The Leadership Trap: Recent Episodes
The Leadership Trap
As experts in leadership development, executive coaching, strategic human capital, and much more – they are keenly aware that every manager has blind spots. The best workplaces foster high trust and commitment. Leaders who learn from the traps they fall into throughout their careers are better equipped to manage with humility and an intuitive sense of ‘the right thing’ in creating great organizational cultures. The Leadership Trap podcast’s purpose is to introduce its listeners to accomplished, successful leaders who learned along the way – converting hazardous traps to seizing big opportunities on the other side.
Episode 27: We sit down with Siobhan McHale, change leader and author of The Hive Mind at Work: Harnessing the Power of Group Intelligence to Create Meaningful and Lasting Change and discuss the blinds spots that can cause leaders to fall into their own leadership traps.
Siobhan McHale, author of the newly released book, The Hive Mind at Work: Harnessing the Power of Group Intelligence to Create Meaningful and Lasting Change , has worked across four continents, helping thousands of leaders to create more agile and productive workplaces.She also has been on the “inside” as the executive in charge of culture change in a series of large, multinational organizations. One of these inside jobs was a radical seven-year change initiative at Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ) Bank that transformed it from the lowest-performing bank in the country into one of the highest-performing and most admired banks in the world. Professor John Kotter used her work with ANZ as a Harvard Business School case study designed to teach MBA students about managing change.
Growing up on a farm in Finea, a small village in southern Ireland, McHale watched the bees as they swarmed in the orchard of her family’s farm. This fascination with bees led her to investigate the intricacies of human ecosystems and she would go on to spend three decades studying groups in the workplace. This experience taught her about the power of harnessing the Hive Mind and the group intelligence needed to create meaningful and lasting change.
Podcast Hosts: David Hughen and Dr. Kris Potrafka
Episode 26: We sit down with Willie Pieterson, Professor, The Practice of Management, Columbia Business School and discuss the blinds spots that can cause leaders to fall into their own leadership traps.
Willie Pietersen was raised in South Africa, and received a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford University. After practicing law, he embarked on an international business career. Over a period of twenty years he served as the CEO of multibillion-dollar businesses such as Lever Brothers Foods Division, Seagram USA, Tropicana and Sterling Winthrop’s Consumer Health Group.In 1998, Pietersen was named Professor of the Practice of Management at the Columbia University Graduate School of Business. He specializes in strategy and the leadership of change, and his methods and ideas, especially Strategic Learning, are widely applied within Columbia’s executive education programs, and also in numerous corporations.
He has served as a teacher and advisor to many global companies, including CNA Insurance Group, CUBIC, Deloitte, Ericsson, Electrolux, ExxonMobil, First Command, Girl Scouts of America, Henry Schein, Inc., J&J (DePuy), National Council on Aging, Novartis, SAP, SRP, UGI Utilities, United Nations Federal Credit Union, Univation Technologies.
His most recent book is Leadership – The Inside Story: Time-Tested Prescriptions for Those Who Seek to Lead.
PodcastHosts: Dr. Kris Potrafka and David Hughen
Episode 25: We sit down with Curtis Bateman, Vice President of direct international offices for FranklinCovey and discuss the blinds spots that can cause leaders to fall into their own leadership traps.
Curtis Bateman is the bestselling co-author of Change: How to Turn Uncertainty Into Opportunity and is vice president of direct international offices for FranklinCovey. With over 24 years of experience in the training industry, Curtis is an internationally recognized presenter, content developer, change consultant, business leader, and coach. His passion for enabling organizations “at change” resulted in the co-creation of transformative, industry-leading solutions, including Change Element,Leaders@Change, ManagingMillennials, Millennials@Work, and the Change Practitioner.Formerly the president and CEO at Red Tree Leadership, Curtis managed the world-class brand Who Moved My Cheese? and created a practical approach to help individuals and leaders succeed with an ever-complex world of change in the workplace. Curtis joined FranklinCovey as a senior change consultant and co-practice leader. In 2016, Curtis became managing director of the U.K. and Ireland, in 2018 was asked to assume additional management responsibilities of Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, and in 2019 took on additional responsibility for China, Japan, and Australia.
PodcastHosts: Dr. Kris Potrafka and David Hughen
Episode 24: We sit down with Marisa Murray, CEO of Leaderley International and discuss the blinds spots that can cause leaders to fall into their own leadership traps.
Marisa has more than two decades of success in leadership roles in business and technology. A former Partner with Accenture and Vice President at Bell, Marisa now applies her extensive executive experience to support the leadership development of her clients and their teams through consulting, coaching and speaking services.Marisa is a Credentialed Professional Coach (PCC) and is certified in Marshall Goldsmith’s Stakeholder Centered Coaching, Emotional Intelligence, Conversational Intelligence and WBECS Coach Master’s Toolkit. She holds an MBA from Queen’s University and is a Professional Engineer from the University of Waterloo.
