Johnson M.D. Leadership and the One Minute Manager: Increasing Effectiveness Through Situational Leadership, by Ken Blanchard, Patricia Zigarmi, and Drea Zigarmi The Heart-Led Leader: How Living and Leading From the Heart Will Change Your Organization and Your Life, by Tommy Spaulding It's Not Just Who You Know: Transform Your Life (and Your Organization) by Turning Colleagues and Contacts into Lasting, Genuine Relationships, by Tommy Spaulding, Foreword by Ken Blanchard Bio Tommy Spaulding is the Founder & President of Spaulding Companies, a leadership development, speaking, training, and executive coaching firm based in Denver, Colorado. A world-renowned speaker on leadership, Spaulding has spoken to hundreds of organizations, associations, educational institutions, and corporations around the globe. His first book, It's Not Just Who You Know: Transform Your Life and Your Organization by Turning Colleagues and Contacts into Lasting, Genuine Relationships, published by Penguin Random House in 2010, quickly climbed to the top of the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today national bestseller lists. His new book, The Heart-Led Leader, published by Penguin Random House in October, 2015 is a New York Times and #1 Wall Street Journal national bestseller and was also listed on Inc.com's Top 100 Business Books of 2015. Spaulding rose to become the youngest President & CEO of the world-renowned leadership organization, Up with People. In 2000, Tommy founded Leader's Challenge, which grew to become the largest high school civic and leadership program in the state of Colorado. He is the Founder & President of the Global Youth Leadership Academy as well as the National Leadership Academy, a leading national non-profit high school leadership development organization. Previously, Spaulding was the Business Partner Sales Manager at IBM/Lotus Development and a member of the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) program. He received a BA in Political Science from East Carolina University (1992); an MBA from Bond University in Australia (1998), where he was a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar; and an MA in Nonprofit Management from Regis University (2005). In 2006, Spaulding was awarded the Outstanding Alumni Award by East Carolina University (ECU) and in 2007, Spaulding received an Honorary PhD in Humanities from the Art Institute of Colorado. In September, 2012 Spaulding was named by Meetings & Conventions Magazine as one of the 100 MOST FAVORITE SPEAKERS in the nation. Tommy resides in the Denver metro area with his wife and children. Website: TommySpaulding.com Website: NationalLeadershipAcademy.org Website: GlobalYouthLeadershipAcademy.com Facebook: Tommy Spaulding Twitter: @TommySpaulding LinkedIn: Tommy Spaulding

Summary & Ideas for Action Co-hosts Jan Rutherford and Jim Vaselopulos interview Liz Ryan - the CEO and founder of Human Workplace. According to Liz, the mistrust of employees is baked into organizations. Liz says, "It's toxic, it's sick, and it's bad for profitability, for shareholders, for employee health, and the planet." Liz advocates that leaders need to "be human," and to make every workplace a human workplace. Trust your people. Liz considers infrastructure, control mechanisms, and performance appraisals, to be disgusting. She says It's a bad message: "You are not a fully fledged, adult, independent, creative, vibrant, amazing person, when you're at work." Listen in to learn more about humanizing our workplaces. Key Takeaways [1:51] Liz waited tables while in school. She dropped out, moved to Chicago, and found she was too young to wait tables in Illinois. She became an office worker, and later moved into HR, with no experience. HR workshops and seminars taught her the laws, but she felt that HR practices did not create a great working environment, or take really good care of employees and applicants. [3:38] In her first HR job, Liz's efforts to improve the workplace and hire great people accompanied a growth in annual sales from $1 million to $200 million. Her second HR job was with a tech startup. While she was there, the company grew from $15 million in annual sales, into a $3 billion company. [6:21] Liz objects to the theory of HR's and leaders' roles being to guard against bad things that could potentially happen, rather than to hire people who are unlikely to do bad things. The mistrust of employees is baked into organizations. It's toxic, it's sick, and it's bad for profitability, for shareholders, for employee health, and the planet. Liz calls this entrenched system Godzilla. [9:54] Be human. Make every workplace a human workplace. Trust your people. Liz considers infrastructure, control mechanisms, and performance appraisals, to be disgusting. It's a bad message: "You are not a fully fledged, adult, independent, creative, vibrant, amazing person, when you're at work." [10:58] The transactional nature of employment can obscure the real rewards beyond the check. If employees are paid fairly decently, they appreciate different motivations, such as intellectual growth and creative challenges. People need to connect to their own power source, whatever that