237: Create the Conditions for Joy in the Workplace with Akaya Windwood

207: The Seven Paradoxes of Leadership with Sumit Gupta: We’ve all been there. We thought we knew what was best, only to find out later that what we thought we knew was wrong. Even the best manager can get lost in all the leadership advice, trying to do what’s right and still somehow failing. This is because sometimes that leadership advice is wrong. Today’s guest is Sumit Gupta. Sumit spent 20 years in software, started 2 for-profit and 1 non-profit organizations, and is a photographer. He combines his experiences as a techie, engineer, 3x entrepreneur, and leader in companies like Yahoo and Booking.com, and as a poet and photographer – to help leaders merge the science of doing business with the art of leadership. Sumit and I talk about the seven paradoxes of leadership. These paradoxes are concepts that shift the way we think about leadership and what it takes to be a great manager. They take the typical leadership advice and flip it on its head. Members of the Modern Manager commun by The Modern Manager

31 min listen

189: Bridging All Sorts of Cultural Differences with Laura Kriska: It’s easy to get caught up in the “us versus them” mentality. Our brains naturally like to categorize people and then bond with those who are “on our team” while alienating those who are not. This can happen within an organization “marketing vs sales” or by identity “men vs other gender identities” or geography “London HQ vs remote team members” and many other factors. When cultural divides separate colleagues, it inhibits effective communication and collaboration. Instead, we need to find ways to bring people together that honors our cultural differences while building bridges. Laura Kriska is the author of The Business of WE and a leading cross-cultural consultant with more than thirty years of experience bridging gaps in diverse workplaces. She has worked with Fortune 500 companies on four continents helping thousands of professionals build trust across Us versus Them differences based on nationality, ethnicity, ra by The Modern Manager

34 min listen

186: Create an Actionable Individual Development Plan: Great managers invest in growing their team members. But who is actually responsible for professional development? Surprise: it’s the individual, not the manager. Organizations take a wide variety of approaches to professional development ranging from none at all to reserving Individual Development Plans (IDPs) for only high potentials or those struggling the most. So where does that leave everyone else? This episode is all about taking control over your individual development plan. I walk through the process of crafting an IDP for yourself and how to work with your team members so they can own their professional growth. The full episode guide includes a detailed process for developing an IDP as well as how to work with your team members to create and manage their IDP. It also includes the template I use with my clients for documenting and tracking goals, measures of success and actions. Get it when you join the Modern Manager by The Modern Manager

13 min listen

218: Facilitate Effective and Inclusive Meetings with Rae Ringel: Managers all over the world facilitate meetings every day, but how many managers facilitate meetings well? The goal of facilitating a meeting is to create a space so that everyone can participate effectively. This may not come naturally to some managers, but it’s a skill that anyone can master with the right tools. Today’s guest is Rae Ringel. Rae is an executive coach, facilitator, author and founding President of The Ringel Group. She is a faculty member at the Georgetown University Institute for Transformational Leadership and founding director of their certificate program in the Art of Facilitation and Design. She is also a frequent columnist for Harvard Business Review. Rae and I talk about meeting facilitation. What facilitation really is, how to do it well when meeting in person or virtually, and Rae shares a bunch of facilitation tricks and activities you can immediately use with your team to improve your meeting by The Modern Manager

33 min listen

185: How to Avoid the Great Resignation with Christine Comaford: The summer of 2021 saw a staggering increase in resignations and the trend has remained. Management professor Anthony Klotz called this phenomenon the "Great Resignation." In response to the pandemic, people are rethinking their job, career, and lifestyle. What can we do, as managers, to keep our best people from leaving us? Today’s guest is Christine Comaford. Christine is a Leadership and Culture Coach, Serial Entrepreneur, and New York Times bestselling author. For over 30 years Christine has helped leaders navigate growth and change. She specializes in applied neuroscience, which helps her clients achieve tremendous results in record time. As an entrepreneur she built and sold five companies with an average ROI of 700%, and she was a software engineer in the early days of Microsoft and Apple. Christine is a human behavior expert, a leadership columnist for Forbes.com, and the New York Times bestselling author of Pow by The Modern Manager