Check out Marisa’s three Amazon bestselling books: Work Smart , Iterate! and Blind Spots as well as her TEDx Talk: Success without Stress.
PodcastHosts: Dr. Kris Potrafka and David Hughen
Episode 23: ‘‘Francis Cholle is the ‘Al Gore of Creativity’, evangelizing an ‘inconvenient truth’ of an altogether different kind – that creativity is actually declining at an alarming rate. The Intuitive Compass is a sure path business leaders can use to guide them toward innovation, disruptive thinking and the creative atmosphere necessary to succeed in today’s disorienting business climate.’‘ – Mike Lundgren, Partner and Director of Innovation Strategy, VML (Young & Rubicam)
In Francis’ own words…
I was born to a family of scientists and raised in Paris, where I received a master’s in science of management at Europe’s leading business school. After two years spent in Frankfurt, Germany in commercial banking, as part of my civil service I was fortunate to start my professional career at the helm of a publishing house. This demanding and thrilling experience took me around the world and through all aspects of producing art books and leading a private company, including becoming one of the main shareholders and millionaire at age 25.
Then even more unconventional paths have stretched me and satiated my curiosity for life, the arts and humanities: professional training in theater and opera in New York, professional yoga training in India, and a degree in clinical psychology. All have shaped my personal take on life and provided me with insights into human nature, as well as awakened a concern for the sustainability of the modern world.
I couldn’t help but ask myself, “How is it that we were able to get to the moon, and yet are unable to sustain a balanced relationship with nature?” What is the root cause to that split in the human mind? I imagined an answer to this question and a solution to our daunting sustainability challenge. If only we could include instinct (nature in us) in our thought processes and decisions, chances are we would design solutions unavoidably more respectful of nature.
To prove that this approach of holistic decision making could help businesses better adapt, innovate, and succeed, I decided to start a consulting practice, The Human Company. We got hired and rehired by some of the most successful global companies because our unique methodology brought them unprecedented success.
The time has come for me to help corporations more easily reach their business goals inclusive of all stakeholders, and contribute to systemic change by enriching leadership culture.
PodcastHosts: Dr. Kris Potrafka and David Hughen
Episode 22: Gregg is the founder and executive director of the Center for Respectful Leadership and a bestselling, award-winning author, speaker, facilitator, and executive coach. He’s on a mission to transform lives and organizations through respect and respectful leadership. His most recently published book, “Restoring Respect: A ‘how-to’ Guide for Supporting the Repair of Broken Work Relationships.” It truly is a guidebook for leaders to reference, packed with useful approaches to the respect restoration process. Gregg’s a kick and we enjoyed coming to know him in this show!
Taught By Sports Legends. The son of world-famous New York Daily News sportswriter Gene Ward, Gregg was introduced at a young age to scores of sports legends from professional football, tennis, and the Olympics. These heroes had a profound impact on Gregg, teaching him the enormous value of determination, hard work, leadership, and respect.
Serving the NYPD. Then, in 1986 while working as a professional theater artist in New York, Gregg received an unexpected invitation from the NYPD that literally changed the course of his life. Collaborating with a team of experts, Gregg developed a powerful “experiential learning” program for police officers that utilized Gregg’s performance, improvisational, and facilitation skills. It was considered a huge success by NYPD’s leadership and was featured in major media including The New York Times and CNN.
Decades of Experience. Since then Gregg has developed and delivered over 2,500 separate keynote speeches, programs and seminars using his unique techniques; facilitated scores of strategic planning sessions and offsite meetings for global corporations; appeared on network television and radio, written numerous books and articles; and coached hundreds of senior executives and managers throughout North America and Western Europe.
Custom-Created Presentations. From a keynote presentation for an audience as large as 3,500 for Kraft Foods to facilitating a strategic offsite meeting for the leadership of The US Navy, SPAWAR…from moderating a C-Suite executive panel discussion for Ericsson Wireless to leading small-group seminars for professional associations…Gregg Ward has experience in virtually every type of platform situation. Gregg will custom-create an interactive, powerful, and unforgettable motivating experience specially tailored for your unique audience.
PodcastHosts: Dr. Kris Potrafka and David Hughen
Episode 21: Joseph recently stepped into the Trap for a wide-ranging, free-flowing discussion on the challenges of leading with humility and self-awareness. His breadth of experiences in the military, entrepreneurial tech, politics, and academia combine to shape his views on where leaders fall short and where they have opportunities to grow their leadership practice. Joseph brought lots of positive energy and wisdom to the Trap. His frames of reference inform a broader view of the work of leadership. Tons of guidance and ideas in this session!
