Humanergy Leadership Podcast: Recent Episodes
David Wheatley
We talk with leadership thought-leaders and draw out practical actions you can apply to your leadership today
Seven books. One summer. A few of them might change how you think about leadership.
David Wheatley, co-founder of Humanergy and host of the Humanergy Leadership Podcast, wraps up the season with his annual summer reading list for leaders. This year's picks span decentralized leadership, AI, gender dynamics in the workplace, coaching philosophy, team performance, and how people build a life worth living.
The books on the list:
Turn the Ship Around by David Marquet — a classic on leader-leader culture that keeps coming back into the conversation for good reason.
The AI-Driven Leader by Jeff Woods — the book Humanergy has been recommending all year for leaders trying to get a practical handle on AI.
The Only Woman in the Room by Lisa Davis — not just for women. David interviewed Lisa earlier this season; this is a good companion listen.
The Score Takes Care of Itself by Bill Walsh — a look at what actually goes into building a winning culture, from the coach who rebuilt the 49ers.
And It Was Beautiful by Phil Hay — the story of Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds, and a counterpoint to Walsh worth reading alongside it.
What Great Teams Do Great by Humanergy — if you haven't read it yet, it's 98 pages and worth every one of them.
What to Make of a Life by Jim Collins — his newest book. If you know Collins from Good to Great or Great by Choice, you know what to expect: rigorous, research-driven, and worth your time.
Drop your own summer reading recommendations in the comments.
Humanergy is a leadership development company based in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Learn more at humanergy.com.
Learn more about Humanergy's work: https://www.humanergy.com
Join the Humanergy community on LinkedIn.
Sign up for our FREE leadership workshops.
AI tools create a specific kind of trust problem on teams, and most leaders aren't sure what to name it or where it's coming from. In this Practical Field Notes episode, Mimi and David react to a Harvard Business Review piece by Jayshree Seth and Amy Edmondson on psychological safety and AI integration. They connect the article's ideas to what leaders are actually navigating in their organizations, including how to build learning loops that keep AI use transparent and how leaders can model the kind of openness that makes it safe for teams to question, challenge, and learn. Humanergy is a leadership development company that helps leaders and teams work better under real conditions. Learn more at humanergy.com.
(Note: The HBR article is behind a paywall. HBR offers free monthly access, if you're out of free reads, you can still follow this conversation without it.)
Link to article here:https://hbr.org/2026/02/how-to-foster-psychological-safety-when-ai-erodes-trust-on-your-team
Learn more about Humanergy's work: https://www.humanergy.com
Join the Humanergy community on LinkedIn.
Sign up for our FREE leadership workshops.
Managers know when a performance conversation is overdue. What stops them is not knowing what to say, or worrying the conversation will go sideways. In this free workshop, Humanergy coach Jim Marshall shares two practical tools: the WXYZ framework for giving specific, grounded feedback without triggering defensiveness, and Feed Need Seed Weed, a four-part structure for organizing accountability conversations from recognition through correction. If you're sitting on a conversation you've been delaying, this one's for you.
Humanergy is a leadership development company that helps leaders work better and make better decisions in real organizations. Learn more at humanergy.com.
Learn more about Humanergy's work: https://www.humanergy.com
Join the Humanergy community on LinkedIn.
Sign up for our FREE leadership workshops.
Three high-performing individual contributors got promoted to lead roles. All three are now miserable. The manager who promoted them is asking what to do. In this episode, Humanergy coaches John Barrett and Quay Eady work through exactly that scenario — why it happens, what the manager can do now, and what organizations consistently get wrong about developing people before they're promoted. The conversation covers a practical tool called FROM/TO for mapping where someone's strengths came from and what success looks like in their new role. Humanergy helps leaders and organizations work through real challenges like this one. Learn more at humanergy.com.
Learn more about Humanergy's work: https://www.humanergy.com
Join the Humanergy community on LinkedIn.
Sign up for our FREE leadership workshops.
When leaders ask "why," they often get defensiveness instead of dialogue, even when that's not what they intended. In this episode, David Wheatley explores why the word "why" tends to put people on the front foot and shares a simple language shift that changes the whole tone: replacing "why" with "what's causing that?" It's a small swap, but it opens conversations that might otherwise close down.
Humanergy is a leadership development firm dedicated to practical, human-centered leadership. Learn more at humanergy.com.
Learn more about Humanergy's work: https://www.humanergy.com
Join the Humanergy community on LinkedIn.
Sign up for our FREE leadership workshops.
Most organizations prepare for system changes with FAQs and talking points. When Honor Credit Union switched its core banking platform overnight, 110,000 members woke up to something unfamiliar, and some of them were not happy about it.
Jen Wagner and her social media team responded to nearly a thousand comments over two weeks. Not with scripted replies or copy-paste answers. With real people, talking to members like humans. The result was so striking that Honor's social team became the first-ever recipient of Humanergy's Green Path Award.
In this episode of the Humanergy Leadership Podcast, David Wheatley talks with Jen about what actually made it work, months of preparation, a clear response framework, the mindset shift that kept the team energized, and why empathy is a practice, not a personality trait. If your team is heading into any kind of major change, this one's worth your time.
Topics covered:
- How Honor's team prepared for and responded to a major core banking conversion
- The three-step response structure that kept communication caring, honest, and direct
- What it looks like to hire for empathy and then build systems around it
- Why the most frustrating comments were actually the most valuable
Humanergy is a leadership development company that helps teams do the hard work of leading well. Visit humanergy.com to learn more.
Learn more about Humanergy's work: https://www.humanergy.com
Join the Humanergy community on LinkedIn.
Sign up for our FREE leadership workshops.
Delegation is one of the most talked-about leadership skills, and one of the most poorly executed. In this free workshop session, Humanergy coach Lance Satterthwaite gets into the real reasons leaders avoid delegating or do it badly, and offers concrete ways to change that.
He covers four common barriers, it takes time, you love the work, you don't trust it'll get done right, and fear of losing control, along with honest questions to help leaders examine their own patterns. He also walks through Humanergy's authority matrix, a practical tool for defining decision-making levels and tracking how much ownership is actually being transferred over time.
The core argument: if you're only using delegation to manage your workload, you're leaving the most important part on the table, the development of your people. This session is for leaders who want both.
Find resources and upcoming free workshops at humanergy.com.
Find the Authority Matrix here:
https://humanergy.com/freebies/
Learn more about Humanergy's work: https://www.humanergy.com
Join the Humanergy community on LinkedIn.
Sign up for our FREE leadership workshops.
C-suite leaders often know their teams should be thinking strategically, and yet under pressure, those same teams keep dropping back to the tactical level. In this episode, David Wheatley, Dr. Rick Eigenbrod, and Dr. Judy Brown unpack why that keeps happening and what to do about it.
The conversation starts with a reframe: the question "how do I get them to be strategic?" is itself the problem. It creates a dependency that almost guarantees teams won't take ownership. From there, they explore what actually drives the regression: unclear shared meaning of "strategic," metrics and bonuses that reward tactical behavior, the boss's own anxiety signaling what really matters, and whether team members are developmentally ready for the altitude being asked of them.
Listeners will come away with a sharper diagnostic lens and a set of better questions to ask before trying to change anyone else's behavior.
Learn more about Humanergy's work: https://www.humanergy.com
Join the Humanergy community on LinkedIn.