31 min listen

190: Influencing without Authority: Influencing others is a key part of most managerial positions. Too often we conflate authority with influence. Authority is an exercise in power while influence is about encouraging people to join you in a shared mission. Whether it's getting a team member to change their behavior, generating buy-in from your supervisor, or getting a colleague in a different department to help out, we are often in positions where we don’t have (or don’t want to use) positional power to get what we need. This is where we rely on our ability to influence. In this episode, I walk through 5 approaches to influencing without authority so that you can gain support in ways that both deliver results and feel good along the way. The full episode guide includes tips and suggestions for each of the five approaches. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide at www.themodernmanager.com/shop. Get the free mini-guide at themodernnmanager.com/ by The Modern Manager

12 min listen

196: Improve Performance by Improving Executive Functioning with Michael Delman: How we go about our work can make or break our productivity and effectiveness. The ability to meet deadlines, stay calm under pressure, develop a project plan and focus on a task without checking email every five minutes are all part of the skillset known as executive functioning. While this part of our brain develops throughout childhood, many of us still struggle with executive functioning as adults. Luckily, like any skill, we can develop them. Today’s guest is Michael Delman. Michael is the CEO of Beyond BookSmart and WorkSmart Coaching. Author, Executive Function Coach, and School Founder, his career has been centered for three decades on helping people become more effective. Michael and I talk about the four groups of executive functioning skills, how these show up in the workplace, what you can do to better perform in your role and how to better engage with your team using executive functioning by The Modern Manager

39 min listen

192: Unleash Your Brain’s Potential with Collin Jewett: The brain is an amazing thing. Its capacity to learn is almost endless. But too often the process of learning can feel boring, difficult, stressful, and even painful. In order for the brain to retain what we’ve learned, we need to deploy the right strategies. These simple approaches make learning efficient and enjoyable. Today’s guest is Collin Jewett. Collin is an industrial engineer, author, coach, and adventurer. He loves helping others rediscover the joy of learning and partnering with their brains to unlock limitless memory, boundless creativity, and unshakeable focus. Collin and I talk about the process of learning, how to remember better, the relationship between learning and creativity, and so much more. Members of the Modern Manager community get access to Collin’s 7-part video series titled “Unlock your 3 Brain States” to help you discover the 3 critical brain states and unlock hyperfocus and endless creative potential by The Modern Manager

35 min listen

191: Principles of The Leadership Blueprint with Lisa Marie Platske: It’s easy to get caught in the whirlwind of work. We can get carried along by the hundreds of things that need to get done, never stepping back to consider if it’s actually working or whether the path is even the right one. Taking time to prioritize, reflect, or set boundaries that actually get followed can feel like a luxury we just can’t afford given the fires that keep popping up, the ever-growing to-do list, and wanting to be there for our team members when they need us. But imagine what work and life could be, if we did. Today’s guest is Lisa Marie Platske. Lisa Marie is an award-winning leadership expert in human behavior and recognized as one of the top 100 women making a difference in the world. She left her Federal law enforcement career after 9/11 to build Upside Thinking, Inc. She is also a member of the Forbes Coaches Council, and Lisa has trained or coached over 100,000 leaders around the globe. Lisa by The Modern Manager

35 min listen

210: Leading with Authenticity with Sabrina Horn: Authenticity at work requires being true to yourself. However, this can be a difficult feat for managers. We often step into the management position believing there is a certain way we must speak and act, or certain knowledge we should now possess simply because we’re leading others, but research shows people respond more favorably to managers who are their true selves. How can managers fulfill their role while being true to their personalities, capabilities, and limitations? Today’s guest is Sabrina Horn. Sabrina is an award-winning CEO, author, communications expert, and advisor. Her career is highlighted by 25 years as Founder, CEO, and President of Horn Group, the iconic U.S. tech communications agency she founded in Silicon Valley at age 29. She is currently CEO of HORN Strategy, focused on helping entrepreneurs navigate the early stages of their companies. She is here today to talk with us about her new book, Make It, Don’t Fake I by The Modern Manager

