Qonversations: Powered by Quantuvos: Recent Episodes
Brian Gorman, Host
In today’s disrupted work environment, traditional approaches to workplace challenges and opportunities too often deliver unwelcome results. "Qonversations: Powered by Quantuvos" features Quantuvos coaches and other experts sharing their insights for all levels of leadership.
Whether the challenge is as broad as leadership in the 21st century or as focused as how to maximize the contributions of the introverts in your workforce, each episode of Qonversations provides food for thought and actions to consider.
Qonversations: Powered by Quantuvos. Choose to be Your Best.
In this episode, Brian Gorman speaks with Tim Harrison, founder and CEO of the Coaching Innovation Lab, about what it really takes to lead well in an AI-abundant world.
As AI removes many of the external barriers that once limited what people could do — time, money, access, and technical skill — the deeper constraints become more human. The real questions shift toward clarity of purpose, willingness to change, judgment, character, and courage.
Tim and Brian explore why AI may know more, but humans still know best. AI can generate ideas, automate routine tasks, and accelerate execution. But leaders still have to decide what matters, what is worth building, where human judgment belongs, and how technology should serve people rather than simply replace effort.
The conversation also moves beyond automation into the creation of new value. From coaching applications to examples of workforce reinvention, Tim points toward a future in which technical capability alone is not enough. Curiosity, adaptability, ownership, wisdom, and resilience become essential leadership capacities.
In This Episode
- Why AI shifts the bottleneck from external limits to internal human capacity
- Tim Harrison’s POWER framework: Purpose, Ownership, Wisdom, Execution, and Resilience
- Why “it knows more, and you know best” is a critical leadership distinction
- How AI lowers the bar for effort while raising the bar for human capability
- The opportunity to use AI for new value creation, not just automation
About Tim Harrison
Tim Harrison is the founder and CEO of the Coaching Innovation Lab, where he helps leaders, coaches, and organizations use artificial intelligence effectively, authentically, and responsibly. An applied AI expert and leadership coach, Tim focuses on helping professionals expand their time, impact, and business results without losing the human connection that makes coaching and leadership meaningful.
Grounded in the belief that technology should supercharge people rather than replace them, Tim brings a practical, human-centered approach to AI adoption. Through the Coaching Innovation Lab, he helps leaders and coaches use AI to save time, scale impact, and create new value while maintaining authenticity, trust, and meaningful human connection. Tim serves on the AI Coaching Coalition of North America and is a founding member of the ICF Global Taskforce for AI in Coaching.
About Brian Gorman
Brian Gorman is an executive advisor, author, speaker, coach, and host of Beyond AI: Wisdom at Work. He works at the intersection of artificial intelligence and human wisdom, helping CEOs, founders, boards, and senior leadership teams think clearly about AI, change, decision-making, culture, trust, and the future of work.
His book, Leading into the Age of Wisdom: Reimagining the Future of Work, explores how leaders can move beyond intelligence alone and bring deeper wisdom to the decisions shaping people, organizations, and society.
To Continue the Conversation
If something from this episode sparks a new idea, challenges your thinking, or inspires a conversation, reach out.
LinkedIn: CoachTimHarrison
Website: CoachingInnovationLab.com
Email: Brian@TransformingLives.Coach
Phone: +1 917.653.5198
Website: TransformingLives.Coach
Artificial intelligence may be moving faster than any technology we have seen before. But AI adoption is still, at its core, a human change journey.
In this episode, Brian Gorman speaks with Sue Bethanis, founder of Mariposa Leadership, about what it takes to lead wisely as organizations, teams, and knowledge workers learn to partner with AI.
Sue brings a grounded, deeply human perspective to the conversation. She frames AI not as something to resist or blindly embrace, but as a “robot” partner that requires human leadership, discernment, and oversight. As she puts it, the human still belongs at the front of the tandem bike.
Brian and Sue explore Sue’s framework for AI adoption: role, mindset, and practices. Leaders need to see themselves as change agents, expect and embrace change rather than simply endure it, and increase empathy and inspiration in their day-to-day leadership.
This conversation goes beyond traditional change management. Brian raises the often-overlooked role of grief in change, especially when people must let go of tools, skills, identities, or ways of working that once defined their value. Together, Brian and Sue examine why AI change cannot be managed as a one-time journey from here to there. This is ongoing, uncertain, and deeply human work.
This episode is for leaders, coaches, consultants, and knowledge workers who are asking how to become more AI-capable without rushing people, diminishing trust, or treating human beings as obstacles to efficiency.
In this episode:
- Why AI adoption should be led as human-centered change
- What it means for leaders to act as change agents and wayfinders in an AI environment
- Why empathy, experimentation, trust, and practice matter more than forced compliance
- How to help people move through resistance, grief, letting go, and unlearning
- Why the human must remain at the front of the tandem bike
About Sue Bethanis
Susan J. Bethanis, Ed.D., is the CEO and Founder of Mariposa Leadership, Inc., a San Francisco-based executive coaching firm where she and her 15-person team have spent 30 years helping high-tech leaders raise their game. Sue is the author of Leadership Chronicles of a Corporate Sage (Kaplan Publishing, 2004) and hosts WiseTalk, a monthly leadership podcast, and WiseSpace, a Zoom coaching community.
Having guided leaders through the dot-com crash, the Great Recession, and the COVID pivot to hybrid work, Sue now helps executives navigate the AI economy through keynotes, strategy offsites, and one-on-one coaching. Recent clients include C-level executives and VPs at Amazon, Databricks, Intel, Intuit, Microsoft, MongoDB, PayPal, and Zynga.
Sue holds an Ed.D. from the University of San Francisco and an M.A. from Stanford University. She lives in San Francisco and Kihei, Maui.
About Brian Gorman
Brian Gorman is an executive advisor, author, speaker, coach, and host of Beyond AI: Wisdom at Work. He works at the intersection of artificial intelligence and human wisdom, helping CEOs, founders, boards, and senior leadership teams think clearly about AI, change, decision-making, culture, trust, and the future of work.
His book, Leading into the Age of Wisdom: Reimagining the Future of Work, explores how leaders can move beyond intelligence alone and bring deeper wisdom to the decisions shaping people, organizations, and society.
Continue the Conversation
If anything you hear in this podcast sparks a conversation you want to have or a question you want to explore, reach out.
Email: sueb@mariposaleadership.com
Website: www.mariposaleadership.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suebethanis/
Email: Brian@TransformingLives.Coach
Phone: +1 917.653.5198
Website: TransformingLives.Coach
AI is not just changing the tools we use. It is changing the nature of change itself.
In this inaugural episode of Beyond AI: Wisdom at Work, Brian Gorman is joined by Bill Kirst, change architect and author of Leading Change in the Era of AI. Together, they explore why traditional change management models are no longer enough in a workplace increasingly shaped by AI, automation, agents, and non-linear complexity.
Bill explains why tools like ChatGPT and Claude are not simply faster versions of old technology. They are non-deterministic systems, producing variable responses and completing patterns in ways that can feel intelligent without necessarily carrying understanding, judgment, or wisdom.
The conversation moves from change management into wayfinding: how leaders move when there is no clear map, no stable playbook, and no guarantee that yesterday’s models will fit tomorrow’s work. Bill and Brian also discuss the growing presence of AI agents in organizational life, the possibility of AI appearing on org charts, and the oversight questions that come with tools capable of taking increasingly human-like actions.
At the heart of the episode is a leadership challenge. As AI reshapes decisions, workflows, relationships, and accountability, leaders must strengthen the human capacities technology cannot replace. Intuition. Discernment. Creativity. Emotional intelligence. The ability to notice when something is not right.
Bill also challenges leaders to expand how they learn, recommending science fiction, biography, autobiography, creativity, and playfulness as more useful preparation for the AI era than another stack of traditional business books.
This is a conversation about AI, but it is not a technology conversation. It is about what leaders must unlearn, relearn, and become as change itself changes.
About Bill
Bill Kirst is a Change Architect, 2x author, poet, keynote speaker, developmental editor, and host of the Coffee & Change podcast. He works at the intersection of artificial intelligence, organizational transformation, and human potential, helping leaders and organizations navigate change with greater clarity, curiosity, confidence, and empathy.
His book, Leading Change in the Era of AI, explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping leadership, work, and the human experience. Drawing on more than two decades of leading enterprise transformation, Bill offers a practical and deeply human perspective on helping people adapt, thrive, and lead with purpose in an age of accelerating technological change.
Through his writing, speaking, and conversations with innovators, executives, researchers, and creators, Bill explores one enduring question: How can we ensure AI elevates our humanity rather than diminishes it? His work is guided by a simple belief: the future of leadership will be defined not only by intelligence, but by our capacity for empathy at scale.
About Brian
Brian Gorman is an executive advisor, author, speaker, coach, and host of Beyond AI: Wisdom at Work. He works at the intersection of artificial intelligence and human wisdom, helping CEOs, founders, boards, and senior leadership teams think clearly about AI, change, decision-making, culture, trust, and the future of work.
His book, Leading into the Age of Wisdom: Reimagining the Future of Work, explores how leaders can move beyond intelligence alone and bring deeper wisdom to the decisions shaping people, organizations, and society.
Continue the Conversation with Bill
If something from this episode sparks a new idea, challenges your thinking, or inspires a conversation, Bill would love to hear from you. He's easily reachable on LinkedIn and Substack.
Continue the Conversation with Brian
If anything you hear in this podcast sparks a conversation you want to have or a question you want to explore, reach out.
Email: Brian@TransformingLives.Coach
Phone: +1 917.653.5198
Website: TransformingLives.Coach
Leaders often believe they are investing in their people. Employees often experience something very different.
In this episode of Qonversations, Brian Gorman speaks with Keith Metcalfe, President of ACORN, a software and technology company focused on learning, performance, and capability development. Together, they explore the gap between leadership intent and employee experience, especially when it comes to feedback, performance reviews, career growth, and the everyday support people need to progress in their work.
Keith brings a practical lens to a problem many organizations struggle to solve. Leaders may say they want to develop people, but without clear role definitions, meaningful competency models, specific feedback, and usable development plans, that intent rarely translates into employee experience. The result is familiar: performance reviews that feel unfair, development conversations that go nowhere, and employees who are left unclear about what growth actually looks like.
The conversation addresses AI, not as a replacement for human leadership, but as a tool that can make previously difficult development practices more achievable. Keith explains how ACORN uses AI to help organizations create competency-based development plans and provide leaders with the language and structure needed for better conversations.
But technology alone is not enough. Brian and Keith discuss why AI is also creating discomfort for leaders. As information becomes more available and employees become more capable, traditional hierarchy carries less weight. Leaders are being pushed back toward the fundamentals: clarity, humility, servant leadership, experimentation, and meaningful support for the people they lead.
This episode is a conversation about development, but it is also a conversation about leadership maturity. AI may help automate parts of the process. It may make better systems possible. But the deeper question remains human. Are leaders willing to create the conditions where people can actually grow?
The 2026 State of Learning for AI Fluency report is available here.
After more than 170 episodes as Qonversations, this podcast is entering its next chapter.
Beginning with the July 2, 2026 release, the show will become Beyond AI: Wisdom at Work. The new name reflects the direction the conversations have been moving for some time: beyond the tools, hype, and noise of artificial intelligence, and into the deeper human questions AI is raising for leaders, organizations, and the future of work.
This is still the same podcast, hosted by Brian Gorman. The focus remains on thoughtful, grounded conversations with leaders, thinkers, practitioners, and change-makers. What is changing is the frame. Beyond AI: Wisdom at Work will clearly explore the intersection of AI, leadership, culture, trust, decision-making, ethics, workforce transformation, and human wisdom.
No action is needed from current subscribers. Your subscription will not be disrupted. Beginning July 2, the podcast will simply appear under the new name: Beyond AI: Wisdom at Work.
If something you hear sparks a conversation you want to have, Brian would welcome hearing from you.
AI is already changing the way we work. The question is no longer whether leaders will adopt it. The question is whether they will lead it.
In this episode of Qonversations, Brian talks with Jim Spignardo, Director of Cloud Strategy and AI Enablement at ProArc, about why AI implementation is not primarily a technology challenge. It is a leadership challenge.
Too often, organizations measure AI adoption by activity: who is using it, how often, and how quickly. But usage is not the same as value. Without a clear purpose, AI can create fear, shallow adoption, and dehumanizing pressure instead of better work.
Brian and Jim explore what leaders need to define before the tools take over. What is AI for? Is it here to reduce headcount, increase speed, eliminate dull work, strengthen collaboration, or expand human creativity? Those choices shape culture, trust, and the future of work.
The conversation also turns to education, where AI is already challenging assumptions about learning, intelligence, evaluation, and preparation for a changing workplace. At the center is the distinction between intelligence and wisdom, and the need for discernment and critical thinking as AI becomes more capable.