Sign up for our FREE leadership workshops.
In this episode of The Coaching Table on the Humanergy Leadership Podcast, coaches David Wheatley and Lance Satterthwaite work through a real scenario from a leader caught between a reactive C-suite and a frustrated team. Our scenarios are either submitted directly or found in the wild on public forums. The coaches explore what conversations this leader may need to have, how to calibrate expectations using CIMA, and when it's worth asking the harder question about organizational fit. Tools and frameworks mentioned are available at humanergy.com.
Learn more about Humanergy's work: https://www.humanergy.com
Join the Humanergy community on LinkedIn.
Sign up for our FREE leadership workshops.
Lisa Davis spent four decades as a technology executive, often the only woman in the room. In this conversation with David Wheatley, she shares three of the nine core leadership principles from her new book, The Only Woman in the Room: grit (reframed as conviction), power (as advocacy and influence, not control), and strength (the emotional resilience executive leadership demands). They also discuss why results alone won't advance your career, the importance of male allies, and how to build a support network that sustains you through the hardest moments of leadership. Lisa's book is available now at https://www.daviscoreadvisory.com/.
Learn more about Humanergy's work: https://www.humanergy.com
Join the Humanergy community on LinkedIn.
Sign up for our FREE leadership workshops.
Most organizational bottlenecks aren't caused by bad people or unclear strategy. They're caused by systems that require everything to stop before anything can move forward.
In this episode, David Wheatley draws on the surprisingly rich comparison between four-way stops and roundabouts to examine how leaders can shift from permission-based cultures to flow-based ones. He introduces a yield-based decision framework — a practical model that gives teams the authority to move forward on low-stakes decisions without waiting for a green light, while preserving real checkpoints for high-cost or irreversible ones.
If your team feels perpetually stalled, or if you find yourself as the sign-off on things that probably shouldn't require you, this episode offers both a reframe and a concrete place to start.
Learn more about Humanergy's work: https://www.humanergy.com
Join the Humanergy community on LinkedIn.
Sign up for our FREE leadership workshops.
AI doesn't make leaders more thoughtful. It amplifies the choices they're already making.
In this workshop recording, Mimi from Humanergy walks through the Four Choices framework (destructive, passive, productive, transformative) and applies it directly to how leaders are using AI right now. She covers what passive AI use actually looks like in everyday work, how to tell the difference between productive and transformative leadership choices, and why the real risk isn't the tool itself but the moment you stop thinking for yourself.
Real examples included, plus an honest look at Mimi's own passive AI moment.
A practical session for any leader who wants to be more intentional about how they work with AI.
Learn more about Humanergy's work: https://www.humanergy.com
Join the Humanergy community on LinkedIn.
Sign up for our FREE leadership workshops.
What would you do in your first 100 days as CEO, if morale is low, trust is thin, and the team didn’t choose you?
In this first episode of The Coaching Table, brought to you by the Humanergy Leadership Podcast (HLP), Humanergy coaches Jim Marshall and Corey Fernandez respond in real time to a high-stakes leadership scenario:
A first-time CEO steps into a disorganized organization following leadership disruption. Resistance to change is strong. Accountability is unclear. The board expects results. Fear and hostility are in the air.
With no script and no preparation, our coaches explore:
• How to enter a tense environment without reinforcing fear
• How to establish authority while rebuilding trust
• What trust-building really looks like in the first 30, 60, 90 days
• The power of non-negotiables and behavioral clarity
• Why listening may be your most strategic first move
• How to manage board pressure without overcorrecting
• What a real “trust campaign” requires
• When stakeholder mapping and leader assimilation matter
This is not advice. It’s thoughtful, honest exploration of a messy, real-world leadership challenge.
If you’re a CEO, executive, board member, or leadership team member navigating change, this conversation will stretch your thinking.
Have a leadership situation you’d like us to explore on a future episode? Submit it through our podcast page at Humanergy.com.
Leadership is about the choices you make every day.
Note: The scenario discussed in this episode is based on a publicly shared situation and is not drawn from a Humanergy client engagement.
Learn more about Humanergy's work: https://www.humanergy.com
Join the Humanergy community on LinkedIn.
Sign up for our FREE leadership workshops.
Most teams believe they’re aligned. But alignment rarely breaks overnight. It drifts.
Priorities shift. Roles become unclear. Communication breaks down. Before long, teams are working hard but not necessarily moving in the same direction.
In this episode, Humanergy coach Quay Eady shares practical strategies leaders can use to spot alignment drift early and bring their teams back onto the same page.
You’ll learn how alignment gaps often show up in three areas, priorities, roles, and behavior, and how a simple alignment recalibration conversation can help leaders restore focus, ownership, and accountability.
Quay also introduces a practical model leaders can use to resolve misalignment while staying on the Green Path withHumanergy’s framework for What Great Teams Do Great.
If you lead a team, manage projects, or want stronger collaboration across your organization, this conversation will give you tools you can use immediately.
In this episode you’ll learn:
- Why alignment rarely breaks suddenly, it drifts
- The three most common alignment gaps in teams
- How to clarify priorities and create focus
- How role clarity improves accountability and decision-making
- How leaders reinforce behaviors that support high performance
This workshop is part of Humanergy’s free monthly leadership series, where our coaches share practical leadership tools leaders can apply right away.
You can register for upcoming sessions at:
https://humanergy.com
Learn more about Humanergy's work: https://www.humanergy.com
Join the Humanergy community on LinkedIn.
Sign up for our FREE leadership workshops.
Throughout the session, AI is framed as a thinking partner and perspective-expander, not a decision maker. Human judgment, values, and responsibility remain central.
AI is changing fast. Humans aren’t.
In this episode, we explore how leaders can integrate AI thoughtfully by treating it as part of a personal board of directors rather than another tool to chase. We look at life stages, inner circles of support, and how AI can serve as a strategic partner without replacing human judgment.
This conversation is for leaders who want to stay grounded, intentional, and human while navigating rapid change.
Learn more about Humanergy's work: https://www.humanergy.com
Join the Humanergy community on LinkedIn.
Sign up for our FREE leadership workshops.
AI can process data and optimize outcomes, but it can’t provide purpose, empathy, or moral judgment.
In this episode, Humanergy coach David Wheatley explores why the rise of AI elevates the role of human leadership. The conversation focuses on meaning, emotion, ethics, and the practical steps leaders can take to stay firmly in the loop as algorithms play a bigger role at work.
This episode is a recording from Humanergy’s free monthly leadership workshop series.
Find upcoming workshops at humanergy.com.
Learn more about Humanergy's work: https://www.humanergy.com
Join the Humanergy community on LinkedIn.
Sign up for our FREE leadership workshops.
What if your team’s “people problems” are actually design problems?
In this episode, David Wheatley is joined by Dr. Judy Brown and Dr. Rick Eigenbrod to explore a leadership question that doesn’t get asked enough, how much of team performance comes down to structure, not personalities.
You’ll hear why collaboration may be more natural than we think, how organizations accidentally get in the way of it, and what leaders can redesign to create real flow, clarity, and shared ownership, without forcing it.
