Advertise on podcast: Practical Wisdom for Leaders with Scott J. Allen, Ph.D.

Send us Fan Mail Jason Blumer is an entrepreneur, consultant, and co-author of Scale With Purpose: The Service Entrepreneur’s Guide to Intentional Growth. His work focuses on helping service-based leaders scale their businesses with clarity, intention, and respect for the people who make growth possible. Jason owned and led Blumer CPAs, a fully virtual CPA firm serving entrepreneurs who want more clarity, confidence, and control as they grow. He served as CEO for more than 23 years. The firm provided full-service accounting departments and tax planning and preparation. Through advisory work, coaching, and onsite consulting, Jason partnered with founders and leadership teams to rethink how their businesses operate, aligning structure, capacity, and culture with long-term goals. In 2010, he also founded Thriveal, a consultancy and program-based learning organization dedicated to supporting service firm entrepreneurs as they grow, evolve, and build strong, sustainable teams. Thriveal offers monthly mastermind groups that follow its proprietary dashboards for structuring growth, along with coaching and consulting engagements for service entrepreneurs. The organization operates virtually and from its learning center in Greenville, SC. Ian Vacin is co-founder and chief partnerships officer at Karbon, a maker of AI-driven accounting practice management software, and is co-author of the Amazon best-selling book: Scale with Purpose: The Service Entrepreneur’s Guide to Intentional Growth. He has nearly three decades of leadership experience in technology and accounting with Karbon, Xero, and Intuit, and is passionate about helping accounting professionals be as successful as possible so they can better serve the small businesses they support. A Few Quotes From This Episode "The question is whether you want what growth is going to mean for you, your family, and your identity.” “Doing tax returns is way different from running a business that does tax returns.” “Sometimes the step back is exactly what you need” About The International Leadership Association (ILA) The ILA was created in 1999 to bring together professionals interested in studying, practicing, and teaching leadership. Attend The Global Conference in Toronto, October 28-31.About  Scott J. Allen WebsiteWeekly Newsletter: Practical Wisdom for LeadersMy Approach to Hosting The views of my guests do not constitute "truth." Nor do they reflect my personal views in some instances. However, they are views to consider, and I hope they help you clarify your perspective. Nothing can replace your reflection, research, and exploration of the topic. ♻️ Please share with others and follow/subscribe to the podcast! ⭐️ Please leave a review on Apple, Spotify, or your platform of choice. ➡️ Follow me on LinkedIn for more on leadership, communication, and tech. 📜 Subscribe to my weekly newsletter featuring four hand-picked articles. 🌎 You can learn more about my work on my Website.

Send us Fan Mail Craig Parry is currently the Director of Hitting for the Toronto Blue Jays and has been in the coaching profession since 2011 following his player career.  His coaching career began at Miles Community College in Miles City, MT, and has traveled across the collegiate ranks with stops at Sacramento State University, Dallas Baptist University, Southern Arkansas University, University of Arkansas, and Abilene Christian University before joining the Blue Jays ahead of the 2023 season.  In Craig’s current role, he is tasked with leading the Blue Jays Hitting Department and the development of its hitting coaches and hitters alike throughout the MiLB system.  Craig graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from South Dakota State University and a Master’s degree in ​Sports Management from American Public University.  Personally, Craig resides in Fayetteville, AR with his wife, Morgan, and their two daughters. Damon Rose is the Vice President of Sales Operations for the Toyota division of Toyota Motor North America (TMNA). He is responsible for sales success in Toyota’s 10 regional offices and two private distributors. He collaborates closely with key stakeholders, including Toyota dealers to achieve the company’s goals. Since joining Toyota in 1998, Rose has served in several leadership positions at the regional sales offices and Toyota Motor Sales.  Previously, Rose was the Vice President of Sales Operations for Lexus. Rose was responsible for national new and certified vehicle sales, dealer development, and Lexus dealer training. Rose also worked with the four Lexus area offices located. Formerly, in addition to serving as General Manager of the Central Atlantic Toyota Region and Lexus Eastern Area, Rose held various management positions in Los Angeles Toyota Region, Lexus Southern Area, and Boston Toyota Region. He has extensive operational experience in the field and worked at Toyota Motor Sales in the sales & marketing and distribution departments for both the Toyota and Lexus Divisions.   Rose graduated from the University of Tennessee with a bachelor’s degree in marketing.  In early 2021 he relocated to Texas with his wife and four children. A Few Quotes From This Episode "There are more unique ways to succeed and more common ways to fail when it comes to coaching and leadership.""Arrogance is the enemy of coaching.""The ego of the self can't be stronger than the ego of the team.""The higher the challenge, the higher the support, the higher the safety net."About The International Leadership Association (ILA) The ILA was created in 1999 to bring together professionals interested in studying, practicing, and teaching leadership. Attend The Global Conference in Toronto, October 28-31.About  Scott J. Allen WebsiteWeekly Newsletter: Practical Wisdom for LeadersMy Approach to Hosting The views of my guests do not constitute "truth." Nor do they reflect my personal views in some instances. However, they are views to consider, and I hope they help you clarify your perspective. Nothing can replace your reflection, research, and exploration of the topic. ♻️ Please share with others and follow/subscribe to the podcast! ⭐️ Please leave a review on Apple, Spotify, or your platform of choice. ➡️ Follow me on LinkedIn for more on leadership, communication, and tech. 📜 Subscribe to my weekly newsletter featuring four hand-picked articles. 🌎 You can learn more about my work on my Website.