29 min listen

188: How to Work Effectively With Freelancers with Matthew Mottola: Some managers worry that hiring a freelancer means you will have to take a leap of faith. You won’t know that person’s work ethic or professional personality. But in reality, hiring and managing a freelancer doesn’t need to be scary. Instead, it can transform your team’s work. Today’s guest is Matthew Mottola. Matthew is a leader in ethically creating the remote freelance economy. He is CEO of Venture L, Author of The Human Cloud and a Forbes Contributor. Matthew and I talk about working with freelancers - how the Pandemic has changed things, how to overcome common challenges of working with freelancers, and how to optimize the entire lifecycle of hiring, onboarding, collaborating and more. Members of the Modern Manager community get Matthew’s Leadership Deck To Hire Freelancers and his Worksheets To Identify The Work And Hire Your First Freelancer. Get these bonuses when you join the Modern Manager community. by The Modern Manager

28 min listen

194: Build a Culture of Accountability: Accountability, when done right, isn't about exerting power or authority. It’s not about enforcing punishments or negative consequences. Instead, it’s about making sure that everyone does what they commit to doing through shared responsibility for success. Managers who do this develop strong teams with strong performance. Those who don’t do this end up with extra pressure on themselves and disengaged employees who are underperforming or unhappy in their jobs - both of which are downright unhealthy for everyone. Today's episode is about how to create a culture of accountability. Accountability often feels hard, in part because it's the thing we do when something goes wrong. Instead, you can make accountability ever-present on your team so that everyone holds themselves and each other accountable. The full episode guide contains more detailed actions, questions for reflection, and worksheets to help you foster a culture of accountability with by The Modern Manager

13 min listen

184: Embrace a Velocity Mindset with Ron Karr: What do you think of when you hear the word velocity? Speed? Direction? While we’re busy running quickly from one thing to another, it's important that we always have a clear vision for where we’re headed. Working effectively isn’t just about getting to the future quickly. It’s knowing where you’re going so that your speed is meaningful. Today’s guest is Ron Karr. Ron has worked with leaders on six continents to eliminate risk, gain buy-in and achieve better results faster with the Velocity Mindset®. His presentations and advisory services have generated over a billion dollars in incremental revenues for his clients. Ron is the author of five books including his latest, The Velocity Mindset® and the bestselling Lead, Sell or Get Out of the Way. Ron facilitates the Chief Revenue Officer Mastermind Group made up of CEO's and VP's building high-performance sales cultures. Ron and I talk about lessons from his book Velocity Mindset. We ta by The Modern Manager

29 min listen

199: How to Get Thoughtfully Fit with Darcy Luoma: Athletes train their bodies with intention. They practice their chosen activity but also take time to develop the skills needed for high performance. If our bodies benefit from both “playing the game” and “training in the gym”, why wouldn’t that same approach be true for our brains? Today’s guest is Darcy Luoma. Darcy is the author of Thoughtfully Fit® and a highly sought-after coach and consultant who has worked with more than five hundred organizations in forty-eight industries to create high-performing people and teams. She balances her thriving business with raising her two energetic teenage daughters and competing in triathlons. Darcy and I talk about lessons from her book Thoughtfully Fit: Your Training Plan for Life and Business Success. As you’ll hear, she uses the metaphor of being physically fit and applies it to how we think about our mental and emotional fitness so that we can be effective managers and effective humans by The Modern Manager

34 min listen

201: Developing a Work Ecosystem That Works for Everyone with Emily Esterly: Organizations across the globe are reconsidering how, when, and where work gets done. As offices reopen and employees desire more flexibility, now is the time for teams and organizations to design a work ecosystem that meets today's needs while setting people up for the future. Today’s guest is Emily Esterly. Emily has nearly 15 years of experience in roles spanning HROD, corporate strategy, economic development, workforce development, and corporate sustainability. At GOJO, her HROD and Enterprise Strategy roles have focused on advancing innovative ways of working across its highly collaborative networked organization to ensure the company stays adaptive as it grows in a highly complex and ever-changing world. Her aim is to ensure both teams and individuals at GOJO reach their full potential, thriving personally and professionally, and delivering on the company’s Purpose of Saving Lives and Making Life Better by The Modern Manager