Topics include:
- Why structure can trump culture, strategy, and good intentions
- “Roundabouts vs stoplights,” a simple analogy for healthier systems
- Who gets in the room, and why one wrong seat can stall the whole team
- Boundary conditions, meeting design, and business literacy across leaders
- Reward systems, accountability, and the difference between ownership and compliance
- The inner work, maturity, ego, and what it takes to lead for the greater good
Want to explore more tools like What Great Teams Do Great, join Humanergy’s Free Workshop Zoom session, held every month at noon Eastern, details at humanergy.com.
Learn more about Humanergy's work: https://www.humanergy.com
Join the Humanergy community on LinkedIn.
Sign up for our FREE leadership workshops.
Leadership isn’t about titles or authority. It’s about the choices you make every day and how those choices influence the people around you.
In this episode, David Wheatley shares a simple but powerful framework built on two continuums, care and commitment, that reveal four distinct leadership choices. From destructive to transformative, these choices show up everywhere, even on the sidelines of a youth soccer game.
You’ll learn how to recognize your own patterns, how to shift toward choices that serve the greater good, and why this model sits at the heart of Humanergy’s work over the past 25 years.
Find the Four Choices model and more tools, visit Humanergy.com/freebies.
Learn more about Humanergy's work: https://www.humanergy.com
Join the Humanergy community on LinkedIn.
Sign up for our FREE leadership workshops.
Feedback shapes performance, trust, and culture, yet many leaders struggle to give it in ways that truly help people grow. In this workshop excerpt, Humanergy Coach Corey Fernandez breaks down what effective feedback looks like, why it matters, and how to make it a regular, low-stress part of your leadership rhythm.
You’ll learn:
• Why feedback often creates surprise or defensiveness
• How to shift toward a feedback culture people can depend on
• Practical frameworks for strengthening performance and trust
• Simple language for giving clear, behavior-based feedback
• When to deliver feedback in real time, in writing, or on video
This session comes from Humanergy’s free monthly workshop series. To join an upcoming session, visit humanergy.com.
Learn more about Humanergy's work: https://www.humanergy.com
Join the Humanergy community on LinkedIn.
Sign up for our FREE leadership workshops.
In this short episode, David Wheatley revisits the classic “quarterback to coach” transition. Many leaders are promoted for being great doers, then struggle to step back and let others take the field. David shares a memorable story from manufacturing, practical cues for staying out of the weeds, and a simple mantra for every new leader: stay off the field and build capacity. A great listen for anyone learning to lead at a higher level.
Learn more about Humanergy's work: https://www.humanergy.com
Join the Humanergy community on LinkedIn.
Sign up for our FREE leadership workshops.
Tired of polarized talk at work? Megan Fuciarelli maps a clear path forward. She and David unpack the Metamorphustice continuum, practical ways to move beyond allyship, and how leaders use curiosity, empathy, and direct communication to build trust and performance. We hit reflective prompts, real-world examples, and the business case for values-aligned DEI that boosts morale, retention, and results.
Learn more about Humanergy's work: https://www.humanergy.com
Join the Humanergy community on LinkedIn.
Sign up for our FREE leadership workshops.
In this short episode, Humanergy’s David Wheatley shares a powerful story about an engineering leader who learned to shift from solving problems himself to building a team that could solve them.
Discover how one simple visual tool helped transform his leadership, empower his team’s critical thinking, and free him to focus on what truly matters—leading.
Learn more leadership tools and insights at humanergy.com
Learn more about Humanergy's work: https://www.humanergy.com
Join the Humanergy community on LinkedIn.
Sign up for our FREE leadership workshops.
In this episode, we explore one of the most powerful yet underused leadership tools—coaching. Humanergy coach, Nikki Patterson, shows how to shift from solving every problem yourself to helping others grow their own capability and confidence.
You’ll discover:
- What coaching really means (and how it differs from mentoring or advising)
- When to use coaching versus directing or teaching
- A simple GROWTH model you can use to guide coaching conversations
Whether you manage one person or an entire organization, this episode will help you lead with greater impact and develop stronger, more self-reliant teams.
🎧 Learn more about leadership development at humanergy.com
Learn more about Humanergy's work: https://www.humanergy.com
Join the Humanergy community on LinkedIn.
Sign up for our FREE leadership workshops.
David Wheatley talks with Stephanie Chung about her new book "Ally Leadership: How to lead people who are not like you" . Among the tips are:
- Ask - Establish an environment
- Listen - Assure alignment
- Learn - Rally the troops
- You take action - Navigate the narrows
Learn more about Humanergy's work: https://www.humanergy.com
Join the Humanergy community on LinkedIn.
Sign up for our FREE leadership workshops.
In the final episode of Humanergy’s TrueSuccess Blueprint anniversary series, host Mimi Mitrius talks with co-founders John Barrett and David Wheatley about what it really takes to sustain success over decades. They unpack two of Humanergy’s eight TrueSuccess goals—living mindful, purposeful, and balanced lives and maintaining a lean, scalable performance infrastructure—and share how these principles have shaped Humanergy’s 25-year journey.
You’ll hear how balance goes beyond “work-life” to mean optimized living, why Humanergy tracks both too little and too much work, and how the team built systems that support growth without losing their human touch.
Key takeaways:
- What true balance looks like for leaders and teams
- How a “Balanced Chair” framework helps prevent burnout
- Why Humanergy created KPIs for both under- and over-work
- How to build a lean, scalable infrastructure that still supports people
- Practical ways to create a culture of continuous improvement
Perfect for: Leaders, executives, and HR professionals looking to build sustainable organizations that value both performance and well-being.
Listen now to discover how balance, purpose, and smart systems fuel long-term success—and how you can apply the same blueprint in your own organization.
Learn more about Humanergy's work: https://www.humanergy.com
Join the Humanergy community on LinkedIn.
Sign up for our FREE leadership workshops.
David Wheatley interviews Dr. Thomas Kraus about his book "If Your Culture Could Talk." Dr. Kraus, a renowned thought leader in organizational culture and decision-making, discusses how leadership actions directly impact culture. He shares a story about a leader named John who learns to understand and change organizational culture through personalized interactions with a culture entity. Dr. Kraus emphasizes the importance of genuine communication, listening, and appropriate action in leadership. He also highlights the gap between leaders' intentions and the actual impact of their decisions on organizational culture, using examples like a technology company's layoff notice to illustrate his points.
Learn more about Humanergy's work: https://www.humanergy.com
Join the Humanergy community on LinkedIn.
Sign up for our FREE leadership workshops.
What does it take to build a thriving professional network and create leadership tools that stand the test of time?
In this episode of the True Success Blueprint podcast, host Mimi Mitrius talks with Humanergy co-founders John Barrett and David Wheatley about two foundational TrueSuccess Goals:
- Grow a strong network of Humanergy professionals
- Build and refine world-class intellectual assets and tools
They discuss the mindset behind Humanergy’s generous, people-first approach and how that has shaped a high-trust, high-impact network. You’ll also hear how tools like the Four Choices, Red Path/Green Path, and their custom 360 Leadership Assessment evolved—and why they remain relevant after decades of use.
If you're a decision maker focused on sustainable leadership, talent development, or team performance, this episode offers insight into building for long-term impact.
Topics covered:
- How values shape lasting partnerships
- Why generosity leads to stronger networks
- How Humanergy tools are developed, tested, and refined
- The power of immersive 360 feedback
- Lessons from 25 years of leadership coaching
Learn more at https://humanergy.com
LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutiveCoaching #TrueSuccess #Humanergy #TeamPerformance #LeadershipTools #OrganizationalHealth
Learn more about Humanergy's work: https://www.humanergy.com
Join the Humanergy community on LinkedIn.
