Innovating Leadership: Co-Creating Our Future

S11 Ep22: Think Acoustics, Not Optics: How Sound Will Transform Leaders

Guest: Brad Diskin, CEO of SGI
AI can see. But can it hear?
Meet Brad Diskin, CEO of Sound Genetics Inc. (SGI), the company teaching machines to listen. In this interview with host Maureen Metcalf, you’ll explore how acoustic intelligence is transforming security, leadership, and innovation across industries.
 
From detecting deepfakes and authenticating human voices to predicting infrastructure failures and even diagnosing disease through audio patterns, SGI’s technology is expanding how leaders think about AI, risk, and trust.
Here's what Brad and Maureen cover:
How “sound DNA” is transforming authentication, fraud prevention, and cybersecurity
Why AI’s next frontier isn’t vision; it’s hearing
What “digital audio imaging” means for infrastructure, health, and smart cities
The leadership mindset required to responsibly integrate next-generation AI.
 
Other episodes you'll enjoy:
- Fear Less, Shine More: Build Confidence in Your Leadership (and Life) with Tonjia Coverdale
- To Stop a Tyrant: The Power of Followers with Ira Chaleff
- Forget Power: How to Lead in a World of Chaos & Complexity with Michelle Harrison
 
For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn.
 
RESOURCES:  
Learn more about the work of Brad’s company on their website,
 
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, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8. The audiobook version is now available at  https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.
 
Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here. 
 
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OUR PODCAST TEAM:  
Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf
Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko
Graphics Editor: Stacia Rogan
Booking Producer: Jenna Reik
Sponsorship Sales Manager: Kristine Gross
Theme Music by Pavel Bekirov from Pixabay.
 
CONNECT WITH US: 
YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership 
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2 
IWebsite: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com 
 
Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating! 
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About Our Guest:  
Brad Diskin was CEO of UROK Learning Institute for 20 years. The firm specialized in teaching students with learning deficits to read, write and do math. The firm taught students to read nationwide utilizing the company's proprietary reading program Literacy Links. One of the tools became the genesis of Sound Genetics Inc. The company received a United States Patent on August 22, 2023 SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PRE - FILTERING AUDIO CONTENT BASED ON PROMINENCE OF FREQUENCY CONTENT.

S4-Ep37: From Stress to Strength: How to Rewire Your Brain for Resilience

Guest: Jon Wortmann, Leadership Coach & Principal at Novel Communication
What makes some overloaded leaders bounce back stronger, while others burn out?
In this episode, host Maureen Metcalf talks with executive coach and resilience author Jon Wortmann about how leaders can train their brains to stay calm, clear, and focused, even in chaos.
Wortmann draws from neuroscience, mindfulness research, and real-world leadership practice to reveal how resilience is more than “bouncing back.” It’s a trainable skill that rewires your stress response through deliberate habits: breathwork, focus, movement, and meaningful connection.
Learn how to:
Shift from the “short loop” of stress reactivity to the “long loop” of intentional thinking.
Use quick switching to get your brain back online in seconds.
Build resilience across four domains: physical, cognitive, emotional, and relational.
Lead teams more effectively by managing your own emotional and physiological state.
 
Other episodes you'll enjoy:
- How Purpose-Driven Women Redefine What It Means to Lead with Dr. Karen Longman
- How Inner Work Transforms Your Leadership with Jonathan Reams
- Leading from Within – A Former Navy SEAL on Transforming Yourself to Lead Others with Diego Ugalde
 
For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. We’re onTikTok, Threads, and Twitter, too!
 
RESOURCES:  
For great tips on reducing stress and boosting your brain skills, pop over to Jon’s Quickswitching website at https://quickswitching.com/.
Jon has several excellent books. Hijacked by Your Brain is about dealing with stress; it’s in paperback at https://amzn.to/4o3pvin.
For better leadership, he’s cowritten Three Commitments of Leadership: How Clarity, Stability, and Rhythm Create Great Leaders; it’s in hardback at https://amzn.to/4nXD8zq.
And if you just want to improve your golf game (using neuroscience & psychology), be sure to read Your Brain on Golf: How to Turn Frustration, Fear, and Anger into Better Scores. It’s in paperback at https://amzn.to/4pULk5x.
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, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8 . The audiobook version is now available at  https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.
 
Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here. 
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
Graphics Editor: Stacia Rogan
Sponsorship Sales: Kristine Gross
Theme Music by Pavel Bekirov from Pixabay.
CONNECT WITH US: 
YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership 
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2 
Website: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com 
 
Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating! 
-----------------------  
About Our Guest:  
Jon Wortmann is an executive & mental coach and speaker. A graduate of Carleton College and Harvard, his books have been #1 best sellers in 22 categories on Amazon. His work has been featured in O Magazine, Elle, The Huffington Post, Fox, Fast Company, and Psychology Today.
 
He began his training career in 2005 with a division of Time Warner, and has since worked with Fortune 500 firms, start-ups, universities, and non-profits to improve resilience, executive and board communication, client relationships, and leadership.

S4-Ep5: From Data to Dialogue: Why Leaders Need More than Numbers

Guest: Rens van Loon, Professor at Tilburg University
What do you do when logic and data aren’t enough? Today’s biggest leadership challenges—culture change, systemic disruption, complex decision-making—are wicked problems. They can’t be solved with old habits.
In this interview, Professor Rens van Loon, the world’s first Professor of Dialogical Leadership, explains how generative dialogue empowers leaders to navigate complexity, build trust, and create authentic change.
In this episode you’ll discover:
Why truth and data are relational, not absolute.
How to integrate multiple roles (CEO, parent, coach, human) into one authentic leadership.
The practice of : suspending judgment, asking better questions, and co-creating new meaning.
The Japanese concept of Ma as a tool for reflection and transformation.
How leaders and teams can solve their wicked problemse.
If you’re a leader ready to move beyond old habits and create lasting impact, this conversation will reshape how you approach complexity.
Produced in partnership with the International Leadership Association: https://ilaglobalnetwork.org/.
Other episodes you'll enjoy:
Let’s Talk: Four Steps to Bridging Workplace, Political, & Family Disagreements with Mike Morrow-Fox
Empathy, Dialogue, & a Good Mood: What Leaders Need in Crisis with Ambassador Thomas Greminger & Peter Cunningham
Work, War, & In-Between: An International Peace Negotiator’s Top Tips for Resolving Conflict with John, Lord Alderdice
For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. We’re onTikTok, Threads, and Twitter, too!
 
RESOURCES:  
You can learn more about Rens and his firm, &Dialogue, on their websites: https://ac3.788.myftpupload.com/ and https://dialogischleiderschap.com/ .
Rens’ book is Creating Organizational Value through Dialogical Leadership. It’s on Amazon at https://amzn.to/3VIicAx. His most recent book is Understanding Dialogical Leadership; it’s available at https://amzn.to/3Krhvt6.
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, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8 . The audiobook version is now available at  https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.
 
Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here. 
NOTE: As an Amazon partner, we may make a small commission from books you buy through these links.
-----------------------  
OUR PODCAST TEAM:  
Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf
Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko
Graphics Editor: Stacia Rogan
Sponsorship Sales: Kristine Gross
CONNECT WITH US: 
YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership 
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2 
Website: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com 
 
Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating! 
-----------------------  
About Our Guest:  
Rens van Loon is a philosopher and personality psychologist who has been a professor of Dialogical Leadership at Tilburg University, within the Humanities and Digital Sciences faculty, since 2014. He supervises PhD students and teaches Dialogical Leadership and Dialogical Self Theory at institutions including TIAS, VU, and in the Comenius program. From 2015 to 2019, he served as a board member of the International Leadership Association (ILA), and for several years, he has been a member of the Scientific Advisory Board (WAR) of the Titus Brandsma Institute (TBI) (Radboud University). He is one of the authors of the frequently cited first article on Dialogical Self Theory in the American Psychologist in 1992. His work as a scientist, educator, and teacher primarily involves developing and applying this theory in the practice of leadership and organizational development.
From 2009 to 2018, Van Loon worked as Director of Human Capital at Deloitte Consulting as a leadership expert. Besides client work, his focus was also on internal guidance and training within Deloitte University and Deloitte Academy.