is. Work can be art. See Liza's article on rewarding employees for free. She wrote it in response to multiple requests. [14:30] Liz sees a paranoia, that when we let employees work from home they're going to be watching daytime soaps and eating bonbons. In 2017, we are using an 1850s employment model of a factory with supervisors watching from a catwalk, as in a prison — it is hierarchical, bureaucratic "terror." [17:35] The fix is to embrace your power. You can choose another job. You can speak up, or hold your tongue, because you choose to, not out of fear. Whether you are entry-level, or in the C-suite, you have the power to create a human workplace around you. That is adulthood. You are the CEO of your own life. [19:39] Liz says you must understand your path, and get that vision of what your life is supposed to be. For her, focusing on what you want, and where you are going, is not about sacrifice, but about choice and determination. Really listen to your gut and your heart, and follow them. Take a step every single day. Come out of your comfort zone. [21:50] Liz tells how she found her voice. She was shot down for using calligraphy on internal mail. She got no answers for questions about the roles of men and women at work. She asked questions in her HR role that had no handbook answers. She felt so strongly about things, that she just started speaking out. The job is to be a human, not a bureaucrat. Liz did HR from the heart, organically, and in the moment. [32:27] The story of Kitty Genovese's murder, where 37 witnesses didn't act, is compared to the workplace, where we have "permission" not to act, when it's not our job. Workplace hierarchy gives us permission to mistreat people. Instead, take permission to treat people humanely. Run your career as a business. Do not tolerate things in your business that should not be tolerated. Do not abdicate control. [37:07] Liz asserts that somebody restricting your words and acts, because they pay you, is out of bounds. If you say something, it's personal, and it will have a personal impact on someone. If you fear to say something important to you, say it anyway. It will work out better for you, even if you lose your job. [41:51] Liz tells a couple of frameshift stories involving young people, to illustrate a point. Generation Y employees are not impressed by authority and tradition, but want opportunities to work to their strengths. Not every employee has every strength, but the strengths they have can be great. Books Mentioned in This Episode "Ten Ways to Reward Your Employees — For Free," by Liz Ryan Reinvention Roadmap: Break the Rules to Get the Job You Want and Career You Deserve, by Liz Ryan Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, by Robert B. Cialdini Liz Ryan's LinkedIn Bio I was a Fortune 500 Human Resources SVP for eons. I've launched HR departments for several successful startups. While I was building HR functions from the ground up, I first questioned and then rewrote the practices for HR, recruiting and leadership in organizations. My vision for a workplace focused on people became the Human Workplace in 2012. Human Workplace is a publishing, coaching and consulting firm whose mission is to reinvent work for people. Our teaching and speaking, writing and artwork coalesce to turn conventional leadership, employee communication, recruitment and HR on its ear. The future of work is human, and Human Workplace employers use our curriculum, tools, coaching and private consultation to re-launch their cultures in the 21st century mode, to meet the challenges of the new-millennium workplace. I started writing about the workplace in 1997, with a column for the Chicago Sun-Times. Now you can find my stories and artwork here on LinkedIn, on Forbes, TIME, Business Week, Kiplinger's Finance, Yahoo!, Inc., Huffington Post, Denver Post, Harvard Business Review and other publications. We launched Human Workplace to teach the practices that I've been speaking and writing about for years. Human Workplace is a global movement to humanize work, with millions of numbers around the world. I live in Boulder, Colorado. My husband and I have five angelic bratty kids.I sing opera and draw the images you see in our columns, eBooks and lessons. Website: HumanWorkplace.com Facebook: Human Workplace Twitter: @humanworkplace LinkedIn: Liz Ryan

Co-hosts Jan Rutherford and Jim Vaselopulos interview Chris Paton (2 weeks before he had a brain tumor removed - see notes below which are published with Chris's permission). Chris is the founder and Managing Director of Quirk Solutions, a company that specializes in delivering Business Wargaming to many organizations. Chris was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Marines and an advisor to the Cabinet and National Security Council on Afghan strategy, and he leverages the wargaming he learned as a tool to pressure test and evaluate business plans before committing resources into action. Listen in to learn more about how you can lead stress testing in your organization to strengthen your plans and execution. Emails we received from Chris - this is one tough hombre - and hope this inspires you as much as did us... Feb 7 - Date show was recorded Feb 24 - date of Chris's surgery - his comments below right after surgery: Hi Jan & Jim. All done. Feeling a bit rubbish and just recovering from anaesthetic now, but thanks to your kind thoughts and prayers have come out the other side of surgery ok. Won't know more re how cancerous/benign it is for 2-3 weeks but already feeling up for the fight. Whatever it is; It picked on the wrong dude..... You know me; not about to let this get in the way of what I want to do. Really hope I smash the ball out of the park for you. Looking forward to hearing what you come up with as a title. Will cheer up a few days in hospital! Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. I'm out of immediate danger and now turning my energy back against my opponent! March 9 As it happens, we had some amazing news this morning. The results of the biopsy are back and not only did they get all of the tumour out, but it seems it was totally benign and there's no risk of cancer at all. Big smiles this side of the pond! God bless, Key Takeaways [3:21] In the Royal Marines, Chris co-authored an article on planning in fluid situations. That led to talks and consulting, and he realized he had something important to contribute to the corporate world. He left the military to create a business planning consultancy. At each point of a client strategy, Chris would pressure test it to find gaps and weaknesses. He would also pressure test the options he delivered. [6:24] Chris started to have clients create more of the strategy, with more self-reliance; more responsibility for their own planning. Chris 'blew on the embers,' with pressure tests, to add the real value to the planning process. [7:56] Military people go into business, aware that the consequences of getting something wrong are so catastrophic, that they don't want to engage with it. Because of that, they spend a lot of time preparing to get it right for the actual action. Corporations sometimes just give it a whirl, to see what happens. Military will not do that, because the cost of failure is too great. [11:05] Chris runs sessions three ways. The first is a pure pressure test. The second is to train the people to run their own tests. The third is to train the trainer, to do it independently. The pressure test is oriented around a Blue idea team and a Red critical team. The Red are the people who will be affected by the plan. Blue runs the ideas like game plays against Red team. An umpire facilitates the wargame. [17:38] Matthew Syed, in Black Box Thinking, suggests an evolutionary process of trying and testing, failing, trying, and testing. Chris combines that with technical expertise, to start with a good initial plan. All affected parties are needed. Executives arguing against executives will not find all problems. [19:54] One cause of organizational blind spots is always recruiting people to be a good fit. Over time they end up recruiting very similar people, who see things the same way. Another blind spot is wilful blindness, from fear of the awful consequence of failure. Chris insists organizations draw from their own experiences in solving these challenges, for buy-in, using him as a safety net. [24:50] Representatives of every affected group are in the room, and the facilitator urges them to use their voice to discuss all aspects of the plan. It's about giving people a platform to critique the plans positively, and be a critical friend: "I get where you're trying to go, but if we did it slightly differently, we'd probably have more success." [26:17] A leader who is too controlling causes paralysis by fear among employees. By giving people permission to fail, leaders reduce the instances of failure. A leader can humbly say, "I don't have all the answers; you're going to have to help me. I will make the decision, but I need you to provide me with the expertise to help me make the right decision, at the right time, and in the right place." [30:44] Chris hires people who want to contribute and make a difference. To deliver the workshops they must be ex-military, but Chris also requires three years of challenging commercial experience before he will hire them. They need to have engagement, warmth and openness. They are connected, and engaged, and Chris rewards them. [34:55] Chris has a story from his early business days that still makes his toes curl. One of the corporate Blue team members gaver a great presentation of his segment, but when challenged, was unable to defend it, because he didn't have a good grasp of it. The Red team was recruited to generate ideas, and Chris learned that he needed to pre-qualify all the presenters for competence before pressure testing. [39:50] Chris, 40 when he started, had no previous business experience, but had a mortgage and teenage children. He relies on his wife and family to sustain him in his entrepreneurial journey. Chris also asked clients for testimonial support, which they supplied freely. That was invigorating for him. Chris also finds strength volunteering at CHICKS, a week-long outdoor experience for disadvantaged children. Books Mentioned in This Episode Black Box Thinking: Why Most People Never Learn from Their Mistakes--But