AI can make work more human and humane, or it can deepen practices that reduce people to metrics. The tools will not decide which path we take. Leaders will.
Don’t let AI lead. Lead AI.
In a world obsessed with speed, certainty, and fast answers, leadership often happens somewhere else entirely. In the fog.
In this episode of Qonversations, Brian Gorman is joined by Pete Behrens, author of Into the Fog: Leadership Stories from the Edge of Uncertainty, for a conversation about leading when the path forward is unclear. Pete uses “fog” as a metaphor for the ambiguity and complexity leaders face when old answers no longer fit and new ones have not yet emerged.
Brian and Pete explore how artificial intelligence is intensifying that fog. AI increases the pressure to move faster, decide sooner, and appear more certain. Yet the deeper leadership challenge may be slowing down enough to ask better questions, notice what is changing, and resist the temptation to perform confidence when presence, humility, and discernment are needed.
A central theme is the “messy middle” between decision and destination. Leaders often announce change and expect adoption. Real leadership is often shown after the decision, when people are confused, resisting, grieving, adapting, and trying to make sense of what comes next.
The episode closes with a powerful distinction. Being a leader is not the same as practicing leadership. A title may grant authority, but leadership is a choice available at every level, especially when the way forward is unclear.
AI is not just changing enterprise strategy. It is changing the daily experience of work.
In this episode of Qonversations, David Dean, AI technologist, practitioner, and author of An Inbox Between Us, joins Brian Gorman to explore what it means to use AI wisely in real-world settings.
David brings a practical behavioral lens to AI. He explains that every organization has an official system of processes, roles, and documentation, and an unofficial system revealed in inboxes, chat threads, meetings, workarounds, and judgment calls.
AI does not enter a blank slate. It reflects the behaviors already present. That makes AI implementation a leadership issue, not just a technology issue. Used well, AI can create breathing room, surface patterns, reduce backlog, and support better work. Used poorly, it can accelerate confusion, mistrust, and dysfunction.
This conversation is not only for executives in large organizations. It is equally relevant for solopreneurs, individual contributors, and anyone trying to use AI more thoughtfully. The question is not simply, “What can AI do?” It is, “What human work should AI support, and where must judgment remain ours?”
This is practical AI. Not replacement, not hype, not fear, but augmentation grounded in trust, context, and human wisdom.
AI is accelerating capability. But what if the real challenge is learning how to thrive alongside it?
In this episode of Qonversations, Fred Marshall joins Brian Gorman to explore a question many leaders are only beginning to confront. How do we integrate artificial intelligence into our lives and work without losing ourselves in the process?
Fred, author of Thrive: The Antidote to Future Shock, introduces a practical and deeply human approach to navigating rapid technological change. Rather than treating AI as a replacement for human thinking, he frames it as a strategic partner, one that can help reduce noise, manage complexity, and create more space for what matters most.
Together, Brian and Fred explore the difference between intelligence and wisdom, why innovation is often less about invention than remixing what already exists, and how leaders can avoid being overwhelmed by accelerating inputs and competing demands. They also discuss Fred’s concept of symbiotic intelligence — the emerging partnership between human judgment and AI capability — and why the most important leadership question may no longer be what AI can do, but what humans must continue to do.
If AI can increasingly think with us, what becomes essential for us to protect, strengthen, and cultivate as humans?
Most organizations are treating AI like a technology implementation. What if that is the wrong starting point?
In this episode of Qonversations, Kathy Eastwood, Founder and Chief People Strategist of E Equals Why, joins host Brian Gorman to explore why artificial intelligence may be one of the biggest people and leadership shifts organizations have faced in decades.
Kathy shares why some organizations are beginning to place AI under HR rather than IT, recognizing that the real challenge is not the technology itself, but how people experience, adopt, and respond to change. Together, they examine the pressure leaders face to improve efficiency while maintaining trust, culture, and human connection.
The conversation also explores Conscious Capitalism, purpose-driven leadership, and the growing expectation, especially among younger generations, that organizations lead with something more than profit alone.
As intelligence becomes increasingly abundant, what role must leadership play in protecting what remains distinctly human?
What if AI’s greatest value isn’t optimization, but innovation? In this episode of Qonversations, Jamie Cassar, Founder and Product Lead for Inspiru.ai, joins Brian Gorman to explore a question many organizations are missing as they rush to implement AI. What happens when artificial intelligence is used not simply to make work faster or cheaper, but to expand human curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving?
Jamie challenges the growing tendency to view AI primarily through the lens of efficiency and cost reduction. Instead, he makes the case for using AI to free cognitive capacity, amplify critical thinking, and help people innovate in ways that traditional organizational structures often suppress.
Together, Brian and Jamie explore why so many organizations unintentionally stifle innovation through functional silos, why belonging and diverse perspectives matter more than ever in an AI-driven world, and how leaders can rethink the relationship between human intelligence, organizational culture, and technology. They also wrestle with a harder leadership question: if AI can increasingly optimize execution, what remains distinctly human in creating the future?
This conversation is not about whether AI belongs in organizations. It is about whether leaders will use it to reduce human contribution or expand human possibility.
Jeff Burningham, author of The Last Book Written by a Human: Becoming Wise in the Age of AI, joins Brian Gorman for a conversation that reframes AI from a tool into something far more confronting: a mirror. As Jeff describes it, AI reflects back not just our data, but our values and decisions, especially the ones we’ve normalized. The real issue isn’t AI technology. It’s how leaders respond when what’s reflected back becomes harder to ignore.
The conversation moves quickly from possibility to responsibility. What happens when decisions driven by efficiency such as automation, layoffs, and optimization begin to reshape lives and communities at scale? And what does leadership require when short-term performance pressures collide with long-term human consequences?
Jeff and Brian land on a clear tension. As machines become more intelligent, the answer is not to become more machine-like. It’s to become more human, more capable of judgment, responsibility, and care. AI may be accelerating change, but it is also creating a crucible. One that will either deepen inequality and disconnection or push leaders to rethink what business is actually for.
This isn’t a conversation about adopting AI well. It’s about deciding what and who it’s all ultimately for.
AI isn’t just changing how work gets done. It’s changing who gets to keep doing it. In this episode of Qonversations, Sam Alvita, Director of Learning Design at Masterclass and Executive Coach, joins Brian Gorman to explore the human impact of artificial intelligence on the workforce beyond strategy, beyond systems, and into the lived reality of individuals navigating uncertainty.
This conversation starts where most don’t: with the people beneath the headlines. Sam shares what she is seeing firsthand through her coaching work: skilled professionals investing in AI, doing everything “right,” and still finding themselves displaced. Together, Sam and Brian examine the tension between organizational decisions and individual consequences, and the growing gap between efficiency gains and human experience. Among the things they explore are:
- Why AI-driven layoffs are creating frustration, not just fear
- The hidden cost of losing experience, judgment, and institutional wisdom
- The rise of portfolio careers and side gigs as both necessity and choice
The conversation also challenges leaders directly. AI adoption may be a leadership decision, but most organizations are not yet thinking deeply about how to redesign work around human energy, contribution, and meaning. Instead, many are defaulting to efficiency at the expense of engagement, trust, and long-term capability. This isn’t just about jobs. It’s about what work becomes and who it still works for.
If this conversation lands close to home, you’re not alone. The shift is already underway. The question is whether you are reacting to it or helping shape what comes next.
Eric Nitzberg, Founder and Principal of Sierra Leadership, joins Brian Gorman to explore what leadership actually demands as AI accelerates.
This isn’t about tools. It’s about choice. While many organizations feel pressure to move faster, the real differentiator is not speed. It’s the willingness to pause, question, and own the consequences of what gets deployed. They unpack where those choices truly sit. Formal authority may rest with the C-suite and Board, but insight is often closer to the work, raising a critical question. Are today’s organizations designed to listen, or simply to execute?
The conversation also surfaces a widening gap. Some leaders are building in ethics and safety. Others are moving ahead without fully understanding the systems they’re implementing. Beyond the enterprise, the stakes expand. From education to the future of work, AI is increasing access and capability while raising deeper concerns about what may be lost when the human element is reduced.
AI is expanding what’s possible. Leadership determines what happens next.
AI is accelerating decisions. But leadership was never meant to be automated.
In this episode of Qonversations, Emmanuel Gobillot, author of Alive Inside: Unlock Your Leadership Advantage in the Age of AI, joins Brian Gorman to explore a question beneath every AI conversation: “What happens to leadership when intelligence is no longer scarce but agency is?” Drawing from Alive Inside, Emmanuel reframes leadership around what AI cannot replicate: authenticity, intuition, curiosity, compassion, and presence.
But the real tension is this. As AI gets faster and more capable, leaders are quietly being pulled toward outsourcing judgment, trading reflection for speed. And that’s where agency begins to slip. Brian and Emmanuel make it clear. AI can generate answers, but it cannot hold context, feel consequence, or exercise judgment.
This conversation is a call to reclaim your role, to stay curious instead of being certain, present instead of performative, and fully accountable for the decisions you make. Because in the end, either AI will replace leadership or leaders will define what AI becomes. And that starts with one decision. Will you use AI, or will you let it use you?
What actually shapes a leader? What they’re told, or what they see?
In this episode of Qonversations, Jay Jacobson, author of Lead by Legendary Example, funeral home director, and CEO of Jay’s Cookies, joins Brian Gorman to explore leadership as lived example rather than instruction. The conversation begins with Jay’s early experience delivering newspapers at age nine: lessons in responsibility, relationships, and empathy that formed his leadership long before it had a name.
They explore Jay’s six pillars of leadership, with a focus on servant leadership and mentorship and how leadership is sustained by what is modeled and passed on. The idea of “edgewalkers” surfaces, along with the courage and self-awareness required to lead between worlds.
The conversation then turns to AI not as a technical issue, but a leadership one. As AI becomes embedded in organizations, ethical use, human oversight, and clear boundaries are leadership responsibilities, not technological ones.
At its core, this is a conversation about what people carry forward based on how you lead.
In a world where AI accelerates decisions, the real risk isn’t speed. It’s how we decide what matters. In this episode of Qonversations, Marianne Bachynski joins Brian Gorman to explore what leadership requires when certainty disappears and intelligence is no longer the differentiator.
Drawing on her significant technology leadership experience in financial services during the internet boom and her book Fit for Uncertainty, Lead with Purpose, Adapt to Change, Marianne makes a clear case. Traditional top-down leadership models cannot keep up
with the probabilistic, fast-moving nature of AI.
The conversation moves beyond theory into practice. Marianne and Brian explore why leadership must become more distributed, why communication, not control, is now the core leadership capability, and why culture is no longer a backdrop but the system that determines whether AI creates value or risk. They also challenge a common assumption: that AI replaces human work. Instead, Marianne emphasizes augmentation where human judgment, oversight, and collaboration become even more essential as systems grow more complex.
Throughout the discussion, a deeper tension emerges. As AI expands what organizations can do, leaders must rethink how decisions are made, who makes them, and what guardrails are required before those decisions become embedded into how the organization operates. This is a conversation about leadership under pressure, where humility, clarity, and shared understanding matter more than certainty. (35 minutes)
If AI is accelerating everything, what happens when we don’t pause long enough to think? In this episode of Qonversations, Mak Dizdar, head of Strategy and Consulting for Curious Lion, joins Brian Gorman to examine the tension between AI and critical thinking. As organizations rush to implement AI, many skip the most important step: defining the problem. Faster execution, without clarity, simply leads to faster misalignment.
Mak offers a sharp lens. AI doesn’t improve thinking; it amplifies it. For critical thinkers, it expands capability. For those stuck in busy work, it accelerates noise. The conversation challenges how we measure productivity in knowledge work, emphasizing reflection, pattern recognition, and the ability to reassess whether the target itself has shifted. It also draws a clear distinction between information and true understanding AI can replicate knowledge, but not the deeper, internalized intelligence that shapes judgment.
As decision making becomes more distributed, critical thinking is no longer optional. It is a leadership requirement. Because the question isn’t whether AI can think. It’s whether we still will.
AI is no longer just assisting work. It is beginning to act on its own.
In this episode of Qonversations, Logan Kelly joins Brian Gorman to explore the rise of agentic AI, systems that don’t simply respond to prompts but execute tasks autonomously. That shift forces a sharper leadership question. If machines can now perform skilled work, what becomes distinctly human?
Logan, the CEO of agentic AI companies Waxell AI and Callsine, explains how his companies use agentic AI to expand employee capability rather than replace it, while Brian presses on the strategic risk. When AI becomes the strategy instead of the infrastructure, judgment can fall behind adoption. Clean data, strong systems, and clarity of purpose matter more than hype. Speed increases. So does consequence.
They examine how AI is reshaping higher education and talent development. If tools can perform work that once required years of training, memorization is no longer the differentiator. Strategic thinking is. Context is. The ability to see second- and third-order effects becomes more valuable than task execution alone.
