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Igniting Momentum for Game-Changing Results

Organizational Culture & Performance

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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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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Recognize Emerging Opportunities Ahead of Your Competitors

How can your company be the disruptor – and not the disrupted?

Read Growth Igniters Radio Episode 84 Transcript: Emerging OpportunitiesFind out by listening on-the-go to Episode 84. The environment in which we lead our businesses continues to change in so many previously unanticipated ways. Disruptions can come at us not only from competitors but from social and economic changes as well as disasters such as pandemics, fire, and flood. This makes it more important than ever to find and respond to emerging opportunities as well as challenges as they appear.

With this in mind, Scott and I revisit our Fan Favorite discussion of how companies of any size can be game-changing disruptors by redefining their purpose and place in the competitive environment.

In this episode, you’ll gain insights on:

  • An often underestimated way to discover emerging opportunities
  • The secrets to developing a “game-changing mindset”
  • Three immediately useful ideas for changing your game faster

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The New Keys for Leadership Success in a Disruptive World

Why are more boards looking for greater adaptability in CEOs, C-Suite, and Sr. Executives?

Read Growth Igniters Radio Episode 152 TranscriptFind out by listening to Episode 152.  In this pivotal fan-favorite podcast, Scott and I speak with Peter R. Gleason, President & CEO of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD). Although we recorded this conversation in 2019, before the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic and other crises, it is just as relevant (or even more so) now as then.

Peter is a recognized expert on 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 Adaptive Governance: Board Oversight of Disruptive Risks, and Culture as a Corporate Asset. (read more about Peter Gleason below)

You’ll gain insights on:

  • Why Boards, CEOs, C-Suites & Sr. Executives need to think differently about disruptive risks
  • The critical new leadership traits and behaviors that CEOs need to develop
  • Three immediately useful ideas for developing your own leadership success in a disruptive world

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C-Suite Politics in the age of Zoom

How does a virtual C-Suite impact key alliances and critical decisions?

Read Growth Igniters Radio Episode 183 TranscriptFind out by listening on-the-go to Episode 183.  Scott and I speak with Nancy Halpern, Founder of the firm Political IQ. She is a nationally recognized leadership consultant who diagnoses political dysfunction in organizations. She leverages her thought leadership and intellectual capital from over twenty years of client engagements to help companies find solutions to the many challenges of office politics.

Nancy’s clients include The World Bank, Disney, and Novartis, among many others. She has been interviewed by a variety of media including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Fast Company, Inc., and more (read more about Nancy Halpern below)

You’ll gain insights on:

  • The critical impacts of virtual C-Suite politics on relationships and business decisions
  • How the dynamics of alliances can change in the virtual C-Suite
  • Immediately actionable ideas for navigating virtual C-Suite politics in the age of Zoom

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How Top Leadership Can Build Bridges to Promote Racial Equity

Beyond ethics, what is the compelling business case for promoting racial equity? 

Read Growth Igniters Radio Episode 182 TranscriptFind out by listening on-the-go to Episode 182.  Scott and I speak with Dr. Gail Hayes, a Race Relations Consultant, Speaker, award-winning book author and media personality who is internationally recognized as a communicator who ignites the atmosphere with contagious enthusiasm and a passion for purpose.

She has been called a Conduit and Bridge between Races, genders, generations, and political parties because of her unique ability to paint pictures with words to promote understanding between communities. She currently serves on the Advisory Council of the American Diversity Report and enjoys helping organizations create new ways of doing business in today’s changing culture.  (read more about Dr. Gail Hayes below)

You’ll gain insights on:

  • The compelling business case for building bridges to promote racial equity in the constantly shifting business environment
  • Why we need more than good intentions to overcome systemic racism
  • Immediately actionable ideas for discovering what is really happening in your organization and working together on problem solving

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It’s Time to Face the Elephant In The Room — Again

How can we increase racial equity and opportunities in the workplace?

Read Growth Igniters Radio Episode 175 TranscriptFind out by listening to Episode 175.  As systemic racism and social injustice are at the forefront of our collective consciousness, we need to ask how we can keep these issues from becoming an elephant in the room again once the protests end.