Some Do, by Matthew Syed The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change, by Stephen R. Covey "How the UK's Royal Marines Plan in the Face of Uncertainty," by Arnoud Franken, Chris Paton, and Simon Rogers Bio In his former career, Chris was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Marines and advisor to the Cabinet and National Security Council on the Afghan strategy. He was responsible for the design of the drawdown of the UK presence in Afghanistan. He saw active service in a wide range of places including Northern Ireland, Kosovo, Georgia and Afghanistan. In 2010, Chris co-authored a HBR article on planning in fluid situations. This then led to his leaving the military to create Quirk Solutions Ltd. Chris has worked with BUPA, Heineken, Standard Life Investments, Shell and a wide range of SME businesses. He uses his leadership, strategy and planning experience to give organisations increased coherency, direction and efficiency. Chris is also one of the UK's premier exponents of Business Wargaming; stress testing plans to identify risks and opportunities. Bi-lingual in French and with a Masters Degree in International Liaison and Communication, Chris also provides French-speaking performance consultancy to clients. Chris Paton is an extraordinary polymath. His exceptional intellect and leadership skill set is faultless and is combined, in his new career, with an empathy to deliver, which at once inspires as much as it educates. Chris is an avid rugby man, as well as many outdoor sports, trying to surf, and expending vast amounts of futile effort trying to make his garden look presentable. Website: QuirkSolutions.org Twitter: @quirkwargaming LinkedIn: Quirk Solutions Ltd Blog: ChrisPatonWargame.wordpress.com/

Co-hosts Jan Rutherford and Jim Vaselopulos interview Becki Saltzman. Becki is a curiosity expert and an applied-curiosity trainer and consultant. In this interview, Jim, Jan and Becki discuss the nature of curiosity training vis-a-vis your curiosity muscle. Becki points out that asking additional questions is better than getting quick answers to obvious questions. Leaders can encourage innovation by fostering a culture of curiosity in their organization. Listen in to learn more about how peak curiosity can clarify your vision and guide decisions. Key Takeaways [4:03] Becki notes that you can control whether you are interested, more than whether you are interesting. If you are not interested in people, you don't know about them, so you don't know what will make you interesting to them. Curiosity can lead you to find uncommon commonalities with them. [4:50] Becki was raised by auctioneers, and attended hundreds of auctions, where she found a variety of people and objects to stimulate her curiosity. In graduate school she realized that curiosity was relegated to an ingredient in the greater studies of innovation and creativity. She chose to study it in its own right. [7:14] Becki tells leaders that curiosity is a muscle, to be exercised before judgment, criticism, fear, and complacency. Because it is a tool, peak curiosity is to be used in some, but not all, situations. [11:55] Becki talks about managing familiarity and heightening curiosity in a business setting, and also in a personal setting. When her son was hospitalized, instead of just accepting a nurse's statement about a test, Becki engaged her curiosity to ask a critical question that made a big difference. [15:25] Becki distinguishes the difference between free-range, basic curiosity vs. applied curiosity. Applied curiosity training concentrates on using curiosity as a tool in three areas: busting cognitive biases and brain bugs, creative problem-solving and innovation, and sales and influence. [17:26] George Loewenstein identified the information gap between what you want to know, and what you do know. Becki found gaps between what you do know and what you need to know, and between what you want to know and what you need to know. Thinking, before you whip out a cell phone to search, is enough to keep the curiosity gap alive. Easy information can make us think we know enough. [29:39] Elevating curiosity ahead of criticism, judgment, fear, and complacency is often enough to question why you make the decisions you make. Elevating curiosity makes your judgment more accurate. [31:59] Becki starts curiosity training by identifying your curiosity archetype, or how you default to using curiosity. Each archetype has its own set of cognitive biases, fueled by assumptions. Once your biases are identified, you can evaluate whether to use them or not, in making decisions. Familiarity and expectations are the basis of assumptions. [34:15] The minimum viable question in sales should be meaningful, unexpected, and not infused with any judgment. The reply is how you get your best information about the client or prospect. Becki's MVQ is, "What did your childhood smell like?" [39:26] Becki employs Richard Feynman's learning technique of taking something very familiar, and manipulating your sense of familiarity about it, to bring yourself to peak curiosity. Books Mentioned in This Episode Living Curiously: How to Use Curiosity to Be Remarkable and