The conversation also challenges inherited assumptions about productivity. If AI compresses time and expands output, does the 40-hour workweek still make sense? Or does leadership need to redesign work around human energy rather than tradition? As cognitive load increases, so does the need for recovery, focus, and intentional structure.
The tension running through the episode is simple but urgent. AI can execute at scale. Leadership must decide what is worth executing. The organizations that thrive will not be the fastest adopters. They will be the most discerning.
Artificial intelligence is changing how organizations operate. But the real leadership challenge is not the technology. It’s how humans choose to use it. In this episode of Qonversations, host Brian Gorman speaks with Joshua Gould, CEO of The Big Word, a global language services company supporting governments, courts, healthcare systems, and security organizations around the world. Leading an organization with more than 15,000 linguists, Gould has experienced firsthand how waves of technological disruption reshape industries, and what leaders must do to guide people through that change.
Their conversation explores the tension between AI-driven intelligence and human wisdom. While AI can dramatically increase speed, scale, and access to information, Gould argues that successful implementation depends on something machines cannot provide, human judgment. He stresses the importance of leaders balancing efficiency with responsibility, ensuring that technology enhances human decision-making rather than replacing it.
Josh and Brian also discuss the realities many organizations overlook when adopting AI: resistance from stakeholders, the importance of articulating clear value, and the danger of chasing technology without a clear purpose. As Gould notes, the organizations that benefit most from AI are not the ones that adopt it fastest, but the ones that apply it most thoughtfully.
At its core, this conversation asks a deeper leadership question: If intelligence is becoming abundant through machines, how will leaders ensure wisdom remains at the center of their decisions?
In this episode of Qonversations, Ines Garcia, founder and CEO of Get: agile and author of Nature’s Blueprint for Business: Harnessing the Hidden Power of Edges, joins host Brian Gorman to explore what leaders can learn from natural systems. Drawing on her work in circular economy, biomimicry, and organizational coaching, Ines challenges traditional, siloed structures and invites leaders to rethink how organizations are designed.
A central theme is the power of “edges.” In nature, edges—where ecosystems meet—are sites of heightened productivity and resilience. In organizations, however, boundaries often become rigid and divisive. Ines suggests that innovation and adaptability increase when leaders design for interaction and flow rather than hierarchy and containment.
The conversation also highlights diversity and redundancy as strategic strengths, not inefficiencies. Just as biodiversity protects agricultural systems from collapse, varied perspectives and distributed capability strengthen organizations facing disruption. Brian and Ines extend this thinking into the idea of regeneration by design, moving beyond sustainability toward actively improving systems over time.
Throughout the episode, Ines emphasizes a critical leadership shift. Focus on function, not tools. Nature solves for function with remarkable efficiency and elegance. Organizations that obsess over tools without clarifying function risk complexity without coherence. By observing how ecosystems coordinate, renew, and adapt, leaders can design organizations that are more resilient, innovative, and aligned with the realities of a rapidly changing world.
This episode invites decision-makers to reconsider the structures they have inherited and to explore how expanding organizational “edges” may unlock new levels of collaboration, creativity, and long-term value.
In this episode of Qonversations, Edosa Odaro joins host Brian Gorman for a clear-eyed conversation about what it actually takes to make AI work for people and performance. Edosa, author of The Values of Artificial Intelligence: How Smart Leaders Capture and Connect AI Value to Human Values, makes a simple but often ignored point. Successful AI initiatives rarely begin with technology. They begin with people. With clarity about purpose. With alignment around what “value” truly means.
Too many organizations rush toward AI for speed, automation, or cost reduction. The technology may function, but the value fails because financial metrics were treated as the only definition of success. Edosa explains how misalignment shows up in predictable ways: when lab performance doesn’t translate to real-world results, when pilots don’t scale, when early wins don’t sustain, and when stakeholders define value in fundamentally different terms.
The conversation explores how leaders can avoid those traps by creating cross-functional value teams, developing tools that translate technical capability into human impact, aligning incentives and metrics across functions, and building a shared language around value before writing a single line of code. They also confront a larger shift: as AI commoditizes intelligence, discernment becomes the differentiator. If machines can optimize decisions, leaders must decide what outcomes are worth optimizing in the first place.
Brian describes Edosa’s framework as the kind of guide every leader should keep on their desk and revisit often not because it simplifies AI, but because it sharpens judgment. This episode is a practical, grounded roadmap for leaders who want AI to create genuine human-AI win-wins rather than expensive lessons.
In this episode of Qonversations, New Market Advisors Managing Director Steve Wunker joins host Brian Gorman to explore artificial intelligence through an unexpected lens: evolution. Drawing on the book AI and the Octopus Organization: Building the Superintelligent Firm (co-authored by Steve and Amazon Futurist in Residence Jonathan Brill), the conversation uses contrasting stories of the ammonite and the octopus to examine why too many of today’s organizations are at risk of not surviving. The ammonite relied on rigid armor and disappeared when conditions changed. The octopus survived by sensing, learning, and responding quickly, an analogy that becomes a powerful framework for understanding how leaders need to reshape organizations today in response to AI.
Rather than treating AI as a productivity tool or standalone technology, Steve and Brian explore it as a catalyst for deeper systemic change on the scale of the printing press or steam engine. They discuss how AI can decentralize decision-making, improve visibility across organizations, and free people from administrative overload, while also increasing the demand for human judgment, trust, and leadership. The conversation highlights the leadership work required in an AI-infused world: balancing analytical insight with emotional and intuitive intelligence, creating psychological safety during rapid change, and helping people stay anchored when familiar structures no longer hold.
This episode is for leaders who sense that AI is changing everything and know that adaptability, not armor, will determine what comes next.
Dr. Trisha Vinatieri, clinical psychologist and Chief Well-Being Officer, joins Brian Gorman for a grounded conversation on burnout not as an individual resilience problem, but as a leadership responsibility. Burnout is often treated as inevitable or as a workload issue to be solved by “doing less.” This conversation challenges that assumption. Trisha and Brian explore how leaders are uniquely positioned to prevent burnout through how work is designed, how purpose is protected, and how people are seen and heard without reducing the work itself. Drawing from Trisha’s work in healthcare systems and Brian’s leadership advisory practice, the episode reframes burnout as a signal of misalignment rather than personal failure. Together, they unpack what leaders can notice earlier, what conversations matter most, and how small shifts in attention, listening, and job design can restore energy and engagement. Burnout is not prevented by doing less. It is prevented when leaders create the conditions for people to do the right work, with clarity, purpose, and dignity. (27 min.)
In this episode of Qonversations, John DeDakis, former Senior Copy Editor for CNN’s “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer," novelist, and writing coach, joins host Brian Gorman to explore grief. While John shares his personal experiences of loss, the conversation widens to a larger truth: grief is universal. Everyone carries it at some point through loss of people, pets, roles, health, or identity. Because of that, grief inevitably enters the workplace. Brian and John explore how unacknowledged grief affects energy, focus, morale, and engagement, and why leaders can no longer afford to treat grief as something that happens outside of work. This episode challenges traditional ideas about productivity and professionalism, making the case that understanding grief is becoming a critical leadership capability in times of constant change.
In this episode of Qonversations, Mike Toguchi, Chief Strategy Officer at Tektonic, sits down with host Brian Gorman for a grounded conversation about AI as a strategic leadership resource, not simply a technology initiative. They explore a growing, unspoken concern among senior leaders: “We’re using AI, but we may not be using it well.” While AI can dramatically expand access to data and insight, Mike and Brian argue that the real challenges aren’t technical. They’re human: how leaders frame outcomes, communicate intent, govern use, and ensure accountability.
The conversation challenges the idea that AI lives primarily within IT. While IT plays a critical role, the most consequential decisions about AI belong with leadership, because AI increasingly shapes workflows, judgment, and organizational behavior. Mike shares what he’s seeing across organizations as they mature in their use of AI, shifting from tool obsession to outcome focus, and creating space for experimentation with oversight.
This episode is an invitation for leaders to pause, reassess how AI is being used today, and recognize when it’s time to seek perspective beyond their own organization—before early choices harden into long-term constraints.
In this episode of Qonversations, entrepreneur and AI strategist Chris Carter sits down with host Brian Gorman for a grounded, practical conversation about what AI can and cannot do for leaders. Together, they cut through the noise to explore how AI can support thinking without replacing judgment, why the quality of your questions matters more than the tool you choose, and how leaders can stay firmly in the role that only humans can play. This is not a technical tutorial. It’s a human conversation about discernment, pacing, and responsibility in an AI-enabled world. And it may well provide you with insights that change your entire approach to using artificial intelligence.
In this episode of Qonversations, Brian Gorman sits down with leadership author and advisor David Liddell and President of Liddell Consulting explore what happens when leadership shifts from managing effort to cultivating meaning, alignment, and energy. Through stories from manufacturing, healthcare supply chains, and leadership practice, the conversation surfaces a tension many organizations feel but struggle to name: people are busy, capable, and well-intentioned, yet disconnected from purpose, clarity, and shared outcomes.
Rather than treating this as an engagement problem to fix, Brian and David frame it as a wisdom challenge: helping people understand why their work matters, how success is defined, and where their energy is best applied. They explore moving beyond activity metrics to meaningful outcomes, the role of sense-making and unlearning in leadership, and why people commit differently when the human impact of their work becomes visible.
As organizations move beyond Industrial-Age assumptions about control and productivity, this episode offers a grounded look at leadership guided by wisdom, not just intelligence, for those who sense that work is changing, even if the language for what’s emerging is still taking shape.
Change doesn’t fail because of bad plans. It fails because of missed conversations. In this episode of Qonversations, Brian Gorman talks with Founder and Principal of MI for Health and behavioral scientist Jeff Wetherhold about why most change initiatives fall short and what actually works. Together, they explore change as a human and emotional process, the limits of top-down approaches, and how leaders can use better conversations to unlock intrinsic motivation and sustainable change. This is a grounded, practical conversation for leaders navigating constant transformation.
In this episode, host Brian Gorman talks with Wes Towers, founder of Uplift360, a digital agency in Australia, about what it really means to lead in an AI-shaped world. Brian and Wes explore how AI can boost performance and free up time, but still can’t match human wisdom, intuition, and contextual judgment. Leaders may get faster answers from AI, but the ability to sense what matters and why remains deeply human.
They dig into the risks of relying on AI for complex decisions, including inconsistent or overly generic outputs, and why expertise and discernment are still essential. Wes shares how these gaps show up in real projects and why he advises leaders to pair AI tools with trusted human guidance.
Their conversation moves into creativity, human connection, and the parts of work AI can’t touch. Wes describes how automating technical tasks has allowed him to focus more on listening, relationships, and understanding clients at a deeper level. He also talks about a turning point in his own business that pushed him to elevate relationships over transactions.
Brian and Wes close by comparing different cultural approaches to business, some beginning with relationships, others with deals, and reflect on why the future favors the former. For leaders looking to adopt AI wisely, their advice is simple: choose tools intentionally, stay rooted in your values, and don’t go it alone.
The demands on leaders are changing even more quickly than the worlds that we are leading in. Those leaders who believe that the path through the uncertainty is to “hold the course” on their approach to leadership will not be successful. From engagement rates, to turnover, to failing strategies, and more, the evidence is clear. Leadership needs to change. In this episode, Rob Matzkin, CEO of the Rob Matzkin Group, joins host Brian Gorman to explore some of the more subtle and some of the more profound ways that leaders need to evolve as they seek to bring their organizations into the future.
In this episode of Qonversations, host Brian Gorman sits down with Co-Founder and CEO of FlipWork Nikki Barua for a grounded, future-facing exploration of what sets humans apart in an AI-driven world. Together they get to the heart of why creativity, communication, compassion, adaptability, and self-awareness matter more than ever and why the future belongs to those willing to evolve. Among other things, they unpack the shift from “human doing” to “human being,” the collapse of the old pyramid model of leadership, and the rise of more distributed, values-driven, adaptive ways of working. They explore how culture must behave like a living system, how energy matters more than time, and how diversity and belonging fuel innovation in the age of intelligent machines. At its core, this conversation is about unlocking your unique zone of genius, the human qualities no algorithm can replace. If you’re navigating the intersection of human potential and intelligent technology, this conversation is a reminder: the future isn’t about competing with machines. It’s about becoming more fully, consciously human.
This is the second part of leadership advisor and coach Ted Whetstone’s interview with host Brian Gorman based on Brian’s book Leading into the Age of Wisdom: Reimagining the Future of Work. In this episode Brian and Ted explore what is meant when leaders talk about the future of work using terms such as “spirit,” “soul,” and “love.” They discuss Frank Lloyd Wright’s philosophy of architecture and how it applies to organization design. And they challenge traditional approaches to organizational change management, which have a dismal success rate. Together, these two episodes (Episodes 143 and 145) offer a vision of the future of work in which AI serves as the catalyst not for a more dystopian future, but for a future that is more humane.
