Innovating Leadership: Co-Creating Our Future

S7-Ep49: The Circular Economy: Better for Earth, Better for Business

Featured Guest: John Kilpatrick
Traditional organizations follow a linear economy: everything flows one-way, from resource to product to consumer to trash. It’s often summarized by the mantra “take, make, waste.” That certainly doesn’t mitigate climate change, pollution, and other threats to humanity. Is there a better path that won’t disrupt our consumer-driven culture?
John Kilpatrick heartily believes so. Just circle back to the economy of our great-great-grandparents: the circular economy. It’s the old “reduce, reuse, recycle” mantra, with a heavy emphasis on the “reuse.” It was the common sense way of life for most Americans for much of our history. John goes into the details—and reveals the clear benefits to both business and consumers—as he joins host Maureen Metcalf in this episode.

S7-Ep52: Normal Is Gone: Leadership Trends for 2022

Guest: Christopher Washington, Franklin University Provost
The pandemic didn’t destroy the old “normal.”  COVID simply accelerated trends that were already underway.  The best leaders see that, and are forging new paths to success for their organizations and their people.
The tables turn in this episode, as regular host Maureen Metcalf becomes the guest, interviewed by ILI Fellow and Franklin University provost Christopher Washington.  Drawing on her own extensive experience as well as the collective knowledge of the leaders she interviewed throughout 2021, Maureen reveals the six major trends for leaders in 2022:  from a reduced emphasis on results in favor of growing capacity, to the continuing labor shortage (and the need to retain your current employees by truly valuing them).  Whether you’re in a government, non-profit, or business sector, this is a must-listen for leaders worldwide looking for success in the new year.
Other episodes you'll enjoy:
To Err Is to Innovate with Beryl Tomay
Leading with an Eye on AI with Neil Sahota
The Rise of Humanness (The Role of People in an AI World) with Chris Nolan & Michael Schindler
 
For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. We’re on TikTok, Threads, and Twitter, too!
 
RESOURCES:  
Learn more about Franklin University at https://www.franklin.edu/ .
 
Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here. 
 
Maureen’s latest book is Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI. You’ll find details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI. Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here. 
 
 
Books we’re reading for fun or personal development right now include:
Everyday Ubuntu: Living Better Together, the African Way by Mungi Ngomane. Hardback (https://amzn.to/48Doh6j) and audiobook (https://amzn.to/48YCRF4)
Nerve: Lessons on Leadership from Two Women Who Went First by Martha Piper & Indira Samarasekera. Paperback (https://amzn.to/3tOtzg4) and audiobook (https://amzn.to/41OYdT5)
Jilly Truit murder mysteries by Beverley McLachlin:
Full Disclosure – https://amzn.to/46TxW6Q (paperback) https://amzn.to/46VDL3Q (audiobook)
Denial – https://amzn.to/46YCbhs (paperback) https://amzn.to/3GJc0AA (audiobook)
Women and Leadership: Journey Toward Equity by Sherylle J. Tan & Lisa DeFrank-Cole
 
NOTE: As an Amazon partner, we may make a small commission from books you buy through these links.
 
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OUR PODCAST TEAM:  
Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf
Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko
Video & Graphics Editor: Devon Mushalko
Assistant Editor & Raconteur: Luigi Morelli
Highly Skilled at Being Skilled: Jenna Reik & Mike Morrow-Fox
CONNECT WITH US: 
YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership 
Threads: @innovativeleaders
X/Twitter/Whatever New Name It Has This Week: @IL_Institute 
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2 
Instagram: @innovativeleader 
TikTok: @innovativeleadership
Website: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com 
 
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S6-Ep45: The Blindspots Between Us: How to Overcome Unconscious Cognitive Bias

Featured Guest: Dr. Gleb Tsipursky
We all want positive, productive, and genuine relationships—whether it’s with our family, friends, peers, coworkers, or romantic partners. And yet, time and time again, we all seem to make the same thinking errors that threaten or sabotage these relationships. These errors are called cognitive bias, and they happen when our brain attempts to simplify information by making assumptions. Gleb joins Maureen to discuss his book The Blindspots Between Us: How to Overcome Unconscious Cognitive Bias and Build Better Relationships and the skills to help you debias—to stop, pause, and objectively observe situations before jumping to conclusions about others’ motives.

S7-Ep45: To Be Honest: Lead with the Power of Truth, Justice, & Purpose

Featured Guest: Ron Carucci
Honesty is more than a character trait: it’s a muscle that has to be built to stay strong; honesty can be learned. Truth, justice, and purpose are “three sides of the same coin." Together, they mean honesty - to have honesty, you need all three; honesty means you have to say the right thing, do the right thing, and say and do them for the right reason...even when it’s hard. Based on a 15-year longitudinal study of more than 3,200 leaders, we can now prove under what conditions people will tell the truth, behave fairly, and serve a greater good...and under what conditions they will lie, cheat, and serve their own interests. Ron Carrucci joins the show to discuss his book, To Be Honest. It is a book about heroes – the honest leaders and thinkers we should all want to emulate. Honest organizations out-perform, out-compete, and out-attract top talent by substantial multipliers.