Send us Fan Mail Mario Sikora is an executive coach, leadership consultant, and Enneagram pioneer with over 25 years of experience helping high performers worldwide. Creator of the ATA Enneagram, a practical tool for understanding human nature. President of Awareness to Action International. Lives outside Philadelphia with his wife and four sons. Dr. Joel Rothaizer is a psychologist, executive coach, organizational consultant, and leadership development specialist. He’s Board Certified in Organizational & Business Consulting Psychology, and a Master Certified Coach through the International Coaching Federation. His book on leadership, called Clear Impact,has been strongly endorsed by Ken Wilber. The head of Integral Zen calls it the most integral book on leadership he’s ever read. A Couple Quotes From This Episode "We all know that everybody's different, but we act as if they're just like us.""We all do all of these things, but we have a bias toward one over the other two. That bias is really a system of values: what do I think is important in life?""Better human beings make better leaders, and one of the most important things that makes us better human beings is a wider circle of compassion."Resources Mario's Website: Awareness to ActionCourse: ATA CertificationBook: Clear Impact by Dr. Joel RothaizerArticle: Guaranteed to Optimize Your Leadership Effectiveness in Minutes a Day by Dr. Joel RothaizerArticle: The Wake I Leave by Dr. Joel RothaizerAbout The International Leadership Association (ILA) The ILA was created in 1999 to bring together professionals interested in studying, practicing, and teaching leadership. Attend The Global Conference in Toronto, October 28-31.About  Scott J. Allen WebsiteWeekly Newsletter: Practical Wisdom for LeadersMy Approach to Hosting The views of my guests do not constitute "truth." Nor do they reflect my personal views in some instances. However, they are views to consider, and I hope they help you clarify your perspective. Nothing can replace your reflection, research, and exploration of the topic. ♻️ Please share with others and follow/subscribe to the podcast! ⭐️ Please leave a review on Apple, Spotify, or your platform of choice. ➡️ Follow me on LinkedIn for more on leadership, communication, and tech. 📜 Subscribe to my weekly newsletter featuring four hand-picked articles. 🌎 You can learn more about my work on my Website.

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Michael Lickers is a well-known Kanien’keha:ka, educator from Six Nations of the Grand River in Canada.   Michael is an Adjunct Professor at Royal Road University in the School of Leadership and serves as the Indigenous Scholar in Residence. Michael is also an Associate faculty in the College of Interdisciplinary Studies and School of Environment and Sustainability.  Michael has recently retired after years of service from his role as Specialist in Indigenous and Community Relations. A Founder and past Executive Director of the Ghost River Rediscovery program, Michael has over 30 years of experience in leadership, cultural outdoor education, community development and youth leadership development.  Michael holds a Master of Arts in Leadership and Training (MALT) and a Doctor of Social Sciences (DSocSci) from Royal Roads University with a focus on Indigenous Youth Leadership Development. Michael is author of “Urban Aboriginal Leadership: The Delicate Dance Between Two Worlds,” and has published several articles on Indigenous epistemology, Indigenous youth leadership, international youth programs, non-profit management, community development and Indigenous methodology.  Michael brings a unique combination of rigorous professionalism, wide program development, including international teaching and work, outdoor education, cultural education and leadership experience, grounded in traditional cultural teachings.  Dr. Toby Newstead is a respected leadership scholar and practitioner at the University of Tasmania, located in lutruwita on the lands of the palawa and pakana people. With a background in corporate change, leadership development, and professional communications, she brings practical expertise to her academic, coaching, and consulting work. An internationally recognized researcher, Dr. Newstead specializes in virtues-based leadership development, leadership ethics, and leadership in the volunteer sector. Her research appears in top journals. In 2023, she published a book titled Leadership and Virtues: Understanding and Practicing Good Leadership. Dr. Newstead is an established executive leadership coach and deeply engaged with industry and community. She regularly delivers impactful workshops, keynotes, and facilitation sessions. Dr Newstead’s research, teaching, coaching and facilitation has local and international impact, shaping the leaders of today and tomorrow. A Few Quotes From This Episode "I don't know much about your culture and traditions. I don't want to say anything or do anything that offends you. Maybe you can walk with me on this journey.""The clan mothers would have watched you as you grew up... and then they would select you. As they're selecting you, they're also mentoring you, and there's a rite of passage along the way.""If you were selected to be one of those chiefs, you could never abuse that authority... because the clan mothers would remove you from that position as quickly as they put you into it."Resources Website: Mike Lickers at Royal RhoadesAbout The International Leadership Association (ILA) The ILA was created in 1999 to bring together professionals interested in studying, practicing, and teaching leadership. Attend The Global Conference in Toronto, October 28-31.About  Scott J. Allen WebsiteWeekly Newsletter: Practical Wisdom for LeadersMy Approach to Hosting The views of my guests do not constitute "truth." Nor do they reflect my personal views in some instances. However, they are views to consider, and I hope they help you clarify your perspective. Nothing can replace your reflection, research, and exploration of the topic. ♻️ Please share with others and follow/subscribe to the podcast! ⭐️ Please leave a review on Apple, Spotify, or your platform of choice. ➡️ Follow me on LinkedIn for more on leadership, communication, and tech. 📜 Subscribe to my weekly newsletter featuring four hand-picked articles. 🌎 You can learn more about my work on my Website.