How, and why, would you make an organization-wide change optional? What would make people want to opt in, even when doing so would cost their team to do so? When was the last time that you fired a team, telling them that they no longer could participate in a change initiative? These are only a few of the stories that Phil Gilbert shares with host Brian Gorman in this episode. Phil, the author of Irresistible Change: A Blueprint for Earning Buy-In and Breakout Success, tells how he and his team succeeded in achieving a significant culture change across 400,000 IBM employees globally. There are important lessons here for every change leader, and every change practitioner, regardless of the size of your organization or the nature of your change.
Host Brian Gorman becomes the guest for this two-part interview that takes a deep dive into the thinking behind Leading Into the Age of Wisdom: Reimagining the Future of Work. Leadership advisor and coach Ted Whetstone joins Brian to dig into a number of topics as we become immersed in a world in which AI continues to play an increasingly powerful role. Among the many questions this conversation addresses are the ways in which human wisdom is at our core, making us uniquely different from AI, what it means to lead with wisdom or not, and what does it take to be a maverick leader finding the way into this new age dominated not by AI but by wisdom.
What is the future of work? Will it be dominated by AI, as predicted by many of the voices we hear? Or will it be a future of work led by wisdom? In his book Leading into the Age of Wisdom: Reimagining the Future of Work, author and Qonversations host Brian Gorman examines the differences between intelligence and wisdom and calls out the danger of turning our future of work over to AI. In this episode of Qonversations, Brian addresses these challenges and, drawing from his book, discusses the transformational changes required to lead into the Age of Wisdom.
It’s easy to make the case that there isn’t much that is constant in the workplace today. Change is no longer just a set of projects and initiatives; it is also an-ever roiling state of being. Today’s workforce, increasingly dominated by Millennials and Gen Z, is not the workforce of even a decade ago. Anyone with access and skill in creating prompts has immediate access to almost unlimited artificial intelligence. All of this and more is placing unprecedented pressure on leaders at all levels of organizational life. Effective leadership today is, by its very nature, different than the leadership of the past. In fact, in many ways, the art of leadership must change in profound ways. In this episode, Jim Carlough, author of The Six Pillars of Effective Leadership, joins host Brian Gorman to explore those foundations of leadership that are unchanging and are, in fact, more important than ever.
In this episode, Tim Beattie, Founder and CEO of Stellafai, and host Brian Gorman dig into one of today’s more significant leadership challenges: what we measure isn’t always what matters. Productivity metrics like output and velocity don’t equate to impact. Together they explore how leaders can shift focus toward meaningful outcomes, foster psychological safety, and use storytelling to connect with people’s head, heart, and gut. They also discuss AI’s role in coaching and leadership, and how aligning personal purpose with organizational intent can create truly passionate, purpose-driven workforces. (25 minutes)
We are facing an existential choice. Follow the path of allowing artificial intelligence to become more and more dominant in the workplace and our lives. Or bring the wisdom of people to the application of AI. On this episode, Social entrepreneur, author, and activist Shmuly Yanklowitz joins host Brian Gorman to discuss the path forward based on Brian’s upcoming book Leading into the Age of Wisdom: Reimagining the Future of Work. The conversation focuses on the choices leaders have to make as they consider the integration of AI into the workplace, and the implications that those choices have on individuals, organizations, and society.
Carl Gray III, founder of Raising Founders, shares how he’s building an “AAU for entrepreneurship” to empower young people, ages 12–20, to start businesses. He tells the story of Taylor, who turned a Raising Founders project into a thriving baking venture, trained at the American Culinary Institute, and is now interning in France. In this conversation with host Brian Gorman, Carl highlights the vital role of mentorship, the value of industry projects connecting youth with corporations, and his vision for a school dedicated to entrepreneurship and independent thinking. Raising Founders is shaping tomorrow’s innovators today.
Nate Green isn’t shy about sharing his stories. His successes, his failures, his opportunities, and his challenges all serve to inform Nate’s path forward. The author of Suck Less, Do Better: The End of Excuses and the Rise of the Unstoppable You, Nate joins host Brian Gorman to share some of the key lessons he has learned on his journey including the importance of self-discovery and understanding one's true identity and purpose. He highlights how upbringing and societal narratives can create cognitive biases, shaping individuals' perceptions of success and their potential. There are important lessons here for all of us.
This episode begins with a few words from his website. “Mark loves leaders who love leaders.” Host Brian Gorman invitation to Mark L. Vincent, Executive Advisor at Teall Vincent Enterprises, to explain this statement leads into a deep exploration of transformational leadership and the importance of developing strong, ethical leadership benches while nurturing authentic relationships with leaders. The conversation concludes with an exploration of ROI, and ways in which to quantify the qualitative data that shows the true value of leadership development.
135: The Wisdom of Ignorance: In this time of unprecedented change, we crave for Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), human or AI, that can give us the answers. Alan Gregerman posits that this is the wrong path to the solution, and that ignorance is the wiser path forward. Alan, author of The Wisdom of Ignorance: Why Not Knowing Can Be the Key to Innovation in an Uncertain World (October 2025), joins host Brian Gorman to discuss the importance of embracing ignorance and the need for leaders to adapt and learn new skills. The ignorance he favors is not contentment in not knowing. Rather, Alan emphasizes the value of “enlightened ignorance,” being passionate and curious when approaching the unknown, which can lead to fresh perspectives and innovative solutions.
Looking for differences somehow makes it easier. From this perspective, leading in white collar organizations must be different than leading blue collar workers. But it's not. In this episode of Qonversations, Traci Austin, Chief Talent Officer of Elevated Talent Consulting, joins host Brian Gorman to share the lessons that she has learned over decades of working with and supporting leaders in the trades. The bottom line: people are people. Whether in the factory, the warehouse, the construction site, the office, or the laboratory, they want the same things for themselves and from their leaders.
Long ago, Albert Einstein said, “The thinking that got us to where we are is not the thinking that will get us to where we want to be.” Today, that is truer than ever. While his focus is on “scaling businesses and scaling leaders,” the lessons that Loic Potjes shares in this episode are true for any leader looking to take their organization to a different place in the future. Loic, the Managing Partner of Disruptive Leap, joins host Brian Gorman to challenge leaders who think that their current approach will successfully guide their organizations going forward.
Leadership that wins is leadership that recognizes, builds relationships with, and values others. While You Win Again, Jack: The Story of a Man Who Stopped Needing to Win, and Finally Did is fiction, it is rich with lessons learned by author Scott DeLong. This is not a book to be read so much as a book to be reflected on. In this episode, Scott joins host Brian Gorman to discuss some of the many lessons he learned on his leadership journey, ranging from the reason that Scott likes meetings, to the sacredness of 1:1 meetings, to the importance of building connections that convey the energy and the soul of the other. This is a podcast that invites you to think about how you are showing up as a leader, and ways in which you might show up differently to offer others the experience of leadership that wins. You Win Again, Jack is scheduled for release November 1, 2025.
On Qonversations, we always try to connect our listeners with our guests. After all, conversations don’t happen between a book and the host or a leader and the host; they happen between two people. That said, most of the time the focus of the conversation is not on the guest, but on the topic. On this episode, we turn our attention totally to our guest, Ziah Miller. Because their parents believed the world was going to end, Ziah and his seven siblings were raised without any education. He didn’t learn to read or write until the age of fourteen. Today, Ziah is a successful author, game director, and “digital alchemist.” Ziah and host Brian Gorman take a walk from Ziah’s childhood, to homelessness, to public schools, art school and software engineering certification, to his career today. Whether you are just thinking about a career, well into your working years, or wondering what comes next, Ziah’s very personal story holds lessons to help you along the way.
Max Klau, the guest for Qonversations Episode 35, returns to discuss his soon to be published book, Developing Servant Leaders at Scale: How To Do It and Why It Matters. Through his coaching, writing, and speaking, host Brian Gorman often makes the point that one of the responsibilities of leaders is to develop other leaders. Max has spent decades intentionally doing so. In this thought-provoking conversation, Max and Brian explore what is required to develop the knowledge, doing, and especially the being that is at the core of servant leadership. From Max’s experience, reflection is core to the inner work required to become a servant leader. Creating and holding the space for that inner work is only possible when a leader serves as the host to those they are leading rather than as their hero.
In their book Engaging Teams: How to Use Social Wellbeing to Boost Performance, Retention, and Culture, Nick Smallman and Dan Parry dive into the importance of social wellbeing in today’s organizations. Nick and host Brian Gorman explore the importance of leaders knowing the people they are leading, and not just the roles that those people play. The Industrial Age perception of people who are interchangeable and replaceable when they burn out is challenged, as Nick and Brian discuss the leader’s role in creating a culture that fosters wellbeing.
Whether you are a solopreneur or the leader of a global enterprise, every day, you are shaping your legacy. Alex Brueckmann, author of Strategy Legacy: How to Future-Proof a Business and Leave Your Mark, sets legacy as the framework for addressing what he identifies as the two primary responsibilities of a leader: strategy and culture. Citing the leader’s role in shaping organizational culture, Alex challenges leaders to not accept the culture that is, but to take responsibility to shape the culture needed to execute true strategy. In his conversation with host Brian Gorman, he also challenges the approach many organizations take to strategy, pointing out that while they label planning and budgeting as strategy, it is not.
Today’s guest is Salvatore Manzi, a leadership communications coach with over 20 years of experience helping technical, analytical, and data-driven leaders amplify their impact. With emphasis on frameworks, principles, and techniques, Salvatore empowers leaders to connect authentically and navigate high-stakes engagements with confidence. He’s an introvert who learned how to harness the power of the spotlight and has a passion for building inclusive, high-performing team environments through effective communication. In this episode, Salvatore and host Brian Gorman focus on specific ways in which leaders can either undermine their message or ensure that it is effectively delivered.
Dr. Cynthia Bentzen-Mercer is a human capital strategist, coach, speaker, and author. In her LinkedIn profile, she writes “I work at the intersection of strategy and soul.” In this episode of "Qonversations," host Brian Gorman and Cynthia discuss the critical importance of leaders embracing humanity, aligning individual purpose with organizational roles, the importance of authenticity and psychological safety in leadership, and how leaders can help teams unlock their full potential. Cynthia introduces her concept of "moving the line" to foster greater humanity at work and previews her upcoming book, "Human Capital Investment Strategy."
The world of work is changing at an ever-accelerating rate. In this episode, Ted Whetstone, executive coach, thought leader, and “fellow philosopher on the road of life,” joins host Brian Gorman to explore new ideas on how to successfully lead through the changes we are experiencing. Along the way, they explore organizational design, the work week, innovation, thinking differently about what we sell, the very nature of leadership, and much more.
It isn’t a possibility. It isn’t a probability. It isn’t some far-off science fiction fantasy thing. We are in it now. The challenge, from the C-suite to the front line, is “How do I ensure not just that I (and my organization) survive, but that we thrive?” In this episode, Nicole Doyle, entrepreneur, start-up advisor, and Founder of Aspir joins host Brian Gorman to begin to answer these questions. Along the way, they discuss the disruptors that are on the horizon, the growing importance of investing in people (not just technology), and some of the key actions that organizational leaders as well as individual contributors can take to improve the chances of success moving forward.
Nicole Doyle is a Strategic People Operations leader with over 10 years experience hiring and leading and 6 years experience driving growth at fast-scaling Series A/B startups. Proven track record of building successful teams, developing global compensation strategies that ensure equity, and building scalable HR infrastructures that align with business objectives. Expert in leadership hiring, global expansion, diversity & inclusion initiatives, and data-driven decision-making to foster high-performing cultures.
Brian Gorman is a speaker, author, podcast host and founder and lead coach at TransformingLives.Coach. A maverick coach, Brian guides those who are forging the way forward from the Industrial Age into the Digital Age. You can email Brian (Brian@TransformingLives.Coach) and learn more about his work on his website TransformingLives.Coach.
If you are a leader, your success is dependent on your ability to effectively communicate with those who report to you. And your ability to successfully communicate with those who report to you is highly dependent on bringing a coach approach to your leadership. In this episode, communication coach Chris Marr joins host Brian Gorman to explore the changing role of leaders and the importance of coaching as a critical leadership tool.
Chris Marr is the author of Becoming an Authoritative Coach: Stop People Pleasing, Challenge Your Clients, and Be Indispensable. With thousands of hours devoted to coaching an expansive range of companies, from nimble startups to 7 and 8-figure enterprises, he has unequivocally established himself as a leading expert in the field. Beyond his extensive portfolio in coaching, Chris is a dedicated Stoic Practitioner and Philosopher. His fascination with human behaviour is not a mere interest but a lifelong commitment to understanding the intricacies of human potential.