S11 Ep21: Fear Less, Shine More: Build Confidence in Your Leadership (& Life)

Guest: Tonjia Coverdale, Ph.D., CEO at Lambiante
Fearless leadership doesn’t mean living without fear; it means learning to fear less.
 
In this episode, Dr. Tonjia Coverdale shares her seven-level framework that helps leaders align who they are with how they lead. Together with host Maureen Metcalf, she explores how to create clarity and confidence in yourself, and high-performing teams as a result.
 
If you’ve ever wondered how to strengthen your leadership presence and speak with authentic clarity—even in uncertain times—this conversation is for you.
Here's what Tonjia and Maureen cover:
Find your authentic leadership voice
Overcome fear and self-doubt in tough moments
Use wellness practices to boost leadership performance, and
Inspire trust, clarity, and innovation in your team.
 
Other episodes you'll enjoy:
What’s the Point? Why Your Leadership Needs Purpose with Ryan Gottfredson
Reinvent, Collaborate, Succeed: A CEO’s Winning Leadership Formula with Susan Howe
How Great Leaders Are Made: Insights from The Economist’s “Boss Class” with Andrew Palmer
For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn.
RESOURCES:  
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, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8. The audiobook version is now available at  https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.
 
Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here. 
 
-----------------------  
OUR PODCAST TEAM:  
Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf
Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko
Graphics Editor: Stacia Rogan
Booking Producer: Jenna Reik
Sponsorship Sales Manager: Kristine Gross
Theme Music by Pavel Bekirov from Pixabay.
 
CONNECT WITH US: 
YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership 
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2 
Website: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com 
 
Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating! 
-----------------------  
About Our Guest:  
Tonjia Coverdale, PhD, is a three-time CXO and seasoned technology executive with 28 years of experience leading enterprise data strategy, architecture, and AI-driven transformation across Fortune 100 financial services, higher education, government, and consulting. As Principal & CEO of Lambiante, she helps organizations harness technology — with architecture, data, and AI at the core — to align business, people, and purpose for transformational outcomes. A 500-hour certified yoga teacher, Tonjia brings a wellness-informed approach to leadership, known for her high energy, bold presence, and visionary leadership.

S4 Ep3: Why Corporate Social Purpose Also Means Profit

Guest: John Heiser, founder/CEO of TRG
Can a business make money AND make the world better? John Heiser says yes.
John, the former president/COO of Magnetrol, shares powerful stories about transforming the manufacturing company into a true social institution. He discovered that for-profit companies really can thrive when they also embrace their role in helping their communities flourish.
Here's what John and Maureen cover:
Why hiring employees on the autism spectrum boosted business performance AND created life-changing opportunities;
How apprenticeships for at-risk high school students built a new talent pipeline;
Why defining purpose as “flourishing” changed how employees connect with their work.
 
Other episodes you'll enjoy:
- What’s the Point? Why Your Leadership Needs Purpose – with Ryan Gottfredson
- Why Principle Beats Process: Inside the Koch Leadership Framework with Steve Daley
- Forget Power: How to Lead in a World of Chaos & Complexity with Michelle Harrison
For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn.
RESOURCES:  
Learn more about John and his current company, TRG Management Solutions, at https://trgtransforms.com/. For more about Magnetrol, where he pioneered his flourishing policies, check their website at https://www.ametek-measurement.com/magnetrol.
 
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, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8 . The audiobook version is  available at  https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.
 
Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here. 
 