Sign up for our FREE leadership workshops.
What does it really take for leadership training to stick? In this episode of the Humanergy Leadership Podcast, Jim Marshall explores the deeper dynamics of personal and professional growth - what works, what doesn’t, and why. Drawing on decades of experience, Jim introduces two powerful frameworks: the Four Stages of Competence and the Growth Chain. Through vivid real-world stories (like a training session that didn’t land... until it finally did), Jim unpacks why “aha” moments, repetition, and accountability are essential for lasting transformation. Whether you lead teams, facilitate training, or simply want to build better habits, this episode offers actionable insight for creating real change, not just one-time lessons.
Learn more about Humanergy's work: https://www.humanergy.com
Join the Humanergy community on LinkedIn.
Sign up for our FREE leadership workshops.
Clients who are delighted become partners. In episode two of the TrueSuccess Blueprint, Mimi sits down with John Barrett and David Wheatley to unpack two core goals: delighting clients by delivering real, visible value, and building a healthy, diverse client base that sustains the business over time. They share how to meet clients where they are, evolve offerings based on feedback, make impact easy to see for sponsors, and avoid over-reliance on a few accounts. Expect practical moves, hard-won lessons from 2009–2010, and stories of tools that improve life at work and at home.
Learn more about Humanergy's work: https://www.humanergy.com
Join the Humanergy community on LinkedIn.
Sign up for our FREE leadership workshops.
David Wheatley, Judy Brown, and Rick Eigenbrod discuss the challenges of leadership in times of turbulence, emphasizing the need for new approaches. They highlight the concept of "BANI" (Brittle, Anxious, Non-linear, Incomprehensible) as a replacement for VUCA, noting the familiarity and ineffectiveness of traditional terms. The conversation underscores the importance of leaders adapting to rapid change, fostering reflection and conversation as actionable steps, and encouraging a shift from seeking clarity to seeing things differently. They also explore the impact of AI on leadership, suggesting it should enhance human capabilities rather than replace them.
Learn more about Humanergy's work: https://www.humanergy.com
Join the Humanergy community on LinkedIn.
Sign up for our FREE leadership workshops.
How do you build a business that does good, and does well? In this episode, Mimi, John, and David discuss how Humanergy has balanced social impact with financial responsibility. They share real-world stories of choosing purpose over profit, and how financial freedom fuels long-term vision.
Learn more about Humanergy's work: https://www.humanergy.com
Join the Humanergy community on LinkedIn.
Sign up for our FREE leadership workshops.
Accountability that actually gets work done. In this First Friday session, Humanergy coach Quay Eady shows how to turn good intentions into consistent results using FACET: Focus, Accountability, Compelling Motivation, Easier to Do, and Tracking. Learn to coach one clear priority, create owner-led commitments, tie work to purpose and recognition, remove roadblocks, and measure what matters. No micromanagement, just development. Use FACET in one-on-ones and performance reviews to cut overwhelm, raise trust, and ship results.
Learn more about Humanergy's work: https://www.humanergy.com
Join the Humanergy community on LinkedIn.
Sign up for our FREE leadership workshops.
What drives long-term business success that’s both profitable and purposeful? In this series kickoff episode, host Mimi is joined by Humanergy co-founders John Barrett and David Wheatley to introduce the 8 TrueSuccess Goals—a practical, values-based framework that’s powered their boutique leadership firm for over 25 years.
You’ll hear the origin story behind the goals, why they must be pursued as a complete set, and how they’ve shaped decision-making, client impact, and sustainable growth. Whether you’re leading a team or building a business, this series will inspire and equip you with a proven blueprint for success.
Learn more about Humanergy's work: https://www.humanergy.com
Join the Humanergy community on LinkedIn.
Sign up for our FREE leadership workshops.
David shares some great leadership books to explore this summer as the podcast takes a few months off:
Don't feed the elephants by Sarah Noll Wilson
CEO Excellence by Dewar, Keller & Malhotra
Keep Going by Joseph Marshall III
The Ideal Team Player by Patrick Lencioni
Make Your Bed by William McRaven
Learn more about Humanergy's work: https://www.humanergy.com
Join the Humanergy community on LinkedIn.
Sign up for our FREE leadership workshops.
David talks about Humanergy's Leadership Pyramid and how the best leaders are oriented to the bottom four steps... Authentic Respect, Listing, Summarizing and asking powerful questions
Jim Marshall shares thoughts on how to help your team when they are feeling overwhelmed. Using a framework of four levers... Prioritize, Delegate, Work smarter & harder, Delay/stop & renegotiate.
David shares more from our What Great Teams Do Great series, based on the book of the same name. This time, what to do when your team disagrees with the organizational direction
David shares a story from his police training days about he was trained to deliver a baby and how it provides some great cues for leading in a crisis.
David talks about what to do when a member of the team has low morale and is starting to bring the others down. Part of the What Great Teams Do Great series based on our book of the same name
David is joined by Judy Brown and Rick Eigenbrod to build on Dr. Martin Luther King's letter from a Birmingham jail - and to ask what is the letter that only you can write? At the heart of the chat we ask what do you have to say to the world and challenge you to think about what you don't think about
David Wheatley presents to Humanergy's First Friday work session about how a Personal Board of Directors can help when you are feeling overwhelmed. Continuing the metaphor of our backpack being full, David looks at how coaches, mentors, sponsors and friends can help, if only you'd ask
Mimi Mitrius introduces the newest Humanergist Quay Eady and digs into her coaching style, her history and what brings her to Humanergy
Humanergy's David Wheatley talks with Erin Tolefree, CEO & President of Baldwin Richardson Foods. They discuss:
- What is is like to be both second and third generation in family business leadership
- The lessons learned from her father and grandfather
- What set her up for success
- Best practices she has learned along the way
John Barrett talks about how we can use Artificial Intelligence to help when we are feeling overwhelmed and our virtual backpack is overloaded. Among his suggestions are:
Think of AI as a super-smart, literal and naive intern, who can’t read your mind but who has unlimited time and access to information. And who will provide you exactly what you ask for with high probability. Use AI to help you use AI
-
- What is an effective prompt to …..?
- What questions do you have for me to better answer my request?
- Provide the AI the parameters for exactly what you want (don’t worry about the HOW)
- E.g.
- Answer as a thought leader who has deep understanding and practical experience
- Your audience is junior employees who are smart and inexperienced in the workplace
- Define the key thinking and provide 3 practical actions they can take to be better team members
- Provide references and a list of further resources for deeper understanding
- Adopt a 3 iteration approach
- Give feedback and/or adjust request and ask for another suggestion
He also mentions a couple of resources...
- https://www.therundown.ai/subscribe
- Use the Prompt Engineer GPT by The AI Report to 10x your prompts.
Humanergy's Chief Questions Asker, David Wheatley, takes a look at another of our What Great Teams Do Great issues - this time, what to do if the team leader is struggling to keep focused on success and holding the team accountable.
Humanergy's Chief Questions Asker, David Wheatley, takes a look at another of our What Great Teams Do Great issues - this time, what to do if the team meetings are not as productive as they could or should be... one solution is to stop having meetings! Listen in to find out what he suggests you replace them with
Jeannette Stawski shares some thoughts on Prioritization and how we can get a handle on our busyness including the power of the Eisenhower Matrix
Humanergy's Lance Satterthwaite talks about how to manage when you are pushed to do more with less. This is part of our First Friday work sessions. He covers three strategies...