Do Good Stuff, by Becki Saltzman Arousing the Buy Curious: Real Estate Pillow Talk for Patrons and Professionals, by Becki Saltzman "The Psychology of Curiosity: A Review and Reinterpretation," by George Loewenstein The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization, by Peter M. Senge Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman, by James Gleick. How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie Bio Becki Saltzman holds a masters degree in behavioral science from Washington University in St. Louis, and has spent the last two decades studying curiosity and the role it plays in innovation & creativity, problem solving and decision-making, sales, and adventure. She is the author of Living Curiously: How to Use Curiosity to Be Remarkable and Do Good Stuff, and Arousing the Buy Curious: Real Estate Pillow Talk for Patrons and Professionals. She is a trainer & consultant, professional speaker, and ex-real estate broker and fashion buyer. Becki is the founder of the Living Curiously Lifestyle and creator of Applied-Curiosity, Peak Curiosity, and the Living Curiously Method — frameworks and teaching programs for using curiosity to accomplish remarkable things in work, adventure, and life. She is the spawn of master persuader auctioneers and breeder of boys. When she's not traveling to speak about curiosity, Becki lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband. She loves great travel adventures, crowded dance floors, and brown drinks. Website: BeckiSaltzman.com Google: Join the Tribe of the Curious Facebook: Becki Saltzman Twitter: @BeckiSaltzman LinkedIn: Becki Saltzman

Co-hosts Jan Rutherford and Jim Vaselopulos interview Steffan Tubbs. Steffan is best known in Colorado as the co-host of Colorado's Morning News on KOA NewsRadio in Denver. Overall, Steffan has more than 26 years of news experience and is a four-time winner of the Edward R. Murrow award for national reporting. In this interview, Jim, Jan and Steffan discuss whether some people are born to be leaders, and then assume leadership responsibilities; or some are thrown into circumstances where leadership is demanded and step up to the occasion. Also discussed is why some seek leadership positions with no motivation for personal gain. When Steffan covers people who complain and blame their circumstances, he challenges them that a single individual can still make a difference. Listen in to learn more about how passion for a cause can inspire others to achieve heroic aspirations.. Key Takeaways [3:39] Steffan first embedded in Iraq in March 2006, to report to his audience firsthand on conditions. He saw our men and women carrying out orders, and also going beyond to fulfil humanitarian missions. [6:16] At home, an email informed Steffan that a new friend had lost his life to an IED, in the same Humvee they had shared less than a month earlier. Steffan vowed that his mission would be to remember our troops — men and women — and their sacrifices. This has led to incredible experiences. [10:34] Filming ACRONYM, Steffan had many opportunities to talk and travel with WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Gulf War, Somalia, Iraq, and Afghanistan veterans, who spoke to him about wanting to protect our country, the Constitution, and our democracy, but suffered terribly doing so. This day, more than 20 veterans will take their lives, and 75 more will attempt it. Steffan spreads awareness of this tragedy. [12:39] Steffan's life changed on April 19, 1995, when the AP ticker reported an explosion in Oklahoma City, at the Murrah Federal Building. Steffan arrived within six hours, and was on site for a week. That was his first tragedy coverage of many. In the aftermath of tragedy, he saw ordinary people become leaders, as they evacuated buildings and saved people's lives. [17:53] Some people are born to be leaders, and find leadership positions. Some are thrown into circumstances where leadership is demanded, and step up to the occasion. Some seek leadership position with no motivation for personal gain. Some people do not seek to lead. [21:04] When Steffan covers people who complain and blame their circumstances, he challenges them. A person can still make a difference, living in this, the greatest country on earth. [22:51] WWII veteran Joe LaNier grew up in segregated rural Mississippi, grandson of a slave, and became a Navy Seabee. He always looked at life's positives After interviewing with Steffan, he became the subject of Steffan's first book and documentary film, Life, Liberty & Resilience. Taking on the dual project "just about killed" Steffan, but he and Joe had great experiences working together. [29:29] Steffan tells of his early life, and the resilience of his divorced mother, as she provided for him as well as she could. Steffan knows both poverty and comfort. He rejects keeping the hand you were dealt. He creates opportunities, makes things happen, and believes others can, too. Resiliency helps in any hard circumstance. Steffan is an eternal optimist, in part through the examples of people he meets. [34:00] You can learn optimism by paying attention around you. There's always someone who is in a worse situation than you. If you see them coping, and being resilient, take a lesson from it. [37:40] Steffan tells why he likes to create documentary films. His company trademark is Documentary Films That MatterTM. Everybody has a story, and most people have a compelling story. Steffan's curiosity drives him to discover, explore, and share these stories in documentary form. Books Mentioned in This Episode Life, Liberty & Resilience: A Man's War on Three Fronts, by Steffan Tubbs Adversity Quotient: Turning Obstacles into Opportunities, by Paul G. Stoltz Bio Steffan has funneled his passion for fair, honest reporting into Mountain Time Media and making Documentary Films That Matter.