Innovating Leadership: Co-Creating Our Future

S4-Ep23: Leveraging Technology to Deepen Human Performance

Featured Guest: Brian Ferguson
The greatest story of the 21st century is not technology, but how technology will be used as a tool for deepening the levels of human potential. Brian talks about his work leveraging the most proven performers, time-honored principles and cutting-edge technology to develop unique performance solutions for a wide range of “arenas” – from medicine to agriculture. He will discuss the following questions? 1. Why has "innovation" become such a buzzword in recent years? 2. What trends are you focusing on and how do they impact organizations and leaders? 3. What is the archetype of a leader who is effective in a world of dramatic change and dynamism? 4. Why is "human potential" such a powerful concept in today's global environment? 5. What challenges do all modern leaders face? 6. What is the most important trait of today's leaders? 7. What are "The First Principles of High Performance" 8. How does technology serve leaders and make for more high performing teams? What is singularity?

S5-Ep17: Improve Virtual Team Success by Leveraging Paradox

Featured Guest: Jean Brittain Leslie
Organizations and the people working in them find themselves in environments that are increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA). Under these conditions, tensions that are ongoing, and seemingly overwhelming can be difficult to understand, much less easy to address. These tensions show up in all facets of organizational life including leadership (control vs. empowerment), teamwork (task vs. relationships), strategy (competition vs. collaboration), structure (centralize vs. decentralize), and in the individual (work vs. home). These conflicting demands, when pursued jointly, are often referred to as paradoxes. Reframing these tensions beyond either/or problems in need of a single solution enables us to produce an outcome that is superior to tackling one demand at a time. Jean explains how to work with paradox and apply these tools to improving virtual team success. She draws on the rich research she conducted to provide solutions.

S5-Ep16: Simplify Work: Crushing Complexity

Featured Guest: Jesse W. Newton
We are in the midst of the fourth industrial revolution, yet have not realized the significant productivity gains that previous revolutions delivered. Author and Global Management Consultant Jesse Newton believes this to be in part because of the debilitating complexity that organizations have created over their existence. He’s spent years specializing in unburdening organizations from paralyzing complexity. Growing complexity has traditionally been met with added structures, processes, committees and systems. As a result, organizations often become a complicated mess, clouding strategic focus, slowing innovation and breeding complacency. In his new book, Simplify Work: Crushing Complexity to Liberate Innovation, Productivity, and Engagement, Newton delivers a newfound clarity on the case for simplification and the steps organizations and individuals need to take to unleash their potential.

S4-Ep28: Should IT Executives Share their ’Soft Side’?

Featured Guest: David White
As an IT Leader and someone who works in technology, David talks about why the soft side of what we do is a significant contributor to success. As technology leaders, we need a diverse set of skills including a heavy dose of soft skills to be a highly successful business leaders beyond our technical skills. These skills range from awareness and management or our mood, an ability to be present and focused and skills in establishing and managing a positive culture where a broad range of perspectives can be explored and synthesized. This is a new type of management and requires new skills. Battelle is working to ensure their culture and their leaders are prepared with the soft skills and culture to thrive and maintain agility as they lead in integrating new technology into companies and the US government. David also shares his perspective on his career path and the importance of seeking mentoring and being a mentor.