Joseph Kopser is a lifelong problem solver committed to building the teams needed to take on our toughest challenges. In addition, he is a technology entrepreneur and expert in transportation, smart cities, urban mobility, energy, and national security issues as well as an Army combat veteran. Currently, he serves as an Executive-in-Residence at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas. In addition, he is President of Grayline where he works with people and companies to bring together experts, data, and solutions to help companies and public institutions manage disruptive change. Prior to co-founding Grayline, Joseph co-founded and served as CEO of RideScout, before it was acquired by Mercedes-Benz in 2014. Joseph served in the U.S. Army for 20 years earning the Combat Action Badge, Army Ranger Tab, and Bronze Star. He is a graduate of West Point with a BS in Aerospace Engineering and also received a Masters from the Harvard Kennedy School in 2002. In 2013, he was recognized as a White House Champion of Change for his efforts in Energy and Transportation. He is also an advisor and Chief Growth Officer for The Mentor Method, a company focused on bringing mentor methods to diverse talent at all levels. In 2014, his company, RideScout, won the U.S. Department of Transportation Data Innovation Award. In 2018, Joseph ran for Congress in a race that attracted more voters than any of the 36 districts in Texas. Losing by less than 3 points in a heavily gerrymandered district, Joseph demonstrated that voters want civility and problem solvers in Congress. In his free time, he works closely with The Bunker, an organization dedicated to supporting veteran entrepreneurs. In 2017, he co-authored the book, Catalyst, which serves as the foundation of his public speaking. In 2019, Joseph became the inaugural Chairman of the Board of Advisors for the CleanTX Foundation, an economic development and professional association for cleantech. Joseph and his wife of 25 years, Amy, live in Austin and they are extremely proud of their three adult daughters. Podcast
Hosts: Dr. Kris Potrafka and David Hughen
Episode 20: Ron Carucci stepped into the trap in support of his recently released book: “To Be Honest: Lead with the Power of Truth, Justice, and Purpose”. He starts with a simple premise – tell the truth by saying the right thing, emphasizing truth for justice, and developing the muscles needed to say and do the right things for the right reasons.
Ron Carucci is the best-selling author of 8 books, and a popular contributor at Harvard Business Review and Forbes. Ron’s newest book and passion, “To Be Honest: Lead with the Power of Truth, Justice, and Purpose”, is based on 15 years of research with more than 3200 interviews with leaders around the world. To Be Honest explains how four factors (Clear Identity, Accountability, Governance, and Cross-Functional Relationships) affect honesty, justice, and purpose within a company. When these factors are absent or ineffective, the organizational conditions compel employees to choose dishonesty and self-interest. But when done well, the organization is 16 times more likely to have people tell the truth, behave fairly, and serve a greater good. Ron’s passion shines through as he recounts the stories of the exemplars he studied and interviewed.
Ron is co-founder and managing partner at Navalent, working with CEOs and executives pursuing transformational change for their organizations, leaders, and industries. He has a thirty-year track record of helping some of the world’s most influential executives tackle challenges of strategy, organization, and leadership. He’s a former faculty member at Fordham University Graduate School as an associate professor of organizational behavior. And, if that wasn’t enough, he has served as an adjunct at the Center for Creative Leadership. From start-ups to Fortune 10’s, turnarounds to new markets and strategies, overhauling leadership and culture to re-designing for growth, he has worked in more than 25 countries on 4 continents. In addition to being a regular contributor to HBR and Forbes, and has been featured in Fortune, CEO Magazine, BusinessInsider, MSNBC, Inc, Business Week, Smart Business and is a 2-time TEDx speaker. Finally, you can read more of Ron's insights at HBR and Forbes, and at the Navalent blog. Podcast
Hosts: Dr. Kris Potrafka and David Hughen
Episode 19. Ray Arata joined the Trap to discuss his passion to heighten expectations for what we should expect of male leaders in the workplace. He’s a writer, speaker, and business leader – pressing a new message at a time when minds are being opened by social powerhouse moments: ‘me-too’, ‘black lives matter’, ‘a global pandemic’, and more. His message is raising consciousness for fathers, husbands, and gay-straight men who are ready to take on the preferred path of inclusive masculinity in roles of influence. If you’re ready to break out of the boys club of leadership styles, take a listen to Ray’s interview on the Trap.
Ray Arata is the author of two books, Wake Up Man Up, Step Up: Transforming Your Wake Up Call to Emotional Health and Happiness, and Showing Up: How Men Can Become Effective Allies in the Workplace. As an expert in leadership, inclusion, allyship, and emotional literacy, professionals connect with Ray because he leads from his heart and practices what he teaches in his own businesses and personal life. He brings an extensive business background and more than 15,000 hours in leading men to develop emotional literacy. Through his keynote presentations, workshops, executive coaching, and management training, he applies the same heart-based principles that have helped him to lead a thriving business and fulfilling personal life. Ray’s personal mission involves going into the corporate world and getting male executives to stand up when it comes to including and advancing women and minorities in the workplace. In writing, Showing Up for men, DEI professionals seeking to engage men, as well as historically marginalized people who seek to support and be supported. Ray provides content that places a fundamental baseline for the emerging male leader.