Send us Fan Mail Doug Conant is the only former Fortune 500 CEO who is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling author, has been a Top 50 Leadership Innovator, a Top 100 Leadership Speaker, and twice named one of the 100 Most Influential Authors in the World. A devoted leadership practitioner and teacher, Doug's 45-year career is defined by achieving high performance through an intentional commitment to studying, practicing, improving, and spreading the tenets of "leadership that works." He is Founder and CEO of ConantLeadership, former President and CEO of Campbell Soup Company, former President of Nabisco Foods, and former Chairman of Avon Products. He has also served on multiple corporate boards including AmerisourceBergen and RHR International. He began his career in marketing at General Mills and held leadership positions in marketing and strategy at Kraft. Doug is also Former Chairman and Current Board Member of CECP (Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose) and a member of the board of The Partnership for Public Service. He recently retired as Chairman of The Higher Ambition Leadership Alliance, and as a board member of the National Organization on Disability and Hope College. Previously, he was Chairman of The Conference Board, Chairman of the Grocery Manufacturers Association, and Chairman of Enactus. His latest Wall Street Journal bestselling book, co-authored with Amy Federman, The Blueprint: 6 Practical Steps to Lift Your Leadership to New Heights, is a seminal treatise on leadership and a practical guide for leading effectively in a chaotic world. He is also the New York Times bestselling co-author with Mette Norgaard of TouchPoints: Creating Powerful Leadership Connections in the Smallest of Moments. Doug is a graduate of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and served as the Chairman of Kellogg Executive Leadership Institute for five years. He is a former instructor of leadership at the Higher Ambition Leadership Alliance and he teaches the concepts advanced in The Blueprint to seasoned and aspiring leaders in his signature leadership development course, The BLUEPRINT Boot Camp by ConantLeadership. He is also a LinkedIn Learning Instructor whose inaugural course, "Finding Your Leadership Purpose with Doug Conant," launched in summer 2023. Deeply entrenched in the contemporary leadership conversation as a teacher, advisor, speaker, and mentor, Doug speaks daily to leaders on the front lines of the modern workplace. Doug is the 2022 recipient of the Stephen R. Covey Principle-Centered Leader Award and a Top Thought Leader in Trust Lifetime Achievement Award Winner. He has also been lauded as a Top 100 Leadership Speaker by Inc. Magazine; a Top 100 Most Influential Author in the World; a Top 30 Leadership Professional by Global Gurus; a Leader to Watch by the American Management Association (AMA); a Top 50 Leadership Innovator Changing How We Lead; and a Top 75 Human Business Champion. Finally, Doug is the ever-so-proud husband of Leigh and father to their three remarkable... A Few Quotes From This Episode “I have to be tough-minded on standards of performance and tender-hearted with people...it's both.""What matters most must never be at the mercy of what matters least.""It's easy for anyone to say "no" to things if there's a greater "yes" burning within.""10 two-letter words are going to define your level of success in your work life: if it is to be, it is up to me."Resources Website: Doug ConantBook: The Blueprint: How to Build a Bridge to Your Best Possible Leadership SelfAbout The International Leadership Association (ILA) The ILA was created in 1999 to bring together professionals interested in studying, practicing, and teaching leadership. Attend The Global Conference in Toronto, October 28-31.About  Scott J. Allen WebsiteWeekly Newsletter: Practical Wisdom for LeadersMy Approach to Hosting The views of my guests do not constitute "truth." Nor do they reflect my personal views in some instances. However, they are views to consider, and I hope they help you clarify your perspective. Nothing can replace your reflection, research, and exploration of the topic. ♻️ Please share with others and follow/subscribe to the podcast! ⭐️ Please leave a review on Apple, Spotify, or your platform of choice. ➡️ Follow me on LinkedIn for more on leadership, communication, and tech. 📜 Subscribe to my weekly newsletter featuring four hand-picked articles. 🌎 You can learn more about my work on my Website.