Strategy 1 - Let things spill over:
- Be wise about what will and won’t get done.
Strategy 2 - Get a larger bucket:
- Increase efficiencies where possible.
- Ask for help, delegate, and coach others
- Advocate for increased resources.
- Work longer hours when necessary.
Strategy 3 - Change what is flowing into the bucket or the pace in which it is flowing:
- Engage in crucial conversations with stakeholders.
- Clarify key deliverables.
- Prioritize the work and make a game plan.
Humanergy's Jim Marshall takes the backpack analogy and applies it to how we feel loaded down during any role transition - and what we can do to stay fit, lessen the load and ensure the smoothest transition
David shares some thoughts for when you are having one-on-one meetings with your direct reports and how a simple one not document and a prioritization structure can make them more efficient and effective
Corey Fernandez, as part of Humanergy's First Friday work sessions, talks about what makes a powerful questions and how they are particularly valuable in the world of leadership
Mimi Mitrius interviews the Humanergy Leadership Podcast host and founder, David Wheatley to celebrate episode 200. What made him start a podcast, what he has learned and what we can expect in the future.
David talks with Sharissa Sebastian Deppen of the Leadership mastery Alliance about the challenges of being an introverted female leader in a modern work environment and some approaches to greater success
David talks with Sarah Noll Wilson, author of Don't Feed The Elephants about how her new book lines up with What Great Teams Do Great and helps people understand where their challenges are in dealing with conflict and how to address your 'elephant'
Corey Fernandez talks about how to lead with empathy as part of Humanergy's First Friday work sessions
David talks with Judy Brown and Rick Eigenbrod about how we can make good decisions about the health and welfare of our leaders. They delve into how loneliness is the emotion of isolation and how leaders can kick off their teams with some words to limit their isolation.
There is a great article we found after recording that mirrors the sentiment... Give your boss a break: See the human behind the role by Kevin Kruse
Guest, Chris Sargent, CEO of United Way of South Central Michigan talks about how non-profits should be looking at how they can collaborate and where they are on the continuum of collaboration. The tool he discusses can be found here, along with Humanergy work supporting non-profit collaboration and merger.
David talks with Stephanie Hickman Boyse about her experience running Brazeway, a third generation family business, and what she learned along the way
Corey Fernandez looks at #9 in our What Great Teams Do Great issues series, what to do when members of the team are in conflict
David talks with Bill Doherty and our First Friday attendees about the work of Braver Angels to help us have more reasonable conversations in the workplace with people who have opposing political views
Corey Fernandez looks at #8 in our What Great Teams Do Great issues series - how a team handles the 'superstar' who takes all the credit
Lance Satterthwaite presents the compressed content from our September First Friday work session - on being more open to receiving feedback. Register for our First Friday sessions at Humanergy.com
Corey Fernandez talks about the latest in our What Great Teams Do Great issues series - What happens when your team is risk averse.
David talks with former sports executive Bernie Mullin about his new book Reimagining America's Dream: Making it attainable for all, and the economy, our education system and healthcare (for a start) need to change to provide opportunities for people to prosper.
Corey talks about our 5th issue in the What Great Teams Do Great issue series - how to help a new team that is struggling to get up to speed
David talks about our 6th issue in the What Great Teams Do Great issue series - how to help a team that is struggling to address conflict
David and Judy Brown talk about an experience they had where a jazz band was the keynote speaker at a quality conference and the leadership lessons that were drawn from the event
David discusses the value of formally handing over the keys to someone when you go on vacation. This discipline helps you take a complete rest and allows others the opportunity to step up, and it takes investment and structure to make happen well
Corey Fernandez talks about another regular team issue from our coaching work around What Great Teams Do Great - how to help a team that is lacking energy and imagination.
Corey Fernandez shares the 3rd in our series of What Great Teams Do Great issues... this one on how to help a team that is struggling to communicate and not sharing information
David talks to Bill Dobbins about his many companies, all operating around Caster Concepts in Albion, Michigan. They talk about how he is thinking and working on next generation transition and how he is using the main business to support smaller ones that meet is conscious capitalism approach.
As part of our What Great Teams Do Great Issues series, David looks at what to do when people are too busy putting out fires to get the necessary and more strategic work done
David shares some of the work of his colleague Lance Satterthwaite on the symptoms of low-trust and high-trust cultures
As part of our What Great Teams Do Great issues series, David looks at how to address frustration within the team
David talks with Dee Cramer President Matt Cramer about his family business journey and the best practices he recognizes as supporting their third generation success
David talks about what to do when another project or job is added to your role and no one is actively taking anything away. Using the analogy of a backpack, there are some simple steps that will help relieve the tension caused by adding more and more to an already full load
Humanergy's Jim Marshall share part two of a conversation on Transformative Discussion - and how to have a difficult conversation using the Green Path
David talks with Judy Brown and Rick Eigenbrod about two CEO's and how they are looking at their organizations differently. They discuss leadership and followership, flexibility and agility in an organization and pushing decision making to where the information is at.
Corey Fernandez looks at how we can often make assumptions about people's intent and this can get us into trouble. He recommends being curious and searching past the words to find the intent behind them to ensure understanding
David talks with Mike and Michael Williams, two generations of leadership at this tier one automotive supplier based in Troy, Michigan. They discuss best practices they have learned from leading and transitioning within a family business
Judy Brown reads from her book, A Leaders Guide to Reflective Practice, a segment called, Cone-in-a-box. She talks about how dialogue can help us see a better truth
Jim Marshall talks to our First Friday group about having difficult conversations. This will be continued next month.
David talks about how important it is for leaders to create space:
- The pause after a question
- The pause before solving someone else's problem
- Strategic time
- Safe venting
David talks with Joe & Joey Cekola of Imperial Beverage about their experiences working in the family business - and the best practices that have allowed for success.
David reflects on a kids hockey coach who has the leanest version of behavioral expectations (from the Set-Up box of What Great Teams Do Great) - work hard and be a great teammate!
David builds on the ideas from Ep95 about creating a personal board of directors. Imagine doing a seating chart for an event... who are the people you have at each of the following tables:
- Coaching
- Sponsorship
- Mentoring
- Friends
Who can provide insight and advise to you personally and professionally?
David shares the idea that when we are preparing to leave a role, we can create a glidepath that best allows for a great transition by stepping down our work
David continues his exploration of family business best practices with Lauren Clark and Bob Barry of Bergquist
David talks to Jeannette Stawski about her new book, The Outdoor Leader - a great introduction to leadership whether you work in the outdoors or not.
Corey Fernandez talks about how stakeholder mapping can help identify the interdependencies and set up a clear picture of the greater good
David talks about how problem solvers can sometimes become bottlenecks because they don't develop problem solving skills in others. The simple idea of 'showing your work', like the math teachers made you do in school, can help others see your thinking and develop the skills themselves
David talks with John Gallagher, President and owner of Gallagher Uniform in Battle Creek, Michigan about this 5th generation family business
Corey talks about how the What Great Teams Do Great model can be applied to support remote teams and how, with intention, they can be as or more productive than face-to-face teams
David shares a gift of language that you won't forget and you will probably go check for yourself. This is to celebrate our upcoming 24th anniversary as a company. Happy birthday to us!
