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The Future of C-Level and Board Networking

Transform networking from an activity to an essential strategy for developing business – and your best life 

Read Growth Igniters Radio Episode 198 Transcript

Download and listen to episode 198. Scott and I speak with world-class networker Jack Killion, who shares his stories and insights about the impact of continuously fostering business and personal relationships. He is a global entrepreneur and author of the book NetWork: All The Time, Everywhere With Everybody. 

Jack earned degrees from Yale and MIT, and has provided strategic consulting to Fortune 500 organizations and a wide range of other businesses while with McKinsey and Company and during 40 entrepreneurial years of starting and selling a variety of companies. His latest enterprise is Street Smart Entrepreneurs, which provides an abundance of resources for founders and corporate leaders in all stages of growth. (read more about Jack Killion below).

You’ll gain insights on:
  • The biggest changes in C-Level and Board networking over the years
  • Debunking myths around networking at the top leadership level
  • Three immediately useful ideas about building strategic C-level and Board Networking for the future

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Four GIR Guests Shortlisted for the 2021 Thinkers50

Congratulations to our 4 thought-leading guests honored by Thinkers50!

Read Growth Igniters Radio Episode 197 Transcript

Listen to episode 197. Scott and I highlight the four thought leaders we’ve had on Growth Igniters Radio over the years who are shortlisted for the Thinkers50 2021 Distinguished Achievement Awards. Called “The Oscars of management thinking” by The Financial Times, the shortlists identify eight thinkers in each 10 categories who have made an exceptional contribution over the last two years.

We review our conversations with:

  • Todd Cherches (Leadership Shortlist) – Episode 178
  • Dorie Clark (Talent Shortlist) – Episode 133
  • Tendayi Viki (Innovation Shortlist) – Episode 191
  • Rita Gunther McGrath (Strategy Shortlist) – Episode 168

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A More Powerful Way To Shape Your Company’s Culture For Growth

How can culture remain your company’s competitive edge when you’re growing rapidly?

Read Growth Igniters Radio Episode 124 TranscriptFind out by listening to “fan favorite” Episode 124. Even when there’s no time and you don’t have all the right people in place, there is a way to shape company culture without putting your business on hold. Scott and I share what we’ve learned from our experiences guiding leaders on this critical issue.

You’ll gain insights on

  • A practical framework for shaping company culture that enables everyone to focus on their “real work”
  • How a rapidly growing company found unexpected ways to increase the speed and quality of decisions
  • Three pieces of immediately useful advice for getting the perspectives you need to keep shaping your company’s culture as a competitive edge

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Should You Preserve Culture as Your Company Evolves?

How can you maintain what makes your company special in the hybrid and remote workplace?

Read Growth Igniters Radio Episode 194 Transcript

Find out by listening to episode 195. Scott and  I are tackling the tough issue of maintaining your company’s culture over time – without losing what makes you stand out as you keep creating new value for customers, employees, partners, and  other stakeholders.

You’ll gain insights on:
  • The challenge as well as opportunities for preserving your company’s culture when everyone isn’t in one place
  • Debunking myths about what it takes to maintain your company’s unique culture over time
  • Three immediately useful ideas for transforming while preserving the most important aspects of your company’s culture

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Leading With the Magic of Ethical Influence

How can telling the “unvarnished truth” help your company dominate your market?

Read Growth Igniters Radio Episode 194 Transcript

Find out by listening to episode 194. Scott and I speak with Mark Levy, who shares why ethical influence can set you and your company apart. He is a differentiation expert who has worked with a wide range of corporations, brands, thought leaders, political campaigns, entertainment, products, services, books, and speeches. Mark is also a speaker, podcaster, and author who has written for the NY Times and has written or co-written five books, including “Accidental Genius: Using Writing to Generate Your Best Ideas, Insight, and Content.”

He has worked with and spoken to leaders, strategists, and teams in large organizations, including Adobe, Amazon, American Express, Bain, BASF, Google, and many more. He’s also worked with leaders and advisors to government bodies, including the White House and the United Nations.

Along with his work as a differentiation consultant, Mark is a magician who co-created the highly rated show “Chamber Magic,” which has played in Manhattan for twenty-one years (read more about Mark Levy below).

You’ll gain insights on:
  • The critical role of top leadership in helping their company differentiate through what Mark  calls “the magic of ethical influence”
  • Leading people to break free from status-quo thinking and create authentic connections with customers and other stakeholders
  • Three immediately useful ideas for leading and differentiating with ethical influence

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What Will Separate Top CEOs From The Rest in a Post-Pandemic World?