Send us Fan Mail Rear Admiral Michael N. Parks, United States Coast  Guard, Retired, assumed the responsibilities in April 2015  as Regional Executive of the Northern Ohio Region of the American Red Cross. In this capacity he oversees five  American Red Cross Chapters covering 31 Northern Ohio counties serving 5.3 million people.  From 2010 to 2013, Parks was based in Cleveland and served as Commander, Ninth Coast Guard District, responsible for leading and directing all Coast Guard operations throughout the eight-state Great Lakes region, including the 1,500-mile international border with Canada. In that capacity he led more than 6,000 active, reserve, civilian and auxiliary (volunteer) personnel at 75 operational units.  During his 35-year Coast Guard career, Parks was deployed in 2010 in support of the U.S. Southern Command to help direct emergency response following the devastating earthquake in  Haiti, working directly with the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He also deployed in response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, providing port security, search and rescue, and support for recovery efforts.  While serving for over a decade in the Red Cross, Parks has deployed around the country more than a dozen times supporting major disaster relief efforts.  Parks has a Bachelor of Science degree in Government from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, a Master of Public Administration degree from George Washington University, and a Master of Science degree in National Security Strategy and Policy from the National War College.  He and his wife Cynthia have two daughters and live in Bay Village.  A Few Quotes From This Episode "It takes time to care... you can't care on the cheap.""Bad news doesn't get better with age.""Talk to people, not about people. Think the best of people. And don't overreact."Resources Book: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey Book: Failing Forward by John Maxwell About The International Leadership Association (ILA) The ILA was created in 1999 to bring together professionals interested in studying, practicing, and teaching leadership. Attend The Global Conference in Toronto, October 28-31.About  Scott J. Allen WebsiteWeekly Newsletter: Practical Wisdom for LeadersMy Approach to Hosting The views of my guests do not constitute "truth." Nor do they reflect my personal views in some instances. However, they are views to consider, and I hope they help you clarify your perspective. Nothing can replace your reflection, research, and exploration of the topic. ♻️ Please share with others and follow/subscribe to the podcast! ⭐️ Please leave a review on Apple, Spotify, or your platform of choice. ➡️ Follow me on LinkedIn for more on leadership, communication, and tech. 📜 Subscribe to my weekly newsletter featuring four hand-picked articles. 🌎 You can learn more about my work on my Website.

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Nathan Eva is a Fulbright Scholar (2021) and the co-director of Engagement for the Department of Management at the Monash Business School. His research examines follower-first leadership approaches that deliver organizational performance combined with inclusive and supportive workplaces. Associate Professor Eva received his Ph.D. from Monash University in 2014, received the 2015 Emerald/EFMD Outstanding Doctoral Research Award in Leadership, was awarded as a 2016 Greenleaf Scholar by the Greenleaf Centre for Servant Leadership, received the 2020 Dean's Awards for Excellence in Research by an Early Career Researcher, and was Highly Commended for his research as an Early Career Scholar for the 2018 ANZAM Excellence Awards. He received the 2016 and 2013 Dean's Award for Teaching Excellence at the Monash Business School, and has been consistently recognized for outstanding teaching by the Office of the Vice-Provost. His peer-reviewed work appears in international outlets such as The Leadership Quarterly, Journal of Organizational Behavior, and Human Resource Management. His article on Servant Leadership in The Leadership Quarterly is the most downloaded and the most cited article in their journal since 2017, and his article on Psychological Safety in Human Resource Management Review received the journal's Scholarly Impact Award for the most impactful article (2017-2022). Associate Professor Eva is a Board Member of the Network of Leadership Scholars, the Chair of the Leadership Scholarship stream for the International Leadership Association, and the Co-Chair of the International Leadership Association’s Leadership Education Academy. He is a Senior Editor for Management and Organization Review and an editorial board member of The Leadership Quarterly, Journal of Organizational Behavior, Journal of Business Ethics, & Group and Organizational Management. A Few Quotes From This Episode & Nathan's Work “Servant leadership is not just about serving others. It is about sending credible, repeated, observable signals that followers interpret as genuine service.”"Servant leadership is quite costly because it's taking time away from other things that you could be doing. Things that might influence your promotion... you're having to go out on a limb for somebody.""Pick a small set of behaviors or signals that are yours. It's not trying to be a leader who does everything. It's a leader who's trying to do three or four things incredibly, incredibly well, and they are just the things that you're known for. That's your reputation. That's your superpower."Resources Article: Signalling servant leadership: How followers interpret leader behavioursBlog Post: Is there one best way to lead or have we overcomplicated what makes leaders effective? Google Scholar: Nathan EvaAbout The International Leadership Association (ILA) The ILA was created in 1999 to bring together professionals interested in studying, practicing, and teaching leadership. Attend The Global Conference in Toronto, October 28-31.About  Scott J. Allen WebsiteWeekly Newsletter: Practical Wisdom for LeadersMy Approach to Hosting The views of my guests do not constitute "truth." Nor do they reflect my personal views in some instances. However, they are views to consider, and I hope they help you clarify your perspective. Nothing can replace your reflection, research, and exploration of the topic. ♻️ Please share with others and follow/subscribe to the podcast! ⭐️ Please leave a review on Apple, Spotify, or your platform of choice. ➡️ Follow me on LinkedIn for more on leadership, communication, and tech. 📜 Subscribe to my weekly newsletter featuring four hand-picked articles. 🌎 You can learn more about my work on my Website.