S7-Ep46: One Big Idea: Helping Leaders Focus & Grow Their Organization

Featured Guest: Pete Martin
If you're a leader of a business or non-profit, how you spend your time has a direct impact on the success of your organization. Focusing on just one big idea instead of scattershot-ting your attention keeps that impact positive.
What you, as a leader, work on minute-by-minute, hour-by-hour, day-by-day matters—and either moves the needle and propels growth or constricts it. For instance, consistently and strategically choosing one “big idea” per month will move a business forward faster than any one particular tactic. Working on one big idea across each pillar of your business - team, customers, capital and strategic execution (and personal mindset) - will lead to exponential growth over time. Pete Martin joins Maureen to share reasons why companies get stuck and stop growing, and what leaders can do to change that.

S8-Ep5: Here’s Why Prime Minister Kim Campbell Gives Failing Grades to Today’s Leaders

Featured Guest: Kim Campbell, First Female Prime Minister of Canada
"The future will spit on our graves." Former Canadian Prime Minister Kim Campbell doesn't mince words when she muses on the big issues facing the world today...and, particularly, what happens if we don't work to fix them now. From climate change to sexual harassment, host Maureen Metcalf draws remarkably candid perspectives from the only female to have served in Canada's top spot.

S7-Ep47: Meetings Stink: How to Make Meetings Matter (and Collaboration, Too)

Featured Guest: Darren Chait
There's one simple truth most working adults realize in their first job:  meetings stink.  Darren Chait is no exception.  While he was an attorney, he recoiled at how inefficient and archaic lawyers' meetings are...then he had sticker shock when he saw the invoices and realized clients pay for that slow-paced inefficiency!  That put him on the path to finding a better way for meeting.  The result:  Hugo, an online app that changes the way we think about meetings.
On the way, Darren learned that leadership in a fast-growth startup is very different than what the textbooks say. He joins Maureen to share what he's learned on the journey about leadership, how collaboration is changing, modern team dynamics, shared consciousness, direction versus support, and when to make leader problems team problems.

S7-Ep48: The Power & Promise of Gen Z, Part 2

Featured Guest: AnneMarie Hayek
Older generations view Gen Z as having their eyes glued to their smartphones.  While those phones are a window on the world no other generation has encountered, it means they’re more likely to see the world for what it is, warts and all.  And that exposure to the world and its diverse cultures makes Gen Z more ardent in resolving life-threatening issues like climate change and racism…driving them to make real life better.
 
AnneMarie Hayek is returning to the show to continue our conversation about her research of GenZ.  In her book, Generation We, she joins forces with thousands of Zs to tell their powerful story—a story that impacts all generations.  In her return visit, we discuss how leaders we can attract and lead Gen Z, how Gen Z’s unparalleled exposure to diversity shapes their priorities, and how this generation will impact the arc of humanity for generations to come.

S7-Ep27: Mental Toughness: How to Embrace Stress for Greater Success

Featured Guest: Colonel Deb Lewis
Women (and men) face unhealthy stress and anxiety on a daily basis - it’s a wonder we’re still standing. Too few of us have stress tools powerful enough to put stress to work for us so we can enjoy the journey. Once you’ve learned how to be mentally tough, you will use stress to your advantage. It becomes your superpower!
Colonel Deb Lewis learned the importance of mental toughness as part of the very first class of women to graduate from West Point.  The lessons learned there, and in her subsequent Army career, inspired her to develop her unique Mentally Tough Women program to teach people how to handle stress, not simply de-stress.  She joins the show to share her experiences, and how you can learn to effectively use stress to your advantage, too.

S7-Ep28: Workforce Education: A New Roadmap

Featured Guests: William Bonvillian & Sanjay Sarma
Technological advances are putting quality jobs out of reach for workers who lack the proper skills and training. From pre-K through college and on-the-job ""professional development,"" the United States' old-school education system simply isn't up to the task.  Universities, for example, can no longer be havens of academic theory and football; enrollment will begin to trickle over the next decade as college grads become too unprepared for the modern workplace.
We need a roadmap for a new workforce education system to rebuild America's working class, tackling inequality by equipping our workers for twenty-first-century jobs. The post-pandemic workplace requires us to train more workers more quickly, using innovative methods. William Bonvillian and Sanjay Sarma -- both of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - join host Maureen Metcalf to share various ideas on the new roles community colleges, employers, governments, and universities need in workforce education, as well as new education technologies that may be adopted to deliver such training.

S7-Ep42: The Career Toolkit: Essential Skills for Success No One Taught You

Featured Guest: Mark Herschberg
Networking, negotiating, communicating, leading, career planning—all skills critical to your career success. But did anyone ever teach you these skills? Mark Herschberg is on the show to discuss his book The Career Toolkit: Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You. He shares practical ideas from his book and his thoughts on leadership that will help you master these vital skills.

S7-Ep41: Winning Digital Customers: The Antidote to Irrelevance

Featured Guest: Howard Tiersky
Digital is at the center of most adults' lifestyles worldwide—and it's here to stay. (In fact, roughly 1/3 of people surveyed said they'd give up sex instead of their smartphone!) That has disrupted and changed the customer relationship. Customers today expect the brands they deal with to deliver outstanding and seamless digital experiences. If your brand is failing to thrive, odds are you're ignoring the marketplace changes digital has wrought. You must take what is core to your value proposition and adapt it, perhaps significantly, for a world filled with digital customers. That will require flexible and innovative leaders whose companies can turn on a dime. Howard Tiersky joins Maureen to discuss the methods for accomplishing this outlined in his new book, Winning Digital Customers: The Antidote to Irrelevance, as well as his experiences assisting large organizations grow from their analog past.