™ His first 3 films, Life, Liberty & Resilience, Droughtland, and ACRONYM: The Cross-Generational Battle With PTSD, all have been critically acclaimed and created amazing engagement opportunities, including a private screening on Capitol Hill for the House Veteran Affairs Committee. In addition to his radio experience, Steffan has spent more than six years as a national correspondent with ABC News based in Los Angeles, and nearly two years as a reporter/anchor for Fox5/WNYW-TV in New York City before moving back to Denver in 2005. Steffan hosted Studio 12 on Colorado Public Television for eight years. He has covered the Oklahoma City bombing and subsequent trials, Columbine, 9/11 recovery from Ground Zero, the Virginia Tech and Aurora Theater shootings and every type of natural disaster – from fires to hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, drought, and tornadoes. His sports coverage has included Super Bowls, World Series, NBA, and Stanley Cup Finals. Steffan is a frequent contributor to the Fox News Channel and ABC News. He is a proud supporter of our military and was twice embedded with U.S. troops in Iraq (2006 & 2010.) In both 2010 and 2012, he assisted WWII veterans back to the island of Iwo Jima. He ends his show daily by reminding us to Remember Our Troops. In 2012, Steffan published his first book Life, Liberty & Resilience – the story of a segregated WWII Iwo Jima veteran who grew up in rural Mississippi. His first film of the same title was released in 2013. In 2014, Steffan's second film Droughtland was released to critical acclaim. His latest film, ACRONYM: The Cross-Generational Battle With PTSD has garnered overwhelming support in Colorado and Nationally. Google: ACRONYM PTSD Website: MountainTM.com Facebook: Mountain Time Media Facebook: ACRONYM: The Cross-Generational Battle With PTSD Twitter: @MtnTimeMedia Twitter: @Acronym_ptsd Twitter: @KOATubbs Twitter: @TubbsKOA (This links to a specific Tweet on the Official U.S. Navy page)

Heroic Aspirations & Team Commitment – A Profound Disconnect? Summary & Ideas for Action On this Mastermind episode, co-hosts Jim Vaselopulos and Jan Rutherford discuss the inside scoop on The Leadership Podcast. Jim and Jan cover the questions that have been asked when they've shown the Patagonia Crucible documentary in four cities so far. They segue into themes The Leadership Podcast guests have discussed most often, and they conclude the episode with two important announcements. Listen in for what Jim and Jan have learned as they continue to study leaders! Key Takeaways [2:30] Jan and Jim took the Patagonia documentary to Denver, Portland, Seattle and Chicago. Self-Reliant Leadership studies the qualities of elite military units to understand the recipe for accelerated team development in all environments - from Patagonia to the boardroom. In October 2016, a team of Special Operations veterans and business executives completed a 54-mile circumnavigation of Cerro Torre and Mount Fitz Roy in Patagonia, Argentina. During the six-day expedition, the team tested audacity, adaptability, and compassion to determine if team development can be accelerated. The team found that selflessness, positivity, and curiosity were the key ingredients to a team with an absolute commitment to achieve at an elite level. These conclusions created a "recipe" to develop your own elite teams that gel quickly, gracefully handle changing business conditions, achieve challenging goals, and perform with absolute commitment. [3:12] "What did you forget to take?" Special Ops guys knew somebody would have what they didn't. Executives packed every possible item. Everyone shared. [5:59] "How do you translate that to business?" Daily, you have problems. Somebody on your team has already solved that problem. Ask. You're as strong as the team. Always have instant messaging on, so if someone has a question, you're there. To be part of the team, you have to be available. [7:52] "How did you select participants?" Participants were selected who were: selfless, adventurous, and had heroic aspirations. Those criteria were constantly reinforced: "You have been selected because you are selfless, adventurous, and have heroic aspirations." People realized it's all about everyone else. [8:44] Participants were expected to read the bios of the others going; to answer, "What do you hope to get out of this trip?" and to set up one-on-one calls to know their teammates. He set expectations of camaraderie, selflessness, vulnerability, sharing, and