Send us Fan Mail Steve Drotter is an American leadership expert, widely read author, and executive consultant best known for being the lead author of the influential business book The Leadership Pipeline. He is widely recognized for his work in leadership development, succession planning and organization design. Drotter has more than five decades working on the human side of business. He has worked with over 150 businesses, large and small, in 37 countries, across many industries. Working with boards and CEOs, he has advised on 50 CEO succession plans. Many of his customers lead their industries and use his leadership pipeline principles to maintain their competitive advantage. The first hand and validated interview information provides the substance for his books. His career started at General Electric where he was a designer and implementor of their famous succession planning system. He ran human resources at two major corporations, INA (now called Cigna) and Chase Manhattan Corp. Drotter is Chairman of The Leadership Pipeline Institute where he continues to write, shape research and provide leadership development programs designed uniquely for each layer in the pipeline model. Shawn Domeracki is the Vice President of Sales for the Lexus Division.  In this role Shawn is responsible for the Sales, training, and retail market development for Lexus in the United States of America.  In addition to these responsibilities, Shawn serves as a Board Observer on the Board of Directors for Ionna a joint venture between eight automotive companies to create electric vehicle charging infrastructure across North America. Prior to his current role, Mr. Domeracki was the Vice President for Toyota Motor North America’s (TMNA) Product Planning and Strategy Department.  In this role Shawn was responsible for building a clear strategy and go to market plan for future battery electric vehicles in the Toyota and Lexus portfolio as well as mobility solutions outside of Toyota’s traditional vehicle business.   Shawn received his bachelor’s degree from Indiana University in Bloomington, IN.  He is married and has two children. A Few Quotes From This Episode “The most noticeable thing about most companies is that the most important work is sitting in the corner; nobody's doing it.""People think that managing managers is the same as managing others, just bigger. No, it's totally different.""If you're not working at your right level... the succession plan is worthless. What are you a successor for?""Everybody in the world's a coach. Must be a million coaches just on LinkedIn alone. What do they know?"Resources Book: The Leadership PipelineOrganization: The Leadership Pipeline Institute About The International Leadership Association (ILA) The ILA was created in 1999 to bring together professionals interested in studying, practicing, and teaching leadership. Attend The Global Conference in Toronto, October 28-31.About  Scott J. Allen WebsiteWeekly Newsletter: Practical Wisdom for LeadersMy Approach to Hosting The views of my guests do not constitute "truth." Nor do they reflect my personal views in some instances. However, they are views to consider, and I hope they help you clarify your perspective. Nothing can replace your reflection, research, and exploration of the topic. ♻️ Please share with others and follow/subscribe to the podcast! ⭐️ Please leave a review on Apple, Spotify, or your platform of choice. ➡️ Follow me on LinkedIn for more on leadership, communication, and tech. 📜 Subscribe to my weekly newsletter featuring four hand-picked articles. 🌎 You can learn more about my work on my Website.

Send us Fan Mail Gary Lloyd is a change leadership practitioner, author of Gardeners Not Mechanics: How to Cultivate Change at Work, and creator of Leadership Skills Lab and Leadership Skill Builder. He has spent much of his career leading complex change and developing leaders, including more than a decade as a mentor and former co-chair of Warwick Business School’s mentoring programme. His current work explores how AI can support safe practice, reflection, and genuinely personalised leadership development. A Few Quotes From This Episode “People are more open to feedback from the AI on the conversation they've had...it feels less threatening, it feels less like a human being.""You can read about it till the cows come home...if people want to know what the possibilities are for them reinventing the way that they deliver leadership training, then go and get your hands dirty a bit. It's unbelievably easy."Resources leadershipskillbuilder.aiAbout The International Leadership Association (ILA) The ILA was created in 1999 to bring together professionals interested in studying, practicing, and teaching leadership. Attend The Global Conference in Toronto, October 28-31.About  Scott J. Allen WebsiteWeekly Newsletter: Practical Wisdom for LeadersMy Approach to Hosting The views of my guests do not constitute "truth." Nor do they reflect my personal views in some instances. However, they are views to consider, and I hope they help you clarify your perspective. Nothing can replace your reflection, research, and exploration of the topic. ♻️ Please share with others and follow/subscribe to the podcast! ⭐️ Please leave a review on Apple, Spotify, or your platform of choice. ➡️ Follow me on LinkedIn for more on leadership, communication, and tech. 📜 Subscribe to my weekly newsletter featuring four hand-picked articles. 🌎 You can learn more about my work on my Website.