Brian Gorman is a speaker, author, podcast host and founder and lead coach at TransformingLives.Coach. A maverick coach, Brian guides those who are forging the way forward from the Industrial Age into the Digital Age. You can email Brian (Brian@TransformingLives.Coach) and learn more about his work on his website TransformingLives.Coach.
Every day, Liz Weber, Advisor to Executives and Boards, encounters the challenges that leaders are facing as they seek to guide their organizations into the Digital age. In this episode, Liz joins host Brian Gorman to explore those behaviors that continue to serve leaders well as they move out of the Industrial Age model of leadership as well as the significant shifts in mindset and behavior that leaders at all levels – from the front lines to the Boards of Directors – need to make to successfully make this transformational transition.
Liz Weber has been helping businesses strengthen their leadership and improve their processes for over 20 years. She has been named a Top 30 Global Guru on Leadership, a Leadership Influencer to Watch, an HR Influencer to Watch, and a Culture Change Champion. Liz is acutely attuned to the shifting dynamics of Industrial Age to Digital Age leadership, and is intently focused on helping leaders and Boards think differently. Weber Business Services, LLC (WBS) is a management consulting firm that specializes in strategic planning, succession planning and leadership development.
Brian Gorman is a speaker, author, podcast host and founder and lead coach at TransformingLives.Coach. He identifies as a maverick coach, guiding those who are forging the way as leaders in the 21st century. You can email Brian (Brian@TransformingLives.Coach) and learn more about his work on his website TransformingLives.Coach.
In his book Nobody Is Smarter Than Everybody: Why Self-Managing Teams Make Better Decisions and Deliver Extraordinary Results, Rod Collins builds on the premise that “the digital revolution is far more than a technology revolution. It is also a sociological revolution that has generated an unprecedented capacity for mass collaboration and created new possibilities in how humans work together.” Under his leadership as the Chief Operating Executive of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Federal Employee Program, one of the nation's largest and most successful business alliances, the company experienced its greatest five-year growth period in its 60-year history. Realizing that his title gave him no actual authority over the actions of the various member organizations, Rod developed and evolved a process to draw from their collective wisdom in ways that generated incredible performance improvements. In this episode, Rod and host Brian Gorman explore the organizational implications of the evidence that “no one is smarter than everyone.”
Rod Collins is an author, keynote speaker, and leadership coach. He is a leading expert and thought leader on the future of business transformation. Rod’s books, blogs, and speeches inspire through their use of storytelling and leading-edge ideas.
Brian Gorman is a speaker, author, podcast host and founder and lead coach at TransformingLives.Coach. He identifies as a maverick coach, guiding those who are forging the way as leaders in the 21st century. You can email Brian (Brian@TransformingLives.Coach) and learn more about his work on his website TransformingLives.Coach.
Your organization has a culture. You can be intentional about continuously shaping it or allow it to evolve and see what happens. You can also reshape it. In this episode of Qonversations, Tom Krause, Ph.D., and author of If Your Culture Could Talk, joins host Brian Gorman to delve into the hard truths about culture. They explore the cost of misalignment between what is said and the behavior of leaders as well as the five essential building blocks to make culture change efforts more effective. Spoiler alert: they are “soft skills.”
Thomas R. Krause, Ph.D. is a world-renowned thought leader focused on decision making, leadership, and behavior in the creation of positive organizational culture. He has designed culture change interventions in the service of the prevention of catastrophic events, and fatalities, including the space shuttle Columbia disaster. Tom is the founder of Behavioral Science Technology, Inc. and Chairman of the Krause Bell Group.
Brian Gorman is a speaker, author, podcast host and founder and lead coach at TransformingLives.Coach. He identifies as a maverick coach, guiding those who are forging the way as leaders in the 21st century. You can email Brian (Brian@TransformingLives.Coach) and learn more about his work on his website TransformingLives.Coach.
Miles Everson, CEO of MBO Partners and author of Free Birds Revolution: The Future of Work and the Independent Mind of a Free Bird, and host Brian Gorman continue their conversation with a focus on the mind of a free bird. This includes an examination of the differences in the mindsets of traditional employees vs. free birds, the differences in how they spend their time on the job, and the differences in how they evaluate such things as their relationship between work and life outside of work, their sense of fulfillment, and even their sense of financial security.
Miles Everson is a proven business builder and industry leader and disrupter of the status quo. Since 2019 he has served as the Chief Executive Officer at MBO Partners, the definitive market leader in enabling the future of work and improving the well-being of professionals and businesses throughout the world. Prior to MBO Partners, Miles held several senior roles with PwC over 30 years as Global Advisory and Consulting CEO, leading the company’s Asia Pacific and Americas Advisory and Consulting businesses, eventually becoming the U.S. Advisory/Consulting Vice Chairman. Miles led the first globalization for the Advisory/Consulting practice across the PwC enterprise.
Brian Gorman is a speaker, author, podcast host and founder and lead coach at TransformingLives.Coach. He identifies as a maverick coach, guiding those who are forging the way as leaders in the 21st century. You can email Brian (Brian@TransformingLives.Coach) and learn more about his work on his website TransformingLives.Coach.
118: Free Birds Revolution – 1 of 2: Miles Everson, CEO of MBO Partners and author of Free Birds Revolution: The Future of Work and the Independent Mind of a Free Bird, doesn’t mind challenging conventional thinking. And when he does, he has the data, and the examples, to support what he is saying. In this episode of Qonversations, Miles and host Brian Gorman explore Part 1 of Miles’ book, focusing on the six forces driving a larger and larger portion of the workforce, including the best and the brightest, from “employed” to “free bird” status. Miles also discusses the ways in which businesses need to rewrite the contract between those who work for them, whether they are employees on the payroll or contractors.
Miles Everson is a proven business builder and industry leader and disrupter of the status quo. Since 2019 he has served as the Chief Executive Officer at MBO Partners, the definitive market leader in enabling the future of work and improving the well-being of professionals and businesses throughout the world. Prior to MBO Partners, Miles held several senior roles with PwC over 30 years as Global Advisory and Consulting CEO, leading the company’s Asia Pacific and Americas Advisory and Consulting businesses, eventually becoming the U.S. Advisory/Consulting Vice Chairman. Miles led the first globalization for the Advisory/Consulting practice across the PwC enterprise.
Brian Gorman is a speaker, author, podcast host and founder and lead coach at TransformingLives.Coach. He identifies as a maverick coach, guiding those who are forging the way as leaders in the 21st century. You can email Brian (Brian@TransformingLives.Coach) and learn more about his work on his website TransformingLives.Coach.
At nine pages, this may be the smallest business book you ever read. That said, it is also one worth re-reading from time to time. In changing the label from “introverts” to “quiet people,” Luke Tobin opens our eyes to the many powers that these individuals bring to the workplace, and to life more generally.
Luke, author of The Power of Quiet People (In a World That Favours Loudness), focuses on seven such powers. In this episode of Qonversations, Luke and host Brian Gorman (both of whom identify as quiet people themselves) explore those powers from both the perspective of the quiet person and that of the person who tends to be louder. In doing so, they share some of their own stories as they examine ways in which quiet people contribute to better outcomes when invited to do so. (15 minutes)
Luke Tobin is a dynamic entrepreneur and accomplished business leader with a proven track record of success across multiple industries. As a 3x exited founder, Luke has demonstrated his ability to build and scale businesses effectively. Currently, Luke is the driving force behind Tobin Capital, a venture capital firm reshaping the old VC model with a fresh, innovative approach to investing. . Luke Tobin’s entrepreneurial journey is marked by his strategic vision, international growth, and consistent delivery of exceptional business results. You can learn more about Luke on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/luketobin/) and on his websites: www.luketobin.com and www.tobincapital.co.uk The Power of Quiet People is available at no cost here.
Brian Gorman is a speaker, author, podcast host and founder and lead coach at TransformingLives.Coach. He identifies as a maverick coach, guiding those who are forging the way as leaders in the 21st century. You can email Brian (Brian@TransformingLives.Coach) and learn more about his work on his website TransformingLives.Coach.
Sometimes, we can be our own best teachers. We’ve all had leaders we trust, and those we don’t. If we’re lucky, we’ve had leaders we would follow anywhere, and those we would avoid at all costs the next time around. We’ve all had leaders that nurture us and do everything possible to help us grow and succeed, and leaders who want to ensure their own place on the organization chart by holding us down. Reflecting on our leadership experiences and comparing it to our own leadership approach can be enlightening and help us grow into the leader we want to be.
In his book Don’t Just Have the Soup, Alan Heymann provides 52 analogies “for leadership, coaching, and life.” The analogies touch on everyday experiences such as being brought soup instead of salad at a restaurant, elevator rides, road trips, and even the everything you can eat buffet. As they explore several of Alan’s analogies, he and host Brian Gorman give us something else to reflect on…how these experiences we have every day that can serve as analogies to guide and inform how we lead.
Alan Heymann is a speaker, facilitator, Georgetown faculty member, “introvert whisperer,” and recovering journalist and lawyer. You can find Alan on LinkedIn, as well as his own website: peacefuldirection.com.
Brian Gorman is a speaker, author, podcast host and founder and lead coach at TransformingLives.Coach. He identifies as a maverick coach, guiding those who are forging the way as leaders in the 21st century. You can email Brian (Brian@TransformingLives.Coach) and learn more about his work on his website TransformingLives.Coach.
The prevailing organizational design model remains the top-down org chart. While some have made adjustments (removing layers, adding “matrixed” relationships), It continues to remain an industrial-age approach to structuring and leading organizations. In today’s episode, Jeffrey Beeson, author of Network Leadership, brings a refreshingly new approach to organizational design and leadership. He and host Brian Gorman explore networked organizations and networked leadership. Drawing on network science, Beeson introduces a few of the underlying principals of the networks we all live and function in every day, and how those apply to organizational life. (30 minutes)
Jeffrey Beeson is a pioneer of Network Leadership - an approach to leadership that relies on the power of connections. He is convinced that groundbreaking innovation can only come from the power of networks. The founder of Ensemble Enabler, he and his team enable companies to leverage the strengths of their employees and gradually transition themselves into network organizations.
(value@ensembleenabler.com)
Brian Gorman is a speaker, author, podcast host and founder and lead coach at TransformingLives.Coach. He identifies as a maverick coach, guiding those who are forging the way as leaders in the 21st century. TransformingLives.Coach Brian@TransformingLives.Coach
Morag Barrett (SkyeTeam.com) joins host Brian Gorman to explore the importance of establishing person-to-person relationships across the workplace. Morag shares the results of years of research globally, including “the four yesses.” “Can I count on you?” “Can I depend on you?” “Do I care about you?” and “Do I trust you?” Reflect on someone you have worked with that you would answer yes to each of those four questions. How would you describe that person? What can you learn from that reflection? We can all strengthen our relationships at work. This podcast will help give you the tools to do so.
Morag Barrett is an executive coach and leadership expert who helps leaders achieve outstanding results through the power of their professional relationships. At last count Morag and her company SkyeTeam have supported the development of more than 10,000 leaders from 20 countries and on 6 continents. She’s the award-winning author of three books: Cultivate: The Power of Winning Relationships; The Future-Proof Workplace; and her latest book You, Me, We: Why we all need a friend at work (and how to show up as one!). You can take SkyTeam’s Ally Assessment here.
Brian Gorman is a speaker, author, podcast host and founder and lead coach at TransformingLives.Coach. He identifies as a maverick coach, guiding those who are forging the way as leaders in the 21st century. TransformingLives.Coach Brian@TransformingLives.Coach (28 minutes)
Retired Navy SEAL Commander, corporate CEO, and author Marty Strong returns to discuss his recently published book, Be Different: How Navy Seals and Entrepreneurs Bend, Break, or Ignore the Rules to Get Results! Marty and host Brian Gorman explore what it means to be different and why it is so important in today’s turbulent and ever-changing world.
Marty Strong is a combat veteran of the U.S. Navy SEAL Teams and holds an undergraduate degree in Business Administration and a graduate degree in Management. He is also a graduate of Villanova University’s Master Black Belt, Lean Six Sigma program. Aside from his CEO duties, Marty enjoys providing virtual mentoring and coaching services for executives and speaking professionally about crisis leadership, strategic vision, and creativity.
Brian Gorman is a speaker, author, podcast host and founder and lead coach at TransformingLives.Coach. He identifies as a maverick coach, guiding those who are forging the way as leaders in the 21st century. TransformingLives.Coach Brian@TransformingLives.Coach
Despite continuing calls to “return to work,” there is growing evidence that the relationship of people to their work, the nature of that work, and the workplace itself are continuing to change. Guest Serena Diamond and host Brian Gorman bring their decades of experience in organizational change management and leadership to the fore as they look at the impact that these shifting forces are having on what is required to successfully lead change today.