31 min listen

205: Becoming a Modern Manager with Joie Jager-Hyman: A modern manager is an employee’s partner. You support them, teach them, and guide them through the ups and downs of doing their work. While many new managers, and entrepreneurs are thrown into the position without training, they don’t need to flounder. With a bit of intention and determination, anyone can become a rockstar manager. Today’s guest is Joie Jager-Hyman. Joie is the Founder of College Prep 360, a boutique educational advisory group. She is also the author of two books on college admissions: "B+ Grades A+ College Applications" and "Fat Envelope Frenzy". Joie and I talk about her experience of transforming into a “modern manager” and how that has impacted her personally, her team, and her business. Members of the Modern Manager community get 10% off educational advising or college essay editing from College Prep 360. Get this bonus when you join the Modern Manager community. Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, by The Modern Manager

44 min listen

193: Navigating Change, Ambiguity and Uncertainty with Russ Linden: As managers, we have a responsibility to help our employees find stability in a time of chaos. To do this most effectively, we need to understand how the brain functions best—and most importantly, how it can go wrong. Understanding the neuroscience of change will give us unparalleled insight into managing moments of uncertainty and times of change so that our team members remain productive, engaged, and loving their work. Today’s guest is Russ Linden. Russ is a management consultant, leadership instructor, and author who's worked with public and nonprofit organizations for 36 years. He specializes in change management, collaboration, and the use of influence (when formal authority won't cut it). Russ and I talk about the experience of navigating change, how to better deal with ambiguity, the phenomenon called loss aversion, the relationship between change and learning, and so much more. Members of the Modern Mana by The Modern Manager

33 min listen

208: The Personal Instruction Manual: Most people have a general idea about how their colleagues or team members work best. You may occasionally pick up a random fact about a person's personality or work style, but it's rare to have the full picture. The result: we are frustrated by our coworkers because we don’t understand them and they don’t understand us. Today I talk about creating a Personal Instruction Manual, or PIM for short. A PIM is a resource that describes a person’s personality and working preferences, and its purpose is to help that person’s coworkers and manager better understand and work with them. Similar to an instruction manual that comes with a new piece of hardware or software, a PIM helps people understand how to engage with someone most effectively. The full episode guide includes a template for creating a Personal Instruction Manual. You’ll find questions for each section to help the creator capture relevant insights about themselves. In addition, I’m offering by The Modern Manager

14 min listen

198: Elevate Yourself and Your Team Through Coaching with Dr. Richard Levin: Whether you're a leader or a manager, the chances are that you occasionally (or regularly) find yourself dealing with difficult situations. Coaching is an increasingly popular way of helping people develop the skills, habits, and mindsets needed to reach their full potential by better understanding themselves, their goals, and the situations they encounter. Today’s guest is Dr. Richard Levin. Richard is widely recognized as one of the first executive coaches. He is one of a half-dozen global leaders who have created and shaped the coaching profession since its inception in the 1980’s. As the founder and principal of Richard Levin & Associates (the first executive coaching firm, and the first network of independent executive coaches); as co-author of the popular and powerful book Shared Purpose: Working Together to Build Strong Families and High Performance Companies; and as a founder of Boston University’s by The Modern Manager

33 min listen

212: Prepare for Vacation Time Out of the Office: Vacation time is so important. We know there are a myriad of health benefits that come from taking time away from work. I also know how anxiety producing it can be to worry about your team or projects while you're away or stress over returning to an overflowing inbox and build-up of tasks, which can negate some of the health benefits and enjoyment of your time off. So what can you do to make your vacation time as rejuvenating as possible? Today's episode is about preparing to be out for vacation. I walk through 5 approaches to consider to help you prepare to be out of the office and make your time away and re-entry as smooth as possible. The full episode guide includes an overview of these principles plus tips for communicating tasks and responsibilities effectively to your team members so that there's no confusion. Get it when you join the Modern Manager community or purchase the full guide at www.themodernmanager.com/shop. Get the by The Modern Manager