Send us Fan Mail Rob Kaiser is a road-worn veteran of executive selection and development in the C-suite and the author of five books, including The Versatile Leader and Fear Your Strengths (both with Bob Kaplan), along with Executive Selection, Filling the Leadership Pipeline, and The Perils of Accentuating the Positive. His work has also appeared in hundreds of peer-reviewed articles in behavioral science and business press, as well as in professional presentations. In the late 1990s, Rob's research identified versatility, the capacity to balance seemingly opposing leadership behaviors such as forceful and enabling, or strategic and operational, as the single most important capability for leading in a fast-paced world of disruptive change. That insight was ahead of its time and still shapes how he thinks about leadership today. Based on that research, Rob created a suite of tools that place versatility at the core of leadership assessment and development, including the patented Leadership Versatility Index 360, the Integrated Personality Summary, and the Progress Report. He and his firm, Kaiser Leadership Solutions, put these ideas into practice every day, helping companies assess, identify, select, and develop executives who build strong teams and great cultures that deliver outstanding business results. A Few Quotes From This Episode “A strength can become a weakness through overuse.""There's only one person in the world you can't see."(Temple of Apollo) - "Know thyself. Nothing in excess. Surety brings ruin."Resources The Versatile Leader: Make the Most of Your Strengths Without Overdoing It Fear Your Strengths: What You Are Best At Could Be Your Biggest Problem Kaiser Leadership SolutionsLeadership Versatility Index (LVI) 360 About The International Leadership Association (ILA) The ILA was created in 1999 to bring together professionals interested in studying, practicing, and teaching leadership. Attend The Global Conference in Toronto, October 28-31.About  Scott J. Allen WebsiteWeekly Newsletter: Practical Wisdom for LeadersMy Approach to Hosting The views of my guests do not constitute "truth." Nor do they reflect my personal views in some instances. However, they are views to consider, and I hope they help you clarify your perspective. Nothing can replace your reflection, research, and exploration of the topic. ♻️ Please share with others and follow/subscribe to the podcast! ⭐️ Please leave a review on Apple, Spotify, or your platform of choice. ➡️ Follow me on LinkedIn for more on leadership, communication, and tech. 📜 Subscribe to my weekly newsletter featuring four hand-picked articles. 🌎 You can learn more about my work on my Website.

Send us Fan Mail Jon Acuff is a New York Times bestselling author of 11 books, including Soundtracks, Finish, and All It Takes Is a Goal, which together have sold more than one million copies. His newest book, Procrastination Proof: Never Get Stuck Again (Baker Books, April 14, 2026), argues that procrastination isn't a character flaw but a learned coping mechanism, drawn from more than a decade of research and testing with over 30,000 participants. Named one of Inc.'s Top 100 Leadership Speakers, Acuff has delivered keynotes for organizations including Microsoft, Walmart, FedEx, Nissan, and Comedy Central. Acuff hosts the podcast All It Takes Is a Goal, where he has helped hundreds of thousands of listeners move past overthinking and finish what matters most to them. On this episode of Practical Wisdom for Leaders, he and host Scott Allen dig into “seven reasons people don't choose remarkable,” drawing on stories from his own career, including his years working alongside Dave Ramsey and starting over in his thirties. Acuff lives outside Nashville with his wife and two daughters. A Few Quotes From This Episode “Procrastination is when your actions don't match your intentions. Remarkable is the opposite, when your actions match your intentions.”“You're the most persuasive person you've ever met. You talked yourself into every decision, often bad ones.”“Most resolutions fail because we try to do something for a year we've never done for a day.”Resources Book: Procrastination Proof: Never Get Stuck Again by AcuffAll of Jon's BooksAbout The International Leadership Association (ILA) The ILA was created in 1999 to bring together professionals interested in studying, practicing, and teaching leadership. Attend The Global Conference in Toronto, October 28-31.About  Scott J. Allen WebsiteWeekly Newsletter: Practical Wisdom for LeadersMy Approach to Hosting The views of my guests do not constitute "truth." Nor do they reflect my personal views in some instances. However, they are views to consider, and I hope they help you clarify your perspective. Nothing can replace your reflection, research, and exploration of the topic. ♻️ Please share with others and follow/subscribe to the podcast! ⭐️ Please leave a review on Apple, Spotify, or your platform of choice. ➡️ Follow me on LinkedIn for more on leadership, communication, and tech. 📜 Subscribe to my weekly newsletter featuring four hand-picked articles. 🌎 You can learn more about my work on my Website.