learning. [11:27] "If someone's hurting, shouldn't they acknowledge it honestly to the team?" Recognize something bad happened. Respect burdens without dwelling on them; let each overcome their adversity. Be inspired by the good coming out of it. Be self-aware, both internally, and of how you affect others, and self-regulate. Ask yourself, 'What emotions do I want to show, that are best-suited for the team?' [17:38] 'Slowing down to speed up,' is critical on the crucibles and in business. "I don't have time to develop my team," is not a strategy. Point of no return (PONR) goals are really big and really hard, and the team has no choice but to gel, bond, and take care of each other. Executives need a team that has each other's back, with shared accountability and selflessness. Set 'stretch' goals. [23:27] Planning for Patagonia involved team decisions. Things were discussed, not dictated. One discussion was on heavy snowshoes. They finally agreed to bring them. In hindsight, they needed them. Leadership has to be patient, and let the team all come to the same conclusion. [26:16] "What was different when you were roped in, and how does that relate to the business world?" Walking on the glacier and keeping everyone at the same pace, with the right spacing and tension, physically forced you to understand the interdependencies of your team. You are all tied together. [29:45] Themes from guests: (1) Vulnerability shows authenticity, earns credibility, and builds confidence. (2) Humor. Be self-deprecating. Allow a culture of fun, not at others' expense. (3) Deal with conflict. Provide consequences. Uphold standards and culture. Turn negative energy into positive. [41:02] General McChrystal said: "Most organizations today were designed for an environment that no longer exists." Gary Hamel wrote that the system is not creating the environment where most of the people can do the right thing most of the time, with minimal supervision. Executives must transition to lead the full organization. Self-reliant leadership has three pillars: self, others, and organization. [42:36] Announcements: (1) Jim has joined Jan as a partner in Self-Reliant Leadership, with plans, vision, and P.O.N.R.'s. (2) Jim announces The Leadership Podcast Academy, at WeStudyLeaders.com. Sign up there for the featured course, Fundamentals for Self-Reliant Leaders. The first 10 to sign up using the code, launchparty, will get a 50% discount for the course. Books Mentioned on the Show Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, by Robert P. Cialdini The Experience Economy, by B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore The Future of Management, by Gary Hamel The Littlest Green Beret: On Self-Reliant Leadership, by Jan Rutherford With Schwarzkopf: Life Lessons of The Bear by Gus Lee Bios: http://theleadershippodcast.com/our-team/ Website: SelfReliantLeadership.com Website: TheLeadershipPodcast.com Website: WeStudyLeaders.com Twitter: @WeStudyLeaders Facebook: We Study Leaders Like us on Facebook, Twitter, Stitcher, SoundCloud, and iTunes!

Co-hosts Jan Rutherford and Jim Vaselopulos interview Greg Adams and Blake Miles. Greg was a Special Forces officer, and is now the Co-founder and CEO of Stabilitas, a real-time threat intelligence and communication platform for security professionals working at global organizations. Blake was a Special Forces soldier, and currently is working as the Director of Support for Stabilitas. Greg and his team help safeguard companies and secures travelers with location specific safety information and a lifeline to help, all through their smartphones. Listen in to learn more about how these former Special Forces operators bring military-strength intelligence to corporate security. Key Takeaways [4:24] The Stabilitas team mission is to keep stakeholders safe, communicating risks arising from world conditions. [13:32] Greg had had a learning experience in Afghanistan, where his fundamental assumptions were challenged. Greg said you have to be curious, informed, and confident in your decisions, and always open to new information. [19:27] Greg's top value is to surround himself with quality people, like Blake. It's a combination of taking care of the customer, and building a team of people that care about each other. [21:53] Greg deployed to Afghanistan during the financial crisis. The war wasn't resonating with people who were losing their homes. This event made him want to study the big picture, through empirical economics, which helped him to find data to test big assumptions. Applying this to Stabilitas, they use machine learning to process open source risk data, map it, and dynamically deliver intelligence to a smartphone. [23:39] In the commercial security space, they're at a confluence of markets between intelligence and geopolitical risk, and communicating that intelligence to security staff, giving them civilian equivalents of military tools. [27:30] Stabilitas is exploring social media. The goal is to demonstrate they're doing something new, and social media is a new approach to reach security firms. [33:56] Bringing people with different backgrounds onto the team, means Greg had to find similar and trustworthy people