John Whitfield (linkedin.com/in/john-whitfield-73b47515), Head of Sustainable Business Europe at Acre, joins host Dan Freehling to discuss his views on impactful leadership, both in the sustainability space and for all leaders. John and Dan discuss the lessons John has learned about leadership as an American living and working in the oldest still-functioning capitalist society in the world, the Netherlands. John reveals the three key competencies that drive success as a Chief Sustainability Officer, including effective organizational change management skills. John describes the central task of leader development as know thyself and explains that the principles of coaching and Conscious Leadership most resonate with him. John and Dan then discuss the underexplored concept of followership and conclude with John’s top recommendations from the 42 books he has read in the past year. Recommended Reading: “The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership” by Jim Dethmer, Diana Chapman, and Kaley Warner Klemp, “Unlocking Leadership Mindtraps” by Jennifer Garvey Berger, “How to Be an Adult in Relationships” by David Richo, and “The Myth of Normal” by Gabor Mate.

Lakeshia Ekeigwe (leaderthinking.com, linkedin.com/in/lakeshiaekeigwe), CEO and Founder of LeaderThinking Global LLC, joins host Dan Freehling to discuss modern leadership and the qualities and characteristics required for it. Lakeshia emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and the responsibility of leaders to create a healthy workplace culture. She also highlights the need for leaders to share the vision with their teams and help them understand their value and contribution. Lakeshia also discusses the unique challenges that lawyers face in leadership, such as the focus on legal excellence rather than leadership excellence and the impact of malpractice fears on decision-making. Lakeisha shares insights into her own success as a coach and consultant, attributing it to her belief in her abilities, her understanding of her zone of genius, and her clarity on why people hire her. She also discusses the life-changing concepts of emotional intelligence and finding one's own zone of genius. Recommended Reading: "Coach Yourself to Success" by Talane Miedaner, “The Big Leap” by Gay Hendricks, and “Emotional Intelligence 2.0” by Jean Greaves and Travis Bradberry.

Dr. Jaime Goff (theempathicleader.net, drjaimegoff.com, jaime@theempathicleader.net) joins host Dan Freehling to discuss her forthcoming book "Rewrite Your Leadership Story: Overcoming Anxiety and Insecurity to Fulfill Your Leadership Potential." Jaime and Dan explore the influence of her background in marriage and family therapy on her views of leadership and leadership development. Jaime believes that leadership is ultimately about relationships and that understanding human relationship dynamics is crucial for effective leadership. She emphasizes the importance of addressing deeper internal barriers and engaging in vertical development rather than just focusing on horizontal skill-building. Jaime and Dan also discuss the role of values and principles in leadership development, highlighting the importance of aligning values with actions and creating a culture that embraces and lives out those values. Recommended reading: “Immunity to Change” and “An Everyone Culture” by Robert Keegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey, “The Developing Mind” by Dan Siegel, and “The Elevated Leader” by Ryan Gottfredson.

Korinne Ellis (linkedin.com/in/korinne-ellis-maed-9b8b1837/) joins host Dan Freehling to discuss the importance of intentional leadership and leading with a human-first approach in building a strong organizational culture. They cover underrated ways firms can grow employee engagement, changes in the workforce due to generational shifts, and the challenges and opportunities that come with these shifts. Korinne emphasizes the need for leaders to be open to change, develop a learning culture, and create a space where people from all backgrounds feel seen and heard. She also highlights the importance of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in organizations and the role of intentionality and consistency in fostering these elements. Korinne shares her insights on spotting and growing promising rising talent, drawing inspiration from real-life situations and mentors, and building a personal brand based on mindset, values, and actions.

Recommended reading: "Change Your Questions, Change Your Life” by Marilee Adams.

Stacey Fernandes (owlhub.com, linkedin.com/in/staceyfernandes1/), a highly experienced Chief Technology Officer and advocate for diversity and inclusion in the tech sector, joins host Dan Freehling to discuss her human-first leadership approach, which prioritizes the well-being and growth of individuals within an organization. Stacey emphasizes the importance of creating a work culture that values personal growth, collaboration, and innovation. She highlights the need for a coaching culture to support diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Stacey shares her own experiences and offers advice for aspiring women technologists, including the importance of continuous learning, developing emotional intelligence, and finding a workplace culture that aligns with one's values. She also discusses the potential of AI in various industries, such as law enforcement, construction, healthcare, and organizational culture, while emphasizing the need for ethical considerations and inclusivity in AI development.

Recommended reading: "People First Leadership" by Eduardo Braun, "Radical Candor" by Kim Scott, IAPP books on data privacy law for the EU and US, and “When Breath Becomes Air” by Paul Kalanithi.

Steve Baue (stevebaue.com, bauemg.com), CEO and owner of Wisconsin’s premier mental wellness/mental health benefit company, keynote speaker and executive coach, joins host Dan Freehling to discuss his unique approach to business and leadership. Steve emphasizes his focus on building high-quality company that serve their clients, employees, and communities. He prioritizes employee happiness, aiming for them to be at least 51% happy with their work. Steve imagines the future of the mental health field, highlighting the potential impact of technology and increasing openness around mental health. He believes that in the future, mental health will be treated with the same urgency and importance as physical health.

Steve prepares his organizations for change by investing in employee development and ensuring that they are ready to adapt to new challenges. He also emphasizes the importance of explaining the “why” behind tasks and decisions, as it helps to motivate and engage employees. Steve draws inspiration from various sources, including books, self-care practices, and hobbies such as woodworking and meditation. He believes that taking care of oneself is crucial for effective leadership.

Recommended reading: “The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur” by Mike Michalowicz and “Start with Why” by Simon Sinek.

Amy Ruppert Donovan, co-founder of The Integreship Group (integreship.com) and a pioneer of executive coaching, joins host Dan Freehling to discuss major changes in the business world, including increased volatility, disruptions to traditional business models, and an escalation of the war for talent. Amy describes the qualities of visionary leaders, such as putting people before results, building diverse teams, and facilitating solutions rather than imposing them. Amy emphasizes the importance of self-mastery and personal integrity in leadership, as well as the need for leaders to be humble and unassuming. She also discusses the future of coaching, highlighting the importance of maintaining a focus on disruptive transformation and resisting the temptation to prioritize short-term results. Amy and Dan conclude with Amy’s vision for leadership as a standalone profession and the role of coaching in reshaping paradigms.

Recommend reading: “Rethink X” by Tony Seba and James Arbib, “Leadership BS” by Jeffrey Pfeffer, and “Thinking Body, Dancing Mind” by Chungliang Al Huang.

Organizational culture and leadership consultant Dan Bredeson joins host Dan Freehling to discuss his new book "Seeds of Culture" and the importance of cultivating, rather than attempting to construct, a culture of commitment in organizations.

Bredeson shares his observations from his career as a leader in the insurance industry, where he noticed the discrepancy between the desired culture of executives and the actual culture on the ground in client firms.

He emphasizes the need for leaders to think like farmers, nurturing and growing culture over time, rather than thinking like carpenters in trying to artificially build culture. Bredeson identifies six traits of successful culture farmers, including affinity for people, making culture a priority, bringing the right energy, being authentic, growing credibility, and demonstrating integrity.

Bredeson also discusses the importance of effective communication, ethics, psychological safety, diversity and inclusion, generosity, autonomy, and mutual accountability in building a strong culture.

Recommended reading: "Leading Change" by John Kotter, "The Four Disciplines of Execution" by Chris McChesney, and "Developing the Leader Within You" by John Maxwell.