Send us Fan Mail Jeff Fellows is currently the Business Development Executive for the Naval Air Missiles portfolio at Raytheon, focused on meeting warfighter demands for lethal and survivable mission effectors. With a background in 5th-generation tactics, Jeff has also spearheaded growth strategy and tactical applications for next-generation technology within Raytheon's Advanced Technology Strategic Business Unit. Retiring from active-duty naval service in January 2022, Jeff spent 20 years leading high-velocity organizations as an officer and combat aviator. An experienced carrier pilot with more than 3,300 flight hours and 660 arrested landings in F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets and F-35C Lightning II aircraft, his career highlights include being hand-picked to command the Navy's first operational F-35C Lightning II squadron, graduating TOPGUN (Class 02-09), serving as a TOPGUN instructor and later TOPGUN Training Officer, a peer-selected role leading the entire instructor cadre, and completing three combat tours across Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. A Couple of Quotes From This Episode “If I know something about you, or you know something about me, then it really just kicks off whatever we're gonna go do as our task, our mission, or our job.”“Say yes, be kind, and show up.”"Connection is the weapon of elite leaders.”Resources Article: The Increasing Importance of a Best Friend at WorkAbout The International Leadership Association (ILA) The ILA was created in 1999 to bring together professionals interested in studying, practicing, and teaching leadership. Attend The Global Conference in Toronto, October 28-31.About  Scott J. Allen WebsiteWeekly Newsletter: Practical Wisdom for LeadersMy Approach to Hosting The views of my guests do not constitute "truth." Nor do they reflect my personal views in some instances. However, they are views to consider, and I hope they help you clarify your perspective. Nothing can replace your reflection, research, and exploration of the topic. ♻️ Please share with others and follow/subscribe to the podcast! ⭐️ Please leave a review on Apple, Spotify, or your platform of choice. ➡️ Follow me on LinkedIn for more on leadership, communication, and tech. 📜 Subscribe to my weekly newsletter featuring four hand-picked articles. 🌎 You can learn more about my work on my Website.

Send us Fan Mail Mark Shapiro is an American-born Canadian baseball executive, born April 3, 1967, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Shapiro joined the Cleveland Indians in 1991, rising from an entry-level role to general manager (2001) and then team president (2010). During his 24 years there, the Indians won six division titles and two AL pennants. He was named Sporting News Executive of the Year twice, in 2005 and 2007. In 2015 he became president and CEO of the Toronto Blue Jays, succeeding Paul Beeston. He hired Ross Atkins as GM, oversaw renovations to the Dunedin player development complex and Rogers Centre, and signed a five-year extension in December 2025. Under Shapiro, the Blue Jays have reached the postseason five times, including their first AL pennant in 32 years in 2025. He's also served on several MLB committees, helping introduce the Automated Ball-Strike System, instant replay, and the pitch clock. Personally, he's a dual US-Canadian citizen, has two children, and was portrayed by actor Reed Diamond in the 2011 film Moneyball. A Few Quotes From This Episode “Don't worry about being charismatic. Worry about caring deeply. Don't worry about being a super decision maker. Obsessively focus on the best process and prioritization and understanding leverage.”"The best leaders lead a decision-making process. I'm very rarely making a decision, and if I am, we have a good chance to make a bad decision.”“If you had to say what is the single most important value to building an elite, best-in-class organization, I would say open-mindedness, is where you have to start.”Resources Book: Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World by General Stanley McChrystal Book: Good to Great by Jim Collins About The International Leadership Association (ILA) The ILA was created in 1999 to bring together professionals interested in studying, practicing, and teaching leadership. Attend The Global Conference in Toronto, October 28-31.About  Scott J. Allen WebsiteWeekly Newsletter: Practical Wisdom for LeadersMy Approach to Hosting The views of my guests do not constitute "truth." Nor do they reflect my personal views in some instances. However, they are views to consider, and I hope they help you clarify your perspective. Nothing can replace your reflection, research, and exploration of the topic. ♻️ Please share with others and follow/subscribe to the podcast! ⭐️ Please leave a review on Apple, Spotify, or your platform of choice. ➡️ Follow me on LinkedIn for more on leadership, communication, and tech. 📜 Subscribe to my weekly newsletter featuring four hand-picked articles. 🌎 You can learn more about my work on my Website.