-----------------------  
OUR PODCAST TEAM:  
Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf
Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko
Graphics Editor: Stacia Rogan
Sponsorship Sales: Kristine Gross
CONNECT WITH US: 
YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership 
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2 
Website: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com 
 
Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating! 
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About Our Guest:  
In addition to being the Founder and CEO of TRG, John has completed an Executive in Residence Fellowship with the International Leadership Association, the largest global community dedicated to leadership theory and practice.
 
Most recently, John was CEO of LabVantage Solutions, Inc., a laboratory informatics technology company. As CEO, he spearheaded the creation and execution of the company’s global strategy, innovative culture, and financial management, leading to unprecedented revenue and profit growth.
Prior to his role at LabVantage, John served as the President & COO of Magnetrol International, Inc., a global leader in level and flow process control instrumentation.
 
John began his career as an attorney in private practice before transitioning into business, where he has held numerous leadership positions in legal, government affairs, sales, and marketing with DuPont Merck Pharmaceutical Company, DuPont Pharmaceuticals, Merck & Co., Inc., and Bausch & Lomb.

S11 Ep20: What’s the Point? Why Your Leadership Needs Purpose

Guest: Ryan Gottfredson, Ph.D., leadership researcher
Most leadership development fails because it focuses only on skills and knowledge, but real transformation happens deeper…all the way down to upgrading your mental operating system.
 
Professor and researcher Ryan Gottfredson explains how upgrading your inner operating system (not just adding new “apps” of skills) shifts leaders from self-protection toward value creation. Together, Maureen and Ryan unpack his framework of Awareness, Altitude, and Upgrade, showing how leaders can move from being dependent thinkers toward truly interdependent leadership. Here's what Neil and Maureen cover:
- Why only 1% of leaders reach the highest level of maturity;
- Why 98% of leadership programs fail to create transformation; and
- What Jack Welch, Alan Mulally, and Satya Nadella can teach us about long-term impact..
 
Other episodes you'll enjoy:
- Bringing Clarity to Confusion with Terri O’Fallon & Kim Barta
- Do It on Purpose with Nell Derick Debevoise
- Leading with Care & Purpose with Raj Sisodia & Sudhanshu Palsule
 
For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. We’re onTikTok, Threads, and Twitter, too!
 
RESOURCES:  
Ryan’s new book is Becoming Better: The Groundbreaking Science of Personal Transformation. It’s in paperback at https://amzn.to/42iMLAp, and audiobook at https://amzn.to/4pazdkh.
 
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, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8. The audiobook version is now available at  https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.
 
Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here. 
 
-----------------------  
OUR PODCAST TEAM:  
Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf
Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko
Graphics Editor: Stacia Rogan
Booking Producer: Jenna Reik
Sponsorship Sales: Kristine Gross
Theme Music by Pavel Bekirov from Pixabay.
CONNECT WITH US: 
YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership 
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2 
Website: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com 
 
Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating! 
-----------------------  
About Our Guest:  
Ryan Gottfredson, Ph.D. is a cutting-edge leadership development author, researcher, and consultant. He helps organizations vertically develop their leaders primarily through a focus on mindsets. Ryan is the Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-selling author of Success Mindsets: The Key to Unlocking Greater Success in Your Life, Work, & Leadership, The Elevated Leader: Leveling Up Your Leadership Through Vertical Development, and Becoming Better: The Groundbreaking Science of Personal Transformation.  
 
He is the founder and owner of his consulting company, Ryan Gottfredson LLC, where he specializes in elevating leaders and executive teams in a manner that elevates the organization and its culture. He has worked with top leadership teams at CVS Health (top 130 leaders), Deutsche Telekom (500+ of their top 2,000 leaders), Experian, and others. He has also partnered with dozens of organizations (e.g., Federal Reserve Bank, Nationwide Insurance, Cook Medical) to develop thousands of mid-level managers and high-level leaders.
 
He is also a leadership professor at the College of Business and Economics at California State University-Fullerton. He holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Human Resources from Indiana University, and a B.A. from Brigham Young University. His research has been cited over 4,600 times since 2019.

S3 Ep2b - Heroes No More: Why Good Leaders Step Out of the Spotlight

Guest: Gama Perruci
What if leadership really isn’t about leaders anymore?
 