11 min listen

197: Coordinating Synchronous and Asynchronous Communications: It seems like every day there is a new communications app or an advance in communications technology capabilities. These tools are intended to help us collaborate more effectively with our team, but they can also lead to a tangled web of information and a messy communication system. Plus, teams are exploring new ways of working as hybrid work slowly replaces fully remote teaming. Given the foundational nature of communications, intentionally designing your communication practices can elevate and streamline your effectiveness. Today's episode is about synchronous and asynchronous communication. In short, synchronous means we’re all physically present at the same time. Asynchronous means each person is communicating independently of others’ timing. Communication is at the heart of how people work together, so getting the right tools, processes, and norms in place for your team to facilitate effective synchronous and asynchr by The Modern Manager

16 min listen

195: Lessons Learned From Managing People and Arranging Flowers with Elise Bernhardt: Managers know the value of team building, but not all activities are effective or right for your people. Traditional team-building activities like ropes courses, paintball games, or scavenger hunts often don’t speak to millennials or employees in other generations. They can also be competitive instead of collaborative, or require physical abilities that not everyone is capable of. Instead, managers can look for activities that are fun, accessible, and translate into productive relationships in the workplace, like floral design. Today’s guest is Elise Bernhardt. Elise served as CEO or Executive Director of multiple non-profit cultural organizations during her 30 year career. She then reinvented herself as a floral designer and facilitator which combined her passion for flowers and bringing people together through her flower design workshops. Elise and I talk about the lessons she’s learned from years o by The Modern Manager

31 min listen

187: Continuing to Develop Inclusive Leadership Skills with Perrine Farque: Like any field, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion continues to evolve. As managers, we need to continue to grow and develop our skills. While it may seem hard to keep up with the newest concepts, it may very well be one of the most important components to being a rockstar manager now and in the future. Today’s guest is Perrine Farque. Perrine is an author, entrepreneur, keynote speaker and diversity and inclusion expert who empowers leaders to leverage diversity and inclusion as their competitive advantage. Nominated in the Top 50 Most Influential UK Tech Women, Perrine continues to be recognized for her contributions. Perrine drove the strategy at companies such as Facebook and is on a mission to make the workplace more inclusive and diverse. Perrine and I talk about the experiences of feeling depreciated and rejected and what we can do to continue to develop our people management skills as the world of DEI by The Modern Manager

31 min listen

206: Delegate to Elevate with Yuri Elkaim: When working with a team, delegation is one of the most important skills to develop. One of our main goals as managers is to unlock the potential of our people, and effective delegation enables that to happen. However, ineffective delegation can lead to frustration and inefficiencies for everyone. Today’s guest is Yuri Elkaim. Yuri is a former pro athlete, leading health expert, New York Times bestselling author, and the founder of Healthpreneur® where he helps health entrepreneurs, coaches, and practitioners start and scale online practices that create more income and freedom...and better results for their clients. Yuri and I talk about creating the parameters for people to take on additional responsibility and autonomy while meeting the standards and expectations that you’ve set. We talk about creating principles, the importance of effective onboarding, and finding the balance between micromanaging and being totally hands off. Members of th by The Modern Manager

33 min listen

209: Master the Hiring Process with Tatiyana Cure: It's cliche, but true: Your people are your biggest asset. There's nothing more important than hiring people who are a strong fit for the job responsibilities and also align with your organization's values and mission. But recruiting the right people for your team can pose a challenge, and the hiring process can leave managers feeling exhausted. Today’s guest is Tatiyana Cure. Tatiyana brings her extensive background as an executive recruiter and talent acquisition leader to her work of coaching managers. She has partnered with thousands of hiring managers in a wide variety of industries. She is passionate about helping managers achieve their business goals through effective talent strategies. Tatiyana wrote her first book: "Hire to Win: Manager's Practical Guide for Attracting and Interviewing Top Talent" to share a blueprint for those looking for a step-by-step guide in hiring. We talk about the ins and outs of hiring: how to write a by The Modern Manager