Serena Diamond is the founder of Diamond Solutions Group, LLC. Diamond Solutions Group provides support to leaders as they move their organizations through change. Services include project and program management, facilitation, training, and change management. SDiamond1009@gmail.com
Brian Gorman is a speaker, author, podcast host, and founder and lead coach at TransformingLives.Coach. He identifies as a maverick coach, guiding those who are forging the way as leaders in the 21st century. Brian@TransformingLives.Coach
In his 2015 TEDx talk “Stop Managing, Start Leading,” now viewed over 2.5 million times, Hamza Khan was prescient in how he described the future of leadership. A great deal of how he led then and continues to lead today became common practice during the pandemic. Today, we hear calls to reverse some of those trends. In this episode, Hamza joins host Brian Gorman to revisit that TEDx talk, trace the changes in leadership over the last decade, and discuss what the future of leadership holds.
Hamza Khan is the Co-Founder & Chief Evangelist of SkillsCamp and the best-selling author of "Leadership, Reinvented: How to Foster Empathy, servitude, Diversity, and Innovation in the Workplace." HamzaKhan.Ca Hamza@HamzaKhan.Ca
Brian is a speaker, author, podcast host, and founder and lead coach at TransformingLives.Coach. He identifies as a maverick coach, guiding those who are forging the way as leaders in the 21st century. TransformingLives.Coach Brian@TransformingLives.Coach
“I think growing up…stuttering was a massive advantage.” Michael Thompson didn’t think so at the time, but looking back, he realizes it now. In this episode, Michael and host Brian Gorman explore a few of the many lessons that Michael has to offer in his book Shy By Design. Michael tells the story of why he chose to enter sales, and how he responded when, as the new leader of a sales team one of members walked out of the first team meeting he was leading because he didn’t want to work for a stutterer. Michael and Brian discuss the importance of networks and connections at multiple levels and delve into how to leverage those things that can hold us back so that they help to propel us forward.
Michael (Michael.Thompson1978@gmail.com) is the author of Shy by Design: 12 Timeless Principles to Quietly Stand Out. A career coach, leadership lecturer, and communication strategist featured in Business Insider, MSN, and Fast Company, Michael and his family live outside Barcelona. Brian is founder of TransformingLives.Coach. He identifies as a maverick coach, guiding those who are forging the way as leaders in the 21st century. (Brian@TransformingLives.Coach)
While we too rarely acknowledge it, neurodiversity is already in the workplace. Whether one accepts the data that 20% of the workforce is neurodiverse, or the much higher 52% self-reporting in Gen Z, it is important to become intentional about addressing neurodiversity in the workplace. Stina Borth joins host Brian Gorman to address how to interview neurodivergent individuals, how to set them up for success, and some of the benefits of creating a more neurodiverse team. Every leader can benefit from Stina’s practical counsel.
Stina is Founder and CEO of Keymaker Services (Stina@KeymakerServices.com, https://keymakerservices.com). Brian is founder and leadership and transformation coach at TransformingLives.Coach. (Brian@TransformingLives.Coach)
DeVon Hankins journey went from a farm in rural Missouri to college to Washington, DC, Toyota, state and city government, and even passed through the enlisted and officer ranks of the US military. In this episode, Devon joins host Brian Gorman to share her stories and the leadership lessons she has learned, lessons that are important to every leader today.
DeVon is CEO of Ascension Strategies (info@ascensionstrat.com, https://www.ascensionstrat.com). Brian is the founder and leadership coach at TransformingLives.Coach (Brian@Transforminglives.Coach)
Luis Hernandez, host of The Wayfinder Show, was a real estate agent when the financial crisis of 2008 hit. It cost Luis his job and his home but helped him find running. In this episode, Luis and host Brian Gorman explore Luis’ journey into running, the lessons he has learned, and how they have helped in turning his life around. This is a personal story and one worth reflecting on. What is your version of “running for success?”
There are numerous ways an organization can be blocked from achieving its potential. In this episode, Jurriaan Kamer, author of Unblock: Clear the Way for Results and Develop a Thriving Organization, joins host Brian Gorman to discuss three of these: unblocking strategy, unblocking ownership, and unblocking meetings.
The ability to lead across cultures is important to every leader today, whether or not you are leading across borders. In this episode, Quantuvos coach Carmela O’Flaherty joins host Brian Gorman to explore the challenges of cross-cultural leadership and to offer approaches to mitigating those challenges.
The future isn’t what it used to be. In this episode, Marty Strong, retired SEAL commander, corporate executive, and author of Be Visionary: Strategic Leadership in the Age of Optimization, makes the case for visionary leadership at all levels, and in all parts, of organizational life. He and host Brian Gorman discuss the focus on optimization found in most organizations, and how that leaves them unprepared for the inevitable opportunities and disruptions that are on the horizon.
What is your experience with networking events? For many of us, the experience is rarely what we had hoped it would be, nor are the results. In this episode, Rob Giardinelli, founder of Intentional Networking provides insights to both networkers and leaders as to how to get the most out of these events.
You may well see yourself in the life being lived by Stephanie Woodward. Stephanie, author of The Big Scale Back: Success and Balance by Your Own Design, joins host Brian Gorman to describe a work life with few boundaries and many sacrifices. Steph lives a different life now; during this episode she describes why and how she learned to bring both success and balance into her life.
Guest Louise Mowbray, author of Relevant: Future-Focused Leadership, shares her insights on the changing nature of the workplace, the workforce, and work itself in this conversation with host Brian Gorman.
Nada R. Sanders, co-author of The Humachine: AI, Human Virtues, and the Superintelligent Enterprise (Second Edition) joins host Brian Gorman to explore the integration of artificial intelligence into business. What emerges from the conversation are significant insights into how to successfully achieve the integration of Artificial Intelligence with humans as well as some of the ways in which even now, organizations are heading down the wrong path.
It may be that our old styles of communication in the workplace weren’t as effective as we thought. What is definitely true is, if we are continuing to communicate in those ways today, it is unlikely that they are being received in the way that we intend. Caroline Kealey, international consultant and trainer on corporate communication strategy joins host Brian Gorman to share what she has learned about the changing ways of communication in today’s workplace.
Jeff Sigel, author of The Middle Matters: A Toolkit for Middle Managers, shares the lessons that he has learned in his years of “middle management.” He defines the role of the middle – ranging from frontline leaders to just below the C-suite – as a blend of doing, leading, and influencing. In this conversation, Jeff and host Brian Gorman explore what it takes to be a successful middle manager.
Gabe DeRita, a self-described “Goal Whisperer and Connections Nerd,” joins host Brian Gorman to share his unique insights on moving past superficial objectives and discovering goals that resonate deeply with our authentic selves. As a “Connections Nerd” Gabe thrives on helping others create deep, meaningful relationships and understand the dynamics of personal and professional connections. This reflective conversation offers insights for all of us on finding and connecting to our purpose, as well as to others.
You are an incredible storyteller! We all are. In this episode, Donna Schwarz of Schwarz Consultants joins host Brian Gorman to discuss the importance of story, the role story plays in our relationships and our leadership, and what comprises an effective story. Donna also shares a simple framework that will allow you to craft powerful stories in minutes. You still don’t think you’re a good storyteller? That’s a story you are telling yourself! Change the story and build your storytelling mastery.
What is the gift that fear brings? In this episode, Fletcher Ellingson, author of The Practice of Feeling Good: How to Upgrade Your Thinking and Live a Feelgood Life and host Brian Gorman explore ways in which we can take control of our thinking, what is at the core of fear, and much more. They also get into an important discussion on the universality of values and what is really important about them.
095: Toxic Leadership – Toxicity in leadership is contagious. In this episode, Sean Lemson, author of One Drop of Poison: How One Bad Leader Can Slowly Kill Your Company, points out that it doesn’t matter that most toxic behavior is not intentional; it’s impact drives up turnover while pulling down engagement, performance, and morale. Sean and host Brian Gorman explore different forms of toxic leadership as well as ways in which it can be turned around. Sean also offers an alternative approach to the role of Human Resources in the future.
In this episode of Qonversations, host Brian Gorman talks with Betsy Salkind and Amy Warshawsky from BNA Mentor Coaching about the dynamic world of “leadership improv.” Improv, rooted in spontaneity and skillful listening, involves principles like saying "yesand," techniques such as “skillful interrupting,” and embracing mistakes. They emphasized the importance of frameworks and feedback in developing leadership skills, urging leaders to embrace agility and create environments conducive to growth and innovation. Betsy and Brian demonstrate 3-word coaching, a unique approach for leaders to deepen their coaching conversations.
Hearing and listening are not the same, yet all too often, we act as if they are. Listening is a skill that can be, and deserves to be, intentionally developed. In this episode, Quantuvos coach, speaker, and workshop facilitator Bradley James Davies and host Brian Gorman discuss Bradley’s approach to “next level listening.” Bradley shares important “does and don’ts” of listening that his research and experience have uncovered.
One place that too many organizations continue to fall short is in their response to those who are differently abled. In this episode, accessibility expert Max Ivey (“the blind blogger”) joins host Brian Gorman to explore the ongoing challenges that those labeled “disabled” face and the costs that they, our organizations, and society pay. They also discuss ways in which providing accessibility can have a significant return on investment.
Author JD Dillon (The Modern Learning Ecosystem) and host Brian Gorman explore ways in which the shifting workforce requires changes in how learning is approached in the workplace. While the role of the Learning and Development (Training and Development) function isn’t diminished, how their services are delivered requires significant recalibration. Likewise, leaders at every level hold a significantly more important role in the development of those who report to them.
It turns out that well being in the workplace is not about gym memberships and yoga breaks. It is about the organizational culture and the relationships that leaders have with those they are leading. In this episode, Scott Taylor, Professor of Organizational Behavior at Babson College, joins host Brian Gorman to shed light on the role leaders play in ensuring well being in the workplace and the impact that it has on performance. Along the way, they share insights on ways leaders can strengthen the well being of those who report to them.
Discovery is a process, not an event. In her book "The Untapped Power of Discovery: How to Create Change that Inspires a Better Future," Karen Golden-Biddle shares her research on the discovery process as well as case studies on how to successfully make it an integral part of the change process. Karen and host Brian Gorman explore the discovery process at the heart of Karen's work in this thought-provoking episode.
40% of Gen Z leave their jobs within 2 years, whether or not they have another job offer. As a leader, you can significantly beat these odds with your Gen Z employees. In this episode, Future of Work Expert Luke Goetting joins host Brian Gorman to share significant insights on Gen Z in the workplace, the unique value they bring, and what leaders can do to ensure that they remain engaged and productive.
One in five people in North America is living with a mental health issue. These are family members, friends, co-workers, team members, leaders. Mental health is a significant challenge in the workplace. And yet it is a challenge that too often goes unaddressed. In this episode, Christine Burych, founder of StarlingBrook, joins host Brian Gorman to discuss the challenges of mental health in work, the risks of failing to address those challenges, and ways in which to do so.
Born to a drug-addicted teenage mother, Victoria Pelletier's life could have turned out very differently. In this conversation with host Brian Gorman, she shares stories of the adversities she has faced and the choices she has made. As she learned early in life, sometimes our choices serve as well and sometimes they don't. But there is always choice and opportunity to change the path we are on.
How do you differentiate your business from the competition? In this episode, Barry LaBov, Founder and CEO of LaBov and author of "The Power of Differentiation" joins host Brian Gorman to explore why differentiation is important, who it is important to, how to discover (not create) your differentiation, and how to leverage it. Whether you are a CEO, a team leader, or anything in between, there are important lessons, and a few surprises, in this episode.
Whether you call them mind traps, gremlins, saboteurs, or imposter syndrome, we all experience this. And we all can move beyond it. In this episode, Quantuvos coach Paula Halewski joins host Brian Gorman to explore the origins of mind traps, their impact on us and those in our lives, and how to move from the reactive path they put us on to a more intentional, responsive path, changing our mindset and living more fully into our purpose.
"Is your external environment moving faster than your internal environment?" With this question, Rich Alderton of High Performance Change makes the case for moving beyond change management and agility to create a culture of adaptability. Rich, the author of "Mastering Adaptability," joins host Brian Gorman to examine the importance of adaptability in today's disrupted world, what is required to be adaptable, how adaptability can be developed, and its impact on the bottom line.
When you are an immigrant and your parents are factory workers, your journey to a professional career is not assured. In this episode, Juan Taveres joins host Brian Gorman to tell the story of his journey from the Dominican community in Washington Heights (New York City) to Syracuse University, the hospitality and non-profit industries, and now to entrepreneurship. Along the way, Juan shares how each of us can support others who are on this journey. At Quantuvos, we believe that there is extraordinary in everyone. Juan's journey is testimony that even though it is not always easy, we each can discover and live into our purpose.