We revisit our eye-opening conversation with the late Dr. Gama Perruci — former Dean of the McDonough Leadership Center — as he challenged the “lone leader” and “hero leader” narratives we love so much. Instead, he found what works best for business is a powerful five-component leadership model: Leader, Follower, Goal, Context, and Culture.
Here's what Gama and Maureen covered:
Why context determines the most effective leadership style, far and above personality;
What the difference between the American and French Revolutions teach us about better leadership today; and
The true business imperative for our dynamic, interconnected world.
 
 
Produced in collaboration with the International Leadership Association: https://ilaglobalnetwork.org/.
Other episodes you'll enjoy:
- Forget Power: How to Lead in a World of Chaos & Complexity – with CEO Michelle Harrison
- Cultivating Cross-Cultural Leadership with Bjorn Ekelund
- To Stop a Tyrant: How Five Types of Followers Make (or Brake) a Toxic Leader with Ira Chaleff
For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn.
RESOURCES:  
The book Gama and Maureen referenced is Understanding Leadership: An Arts & Humanities Perspective. It’s in paperback at https://amzn.to/3JBRpTT, and Kindle at https://amzn.to/3JBRpTT.
 
Another book you’ll enjoy from Gama is Global Leadership: A Transnational Perspective. It’s in paperback at https://amzn.to/4nftSGS, and Kindle at https://amzn.to/41xsZRq.
 
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, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8. The audiobook version is now available at  https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.
 
Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here. 
We may earn a small commission from Amazon when you purchase from these links.
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OUR PODCAST TEAM:  
Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf
Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko
Graphics Editor: Stacia Rogan
Booking Producer: Jenna Reik
Sponsorship Sales: Kristine Gross
CONNECT WITH US: 
YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership 
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2 
Website: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com 
 
Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating! 
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About Our Guest:  
Dr. Gama Perruci was Dean of the McDonough Center at Marietta College in Ohio and served as a leadership education consultant for The New York Times, a facilitator for the Young African Leaders Initiative, and a facilitator and the leadership programs at Dartmouth College’s Rockefeller Center.
 
Gama was a frequent guest on the BBC and the Paris-based Radio France International broadcast to Brazil, his country of birth. He served as a member of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library’s Academic Advisory Council and as the Board Chair of the International Leadership Association. Notably, he also served as a consultant for the review of the Department of Leadership, Ethics and Law at the United States Naval Academy and as an evaluator of Zayed University’s leadership program in Dubai, UAE.
 
Sadly, Dr. Perruci passed away in 2021.

S11 Ep19: Reinvent, Collaborate, Succeed: A CEO’s Winning Leadership Formula

Guest: Susan Howe, CEO of Weber Shandwick
What does it take to lead a global organization through constant change? In this conversation, host Maureen Metcalf sits down with Susan Howe, CEO of Weber Shandwick, to explore the leadership strategies behind one of the world’s leading PR firms.
 
Howe offers practical strategies for executives navigating organizational transformation, AI-driven change, and the accelerating pace of business. Learn how leaders can engineer collaboration, sustain innovation, and remain grounded in uncertain times…and why reinvention must now be a way of life for leaders to maintain a competitive advantage.
Here's what Susan and Maureen cover:
How to lead in a world reshaped by disruption;
Why trust is earned through contribution, not messaging; and
Practical ways to build an organizational culture that will adapt…and thrive!
Other episodes you'll enjoy:
- Forget Power: How to Lead in a World of Chaos & Complexity with Michelle Harrison
- How Great Leaders Are Made: Insights from The Economist’s “Boss Class” – with Andrew Palmer
- To Stop a Tyrant: The Power of Followers with Ira Chaleff
For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn.
 
RESOURCES:  
Weber Shandwick’s website has a wealth of information at https://webershandwick.com/.
 
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, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8. The audiobook version is now available at  https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.
 
Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here. 
 