Ray seeks to engage men as allies and advocates for diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and justice. He is committed to the transformation of the gender perspective from which organizations engage with all stakeholder groups, customers, employees, investors, partners, and the global community. Ray has delivered engaging talks to audiences featuring corporate leadership from organizations such as Oxy Petroleum, Manulife, Kaiser Permanente, Visa, Intel, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, PWC, PG&E, Genentech, and Chevron. Podcast
Hosts: Dr. Kris Potrafka and David Hughen
Episode 18. Laura Kilcrease joined the Trap having made her mark in shifting Austin from an economy with a history of oil dependency to high-tech prosperity – ultimately putting it on the map as one of the top cities for entrepreneurs to live and work in the U.S. With that legacy solidified, she move up north…way north…to Alberta, Canada. She’s currently running Alberta Innovates, launching, among other programs, Inventures, the flagship gathering of innovators, investors, industry leaders and global researchers, which PwC estimated catalyzed some $200M in potential deal flow in 2019. And, it’s poised to repeat that success in 2022 when Inventures launches sessions this summer. Laura has a keen eye for culture along with a leadership team’s impact on driving healthy cultures to positive outcomes. Join us for a very enlightening chat with Laura.
Laura Kilcrease is the Chief Executive Officer for Alberta Innovates, including its subsidiaries InnoTech Alberta and C-FER Technologies. She brings a track record and laser-focus to innovation ecosystem performance and design. Since her appointment in 2017, she has steered Alberta Innovates restructuring, spearheaded assessment of programs with an eye to the future, and launched Inventures, the flagship gathering of innovators, investors, industry leaders, and global researchers, which PwC estimated catalyzed some $200M in potential deal flow in 2019. Born in London, England, and recruited from Austin, Texas, Laura served as a member of the Alberta Research and Innovation Advisory Committee for seven years prior to joining Alberta Innovates. She is widely recognized as a key figure in changing Austin’s economy from oil dependency to high-tech prosperity to become the #1 city for entrepreneurs to live and work in the U.S.. She has more than 25 years of experience in commercializing technology, including:
founding the venture capital fund Triton Ventures, LP; founding the Austin Technology Incubator, among the earliest in the United States; co-founding the Austin Technology Council, a premier economic networking organization; and launching the Capital Network, one of the largest angel investor networks in the U.S. with over $150M in completed transactions.
A dedicated community builder, Laura served on various for-profit and non-profit boards, including the Women’s Leadership Advisory Board of Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, the Beyster Institute, World Congress for Information Technology 2006, the IC² Institute at The University of Texas, and is currently on the board of the University Federal Credit Union, one of the top 100 credit unions in the U.S. She has been often recognized for outstanding achievements, including the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, the Austin Business Journal’s Profiles in Power Award, and the University of Texas McCombs School of Business Trailblazer Award. Podcast
Hosts: Dr. Kris Potrafka and David Hughen
Episode 17. Gordon Daugherty joined the Trap with deep expertise in guiding early-stage entrepreneurs and their companies through the challenges of building companies of worth. As co-founder and chairman of Austin’s Capital Factory, Gordon is well-known in the business community for his sage wisdom, level-headed and positive approach to mentoring leaders through the numerous challenges they face on the company building journey. This episode is essential listening for new CEOs and leaders at all levels. Some of the themes are universal to the challenges of discerning feedback coming from all sorts of directions and making the critical decisions to move the interests of the enterprise forward. Gordon is calm, cool, collected, and really on his game! In fact, be sure to listen to how he “yells” at his mentees by saying, in his calm manner – “honestly, this is when I’m yelling at you…though it may not sound like it, I’m really yelling.” Gordon wields influence with great respect for people’s dignity.
Gordon Daugherty is a best-selling author, seasoned business executive, entrepreneur, startup advisor and investor. A proud native Texan, Gordon grew up in a small town and graduated from Baylor University with a computer science degree. He spent the first ten years of his career in brand-name companies such as IBM and Compaq and then progressively gravitated towards early-stage and high-growth companies. Gordon spent eight years in the videoconferencing industry, including four years as president of an Israeli-based company that grew from $5 million to $36 million in a short few years and went public on the Euronext Stock Market.