On this episode, guests Fred Mandell and Harvey Seifter, Founders of Creating Futures That Work, bring to life the relationship between art, science, and leadership. While leadership literature often cites research, it rarely links leadership to art. Yet, in their work, Harvey and Fred connect the three. Great artists are scientists as well; great leaders are both scientists and artists. Each of us is creative. Creating a culture that unleashes the creativity of others will contribute to personal and professional growth as well as organizational success.
Burnout. Multi-tasking. Ongoing, long-term stress. Running on autopilot. More and more, these are norms that leaders and their teams experience. In this episode, neurosurgeon Gary Simonds joins host Brian Gorman to discuss the neuroscience behind these leadership challenges, their impacts on our brains, and what we can do to address them.
We are not just products of nature and nurture. We all have the capability of redesigning ourselves not to be someone else, but to become more fully ourselves. In this episode, Shana Francesca joins host Brian Gorman to share her journey from growing up in a cult to becoming an interior designer to becoming a speaker, consultant, workshop facilitator, and "scholar of intentional & ethical leadership & living." The lessons that Shana shares are ones that we all can benefit from both professionally and personally.
In his book "The 9th Stratum: Your Guide to High Performance," author Aaron Salko provides insights that everyone from the frontline to the C-suite can benefit from. During this episode, Aaron and host Brian Gorman examine the importance of being personal growth driven, disciplined in self-evaluation, altruism motivated, and goal driven in achieving high performance. The skills behind these traits, along with the psychological and physiological factors that make them so important, are also addressed.
"To be effective, leaders need to draw on the C's: competencies, commitment, and character." Bill Furlong, co-author of "The Character Compass: Transforming Leadership for the 21st Century," joins host Brian Gorman to discuss what is meant by "character," what makes character so important in today's organizations, and the elements that comprise it. Character is about personal presence, how you show up. With intention and practice, it can be developed.
How do you avoid plateauing out as a leader? Aaron Trahan, Founder of Mindset Performance coaching, spent more than a decade researching that question. In this episode of Qonversations, Aaron and host Brian Gorman discuss the three "outs" Aaron has identified and how any leader can apply each of these in raising their performance: out-prepare, out-work, and out-learn. As Aaron explains, these are not leaders who are on the job 24/7. It is the mindset they bring, and how they live into their roles and relationships, that make the difference.
Relationships at work advocate Russel Lolacher joins host Brian Gorman to explore leadership through the lens of relationships. Successfully moving from industrial age leadership to the digital/post-Covid environment requires leaders who understand, leadership is about people. #motivationai
In today's environment, DEI has once again become a topic of focus for business. Some organizations are cutting back or totally eliminating their DEI programs as others re-commit to building an environment in which every employee feels that they belong and that they have a voice. In this episode, Steve Yacovelli, author of "Pride Leadership: Strategies for the LGBTQ+ Leader to be the King Or Queen of Their Jungle," joins host Brian Gorman to explore the shifting landscape of DEI as well as the business - and human - benefits such programs offer.
Challenge is a constant in our lives. Resilience is the force that moves us through it. In this episode, Linda Hoopes, author of "Prosilience: Building Your Resilience for a Turbulent World," CEO of Resilience Alliance, and Quantuvos Advisor, joins host Brian Gorman for a practical discussion of resilience. Among the topics explored are the impact that resilience has in all areas of our lives; the energies that fuel resilience; and the ways that leaders can leverage - or disempower - the resilience of those in their teams.
"People are our most valuable asset." Yet the only place people show up in an organization's financial statements is in expenses. Dave Bookbinder, Executive Director of Valuation Services for Haefele Flanagan, is working to change that. In this episode, Dave joins host Brian Gorman to discuss the challenges of accounting for people as well as the importance of doing so.
Don't judge a book by its cover. While "Level Up: Rise Above the Hidden Forces Holding Your Business Back" sounds like a book for entrepreneurs, it is so much more. Co-author Lara Hodgson, who wrote "Level Up" with Stacey Abrams, joins host Brian Gorman to discuss those aspects of leveling up that might be called "the hidden forces holding you back." Wherever you are in life, there are important lessons in this conversation.
In his book Team Habits: How Small Habits Lead to Extraordinary Results, Charlie Gilkey writes, "No matter your role in the company, you have the power to change your team's habits." Charlie joins host Brian Gorman to explore several of the habits that, if changed, will make a significant difference in the lives of those on your team, the impact of your team on the business, and the success that the business is able to achieve. Along the way, he discusses why even changing the habits of individual contributors can change how businesses are led and what they can accomplish.
Kayla Ihrig, author of "How to Be a Digital Nomad," shares some important life lessons for all of us in this episode. In this far-ranging conversation with host Brian Gorman, Kayla moves beyond talking about "work-life balance" to discuss how each of us, whether in the workplace, working remotely, in a hybrid work environment, or working from anywhere, can create a richer blend of life and work.
As the world around us continues to change, if you are not innovating, at best you are struggling to keep up. In this episode of Qonversations, Bruno Pesec, Pesec Global, joins host Brian Gorman to discuss the leader's role in innovation along with what contributes to, and what hinders, innovation in the workplace.
Sara Lohse, Founder, Favorite Daughter Media, and host Brian Gorman share stories as they explore the power of story to connect us and the misuse of stories to pull us apart. We all have stories, and we are all powerful storytellers, but so often we limit ourselves and our ability to connect by thinking that our stories aren't worthy of sharing. As Sara and Brian discuss, they are, and they can change our lives when we do.
In too many organizations, the playing field still disadvantages women. Quantuvos coach Daphne Jefferson, Half-Managed Mind CEO Charlotte Rooney, and host Brian Gorman explore the career challenges that women face. From advancing to that first "broken rung" in their careers, to senior-level positions, there are steps that women can take to claim their rightful identity and place. And there is both awareness and action that men can take to ensure the equitable treatment of their female colleagues.
As a leader, how do you cultivate belonging in your organization? Brad Deutser, our guest for Episode 52, returns to discuss the second part of his book "Belonging Rules: Five Crucial Actions that Build Unity and Foster Performance." Brad and host Brian Gorman dig into the practical value of belonging and how you as a leader (even if you are only the "leader of you") can foster belonging for yourself and those around you.
In this episode, Julien C. Mirivel and Alexander Lyon, authors of "Positive Communication for Leaders: Proven Strategies for Inspiring Unity and Effecting Change," join host Brian Gorman to discuss the importance of leadership communication and its impact on both individuals and the organization. Both the book and this conversation take a practical look on how leaders at all levels can shift their conversations to be more positive and more effective.
You have a brand at work. Whether intentionally crafted or not, when people hear your name, receive an email or digital message from you, or see you on the screen or in person, your brand comes to mind. Quantuvos coach Rei Perovic joins host Brian Gorman to explore this often-overlooked topic. What goes into a personal brand? How do you shape it? What can you do to break that initial box, stereotype, bias that others project onto you the first time you encounter one another? These questions and more are answered in this insightful conversation.
There is no single solution for the best leadership team. That said, the extensive research of Thomas Keil and Marianna Zangrillo has resulted in important models for leadership teams that are best fitted for different types of organizations and different situations the organization is facing. Host Brian Gorman, Thomas, and Marianna explore several of the key messages that the authors present in "The Next Leadership Team: How to Select, Build, and Optimize Your Top Team."
We’ve all heard the saying, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” And we all encounter those forks; sometimes we see them coming, and sometimes we don’t. Janet Redwine, Olympic athlete and Director of Program Success for Executive Education in the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver, joins host Brian Gorman for this inquiry into aspirations vs. goals, recognizing turning points, and reflection on the past as you reach another turning point and move into the future.
The global impact of Covid serves as the backdrop for Jeff Skipper's "Dancing with Disruption: Leading Dramatic Change During Global Transformation." Jeff uses the pandemic and responses to it as a case study of twelve strategies for moving through change. In this conversation, Jeff and host Brian Gorman dive into several of those strategies and why they are so important regardless of the scale of the change being executed.
When we think of leadership development, our attention turns to the skills that leaders need. But as important as those skills are, their value is limited if they are not applied with an appropriate level of leadership maturity. In this episode, Jessica Bronzert, Founder and CEO of Sparks Group, joins host Brian Gorman to discuss horizontal (skills) vs. vertical (maturity) development. The need for attention to vertical development continues to grow as the forces driving change in the workplace become increasingly powerful.
We all have choice in how we live our lives; while the choices may not always be what we want, there still is choice. In this episode, Rahul Karan Sharma, author of Habits 4 Miracles: Design Your Life Your Way joins host Brian Gorman in an often-personal conversation about the choices we have and the habits we can develop to foster positive choices. Applying the lessons of this podcast has the potential to change the direction of your life.
At the heart of business success is trust: trust with those who work for the organization, with vendors, and with customers. In The Pyramid Puzzle, Zain Raj, Co-Founder of Shapiro, Raj, writes an engaging business novel about a long-term business that has lost trust. Raj and host Brian Gorman use The Pyramid Puzzle to discuss how trust can be lost and how it can be regained. Among the key messages: see the business through the lens of others and consistently deliver on your promise as they understand it.
What are you seeking in your life? Grant Muller, author of Top of Heart left high school with the ambition and drive to achieve significance. By his late 20s, he was a tech industry millionaire, an alcoholic, and a junkie. As Grant says of that time in his life, "The success we achieve may not give us the fulfillment we are seeking." In this deeply personal and reflective episode, Grant joins host Brian Gorman to share his journey from a horse stable in Toronto, to an apartment overlooking the mountains of Colorado, to homelessness and living in a crack house he was afraid to leave, and fortunately to the recovery and fulfillment that now give his life meaning. There are lessons here for all of us.
You are an incredible storyteller! Every one of us is. And our brains are story processors, not logic processors. Richard Rosser is a filmmaker, author, and master storyteller. You probably know his work as a writer for 24, This is Us, Gray's Anatomy, the reboot of MacGyver, or elsewhere. Richard and host Brian Gorman explore why stories are so powerful and how to make the stories you tell others as impactful as the stories you tell yourself. Along the way, they share some of their own stories.
In his recently published book, Brad Deutser, founder and CEO of Deutser, asks leaders to "make cultivating belonging a personal leadership imperative across the world." In discussing "Belonging Rules: Five Crucial Actions that Build Unity and Foster Performance," Brad and host Brian Gorman explore human-centric leadership and the five rules for fostering belonging that Brad and his team have identified through extensive research and engagement with organizations globally.
It's no fiction. Work is broken. We knew this before Covid, especially with low employee engagement. Coming out of Covid, workers told us even more strongly as they left their workplaces in unprecedented numbers. "Fixing Work" by David Henkin and Thomas Bertels is a recently published fictional account of very real problems that permeate today's workplace. David and Thomas join host Brian Gorman to explore how and why work is broken and what can be done to fix it.
Helping women grow their leadership presence is the mission of Sue Reynolds, owner of Carmine Media. Even today, both women and men are receiving messaging about “women’s place in the world.” Sue and host Brian Gorman reflect on the history of this messaging over the last four decades, how pervasive it continues to be, and how great an impact it has. The conversation also addresses ways in which supervisors can give voice not only to women but to any who are seen as “other” in the organization.
According to Alicia Howard, Founder of The People Scale, “Culture is like Jenga.” As leaders, every single move we make regarding our people is important. In this episode, Alicia and host Brian Gorman explore the important role of leaders in everything from hiring for the culture you are seeking to build or sustain to scaling your people, growing them, creating better leaders to scale profitability and to scale the business. Culture is creating the environment for people to do their best work. Leaders at every level of the organization are culture shapers and culture keepers. They either build the Jenga culture or topple it.
Everyone experiences friction in the workplace. Often, that friction is generated by the different lenses that different generations bring to work. Chris DeSantis, author of Why I Find You Irritating: Navigating Generational Friction at Work, joins host Brian Gorman to explore the realities and the myths about generational differences. Each generation brings value to the workplace. This conversation brings important insights to everybody who interacts with other generations whether on the job or elsewhere.
What we are thinking affects our body posture, the words that we say, and the tone of our voice. All of these are elements of our speaking! In this episode, Emma Wainer, founder and CEO of Speaking at Work, joins host Brian Gorman in an exploration of what gets in the way of leaders who feel “other than” speaking as the leaders that they are. The conversation also addresses what the leaders of leaders who are “other than” should do to help those leaders speak fully as themselves.
What we are thinking affects our body posture, the words that we say, and the tone of our voice. All of these are elements
of our speaking! In this episode, Emma Wainer, founder and CEO of Speaking at Work, joins host Brian Gorman in an exploration of what gets in the way of leaders who feel “other than” speaking as the leaders that they are. The conversation also addresses what the leaders of leaders who are “other than” should do to help those leaders speak fully as themselves.