-----------------------  
OUR PODCAST TEAM:  
Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf
Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko
Graphics Editor: Stacia Rogan
Booking Producer: Jenna Reik
Sponsorship Sales: Kristine Gross
Theme Music by Pavel Bekirov from Pixabay.
 
CONNECT WITH US: 
YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership 
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2 
Instagram: @innovativeleader 
Website: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com 
 
Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating! 
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About Our Guest:  
Susan Howe is Chief Executive Officer of The Weber Shandwick Collective (TWSC), the leading earned-first strategic communications and consulting network spanning 60+ global markets. Under her leadership, TWSC serves Fortune 500 companies across every major industry sector, earning coveted recognition such as PRWeek’s Global Agency of the Year and PRovoke’s Global Agency of the Decade, as well as being named to Ad Age’s Agency A-list and Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies. TWSC has 225+ Cannes Lions and counting.
 
With more than two decades of leadership at TWSC, Susan has been a key driver of its growth in her roles as President, Chief Growth Officer and Chief Collaboration Officer, overseeing global operations and fostering collaboration across regions and practices.
 
As a passionate advocate for inclusion and women in business, Susan is a member of Fortune’s Most Powerful Women community. She also serves on the boards of the Sheppard Pratt Foundation and the Northwestern Alumni Association. Susan is a graduate of Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism and was recently inducted into the Medill Hall of Achievement, the highest honor awarded to Medill graduates.

S3 Ep 2 - A CEO’s Three Ms: Mountaineering, Mindsets, and Modernizing Leadership

Guest: Aldo Boitano
What does climbing K2 – the world’s second-highest and deadliest mountain – teach about leadership?
 
Pretty much everything, according to guest Aldo Boitano. The CEO, founder, consultant, and former International Leadership Association board member reveals how his mountain climbing and Antarctic expeditions taught him the most critical skills modern leaders need.
Here's what Aldo and Maureen cover:
How mountaineering builds resilience, adaptability, and (increasingly rare in today’s leaders) patience;
Why exposure to uncomfortable perspectives provides hidden power; and
How stepping outside your comfort zone sparks your own development.
 
TRIGGER WARNING: The topic of suicide arises in the conversation around the seven-minute point.
 
Produced in collaboration with the International Leadership Association: https://ilaglobalnetwork.org/.
Other episodes you'll enjoy:
- Leading from Within: A Former Navy SEAL on Transforming Yourself to Lead Others – with Diego Ugalde
- How Great Leaders Are Made: Insights from The Economist’s “Boss Class” – with Andrew Palmer
- Leading through Difference with Mike Hardy
For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. We’re onTikTok, Threads, and Twitter, too!
 
RESOURCES:  
The book Aldo mentioned is Breaking the Zero-Sum Game: Transforming Societies through Inclusive Leadership. It’s available on Amazon in paperback at https://amzn.to/3VbDpSZ and on Kindle at https://amzn.to/3VbDpSZ. Learn more about Aldo on his LinkedIn page: linkedin.com/in/aldoboitano .
 
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, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8. The audiobook version is now available at  https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.
 
Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here. 
 
-----------------------  
OUR PODCAST TEAM:  
Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf
Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko
Graphics Editor: Stacia Rogan
Booking Producer: Jenna Reik
CONNECT WITH US: 
YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership 
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2 
Website: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com 
 
Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating! 
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About Our Guest:  
Dr. Aldo Boitano is the former CEO and Co-Founder at CleanTech Lithium, a carbon neutral lithium development company in Chile. Its mission is to be the greenest lithium supplier to the EV market.In addition to his decades of broad international leadership experience, Aldo is a world class mountaineer and active philanthropist, designing and executing curricula for internal training courses and outdoor leadership experiential programs to be used in an educational sequence (5th grade - senior classes) for empowering low-income school students.

S11 Ep18: Disrupted! How to Break Free of Your Old Leadership Habits

Guest: Mark Monchek
What on earth is an Unconference?
 