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Steven Segal is a psychologist, philosophical counsellor, and leadership coach. He is a former Associate Professor at the Macquarie Graduate School of Management and has spent more than two decades working at the intersection of psychology, philosophy, leadership, and organisational life. His work explores how individuals and communities respond to uncertainty, disruption, and existential threats—those moments when people experience a loss of meaning, belonging, identity, or a sense of being at home in the world. Through his therapy, counselling, coaching, teaching, and writing, he helps individuals and organisations navigate complexity, anxiety, and change while remaining connected to what matters most. His most recent book is Mandela's Leadership Legacy: Emotional and Existential Wisdom. The book was written as a kind of conversation between Martin Heidegger’s existential philosophy and Mandela’s way of being a leader. It used Heidegger to shed light on Mandela’s existential journey and used Mandela to provide an accessible introduction to the philosophy of Heidegger. A Couple Quotes From This Episode "Mandela wasn't the kind of motivational speaker who gets people hyped up. His style was much more thoughtful in the sense of working through emotion.""Dialogue across difference, it gets to your identity. And when our identity feels a bit threatened, we tend to become reactive rather than listening. Mandela was able to listen when there were threats to his identity."Resources Book: Business Feel: From the Science of Management to the Philosophy of LeadershipPhilosophical Reflections and Insights for Psychologists and Psychotherapists (forthcoming)Website - Dr. Steven SegalAbout The International Leadership Association (ILA) The ILA was created in 1999 to bring together professionals interested in studying, practicing, and teaching leadership. Attend The Global Conference in Toronto, October 28-31.About  Scott J. Allen WebsiteWeekly Newsletter: Practical Wisdom for LeadersMy Approach to Hosting The views of my guests do not constitute "truth." Nor do they reflect my personal views in some instances. However, they are views to consider, and I hope they help you clarify your perspective. Nothing can replace your reflection, research, and exploration of the topic. ♻️ Please share with others and follow/subscribe to the podcast! ⭐️ Please leave a review on Apple, Spotify, or your platform of choice. ➡️ Follow me on LinkedIn for more on leadership, communication, and tech. 📜 Subscribe to my weekly newsletter featuring four hand-picked articles. 🌎 You can learn more about my work on my Website.

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Tyson Yunkaporta is an academic, arts critic, and researcher who is a member of the Apalech Clan in far north Queensland, Australia. He works as a senior lecturer in Indigenous Knowledges at Deakin University in Melbourne, where he also founded the Indigenous Knowledge Systems Lab. He carves traditional tools and weapons alongside his academic work, and his writing process draws on this practice, often beginning with images and carvings rather than words. He is best known as the author of Sand Talk: How Indigenous Thinking Can Save the World (2019), which won the Small Publishers' Adult Book of the Year at the Australian Book Industry Awards and the Ansari Institute's Randa and Sherif Nasr Book Prize on Religion and the World. He followed it with Right Story, Wrong Story and has a third book, Snake Talk, rounding out what he describes as a trilogy. His work applies Indigenous systems knowledge, not just Indigenous stories or artifacts, to questions of governance, economics, and organizational design. He also co-founded the Indigenous Systems Knowledge Collective, a nonprofit that supports Indigenous systems thinkers and helps organizations apply relational, complexity-based approaches to leadership and strategy. He lives in Melbourne. Dr. Toby Newstead is a respected leadership scholar and practitioner at the University of Tasmania, located in lutruwita on the lands of the palawa and pakana people. With a background in corporate change, leadership development, and professional communications, she brings practical expertise to her academic, coaching, and consulting work. An internationally recognized researcher, Dr. Newstead specializes in virtues-based leadership development, leadership ethics, and leadership in the volunteer sector. Her research appears in top journals. In 2023, she published a book titled Leadership and Virtues: Understanding and Practicing Good Leadership. Dr. Newstead is an established executive leadership coach and deeply engaged with industry and community. She regularly delivers impactful workshops, keynotes, and facilitation sessions. Dr Newstead’s research, teaching, coaching and facilitation has local and international impact, shaping the leaders of today and tomorrow. A Few Quotes From This Episode "We don't say, 'I think, therefore I am,' but we say, 'I am located, therefore I am.'""Increase isn't about the quantitative growth of the system... Increase is about the growth of complexity and the growth of interconnectedness and interdependencies in the system.""Innovation doesn't come from a singular genius. It comes from the most diverse community possible that you can create, the most diverse networks."Resources Book: Sand TalkBook: Right Story, Wrong StoryBook: Snake TalkAbout The International Leadership Association (ILA) The ILA was created in 1999 to bring together professionals interested in studying, practicing, and teaching leadership. Attend The Global Conference in Toronto, October 28-31.About  Scott J. Allen WebsiteWeekly Newsletter: Practical Wisdom for LeadersMy Approach to Hosting The views of my guests do not constitute "truth." Nor do they reflect my personal views in some instances. However, they are views to consider, and I hope they help you clarify your perspective. Nothing can replace your reflection, research, and exploration of the topic. ♻️ Please share with others and follow/subscribe to the podcast! ⭐️ Please leave a review on Apple, Spotify, or your platform of choice. ➡️ Follow me on LinkedIn for more on leadership, communication, and tech. 📜 Subscribe to my weekly newsletter featuring four hand-picked articles. 🌎 You can learn more about my work on my Website.