Gordon oversaw most company functions while serving in executive capacities, but his primary focus was on strategy, marketing, sales, business development, and M&A. He was a senior executive for Austin-based NetQoS, which grew rapidly to more than $55 million in revenue before being acquired by CA Technologies for $200 million, and he was a founding advisor for digital advertising pioneer MediaMind, which reached $65 million in revenue and a NASDAQ IPO in 2010.
Gordon has vast experience with early-stage fundraising from both sides of the table. As a venture fund manager and angel investor, he has made more than 200 investments. He has also helped raise more than $80 million in growth and venture capital as a company executive, fund manager, board director, and active advisor. Fundraising is the focus of the first book he authored, titled “Startup Success: Funding the Early Stages of Your Venture”.
Through his content creation practice, Shockwave Innovations, and as co-founder and president of Austin’s Capital Factory, Gordon now spends 100 percent of his time educating, advising, and investing in tech startups. He serves on the board of directors for several Austin-based technology companies and is a managing director at SoftMatch, a corporate innovation advisory firm.
Over the years, Gordon has given personal advice to several hundred entrepreneurs, and more than 1,000 startup founders have completed his Founders Academy boot camp. He has published more than 150 startup advice articles and is the producer of a video library with 50 streaming titles of educational content for startup founders. Podcast
Hosts: Dr. Kris Potrafka and David Hughen
Episode 16. Heather McKissick joined the Trap for a focus on the work of organizations for social good and how leaders can be agents for the ‘good’. Her thoughtful views on how organizations (non-profits, for-profits, government entities, and more) make a difference in their communities make for rich listening. Among her passions, reflected in this episode, is the commitment Credit Unions make to underserved populations – listen to her thoughtful response to the “Moral Dilemma” question.
Deeply involved in community affairs in the Central Texas area, Heather McKissick serves as Executive Vice President of Community Impact, Marketing and Communication for University Federal Credit Union (UFCU), which itself is one of the most committed community organizations in Austin and Central Texas.
When Heather joined UFCU in 2013 as Vice President of Human Resources and Organizational Development, she was already an experienced advocate and community leader after serving for seven years as a volunteer and then five years as Chief Executive Officer of Leadership Austin. For decades, Leadership Austin has trained thousands of local residents in community issues and leadership through its programs, and Heather came to know just about everyone who went through the development programs during her years of service. Part of Heather’s current role at UFCU is to lead the organization’s community engagement within Central Texas and the Coastal Region.
An honored community leader herself, Heather is well-qualified to head these efforts for UFCU. She is a member of the board of the American Heart and Stroke Association of Central Texas; the Young Women’s Alliance community advisory board (and their 2013 “Inspiring Leader of the Year”); and chair of the advisory council for the Austin Young Chamber of Commerce. She served as chair of the Heart Association’s 2017 “Go Red for Women” campaign; as honorary co-chair with Austin Mayor Steve Adler of the 2016 “Austin Under 40” awards; was the inaugural “Austin Under 40 Mentor of the Year” honoree; a “Women of Distinction” honoree in 2014 by the Girl Scouts of Central Texas, and a recipient of a 2010 “Profiles in Power” award. She is also a proud Credit Union Development Educator. Podcast
Hosts: Dr. Kris Potrafka and David Hughen
Episode 15. Kay Mellish joined the Trap recently for a well-timed reflection on how other cultures view their relationship to work. Kay’s expertise in Danish social and business cultures is smartly reflected in this episode. As the pandemic has led many people to reflect on what the notion of work truly means in their lives, Kay offers a glimpse into the Danes’ take on the very American question to a new acquaintance, “So…what do you do?”. And, listeners will especially want to hear about Dane employees’ take on business leadership, the choice to work for a company, and more.
Kay Xander Mellish is a keynote speaker on Scandinavian culture based in Copenhagen, Denmark. She is the author of five books on Denmark, including "How to Live in Denmark" (2014 and 2017) "How to Work in Denmark" (2018), "Working with Americans: Tips for Danes" (2019), and "Working with Danes: Tips for Americans" (2020).
Kay grew up in Wisconsin and graduated magna cum laude from New York University, where she studied journalism and art history. In addition to her non-fiction work, which has appeared in publications including the Wall Street Journal, the Guardian, Sports Illustrated, Mother Jones, and the Danish tabloid BT, Kay spent many years writing fiction. Unable to find a publisher, she began flyposting (a guerilla marketing tactic—look it up!) the first page of her short stories on lampposts and construction sidings in New York City, with a voicemail number to call if readers wanted to hear the rest of the story. After a law-and-order mayor cracked down on flyposters, Kay took to the internet, creating in 1995 one of the first fiction sites on the web.