Traditional leadership models are cracking under the weight of today’s rapid change. Strategist and unconference co-creator Mark Monchek reveals why legacy leadership models—top-down authority, rigid planning, and competition-first thinking—are no longer fit for a world defined by disruption. The solution will come through the unconference: a new, intensive, and far more effective way to grow as a leader. It can reshape leadership development through collaboration, experiential learning, and ongoing community.
Here's what Mark and Maureen cover:
Why control-based leadership is losing effectiveness;
How AI is changing the skills leaders need to be successful (for one, they have to learn to be more human!; and
The unconference format, and how that leads to more rapid and meaningful leadership growth.
 
Other episodes you'll enjoy:
- Steer Your Career to the Next Tier with Tammy Alvarez
- The Job I Love to Hate with Tammy Alvarez
- Leading with Care & Purpose with Raj Sisodia & Sudhanshu Palsule
 
For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. We’re onTikTok, Threads, and Twitter, too!
 
RESOURCES:  
Learn more about the Unconference Mark and Maureen will be part of at https://unconferencenyc.com/. Mark’s own company has more information about his work at https://opplab.com/.
 
Mark’s book is Culture of Opportunity: How to Grow Your Business in an Age of Disruption. It’s in paperback at https://amzn.to/4oxilEb, and Kindle at https://amzn.to/3JecZ0w.
 
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, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8. The audiobook version is now available at  https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.
 
Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here. 
 
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OUR PODCAST TEAM:  
Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf
Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko
Graphics Editor: Stacia Rogan
Booking Procucer: Jenna Reik
Theme Music by Pavel Bekirov from Pixabay.
CONNECT WITH US: 
YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership 
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2 
Instagram: @innovativeleader 
Website: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com 
 
Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating! 
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About Our Guest:  
Mark Monchek is the founder of Opportunity Lab, a strategy and leadership development firm that provides the direction, systems, and tools to take organizations to the next level of substantial growth.
Mark has worked with leaders from Google, Apple, JPMorgan Chase, General Electric, Goldman Sachs, Adorama, TerraCycle, Feltsberg, The New York Times, Wharton School of Business, New York University, Columbia University, NBC, Time Warner, and the United Nations.
He’s the author of the Amazon nonfiction bestseller Culture of Opportunity: How to Grow Your Business in an Age of Disruption. Mark has been featured in Real Leaders, The Better Business Book, the Organization Development Review Journal, Lifetime Network, WPLJ, WCBS, Newsday, Working Women Magazine, and the San Francisco Chronicle.

S4 Ep10B - Forget Power: How to Lead in a World of Chaos & Complexity

Guest: Michelle Harrison, Global CEO of Verian
What does it take to lead when trust is collapsing and change won’t slow down?
 
Based on the real-world issues faced by her clients, Dr. Harrison shares bold insights on leading through crisis, restoring public trust, and driving innovation in both government and business. She explores the role of intellectual curiosity, adaptive learning, and values-driven culture in building resilient, high-performing teams during turbulent times. Essential listening for leaders navigating complexity and change.
Here's what Michelle and Maureen cover:
The global trust crisis in governments and corporations;
Why collaboration is no longer an option; and
How Michelle builds high-performing, values-driven teams.
 
Produced in partnership with the International Leadership Association: https://ilaglobalnetwork.org/ .
Other episodes you'll enjoy:
- The Leadership Balancing Act with Michelle Harrison
- How Purpose-Driven Women Redefine Leadership with Karen Longman
- Lessons from Governors, Athletes, & Activists on Growing Women Leaders with Susan Madsen
 
For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. We’re onTikTok, Threads, and Twitter, too!
 
RESOURCES:  
You can learn more about Michelle Harrison’s company, Verian, on their website at https://www.veriangroup.com/ .
 
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, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8 . The audiobook version is now available at  https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.
 
Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here. 
 
