The Leadership Podcast

By: Jan Rutherford and Jim Vaselopulos experts on leadership development
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  • Summary

  • We interview great leaders, review the books they read, and speak with highly influential authors who study them.
    Copyright © 2016-2023 Rafti Advisors, LLC & Self Reliant Leadership, LLC - All Rights Reserved.
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Episodes
  • TLP426: Closing The Confidence Gap with Kelli Thompson

    TLP426: Closing The Confidence Gap with Kelli Thompson
    Sep 18 2024
    Kelli Thompson is an award-winning leadership and executive coach, keynote speaker, and the critically-acclaimed author of “Closing The Confidence Gap: Boost Your Peace, Your Potential & Your Paycheck.” In Kelli’s two-decade career leading teams in primarily male-dominated industries, she received industry awards for her ability to build programs that cultivated the pipeline of future leaders. Kelli explores how both women and men give away their power. She critiques outdated definitions of executive presence based on masculine norms and advocates for a more individual-focused approach. Kelli shares insights on balancing authenticity with professional expectations, including dress codes, and introduces her “Situational Savviness Matrix” for effective communication. She offers advice on salary negotiations and determining if it’s time to leave a situation by evaluating values, skills, and energy. Kelli previews her upcoming TED talk on the dangers of idolizing leaders and how it stifles personal intuition and leads to corporate issues. She concludes by defining confidence as trusting yourself despite fear. https://bit.ly/TLP-426 Key Takeaways [02:53] Kelli shared that she's a certified storm spotter and originally wanted to be a meteorologist. She studied meteorology in college but decided against the career due to its demands. Kelli also discusses weather prediction, comparing it to leadership. She notes that while we can't control circumstances, having the right tools is essential. [06:54] Kelli explores how people give away their power, often by not knowing what they stand for. She shares her own experience of following others’ advice, which led to an unfulfilling career and personal life. Kelli emphasizes the need to define your values and have the courage to say no to anything that doesn’t align with them, inspired by the Hamilton quote: "If you don’t know what you stand for, what will you fall for?" [09:10] Kelli discusses how women might give away their power by saying "yes" to fit in or climb the ladder, while men might do so by suppressing traits that don’t fit traditional norms. She highlights that men who are empathetic or collaborative may struggle with their careers and personal well-being when they hide these qualities. [10:40] Kelli discusses helping clients find clarity by focusing on core values. She starts with core values and works to define non-negotiables and how they want to be perceived. Kelli uses tools like the Enneagram to uncover motivations and blind spots, helping clients identify strengths and talents. This clarity leads to better decision-making and confidence. Kelli also shares the inspiration behind her Clarity and Confidence Women’s Leadership Program, created to provide tools and strategies for overcoming systemic challenges and personal doubts. [15:55] Kelli explores the outdated definitions of executive presence often based on traditional masculine norms. She notes that the modern workplace, created by men for men, still reflects these old standards. Kelli advocates for redefining executive presence to honor individual styles and values. She shares her experience of balancing directness with respect and love, showing how to align personal authenticity with effective leadership. [18:27] Kelli discusses the challenge of balancing authenticity with professional expectations, especially regarding dress codes. She recounts her experiences from banking and pharma, where strict dress codes were enforced. Kelli suggests evaluating if you can conform to an organization's dress code before joining. She stresses that while organizations may prefer certain behaviors, the real focus should be on whether these behaviors drive results. Kelli also explains that executive presence often relates more to building relationships and influencing others than to superficial standards. [22:40] Kelli explores the role of adaptability in executive presence, stressing that what works in one region may not in another. Kelli shares her experience with phone sales, where directness didn’t work in the South, and introduces her “Situational Savviness Matrix” to balance directness and politeness. She concludes that executive presence is broad, and focusing on specific behaviors is more effective than the general term. [25:58] Kelli explores salary negotiations. Kelli stressed the value of "situational savviness" and detailed how employees should prepare by gathering salary data, quantifying accomplishments, and making a clear ask. She noted that raises may take time and require approvals. Kelli discusses the courage needed to handle requests and the option to set specific performance goals for future raises. [30:45] Kelli discusses the crucial questions to ask when deciding if it's time to quit something. She outlines key questions to ask before quitting: Is this situation aligned with my values? Is it using my best skills? How does it affect my energy levels? Is...
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    43 mins
  • TLP425: How to Build a Work Culture that Maximizes Your Impact with Jaime Taets