David talks with Judy Brown and Rick Eigenbrod about how it is a leaders responsibility to "end well". They look at how leaders should be checking themselves regularly to make sure they are still offering the leadership the organization needs right now... or are they hanging on, hanging in or hanging out? Perhaps it's even time to hang up!
David talks with Nick and Gerrit Bancroft from Agroliquid about their experiences as part of a family business. This is part of our 2024 family business best practice series.
David reconnects with Jim Marshall, who is re-joining the Humanergy fold in 2024. He shares some insights from his 10-years away
David addresses the impact of race and power in the context of What Great Teams Do Great. This is expanded on in the supplemental chapter available here
David talks with Judy Brown and Rick Eigenbrod about finding patterns and coherence within chaos. Could you give you people three rules that would allow them to operate without you, have freedom and leave you comfortable about their delivery? We discuss what helps us see order amongst chaos and reference the work of Meg Wheatley (Leadership & The New Science)
Lance Satterthwaite talks about how some teams can be over-collaborative and some under-collaborative and how to find the sweet spot of collaboration. This is part of the What Great Teams Do Great series
With 150 episodes in the bag, here is a guide for those just finding the Humanergy Leadership Podcast and wondering where to start.
David reflects on how our gut-reaction is often simply sub-conscious pattern - and how spending the time to consider this can often bring it to the conscious.
David walks the listener through a meditation to understand the physiological response when things are getting 'interesting'
David talks about the Eisenhower Matrix - popularized by Stephen Covey in the 7 Habits - contrasting those things that are urgent and important
David talks with Judy Brown and Rick Eigenbrod about what it takes to be a centered leader and the value of being one.
Corey Fernandez talks about how to make the most of your meetings in this First Friday work session - join us on the first Friday of every month at noon (eastern) to participate
David talks about a recent experience that highlights the challenge of letting go of old work and focusing on the job you have today.
David talks about the similarities behind Aikido and Leadership:
- Be centered
- Use the energy that already exists
- Add as little of yourself as is necessary to get everyone to a good place
David talks about 5 simple elements that drive behavior change:
- Focus
- Accountability
- Compelling motivation
- Easier to do than not
- Tracking
Humanergy's Business & Marketing Director, Mimi Mitrius talks how mission, vision & values ties into What Great Teams Do Great and provides useful definitions and tools for organizations or teams engaged in this "Set-up" work
Judy Brown shares a poem with David that gets us thinking about what we miss when we are rushing through things. The poem is "On reading a poem by Phillis Levin" by Marilyn Robertson
David shares the Japanese concept of Nemawashi - having meetings before the meeting to build alignment and buy-in
David discusses the concept of Eating the Frog - getting the important and challenging tasks done sooner rather than later
David tells a story about how his Dad was forced to learn from his choices by David's Granddad and how we can all take a lesson form this
David discusses how we can take back control of our interruptions by simply turning off notifications
David talks to the Humanergy First Friday group about how to stay green-path even when in difficult circumstances
David talks with Judy Brown and Rick Eigenbrod about how leaders can best transition out of an organization or into an organization. Are departing leaders thinking about how they 'end well'? and let go, leaving the best space for their successor. Are the new leaders thinking about new leaders assimilation processes, honoring history while driving forward and creating opportunities to be vulnerable. The question holds the lantern (John O'Donohue)
David talks about how we can ensure mutual understanding when sharing information using the simple framework of ICUC:
Individualize
Context
Unmistakable
Close the loop
David talks (proper) football and how we can feel the tensions between where we would love to be and where we are... and how we need to focus where we are and bring out the best in the people we have
David talked with Cheri DeClercq about why you might consider an MBA back in September 2020. We repeat this episode the weekend that Humanergy kicks off Michigan State University's Executive MBA program for it's 26th year
David talks with Judy Brown and Rick Eigenbrod about the difficulty leaders have transitioning from one role to the next. How do we let go of our comfort and move to being curious about what is in front of us.
David talks about how business leaders need to think like a college coach. They have their players for 4 years, sometimes less - get the most of them while they have them and expect them to move on... and have great recruiting pipelines
David talks about a couple of tools from our book What Great Teams Do Great that are a simple way to think about emotional intelligence
David talks with Margie Hagene about the work and legacy of Edgar Schein. Industrial psychologist and author, Schein wrote Humble Inquiry and Humble Leadership. He died earlier this year at the age of 94. Margie had the honor of working with him and reflects here on his lasting legacy
David sets ChatGPT the task of writing an episode of the Humanergy Leadership Podcast... and with help from Humanergy's own Mimi Mitrius shares it with you... and also how Humanergy are looking at AI to stretch our thinking
Lance Satterthwaite talks about Green-Path choices within the What Great Teams Do Great Model and how it can make a difference to your life and your team
David talks with Judy Brown and Rick Eigenbrod about inklings... when we receive information in our periphery or sub-consciously and how to tune in to them and use them
David talks with Kim Carter, Superintendent at Battle Creek Public Schools; Lauren Clark, CEO of Bergquist and Scott McFarland, CEO of Honor Credit Union, about the challenge of a CEO's voice and when it is too loud vs. helpful.
David shares the concept that people need to be ready to be rescued before you can help them
David talks about how to best process feedback through understanding and owning it. When feedback is someone's perception, it is 100% accurate - but we might not like it or agree with it. Here are a few steps to help ensure you get the most from any feedback
Corey Fernandez talks to Humanergy's First Friday work group about the Set-up box of What Great Teams Do Great. Filled with tips for ensuring your team gets the best start possible.
David talks about the concept of an organizational altitude chart to help leaders focus on working at the right level
David talks about 24 questions/statements that we Humanergy uses to take the temperature of an organizations culture.
David reflects on a story that highlights the value of focusing on results rather than tracking activity
David talks with Judy Brown and Rick Eigenbrod about accountability and how we should create environments where people hold themselves accountable
David talks about a tool called the Development Decision Continuum which help narrow the gray area between coaching and delegation and recognizing it is time to part ways with an employee.
David talks about the value of strategic time and how not to let others stop you from thinking
David talks about how we should focus on trend lines and not get distracted by single data points
David talks with Judy Brown and Rick Eigenbrod look at how we describe and define burn out- and whether we are just "done" or our inner hero just needs a break
David presents to our First Friday work session about the art of giving feedback - using Humanergy's Feed, Need, Seed, Weed model
David highlights a challenge when "Get Stuff Done" people, what he calls GSD's are over capacity... Check out Humanergy .com for the "Dangers of Over and Under Capacity" chart
David talks with Nikki Patterson, Leadership coach and Humanergy Associate about her research into supporting mid career women leaders by encouraging them to:
- Focus on their "Why"
- Prioritize their energy and time
- Discover and declare their superpower
- Build community and connection
Lance Satterthwaite talks about the power of leaders being calibrated and how to use CIMA to get there
Corey Fernandez talks about how to reinforce green-path routines. For more check out What Great Teams Do Great
David talks about Humanergy's Four Levels of Resistance for looking at resistance to change in organizations
David and guest, Kevin Brozovich talk about the frustration that is annual performance reviews, what to stop and how to make performance tracking work
David talks with Darja Gutnick of Bunch about her tool for coaching between the coaching sessions and her journey from Russia to Germany to the USA as an entrepreneur and leadership coach
David, surprised he made it to episode 100, recaps a few past episodes worth taking a look at
David looks at how meetings are the meals on which our organizations run... and how they need clear outputs, the necessary inputs and the right structure to turn one into the other.