----------------------  
OUR PODCAST TEAM:  
Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf
Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko
Graphics Editor: Stacia Rogan
Booking Producer: Jenna Reik
CONNECT WITH US: 
YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership 
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2 
Website: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com 
 
Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating! 
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About Our Guest:  
Dr. Michelle Harrison works as an advisor to governments and corporations around the world to build and deliver better public policy.​ She was the Founding CEO of Verian, leading the organisation for its first decade, during which time she established it as a division of Kantar and then led its evolution to a privately owned independent company and the largest specialist public policy consulting business outside of the US.
 
She is Chair of the Verian Institute for Public Impact, and a regular platform speaker and media commentator on issues of geopolitical and social change. Michelle was previously the Founding Global CEO of the WPP’s Government and Public Sector Practice, which pioneered a paradigm shift in applied behaviour change communications for public policy and scaled across every continent.
 
Throughout her career, Michelle has held NED and Trustee roles in the areas of public realm innovation and social investment, including at Nesta (2012 – 2018) and Social Finance (2019 – 2025). She has served on numerous advisory committees for U.K. government. She sits on the Advisory Board of the Reykjavik Global Forum and is the co-founder of The Reykjavik Index for Leadership.

S11 Ep17: To Stop a Tyrant: The Power of Followers

Guest: Ira Chaleff
What can you do when leadership at work crosses the line into authoritarian control?
 
We talk about authoritarians in politics, but they’re in the business world, too…and on the rise there. In this timely and provocative episode, Maureen Metcalf interviews Ira Chaleff, author of To Stop a Tyrant and The Courageous Follower, to explore how power is exercised, and challenged, inside both governments and organizations.
Here's what Ira and Maureen cover:
How authoritarian behavior is rising in business as well as politics;
The difference between dissent and disloyalty;
Why political acuity is essential for ethical influence
 
Learn more from Ira’s in-depth knowledge of followership in these past episodes:
- How Five Types of Followers Make (or Brake) a Toxic Leader
- The Dance Between Leadership & Followership – Margaret Heffernan joins Ira
- Courageous Followership – Neil Grunberg joins Ira
For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. We’re onTikTok, Threads, and Twitter, too!
 
RESOURCES:  
Ira’s book, To Stop a Tyrant, is available now on Amazon in hardback at  https://amzn.to/3W5XDys and on Kindle at https://amzn.to/420Zvwc. An audiobook edition is on Audible.com as well.
 
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, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8. The audiobook version is now available at  https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.
 
Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here. 
 
-----------------------  
OUR PODCAST TEAM:  
Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf
Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko
Graphics Editor: Stacia Rogan
Booking Procucer: Jenna Reik
Theme Music by Pavel Bekirov from Pixabay.
CONNECT WITH US: 
YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership 
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2 
Website: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com 
 
Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating! 
-----------------------  
About Our Guest:  
Ira Chaleff is an author, speaker, and innovative thinker specializing in the dynamics between leaders and followers. He serves as chairman emeritus of the nonpartisan Congressional Management Foundation in Washington, D.C., an organization dedicated to enhancing communication between constituents and their elected representatives.
 
Chaleff's groundbreaking work, The Courageous Follower: Standing Up to and for Our Leaders, has been published in multiple languages and is utilized globally across educational, corporate, government, and military institutions. He co-edited The Art of Followership: How Great Followers Create Great Leaders and Organizations, part of the esteemed Warren Bennis Leadership Series. His book Intelligent Disobedience: Doing Right When What You're Told to Do Is Wrong explores the roots of obedience and provides guidance on resisting inappropriate orders to achieve ethical outcomes.
 
As the founder of the Followership Learning Community within the International Leadership Association, Chaleff has been recognized as one of the 100 "Best Minds on Leadership" by Leadership Excellence magazine. He has served on the board of the International Leadership Association and was a visiting leadership scholar at Churchill College, University of Cambridge, England. His ideas on leadership and followership have influenced cultures within the U.S. military, civilian agencies, and international institutions, including the European Union and the British Army.
 
Chaleff holds a degree in Applied Behavioral Science and is a Board Certified Coach from the Center for Credentialing and Education. He continues to contribute to the global followership community through writing and lecturing from his home in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.