Kay moved to Denmark in 2000, and now runs the KXMGroup, a Copenhagen-based consultancy that helps Danish companies communicate in English. She is the voice behind the "How to Live in Denmark" podcast and a frequent public speaker at intercultural events in Copenhagen. Podcast
Hosts: Dr. Kris Potrafka and David Hughen
Episode 14. This is one of those episodes that should be bookmarked as required, repeated listening for emerging and current leaders at all levels. Amii Barnard-Bahm covers a wide range of leadership topics, essential to those who want to constantly up their leadership game. Amii’s insights are profound yet familiar, smart, and accessible. Plus, she offers a free self-assessment tool for promotion readiness. Listen up to learn more!
Amii Barnard-Bahn describes herself as a “passionate culture builder” with over 20 years of experience helping executives and teams achieve transformational leadership and sustainable business results. Amii partners with organizations to develop high-performing leaders and teams, and coaches executives who are dedicated to improving their organizational impact.
Amii’s expertise is built upon her corporate background as a Senior Executive and Board Advisor with more than 20 years of success across the healthcare, financial services, and entertainment industries. Amii recently served as SVP HR for River City Bank, California's premier business bank with assets of $2 billion. Prior to River City Bank, as Chief Administrative Officer for the California Dental Association, she created the infrastructure to drive operational agility and led a reorganization resulting in an upgrade of IT and HR functions for the $100 million non-profit association. She previously spent five years as Chief Compliance & Ethics Officer with McKesson, where she designed and executed compliance strategy for the $137 billion Fortune 5 company’s most profitable business unit with $90 billion in revenues and 6,500 employees in 40 international locations. Here she led the implementation of a five-year strategic plan that reduced risk, improved operational efficiency, and increased employee engagement. Prior to this, she worked for eleven years with Fireman’s Fund (a subsidiary of Allianz) where she managed a $2 million budget and directed HR and employment law strategy. She brings this wealth of “in the trenches” experience in service to organizations, understanding the challenges today’s leaders face on a daily basis.
Amii holds a BA in English from Tufts University and a JD from Georgetown University Law Center. She has served on multiple non-profit boards, including currently as a Leadership Committee Member with 2020 Women on Boards. She has taught Corporate Compliance & Ethics at Golden Gate University School of Law and is a frequent speaker on topics including leadership development, employee engagement, and ethical culture. Podcast
Hosts: Dr. Kris Potrafka and David Hughen
Episode 13. In this week’s Trap, Manoj Saxena shares his lessons learned from years of growing entrepreneurial companies – balancing the demands of assertive investors, skeptics, and high-believer employees trying to earn their keep. His reflections on valuing mentors, the importance of female leaders, and being reasonably transparent in communicating the state of the business are well-earned pearls of wisdom.
As Manoj says, “I like building things, going fast, and helping brilliant people build great companies. I also like making markets around the responsible and ethical pairing of human+machine intelligence. I am passionate about racing cars and about inspiring our youth to pursue STEAM careers.” That’s Manoj Saxena – an amalgamation of focus, drive, intelligence, and a charming twinkle in the eye – winning audiences over to his vision.
Manoj currently serves as Chairman, CognitiveScale, and is a venture capitalist focused on the Cognitive Computing and Machine Intelligence market. He’s a founder of AI Global non-profit and also co-founder and Board Member of Bridgeweave and the Saxena Family Foundation. Recently, he served as the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, San Antonio, and retired after six years.
Saxena led IBM Watson Software Division as its first General Manager (2011-14) and helped with the formation of Watson Business Group in January 2014 with a $1B investment from IBM. He left IBM to create a successful AI VC fund in 2014 which later attracted investments from IBM and USAA.
And, core to his professional experience he’s a former CEO and founder of two successful venture-funded software startups which were acquired by IBM (2006) and by CommerceOne (2001). Podcast
Hosts: Dr. Kris Potrafka and David Hughen
Episode 12. In this week’s Trap, Dr. Edward (Ed) Burger reflects on his significant career shift at the beginning of 2020, moving from President of Southwestern University to President & CEO of St. David’s Foundation. Ed discusses his fuller career arc, with some surprising stops along the way and, of course, the leadership traps and personal learnings that inform him in his current capacity. Ed’s a cerebral, thoughtful guest – making for a rich discussion in the Trap!
Ed took the helm of St. David’s Foundation in January 2020, where he oversees all the Foundation’s operations as well as leads its philanthropic endeavors aimed at improving the lives of individuals throughout Central Texas both today and tomorrow. Ed joined St. David’s Foundation from Southwestern University, where he currently holds the titles of President Emeritus and Professor Emeritus of Mathematics.
A leader in thinking, innovation, and creativity, Ed is also the author of more than 70 research articles, books, and videos. He has delivered more than 800 addresses worldwide and has starred in more than 5,000 online math tutorial videos. Ed graduated from Connecticut College, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude with distinction, in mathematics and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He earned a Ph.D. in mathematics from The University of Texas at Austin and was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Waterloo in Canada. In 2013, he was awarded an LL.D. honorary degree by Williams College.