Unlocking Potential and Inspiring Greatness: According to Ben Grimes, Founder of BKG Leadership Coaching, leaders take care of their people, help them see their potential, and guide their growth. Ben and host Brian Gorman draw from their early military careers to discuss the impact a leader can have on the future of even the youngest of people they are leading and those whose lives those young people touch. Serving clients with grace and integrity is another important aspect of leadership explored in this episode.
Since Covid, leaders have wrestled with how to sustain, build, and/or redefine a culture that is now either hybrid or fully virtual. Ron Ross, owner of Avant HR Solutions, joins host Brian Gorman to discuss this challenge. Intention, robust connection, listening, effective communication, and coaching are all important elements of leading in virtual cultures. During the conversation, Ron and Brian make the point that leaders need to begin by connecting with, listening to, and grounding themselves.
Trauma is a real part of the human experience. Whether it happened in our youth or as an adult, in our personal life or our professional life, doesn’t really matter. Whether large or small, we carry our trauma inside us; its impact can be triggered at any time and by anyone. Founder and CEO for the Institute of Trauma and Psychological Safety Dr. Lee Cordell joins host Brian Gorman to reflect on the role of trauma inside of our organizations and how we as leaders can manage the environment as well as the individual and collective response to trauma.
“Imagine a world where Artificial Intelligence harmonizes human interaction in workplaces, where technology doesn’t estrange but connects us more profoundly.” This is the future of work as envisioned by Manuj Aggarwal, Founder and Chief Innovation Officer of TetraNoodle Technologies, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity consulting firm. In this episode, Manuj joins host Brian Gorman to explore the present and future of AI. Along the way, they touch on everything from its impact on our daily lives (will driving become a thing of the past?) to our role as leaders in our organizations.
Very few organizations would disagree with the statement that people are their most important asset. As evidenced by the Great Resignation/Great Reshuffle, all too often, the people in those organizations don’t feel that is how leaders see them. In this episode, Lori Duguay, CEO of People Powered Solutions joins host Brian Gorman to discuss what needs to happen in order to ensure that “people are our most important asset” is at the heart of your organization’s culture. Among the key lessons shared is the importance of moving away from “human resources” and “employees” and working with, and for, people; and moving from command-and-control leadership to coaching, autonomy, and empowerment.
The past of work, whatever that was, is behind us. The present, with its disrupted work systems and work environments, is here. The future is ahead. For decades, Judi Neal, PhD (Yale, Organizational Behavior) has been a student of how to bridge past, present, and future. In this conversation, Judi and host Brian Gorman discuss “edgewalkers,” those people who are not content with the status quo and are aware of what is emerging. For organizations that want to move into the future in an intentional way, it’s important to welcome and hear your edgewalkers.
Integral Master Coach Max Klau joins host Brian Gorman to explore the relationship between change in the outer world and the change in the inner world. The focus of the conversation is not on leadership behaviors, but on the being of leadership. As Max says, “At the deepest level, our way of being calls forth the dynamic around us.” The inner journey of leadership is deeply personal. It requires courage and integrity. It is a never-ending journey that changes not only how you show up but also the experience of all those around you.
We can’t predict the future. Things happen. For Elizabeth (Ellie) Gould, those things included a home invasion by a psychopath threatening her life as well as the lives of her two- and four-year-old children that left her seriously injured, followed shortly after by a cancer diagnosis. In this science-based conversation, Ellie and host Brian Gorman challenge the focus on positive thinking and goals; Ellie doesn’t believe in either. Rather, she advocates for a focus on aims. The roles that emotions, our unconscious, patterns, and limiting beliefs play in shaping our future – and how to intentionally work with these elements to create the life you want - make this a life-changing episode of Qonversations.
What do college football, law enforcement, dance, software development, business school, Shakespearean theatre, healthcare, marketing, and high school have in common? In Boise, Idaho, members of each of these professions came together, learning the value of being “wise beyond your field.” Nancy Napier, Professor of Strategy at Boise State University and a self-described academic entrepreneur, joins host Brian Gorman to discuss how and why she brought this diverse group of professionals together to learn from one another and the value that each one gained from this experience.
Our ability to think, problem solve, create, explore, converse, and more is much greater when we are coming from a place of calmness. Mediator and negotiator Hesha Abrams joins host Brian Gorman for this lively exploration of finding and holding the calm, even in challenging situations. Hesha describes ways in which holding the calm allows you to intentionally resolve conflict and defuse tension. Her analogies and stories will remain with you long after the episode ends.
Creativity is not just for artists. It comes in all flavors. Rich Kirkpatrick, author of Mindblown: Unlock Your Creative Genius by Bridging Science and Magic, joins host Brian Gorman to discuss the integration of leadership and creativity. Creative thought requires both divergent and convergent thinking, as well as lateral thinking, to generate ideas, sort them, and find the integration points that allow us and our organizations to thrive.
In this episode, Co-Founder and Chief Coaching Officer Margaret Brake and host Brian Gorman discuss Quantuvos’ approach to group coaching along with the benefits it delivers to both the participants and their organizations. Group coaching brings together individuals who share a common thread, whether it’s related to their roles (e.g., first time managers) or areas of leadership development important to the organization (e.g., becoming more skilled at tough conversations). Colleagues supporting one another as they learn to apply new mindsets and skills, as they build networks and community across organizational silos, and as they develop a shared sense of purpose, are just some of the elements of the ROI that is delivered through group coaching. When integrated with training and development and one-on-one coaching, even greater benefits can be attained.
In 2008, Smart Destinations employed about 40 employees in HQ and satellite offices when the market crashed. Investors instructed leadership to close physical locations and send everyone home. As the recension ended, Smart Destinations was doing twice as much work with half the people at a significantly lower cost. Today, Smart Destinations co-founder Cecelia Dahl applies the lessons in virtual leadership that she learned during that time to run her businesses from a sailboat three months a year. In this episode, Cecelia and host Brian Gorman discuss what she has learned regarding a “productivity anywhere” leadership mindset and optimizing virtual leadership.
Guest Sean Tyler Foley (child and adult actor, photogrammetrist, and serial entrepreneur) and host Brian Gorman (social activist, Air Force drill sergeant, fund raiser, management consultant, coach, and more) explore the importance of finding the common threads in our careers. Even if you have been in a single profession, industry, or with one employer for all your career, knowing what makes one role a grind and another feed your passion is invaluable. Whether considering a new position, a new career, or re-committing to more fully to your current position, there are insights in this podcast that are invaluable.
As is quoted in the intro to Qonversations, “everything happens through conversations.” Conversations build relationships, and relationships build networks. For extroverts, those conversations (whether at a networking event or elsewhere) come easily; for introverts, not so much. In this episode, Jeff Ton joins host Brian Gorman to explore how to build your professional network both within your organization and outside of it. As Jeff says, “whether in a transition or not, networks pay dividends.”
According to Ed Krow (Ed Krow, LLC), we have moved from the Information Age to the Experience Age. In this episode, Ed and host Brian Gorman address how to lead in the Experience Age, from recruiting and hiring (including hiring for the alignment of passion as well as hiring for skills), to becoming the workplace that no one wants to leave, to how to exit those who are ready to move on.
Sun salutations. A landslide blocking a national highway. A shattered femur 14,000 feet above sea level. In this episode, Host Brian Gorman revisits these events and many others with Yogi Aaron, his longtime yoga instructor. In doing so, Aaron and Brian draw out leadership lessons that go far beyond the yoga studio and are applicable at all levels of both formal and informal leadership.
All too often, we try to problem-solve by focusing on one side of the equation. Perhaps the challenge is being too directive, so we try to solve for “how can I be less directive.” The foundation of working with polarities is a recognition that there is a positive side to what is being identified as the problem; for example, being “directive” helps to ensure that the task is completed as needed. It is also acknowledging that there is an alternative pole that has its positive; for example, the other pole for “directive” might be “easy going.” In this episode, Quantuvos coach Cliff Kayser joins host Brian Gorman to discuss ways in which we can identify and then work with polarities to address the challenges that we and members of our teams face.
Although she began her career as an engineer, Edwina (Ed) Pike, creator of Irrational Change, sees beyond organizational structures, systems, and processes. Inspired by Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces that Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely,Ed shifted her career and is now an internationally recognized thought leader in the field of change management. In this episode, she and host Brian Gorman explore the concept of irrational change in organizations, bringing non-traditional lenses including cultural anthropology and behavioral science to bear. The result is to offer a deeper understanding of how as leaders, influencers, and change management professionals we can bring about the changes that our organizations need to survive and to thrive.
The words don’t always come out the way we want them to. Whether it’s that random conversation with a stranger or the opening to an important meeting, all too often, we find ourselves stumbling or just not saying it with the power and punch that we want to. Like everything else, strengthening our ability to deliver the messages we want orally requires practice. In this episode, Brenden Kumarasamy, Founder of MasterTalk, and host Brian Gorman, explore how to be prepared to answer any question that comes your way; how to speak with authority on all aspects of your work and career; and how to have at the tip of your tongue powerful stories that convey exactly the message that you want.
In his book Catalytic Leadership: 12 Keys to Becoming an Intentional Leader Who Makes a Difference, William Attaway defines a catalytic leader as “one who sparks or accelerates significant change or action with a powerful impact.” William joins Qonversations host Brian Gorman to discuss some of the less commonly addressed keys to powerful leadership including cultivating a teachable spirit, aspiring for proper productivity, leading yourself well, discovering how you are designed and wired to lead, and choosing to be family focused. Leaders at every level of organizational life can benefit from the insights that are shared during this conversation.
Whether consciously or not, whether intentionally or not, each of us is influencing others all the time. Intentional influencers exist at all levels of our organizations, from the front lines to the C-suite. In this episode, Quantuvos coach Rick Cartor joins host Brian Gorman to explore influence and influencers.
This conversation with Peter Anthony (Peter Anthony Consulting) started with an exploration of the link that Peter makes between disruption and collaboration, but it soon wove in other important concepts that are important to leadership and business success. Peter and host Brian Gorman talk about what it takes to create a collaborative culture and why its important to do so and then move on to client relationships. As Peter points out clients who are satisfied are very willing to change providers; clients with whom relationships have been built based on collaborative intent become advocates, “and there is where the growth happens.”
It isn’t unusual to consider the relationship between a change and the organization’s purpose. What is unusual is to consider the purpose of the people whose jobs are being changed and to consider the instincts that drew them to those jobs. In this thought-provoking conversation, Beth Banks Cohn, Founder and President of ADRA Change Architects, and Quantuvos coach Brian Gorman explore the importance of understanding the connection between these three elements whether making individual assignment changes or planning significant change initiatives.
Much like our clients, at Quantuvos we can accept what is, and are driven toward what can be. In 2022, that passion for a better future for coaching led Quantuvos to launch the Center for Coaching Effectiveness. In this episode, Asia Jarosz, PhD, the Center’s Executive Director, talks about her own journey to coaching; the importance of understanding and being able to measure coaching effectiveness; and what her model for measuring coaching effectiveness can contribute to coaches, managers and leaders, and organizations.
The world of work tends to favor extraverts. For the introvert, everything from meeting participation to teambuilding to water cooler talk is a much different experience. In this episode, Quantuvos coach Kim Gray (introvert) and host Brian Gorman (introvert) discuss the introvert difference, and ways that managers can elicit the best from their introverted team members.
It’s likely that you have experienced Imposter Syndrome in the past. It’s even possible that you are experiencing it in your current role and/or will experience it again in the future. Mark Stanifer joins host Brian Gorman to discuss the underlying causes of Imposter Syndrome, and how we can leverage Identity (who we are), Mission (the actions we take), and Community (those we are interacting with) to overcome it.
“I want to give you some feedback” is one of the most dreaded things to hear, whether in the workplace or elsewhere. Everyone has had feedback sessions that have left them demoralized, disincentivized, and even “feeling crushed.” In this episode, Quantuvos coach Julie Stuart joins host Brian Gorman to bring a new perspective on how to approach giving feedback, and even on what constitutes feedback.
“Inclusivity is about how we bring out the best in others” says Daphne Jefferson. In this episode of Qonversations, she and host Brian Gorman discuss the importance of self-reflection, knowing who you are, your value set, and what you bring to the table. They also explore the cost to you of defining yourself by others standards and the intentional steps leaders can take to harness the power of diversity.
The nature of work, the workplace, and those who do the work continue to change, yet many organizations continue to be led in a top-down, autocratic, industrial age way. In this conversation, Quantuvos coaches Dave Cain and Brian Gorman explore critical questions around leadership in the 21st century and identify some of the key characteristics of successful leadership today.
Quantuvos Co-Founders Margaret Brake, Chief Coaching Officer, and Gregg Bedol, Chief Executive Officer, join Quantuvos coach and Qonversations host Brian Gorman to introduce Qonversations: Powered by Quantuvos. This podcast features Quantuvos coaches and other experts sharing their insights for leaders at all organizational levels who are facing the challenges of today’s disrupted work environment.