with great autonomy and specialized skills. [38:59] Blake recommends Jan's Crucible cross-pollination of military and executive styles. Bios Greg Adams is passionate about geopolitical risks, empirical research, data analytics, technology, building a team, and getting out in the Pacific Northwest. When he's not building a great product with the Stabilitas team, or running around in the mountains, you can find him at Stabilitas.io. Greg has an undergraduate degree in physics from West Point, and studied economics and business at Harvard. Website: Stabilitas.io Email: Greg@Stabilitas.io LinkedIn: Greg Adams Twitter: @Greg_ii After serving in Special Forces, Blake Miles spent time as a recruiter for the Army National Guard before separating from the military in 2011. While working toward his bachelor's degree, he began his role as Director of Communications for the Green Beret Foundation, and also began writing for the website, SOFREP. Blake earned his bachelor's degree from Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne. Twitter: @BMiles84 Facebook: BMiles84 LinkedIn: Blake Miles

Co-hosts Jan Rutherford and Jim Vaselopulos interview Lana Holmes. Lana served as a proof-of-concept CEO for 6 companies, and an investor/advisor to over 30 technical startups in the San Francisco Bay Area. As the founder of four companies, she has deep expertise in the complete entrepreneurial journey. Sensing the marketplace needed more than business expertise, Lana invested in her personal practice with an eight-year journey in earth wisdom and oral indigenous traditions. Listen in to learn more about how to be inquisitive, find passion, and navigate your journey so as to pass down wisdom for generations to come. Key Takeaways [3:21] Lana's early career was an executive path, starting at Xerox, where she learned to ask questions. She was also one of the first employees at WebLogic as Director of Operations. [6:56] Looking for passion in her life, Lana went on a year-long walkabout, spending time in nature. She found teachers who were students of indigenous oral traditions, and she asked to study with them. [11:39] Lana discusses the hero's journey. She cites Brian Johnson, who is launching Hero Training 101, after a life of leadership and being a hero in his own right. [14:42] Jim notes consistent similarities shared by the various leader-focused guests on the podcast: asking questions, telling stories, being curious, concern for legacy, listening. Jan cites a TED Radio Hour podcast on "The Hero's Journey," and the crucibles heroes experience. Lana talks about timeless earth wisdom. [17:32] Earth wisdom provided Lana with the essential elements for navigation. Her organizational development work has been influenced by earth wisdom teachings, and medicine wheels, in relationship with nature. She takes clients into nature, diving deep with them to make a quantum leap toward understanding their life's purpose. [19:29] Lana notes that Crucibles impact people by the power of the earth. She provides people with tools, or custom questions, built on the energies of a medicine wheel, to navigate their lives. [26:02] Lana urges aligning business with our values. Disruption creates superstorm systems, that are complicated and challenging to fix. [29:54] Jim considers cycles to be critical. Ancient wisdom teaches balance, and give and take. [35:45] Leadership is one of the highest forms of service. We must first come into right relationship with ourselves, in order to be extraordinary leaders. Service begins at self-care. Lana asks questions to reveal the brilliance that is already within people [39:32] The first step is listening to our own voice, which requires asking ourselves the right questions, and listening deeply to what's moving within us, and then having dialog with people, about those questions and findings. Bio Drawing upon the combined resources of a 28+ year executive career in the San Francisco Bay Area, Lana Holmes served as a proof of concept CEO for 6 companies and is or has been an investor or advisor to over 30 technical startups in the San Francisco Bay Area. As a founder of four companies (2 consultancies, 1 service, 1 product), she has a deep expertise in the complete entrepreneurial journey. More specifically, a refined knowing of the inner and outer structures needed for successful implementation in the current market place. Sensing that the marketplace needed more than business expertise, Lana invested in her personal practice with an eight-year journey in earth wisdom and oral indigenous traditions. Lana has developed skills uniquely suited for the opportunities and challenges of our current world community and serves as an advisor and guide to high impact individuals and couples. Always listening and connected to a deep conviction that the feminine voice holds healing and wholeness for what is needed to restore balance and order among all humans, Lana accepted the role of Vice Chair and Chair of the Nominating Committee on the World Pulse Board and continues to invest her energies toward all that serves and sustains life. LinkedIn: Lana Holmes Instagram: LanarenHolmes Website: LanaHolmes.com Email: Lana@LanaHolmes.com