 What are the 3 greatest leadership challenges CEOs face in the years ahead?

Read Growth Igniters Radio Episode 179 TranscriptCongratulations to Adam Bryant and Kevin Sharer on the publication of their new book “THE CEO TEST: Mastering the Challenges that Make or Break All Leaders” (Harvard Business Review Press). To mark this event we’re revisiting our summer 2020 conversation with Adam, when we previewed some of the highlights of  this book.

Adam Bryant is Managing Director of Merryck & Co.  He joined them in 2017 after a 30-year career in journalism, including 18 years at The New York Times. In addition to his many roles there as a reporter and editor, he created the popular weekly “Corner Office” column in 2009, interviewing 525 CEOs and other leaders over a decade.  (Read more about Adam below).

In our conversation we discuss:

    • How top CEOs are navigating emerging leadership challenges in the post-pandemic world
    • The most critical attribute that will separate the top CEOs from the rest in meeting these challenges
    • Three immediately useful tips for successfully leading through tests CEOs face when there are no clear answers

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Why Top Leadership Needs to Embrace “Holistic Insight”

A thought-leading CEO shares stories of how holistic insight can be transformative for a company

Read Growth Igniters Radio Episode 152 Transcript Listen to Episode 189. Scott and I speak with Lawrence “Larry” Siff, CEO of Neptune Advisors and the C Level Community. We discuss the key to developing broader and deeper perspectives for boards and management to optimize a company’s growth and create long-term value.

Larry has advised hundreds of CEOs and boards on maximizing corporate value. He holds a wide range of leadership positions in multiple organizations and boards. This includes being a National Association of Corporate Directors board leadership fellow, an independent board member of Mason Companies Incorporated, and being an industry advisor for Silverwood Partners, a boutique investment bank. (read more about Larry Siff below)

You’ll gain insights on:

  • The key benefits for boards and for management teams who gain and act upon holistic insight
  • Stories of the game-changing power of holistic leadership in action
  • Three immediately useful ideas for boards and management to develop holistic insight 

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Is Your Board Fit for the Future?

How must board-management relationships evolve to proactively lead into the future?

Read Growth Igniters Radio Episode 152 TranscriptFind out by listening to Episode 188. Scott and I speak with returning guest Peter R. Gleason, CEO of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) about highlights from their Blue Ribbon Commission report “Fit for the Future.”  

Peter is a recognized expert in board leadership and corporate governance issues. He serves as a member of NACD’s national faculty, is regularly quoted in the national media, and is a frequent presenter on the subjects of corporate governance, executive and director compensation, risk, strategic planning, and board/shareowner relations.

He has served as a commissioner on every NACD Blue Ribbon Commission report issued over the past 16 years, including the most recent releases on Fit for the Future: An Urgent Imperative for Board Leadership and Adaptive Governance: Board Oversight of Disruptive Risks.  (read more about Peter Gleason below)

You’ll gain insights on:

  • The most impactful challenge for boards and management teams in the age of rapidly interacting “Megatrends”
  • The “Recalibration” of expectations and roles between boards and management
  • Three immediately useful ideas for shaping “Future Fit” Board-Management relationships

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It’s our anniversary! Answering your questions

Which leadership issues will we focus on in our 7th year of Growth Igniters® Radio?

Find out by downloading and listeningRead Growth Igniters Radio Episode 187 Transcript | game-changing business growth to Episode 187. To commemorate this occasion, Scott and I have put together a 15-minute episode featuring our responses to the top questions some of you have asked us about game-changing business growth.

These include:

  • “Why is ‘game-changing business growth’ an increasing priority?”
  •  “What do you mean by ‘Growth Igniters,’ and what is special about them?”
  •  “What is the major reason that momentum sometimes falls off during transformation for business growth”

We also have links to related episodes we mention in our conversation. Scroll down to the “Resources” section below.
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Remembering Dr. Gail Hayes, Race Relations Advocate

Read Growth Igniters Radio Episode 186 Transcript: Remembering Dr. Gail HayesScott and I were shocked and saddened by the news that a recent guest on Growth Igniters® Radio, Dr. Gail Hayes, unexpectedly passed away after a brief illness. She was a Race Relations Consultant, Speaker, award-winning book author, and media personality. (see bio below).

To honor Dr. Gail’s memory, we are revisiting the entire conversation we had with her in the Fall of 2020. We discussed the compelling business case for building bridges to promote racial equity in the constantly shifting environment, why we need more than good intentions to overcome systemic racism, and immediately actionable ideas for working together on problem-solving.

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