Podcast
Episode 11. In this week’s Trap, Eric Spencer provides years of experience guiding leaders in expanding their knowledge, behaviors, and approach to running high-performance teams. He references the all-too-common trap leaders fall into of avoiding the difficult task of addressing performance issues of employees, right when they need to hear it. Listen to his top three questions to ask before making the tough decision to let someone go from the team. Eric brings a cheeky sense of fun to his profession while delivering hard truths about the critical responsibilities of leadership.
Eric Spencer, COO for SkyeTeam, is a proven leader with more than eighteen years of building and shaping leaders and organizations.
Eric brings extensive experience as an executive coach and leadership development expert. He’s designed, developed, and delivered human resources and leadership programs of varying complexity - from coaching programs to leadership academies – for organizations across industries and ranging from start-ups to Fortune 100 companies.
Eric's experience includes human resources, executive and leadership development and organizational effectiveness to talent acquisition, performance management, M&A, and integrations work
Prior to joining SkyeTeam, Eric served in leadership capacities at P3 Group, 3C Network, Local Matters, Level 3 Communications, and Target Corporation. This rich experience with organizations of varying sizes and business life cycle stages has provided him with a deep set of human resources and training and development experiences.
Eric holds a bachelor’s degree in Management from Arizona State University and an MBA with a focus in Organizational Behavior from Virginia Tech.
He is an avid musician and spends his free time writing, recording, and performing.
Podcast
Hosts: Dr. Kris Potrafka and David Hughen
Episode 10. In this week’s Trap, Rob Lynch shares his perspectives as a ‘serial entrepreneur’, having been the CEO of four start-ups that were all successfully acquired. Rob addresses his maturation as a CEO and what leads to being a ‘more human CEO’ who goes through the discomfort zone of not knowing…and, coming from a place of kindness and compassion to, ultimately, achieve success.
As Founder and Managing Director of Burst Consulting, Rob Lynch is passionate about working to ensure executive teams are operating in a healthy culture of accountability. He is a disciplined mentor who goes beyond business theory to deliver immediate and lasting results. As CEO of multiple companies, four of which were acquired, Rob brings extensive experience in real-time and long-term application.
Rob is a Scaling Up Certified Coach and a Four Decisions Certified Coach. Rob believes every company needs to know how to get the Four Decisions right. He teaches how by helping companies create a one-page strategic plan which encompasses the necessary strategic thinking and execution planning required for success. The one-page strategic plan is a simple, yet powerful and thorough tool that ensures alignment and execution throughout the company to support the long-term vision and near-term goals. It offers practical, actionable methods for creating great strategy and operations within any business and feeds into the annual and quarterly planning process. CEOs cannot assume their top performers will be aligned and accountable just because they are talented. Getting the most from your team requires a good communication rhythm, buy-in, and measurement. Rob helps companies achieve this easily and effectively. Think of it as installing an operating system for the management team to increase profitable growth velocity and achieve critical mass.
As a part of his coaching practice, Rob helps and assists companies in the fine art of raising money or positioning them for merger & acquisition activities in the present unique economy where it is more difficult than ever to monetize to the benefit of the founding and executive team.
Twitter: @burstconsulting Blog: http://www.burstgrowth.com/blog/ Website: www.burstgrowth.com Podcast
Hosts: Dr. Kris Potrafka and David Hughen
Episode 9. In this week’s Trap, Nancy Giordano joins us to discuss the future of “Leadering” (also the title of her new book). Her background of advising some of the top global brands such as Nestle, Coca-Cola, Sprint, and Acumen, among others, led to her reputation of being one of the leading strategic futurists working today. More recently, Nancy’s interests have been drawn to the emerging era of radically different approaches to leading people in the context of disruptive technologies. Naturally, we discuss that interest on the Leadership Trap. As you’ll hear, Nancy is a high-intellect, rapid-thinking, deeply compelling leader who has her ear to the future. Her perspectives are laid out in convincing fashion in “Leadering”, which we highly recommend for anyone who wants to up their leadership game.
Biased in wonder and optimism, Nancy is a strategic futurist focused on building a safe, inclusive, thriving future. Believing we have a once in a generation opportunity to rethink, reimagine and reshape every industry and social construct we call life, she supports and champions those actively architecting bold solutions and guides the visionary leaders eager to meet this call. An active strategist working on horizon solutions, Nancy is eager to share her insights on emerging technologies and shifting cultural expectations in ways that get everyone deeply motivated by the possibilities…and confident to start building.
Described as endlessly optimistic, Nancy is a strategic futurist with a drive to help enterprise organizations and visionary leaders transform to meet the escalating expectations ahead.