As leaders, none of us can solve these issues in the whole world, but we can address them in organizations wherever we have influence.

As an example, in 2016 Chris Rock called out the elephant in the room about racism in the entertainment industry during his brilliant hosting monologue for the 88th Academy Awards. This sparked conversations that resulted in the beginning of significant change for the Academy in a number of ways (we’ve included a link to his monologue and the subsequent article in Variety on the episode page).

In fact, Scott and I used this as the basis for an entire episode about taking control of the elephants in the room for game-changing results. Please listen to this episode with “fresh ears” as we discuss ways that you can safely and effectively confront the issues that everyone knows about but no one wants to discuss.

In this episode, you’ll find out:

  • How to decide the role you need to play in calling out an elephant in the room
  • The least talked about issue that causes elephants in the room to grow
  • Answers to frequently asked questions we get about safely and effectively discussing uncomfortable issues

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Leading Your Organization Through Times of Upheaval and Major Change

 Help individuals and groups cope with emotions from major reorganizations, layoffs & more

Read Growth Igniters Radio Episode 31 Transcript

One of the biggest leadership issues coming from the COVID-19 pandemic combined with the volatile economy is how to help yourself and others cope with the many emotions triggered by major changes such as large-scale reorganizations, layoffs, pay cuts, and much more. How can you best lead yourself and others through feelings of uncertainty and loss while at the same time looking ahead to the future?

In revisiting this timeless episode, Scott and I speak with Dr. Leslie Austin about how you can help bring out the best in your organization during major changes. Leslie is an executive coach, organizational consultant, and psychotherapist with the focus of helping companies and individual executives live up to their full potential.

Leslie appears frequently in international, national and local radio, television and print media and has an extensive list of media credentials including frequent regular appearances as a guest expert on CNN/HLN with Nancy Grace, Court TV with Nancy Grace and all the major hosts there, business podcasts, and much more.  (read more about Leslie below)

You’ll gain insights on:

  • Why acceptance of difficult emotions in ourselves and others is critical to effectively leading your organization through major crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic
  • When and how a CEO should approach emotionally distressed individuals and groups
  • Three immediately useful guidelines for leading yourself and others through major change

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Navigating the Biggest Challenge of Visionary Leadership in the Post-Pandemic World

What is critical for overcoming stakeholder pushback to your vision? 

Read Growth Igniters Radio Episode 174 TranscriptFind out by listening- on-the-go to Episode 174.  If you are re-envisioning your company’s future direction to better respond to changing needs and emerging opportunities triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and economic volatility, this episode falls under the category of “must listen now.”

 You’ll gain insights on

  • The most critical principle to remember as your leadership team re-envisions the future
  • One of the top reasons for mysterious stakeholder pushback
  • Three immediately actionable ideas to increase stakeholder commitment to a new direction

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Find Silver Linings to Lead Your Company Through the Crisis — and Beyond

How has a game-changing CEO discovered new opportunities in the midst of a pandemic?
Read Growth Igniters Radio Episode 173 Transcript

Find out by listening to Episode 173. Scott and I speak with returning guest Shari Spiro, CEO and Founder of AdMagic Games and Breaking Games, about how she and her company have found ways to change for the better during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.

Ad Magic Games is one of the largest independent printers of tabletop games in the US, including the wildly popular Cards Against Humanity and Exploding Kittens, and other customized playing cards and board games.

Breaking Games is an award-winning game publisher and manufacturer. Since its 2015 launch, Breaking Games has substantially grown and has games on the shelves of Target and Walmart, games that are recognized by Mensa International, and is also responsible for the launch of dozens of other critically acclaimed tabletop games. (read more about Shari below)

You’ll find out:

  • The biggest impacts of the COVID-19 crisis upon Shari’s companies, and how they innovated in response, including launching their new non-profit “Puzzles for the Pandemic”
  • How Shari leads her teams to discover “Silver Linings” despite major challenges
  • Three immediately useful ideas for leading to find your own “silver linings” under the toughest circumstances

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