Lance Satterthwaite talks about tools for building resilience both at work and at home... including:
- Building your AQ
- Accelerating through SARA
- The Balance Chair
- The Stockdale Paradox
David talks about the idea of having a safe venting space where you can let off steam and be help accountable for doing something once the steam is vented
David, along with regulars Judy Brown & Rick Eigenbrod discuss the difference between coaching, mentoring and friendship
Corey Fernandez talks about what it takes to be a leadership listener and how some of those skills might also help around the Thanksgiving table
David talks about an old industry story about three envelopes and discusses why he disagrees with the idea and what we should do instead... the answers are in What Great Teams Do Great
David talks about a tool for recognizing whether an employee needs more coaching and clarity on delegation or if it is time for them to move on.
John Barrett talks about how leadership is the choices we make that impact others... The model he discusses can be found here
David talks with Judy Brown & Rick Eigenbrod about motivation - how we are motivated and how we can motivate others. As is often the case, the answer opens up more questions...
David shares the development of his questions to ensure a better answer:
- Any questions?
- What questions do you have?
- What is one question that each of you has?
David shares a simple exercise to seek clarity in your head and start to shut down things that are drawing processing power, so you can focus on the important stuff
Judy Brown shares her poem, Fire, a reflection on the balance between logs and space. What are your logs? and are you giving them enough space?
David talks with Humanergy's First Friday Work Session audience about the art of delegation and 6 steps to help the transfer of ownership
David shares a simple tool for succession planning in just 2 names... if you were kidnapped by ninja's and going to be gone from work for 6-months, who could take over your role and keep things afloat? The first name... If you weren't coming back (the ninjas are keeping you!) then for the second name you have three options... 1. Who could take over and what are you doing to keep them engaged and prevent them from being a flight risk? 2 Who could take over and what is there development plan? or 3. What is your plan to find someone?
David talks with Judy Brown and Rick Eigenbrod about graduation as being both and end and a beginning, marked by a ritual or ceremony. They discuss what other transitions we should be marking with rituals and seeing as both an end and a beginning. Rick's original (and long) speech is here.
David talks with Chris De Santis about his new book, Why I Find You Irritating At Work : Navigating Generational Friction at Work
Lance Satterthwaite talk about how to continuously improve what you and your team are doing - from Humanergy's First Friday work sessions
David visits a simple calibration tool we call CIMA - Control what we have control over, Influence where we have influence, Mitigate any impact where possible and Accept only what doesn't fit in the first three... from this place of calibration you will be a more useful and centered leader
David talks about the simple terms we use that can lead to misunderstandings and challenges you to be more precise to ensure mutual success
Corey Fernandez talks to our First Friday Leadership Workshop about how we can reduce misunderstandings and get people on the same page
David discusses another Humanergy tool that looks at addressing performance issues. Contact him if you want the graphic.
David talks about a recent video he watched by Rajiv Talreja about three revolutions that impact our ability to keep our people - and how he sees this not as a thing of the past but something we can use every day to assess where different employees are and how to retain them.
David talks about the need to create a cadence for re-energizing a remote team - how often does your team or direct reports value a face-to-face (in-person) interaction?
Guest host, Nikki Patterson talks with Judy Brown and Joan Hampeter about their long experience supporting women in leadership and what women face in and out of the workplace today.
David is once again joined by Judy Brown and Rick Eigenbrod - this time to talk about the difference between direction and destination and how they both apply personally and organizationally.
John Barrett discussed doing what is best for the organization with our First Friday leadership work session participants. For more about First Fridays visit Humanergy.com
David talks about another simple tool for alignment - the authority amtrix is a way of aligning a supervisor and their direct reports using 5 columns...
- Just do it
- Do it and tell me you did it
- Let's discuss, then the direct report owns the decision
- Let's discuss then we together own the decision
- Let's discuss and then the supervisor owns the decision
David shares a simple tool for setting the 'reality' of any situation and in particular when you start a new role.
David is once again joined by Judy Brown and Rick Eigenbrod, this time to talk about the conversations that we often don't have and the power of be courageous enough to step into them. For more, check out Rick's book What Happens When You Get What You Want
David is joined by Lance Satterthwaite, Humanergy Coach for over 15 years. Lance shares his thoughts on 6 things that will help you and your people get the work done.
David talked with Rick Eigenbrod in episode 67 about breaking old ways of thinking and this short piece came out of the conversation and was worthy of its own moment
David shares a story from his coaching experience about how adding a little personal step made a difference to an already good idea. Sometimes the little things can be all it takes to go from good to great
David talks with Judy Brown and Rick Eigenbrod about how leaders can break out of their old ways of thinking and doing to generate creative solutions for challenges and drive engagement
The first Friday of each month Humanergy offers a one-hour free workshop on leadership over Zoom. This is the third episode where David talks about how to keep focused on what is important. Go to Humanergy.com to register for the First Friday sessions
David talks with Ray Arata, founder of the Better Man Conference and author of Showing Up: How men can become better allies in the workplace.
David talks with Judy Brown and Rick Eigenbrod about the power of story as a tool for leaders - and how we need to be able to craft new stories in turbulent times to motivate and inspire our teams
David shares an idea that came from listening to a group of CEO's discussion their role and how juggling 5 things can be a challenge
David talks again with Rick Eigenbrod and Judy Brown about the value of networks for leaders and how generosity maintains and grows both the network and the value to both parties. Apologies for some of the crackle on one of the microphones - found and fixed for future episodes
Corey Fernandez talk about 9 key steps to get your people working together as a team. This is part of Humanergy's First Friday Leadership Work Sessions - register for free at Humanergy .com
David talks with Judy Brown and Rick Eigenbrod about leadership as it looks in 2022 and beyond. Bringing together more years coaching and consulting leaders and organizations than any of them would care to have mentioned here - this is a free flowing conversation that identifies the need for creating space for ourselves and those around us.
As part of Humanergy's First Friday Leadership Work Sessions, David talks about 8 key elements for building trust & credibility as a leader. Join us on the first Friday of each month for other leadership conversations
David discussed the Slippery Slope from our recent book What Great Teams Do Great
David describes our Notice, stop, think & choose tool to help ensure you are making productive and transformative choices.
You can find out more about this tool and other in our books:
- 50 Dos for Everyday Leadership
- What Great Teams Do Great
David look at how some work around adventure education by Colin Mortlock can apply to our roles as leaders. The stages of adventure.