Recognized as one of the world’s top female futurists, she has spent her career building, shaping and guiding a portfolio of $50 billion worth of major global brands. With growing conviction of what will (and needs to) shift, executives value her unique abilities to sense and synthesize the terrain ahead and guide those ready to build more relevant and sustainable solutions.
Nancy built a formidable career at several of the most influential ad agencies in NY, Chicago, and LA and for more than a decade has been the Founder/CEO of Play Big Inc., a strategic inspiration company. Her current work dives deeply into the emerging intersection of tech, business and society.
Nancy has a rich history of advising and learning with some of the top companies in the world, including Nestle, Brinker International, The Coca Cola Company, Sprint and Acumen. More recently, she has helped build the team for an artificial intelligence start-up, produced a conference on the seven most disruptive technologies for enterprise, is board member for a non-profit trade organization focused on the future of retail, and is working with a leading fintech/martech provider to ensure the survival of community banks and credit unions nationwide. She also helping usher in the world of distributed applications and computing by championing emergent cryptographic technologies Holochain + Holo.
A frequent panelist at South by Southwest, global keynote speaker, Singularity University guest lecture, and world’s first TEDx licensee, Nancy is committed to advancing societal structures and new mindsets necessary to effectively harness the significant technology innovations heading our way… and ensure a safe and thriving future for us all. Podcast
Hosts: Dr. Kris Potrafka and David Hughen
Episode 8. In this week’s Trap, Jimmy Treybig stopped by for a quick chat. If you don’t know Jimmy, you don’t know tech. So…it’s time for a quick bit of education on a key chapter in the history of technology and Silicon Valley. Jimmy’s often referred to as a pioneer of modern-day tech. In the ‘60s, Jimmy, fresh out of Stanford grad school, joined Hewlett Packard and helped pave the way for the launch of their first computer. Jimmy learned tons from HP’s co-founder, Bill Hewlett, including the importance of treating employees with high degrees of trust and respect. He parlayed his expertise in technology and an empathic commitment to people into a great success story – Tandem Computers… acquired by, of all companies, Hewlett Packard, in a multi-billion dollar deal. For the past 25 years, Jimmy’s become known as the CEO-whisperer through venture firms and board stints. He’s quite an iconic character and put his clear stamp on the early days of Silicon Valley while still impacting the next generation of entrepreneurs today.
Podcast
Hosts: Dr. Kris Potrafka and David Hughen
Episode 7. In this week’s Trap, Farnaz shares her perspectives on the emerging global cultures reflected in the reshaping of US demographics and the implications for how companies position their products to this emerging marketplace as well as how they need to build their leadership teams to reflect the communities they serve.
Farnaz Wallace is a thought leader, author, marketing executive, and an inspirational, futuristic speaker passionate about helping leaders and businesses connect rapid cultural and demographic shifts to growth strategies and leadership practices.
With a proven track record and over 25 years of experience in leadership and marketing/branding strategies, she transforms traditional business models into customer-centric, best-in-class growth platforms, and provides a clear roadmap for profitability and sustainability.
Farnaz is visionary and strategic with an optimal balance of creativity and analytical rigor. And known for her dynamic and energetic personality, strong turnaround ability, and generating tangible results. She is a sought after keynote speaker for leadership and women’s conferences, as well as Millennials and youth culture. Her engaging, provocative, and no-holds-barred style brings a unique, fresh perspective to the stage, negating myths, biases, and stereotypes.
As a Former Global CMO with Church’s Chicken, she led the brand in five years of consecutive same-store sales growth, outpacing the entire category, which resulted in a successful company acquisition process and ownership change. She understands what it takes to stay relevant in a fast-changing marketplace and drive financial results several years in a row. She contributes her success to her passion for people and cultures and building a winning diverse team in a collaborative team environment.
As a woman of Iranian background who immigrated with her family to the US at the age 15, Farnaz’s whole life has been a New World experience. She succeeded and thrived in the business world not just as a woman, but as an unorthodox Iranian-American woman. She uses the lessons learned by facing and overcoming issues of ethnicity, gender, style, political, economic, and lifestyle experiences to shape her vision and keep it alive. She believes in the spirit’s deep desire for freedom, self-determination, and self-expressions to maintain and honor an inner state of authenticity. She lives it and knows how to lead others to find such authenticity within themselves and the brands they represent. Farnaz is passionate about gender and racial equality, human rights, and advancing women in business and leadership.
Farnaz is the published author of the book, The New World Marketplace—how women, youth and multiculturalism are shaping our future. For better or worse, the world of Mad Men is dead. And she coined the phrase, “The New World Marketplace” to help social and business leaders embrace and capitalize on a New World pulsing with diverse makeup of people, relationships, cultures, archetypes, and social and business models.
Podcast Hosts: Dr. Kris Potrafka and David Hughen