34 min listen

200: Mamie’s Favorite Takeaways from 200 Episodes: Today I’m celebrating 200 episodes. This feels like a major accomplishment. When I launched the show in May 2018, just getting to 10 episodes felt a little overwhelming. Now, looking back, I’m so proud of what I was able to do and how many managers like yourself I’ve been able to help. It’s because of you that I create this show week after week. For this special 200th episode, I looked back over the guest episodes and thought about what ideas really stood out for me. While every episode has golden nuggets, I chose 5 key takeaways that have impacted or stayed with me in some way. I hope you find these ideas useful, but more importantly, I hope you’ll scroll back into the feed and check out older episodes even if you have already listened to them. There are some truly great conversations and solo episodes in the archive. And listening to a show for a second time helps us hear new things because we’ve grown and evolved since we first list by The Modern Manager

24 min listen

226: Focus on the Big Things with Erik Qualman: Focus: It’s an important skill for the success of any organization or individual. While it's natural for anyone to get distracted by new ideas, potential projects, overwhelming to-do lists, and ongoing problems, learning how to focus can save us time and energy in the long-run. Today’s guest is Erik Qualman. Erik is five-time #1 Bestselling Author and Keynote Speaker who has performed in over 55 countries and reached over 50 million people. He was voted the 2nd Most Likeable Author in the World behind Harry Potter's J.K. Rowling. He is the host of the popular Super U Podcast and his work has been used by the National Guard to NBC Universal to NASA. Erik and I talk about what it means to really be focused. He shares his lessons learned and best tips and tricks for how you and your team can accomplish great things simply by staying focused. Members of the Modern Manager community get a Buy One Get One Free deal on two of his products. The by The Modern Manager

32 min listen

203: Cultivating Psychological Safety with Teresa Mitrovic: People that don't feel safe in their work can't reach their full potential. Psychological safety can make the difference between a productive and innovative workplace, and one where employees feel the need to keep their heads down. As managers, it's our responsibility to create a culture of psychological safety so our team members can communicate well, produce better results, and be their authentic selves. Today’s guest is Teresa Mitrovic. Teresa is the founder of ORO Collective, as well as a consultant, coach, course creator, and author specializing in performance, psychological safety, and trust. In her past life as a corporate leader, when the increasing demands of senior leadership clashed with single parenthood, Teresa pivoted her career to coaching leaders. Teresa and I talk about psychological safety and how to foster an environment in which people speak up, give feedback, show up authentically, and act without fear. by The Modern Manager

40 min listen

204: How to Get and Stay Focused: We live in an age of distraction. No matter what we have to do – whether it's writing an essay, working in an office, or just going about our daily lives – we are constantly at the mercy of internal and external distractions. These attention-breakers have serious consequences on our quality of work. The good news is that with our growing knowledge of the brain and improved technology, there are specific steps we can take to increase attention and improve focus. This week’s episode covers the difference between internal and external distractions and practical steps you can take to increase your focus. While our internal distractions are actually much more numerous than external, both can prevent people from focused work. I talk about the things you may be doing that prevent deep focus, then I give you steps you can take to mitigate distractions using short-term and long-term approaches. The full episode guide includes the matrix of focus along with tips by The Modern Manager

15 min listen

202: Managing the Boundaries of Personal and Professional with Deborah Grayson Riegel: For many people, the pandemic blurred the lines between personal and professional spaces. While this had many benefits such as bringing people closer together, it also created ambiguity that is challenging for managers to navigate. How can managers best create and maintain boundaries while supporting their team members’ whole selves? Today’s guest is Deborah Grayson Riegel. Deborah is a keynote speaker, executive coach, and consultant who has taught leadership communication for Wharton Business School, Duke Corporate Education, Columbia Business School’s Women in Leadership Program, and the Beijing International MBA Program at Peking University. She is the co-author of “Go to Help: 31 Ways to Offer, Ask for, and Accept Help” and "Overcoming Overthinking: 36 Ways to Tame Anxiety for Work, School, and Life” — both written with her daughter Sophie, who is Junior at Duke. Deborah and I talk about how to by The Modern Manager

34 min listen

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237: Create the Conditions for Joy in the Workplace with Akaya Windwood

237: Create the Conditions for Joy in the Workplace with Akaya Windwood

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