David talks with MCCU COO Corrie Rozell about the concept that we all travel at different speeds and how leaders can adjust to ensure the team is performing at its best
David discusses the kids game Chutes & Ladders (Snakes & Ladders in the UK!) and how it is a model for the leadership choices we make
David tells a story about a cow and how we can all take a lesson from Daisy. Check out the blog here
David highlights Sarah Millican's 11am rule and how it can serve leaders, not just comedians... don't dwell on failure or gloat about success after 11am the following day... check out Sarah here
David talks about the idea of delegating to yourself last and using a simple framework to ensure a clean 'transfer of ownership'
1. Results: What we need to achieve
2. Impact: Then ripple effect of these results; the relationships that need to be maintained
3. Boundaries: Absolute dos and do nots
4. Best Practices: Recommendations as to the "how"
5. Key Performance Indicators (KPI's): How success will be evaluated
6. Check-ins: Planned communication with stakeholders
David look sat the Feed, Need, Seed, Weed model for providing feedback. This is driven by four (and a half) questions:
1. Feed - What is working and why?
2. Need - Where do we need to be in the future?
3. Seed - What should we do to get there?
4. Weed - Is there anything we should stop doing to ensure success?
If you do the first three well, you might not even need the last question
David shares a story from his leadership coaching experience of when a previously good idea got him into trouble because he wasn't tuned in to other people's history and experience - and the learning that came from it
David talks to Katie Berry, Chief People Office at Honor Credit Union about the structure they have established to ensure clarity for each role as we return to the workplace post-covid. It is good to understand if your position is remote, onsite or somewhere in between. Katie puts some labels as they experiment with applying clarity
David talks about balance as being 4 quadrants or for parts of a chair - Work, Family, Self and Spirit... you need to have something in each segment to stay in balance - spend too long in deficit and the chair becomes unstable. Send David an email and he'll share the one page graphic supporting this episode (david@humanergy.com) or check out this episode's artwork
David talks to Jon Rennie, businessman, author and former submarine officer about his new book "All In The Same Boat: Lead your organization like a submariner". They talk about why it is important to let people fail; establishing non-negotiable goals; getting the best out of the most challenging people on your team and how to pressure test your people - all concepts learned in a submarine and mastered in business
David talks to returning guest Dr. Priscilla Archangel about the concepts in her new book LeaderVantage. We discuss a number of the 50 practical ideas to build your leadership contained within.
David talks with Jeanette Stawski, CEO of AORE about her experience going from leader of outdoor journeys to heading up the industry association. We discuss the necessary pivot from conferences to virtual and what AORE is doing to bring diversity and equity to the world of outdoor recreation and education
David talks to returning guest Von Gray about her journey as a gay leader in the UK and New Zealand military and what we could all be doing to create work environments of inclusion
David talks with Jennifer Bedford, Sales Operations Manager at Techsmith, the company behind Snag It and Camtasia about her journey as a leader in the tech world. We talk about onboarding interns and others in a virtual world and ensuring alignment, a good network and setting people up for success
David talks with I-O Psychology practitioner about her work helping female leaders overcome obstacles like:
- Being the "only"
- Speaking while female
- Imposter syndrome
She shares insights from her chapter in Linda Ellis Eastman's new book, The New Next - International Leadership for Women
David talks with dancer and coach Sharna Fabiano about her new book, Lead & Follow - they discuss how we can learn from the tango about what it takes to be a great leader and a great follower
David talk with Xtend CEO, Liz Winninger about running a credit union service organization in a world of cooperative leadership. The conversation also addresses leading as a female in a predominantly female industry and how a CEO addresses maternity leave.
David & Corey talk about how most training doesn't deliver the intended impact and what Humanergy has learned from our High Impact Leadership Training that focuses on behavior change rather than an event
David talks with author Ed Frauenheim about his latest book, Reinventing Masculinity - and about why we need to go from barking orders to compassion and connection
David speaks with Keith Hollis, Skipper of the Ruby May about what it took to lead four folks across the Atlantic in a 39-foot sailing boat in 2015
David talks with SalesPage CEO, Aric Faber about his entrepreneurial leadership journey and building teams to create success
David talks with Marshall Credit Union CEO, Heather Luciani about how she started a leadership book club with her organization and the benefits she continues to see 5 years later
David just wants to thanks all the guests that have been part of the podcast in it's first year - and to all the listeners around the world, thanks for sticking with it while he learned how to do this. Let us know who you'd like to hear from and what leadership conversations you are interested in for 2021. All the best for the new year
David and John talk about the idea that creating auditions results in better hiring and selection than interviews do. Here is an example from Heineken... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aq6y3RO12UQ
David talks with Von Gray of the Royal New Zealand Navy about her leadership journey from elementary school teacher to the British Navy, to Australia and then New Zealand... and now talking to us from a camper van somewhere on the Australian coast!
David talks with Dr. Nakia Baylis, Senior Director at United Way of Battle Creek & Kalamazoo Region, about how Humanergy came to add a 9th Chapter to our book What Great Teams Do Great - that talks about race and the power dynamics
David talks with Hersch Wilson, author of Firefighter Zen about the lessons we could all learn from firefighters about, leadership, change and dealing with challenging times
David talks with Rev. Martin Walker, old friend, former senior police officer and now "apprentice" priest about how you go from being top of the organization to bottom of a new organization - and what he learned about leadership along the way
David talks with Don Barnes, President & Chief Tire Guy at Belle Tire about how you lead an organization with 130 remote locations and keep culture, focus and learning at a premium
David talks with Dr. Priscilla Archangel about leading equity work as a HR leader in a Fortune 5 company and as a consultant to other companies and what organizations can do to ensure action, not just a statement on their website!
David & John discuss leadership choices and how to make more transformative, "Green-Path" ones- rather than "Red-Path" choices, as well as the problem of weaponizing our leadership choices. These ideas are from the book "What Great Teams Do Great"
David talks to Honor Credit Union CEO, Scott McFarland on the idea that certain leadership transitions are like going from being the quarterback to being the coach - and how to navigate this change
David talks with John Clark, CEO of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about his time as the presidentially-appointed Director of the US Marshal's Service and then the transition to leading one of the countries most important children-focused non-profits
David talks to Dr. Cheri DeClercq, Assistant Dean of MBA and Graduate Programs at Michigan State University's Broad School of Business about Executive MBA programs, how they are staying current, the ROI and how to pick the one for you
David talks with Chief Karianne Thomas of Kalamazoo Public Safety and Assistant Director (Ret) Sylvester Jones of the United States Marshal Service about leading in law enforcement (Part 2)
David talks with Chief Karianne Thomas of Kalamazoo Public Safety and Assistant Director (Ret) Sylvester Jones of the United States Marshal Service about leading in law enforcement
David talks with teacher and coach Margie Hagene about powerful questions, humble inquiry and creating environments for people to learn and critically think
David & Lance discuss how we can stay connected while the team is virtual - some simple exercises and games to play to build relationships
David & Corey talk about the best practices for facilitating large group, extended work sessions via zoom on the back of guiding 106 people through a 16hr, 2-day experience
David talk with Carlos Rangel, Investment Director at the WK Kellogg Foundation about their efforts to diversify the asset management industry
David talks with Thor Flosason, Senior Director of Global Learning and Development for Kellogg Company about how he has driven the use of online learning
David talks to former Scotland Yard Detective Superintendent Shabnam Chaudhri about her experiences as one of the UK's senior police women of color and what can be done to recruit more people of color into the Police Service
David talks with Judy Brown about how to manage when "in permanent white water", keeping going and positive in turbulent times
David shares some great leadership resources for your summer reading - 10 books every leader should read, plus two more and a few podcasts...
David & John discuss the 8 Choices of leadership from their new book What Great Teams Do Great
David talks with Bronston Clough, West Point Grad, Ranger instructor, military author and manufacturing supervisor/plant manager about the differences between being a leader in the military and the civilian world and how to make that transition
David talks to Judy Brown, Author, Leadership Consultant and Poet about how poetry can help leaders tap into both sides of their brain and create spaces for thinking