    TLP425: How to Build a Work Culture that Maximizes Your Impact with Jaime Taets
    Sep 11 2024
    Jaime Taets, CEO and founder of Keystone Group International, and author of "You Are Here" and "The Culture Climb" discusses the challenges of leading in a post-pandemic world, highlighting the importance of conscious leadership, and adapting to constant change. Jaime emphasizes the need for leaders to create cultures that value strengths and impact, prepare for ongoing changes, and foster environments where employees feel connected to the organization's purpose. She also addresses the generational shifts in the workforce and the significance of managing change effectively. https://bit.ly/TLP-425 Key Takeaways [03:51] Jaime discusses the current dire state of workplace culture as a result of a perfect storm of factors accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. She explains that declining employee engagement, which had been gradually worsening for over two decades, was amplified by the pandemic, forcing companies to rapidly adapt to shifting employee values and priorities. This exposed their unpreparedness for the dramatic changes in the workforce. [05:52] She talks about leaders struggling to cope with increased pressure and uncertainty, while lacking the necessary skills to inspire and motivate their teams. Simultaneously, she states that employees are disengaged and unclear about the organization's direction. [08:23] She believes organizations struggle to meet conflicting employee demands and different generations have varying expectations, making it challenging to please everyone. She argues that ineffective leadership is a root cause, with many leaders promoted based on performance rather than leadership skills. [12:45] Jaime says organizations struggle with rapid change and differing employee needs. She also stated that poor leadership, often prioritizing performance over people skills, hinders progress. [19:33] Jaime believes resilience is the cornerstone of strong leadership. Overcoming challenges, rather than being deterred by them, shapes individuals into effective leaders. She also says societal pressures often hinder personal growth, but a mindset shift is crucial to view obstacles as opportunities for development. [27:35] Jaime believes social media, while initially beneficial, now negatively impacts mental health by fostering unrealistic comparisons. This leads to a longing for a simpler life, reminiscent of past eras. [32:19] Jaime shares her personal journey of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro inspired by her upcoming book, "Surviving Greatness." The book explores the challenges of achieving success and the subsequent need for personal growth. [37:54] Closing quote: Remember, “If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading. ” — Lao Tzu Quotable Quotes "Culture is the leader's choice." “Our cultures cannot thrive and produce the business results that we're looking for if our leaders don't know how to manage their own energy."​ "Everyone has a story, and we're more similar than we are different."​ "The most successful people have had the hardest roads going there."​ "The comparison issue is just absolutely robbing us of living our lives and what makes us happy." "If you don't shift your own perspective, it's really going to be someone else who tells you what your perspective should be." "We haven't given leaders the time or space to learn how to lead like that." “If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading. ” — Lao Tzu These are the books mentioned in our discussion with Jaime Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Jaime Taets’s LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/jaimetaets Jaime Taets’s Website | jaimetaets.com Jaime Taets’s Instagram | @jaime_taets
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    39 mins
  • TLP424: The Mentally Strong Leader with Scott Mautz

    TLP424: The Mentally Strong Leader with Scott Mautz
    Sep 4 2024
    Scott Mautz, author of "The Mentally Strong Leader: Build the Habits to Productively Regulate Your Emotions, Thoughts, and Behaviors," defines and describes what it is to be a mentally strong leader. Scott defines mental strength as the ability to remain calm, in control, and intentional, contrasting it with signs of mental weakness. He emphasized the importance of managing emotions and being intentional in leadership, adapting flexibly to different situations. Throughout the discussion, Scott highlighted tools from his book aimed at improving leadership effectiveness and managing expectations. He also touched on the impact of coaching on mental strength development and navigating societal changes affecting workplace dynamics. https://bit.ly/TLP-424 Key Takeaways [03:18] Scott revealed a surprising detail about his past: he did stand-up comedy in college and grad school for beer money, almost professionally. However, he chose to follow his passion for leadership instead of pursuing comedy full-time. Scott integrates humor into his leadership style, using it to lighten the mood, diffuse tension, and unite people. He believes that "the shortest distance between two people is laughter." [04:52] Scott discusses his book "The Mentally Strong Leader" defining mental strength as the ability to remain calm, in control, and intentional. He contrasts this with signs of mental weakness, emphasizing that lacking these qualities indicates low mental strength. [06:05] Scott explores how intentionality in leadership can be a delicate balance, noting that being overly intentional may lead to tone-deafness, while lacking intentionality can result in uninspired leadership. He emphasizes that mental strength includes managing emotions and approaching work with intention, adapting flexibly to meet the demands of different situations. [07:21] Scott identifies signs of mental weakness in leaders and defines mental strength as the capacity to manage emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively during challenges. He emphasizes self-awareness and self-regulation as crucial for leadership, impacting organizational outcomes. Jim adds that effective leaders balance being demanding and inspirational, setting clear expectations while promoting positivity and realism. Scott agrees, emphasizing tools from his book, "The Mentally Strong Leader," for effective expectation management. [15:48] Scott draws an analogy between mental muscles and physical muscles, akin to a workout regimen. His mental strength self-questionnaire offers a personalized score, highlighting strengths and areas for improvement in mental muscles such as boldness and decision-making. This tool supports leaders in maintaining balance and commitment to their mental strength development journey. [19:23] Jim queried Scott on the impact of coaching in developing mental strength, drawing a comparison to sports coaching. Scott suggested initiating with a mental strength self-assessment and employing scientifically grounded tools from his book. He advised revisiting progress after three months and seeking guidance from a coach or mentor if advancement slows down. [21:54] Scott discussed his book's focus on emotions, thoughts, and behaviors, emphasizing the misconception about confidence and the role of doubt. He introduced the doubt continuum, stressing that managing doubt is key to genuine confidence. Scott warned against extremes like overconfidence and fear paralysis. Jan linked this to societal challenges of tribalism and asked about leadership balancing uniqueness and adaptability. Scott highlighted leadership as fostering more leaders through learning agility and embracing individuality while evolving. [25:47] Scott and Jim discussed how societal changes are impacting workplace dynamics, comparing these challenges to "adult puberty." Scott highlighted the importance of mental strength in today's career pressures, similar to emotional intelligence. Jim reflected on past generational work differences, noting higher expectations today could lead to greater disillusionment. Both agreed on the growing importance of resilience in adapting to changing career landscapes. [30:16] Scott and Jim explored the nuances of difficult conversations, emphasizing preparation and understanding power dynamics. Scott highlighted the importance of fortitude in these interactions, while Jim discussed strategies for managing up, focusing on influence, endurance, or departure. [36:13] Scott reassured listeners not to feel daunted by the process of becoming mentally stronger, emphasizing that everyone starts at a baseline. He suggested using the mental strength self-assessment to identify areas for growth and highlighted the effectiveness of the tools and habits in his book, validated through real-world applications. [37:21] And remember, Striving for success is healthy, but believing you need to succeed the first time around may backfire. Mentally strong people believe failure is...
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    38 mins
Management Economics
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