A Leadership Beyond

How important it is to walk along, not in haste but slowly, looking at everything

and calling out

Yes! No!

The swan, for all his pomp, his robes of grass and petals, wants only to be allowed to live on the nameless pond. The catbrier is without fault. The water thrushes, down among the sloppy rocks, are going crazy with happiness. Imagination is better than a sharp instrument. To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work.

— Mary Oliver, "Yes! No!" Owls and Other Fantasies: Poems and Essays, Beacon Press, Boston, 2003, p. 27

In this week's release of A Leadership Beyond, hosts Adrienne Guerrero and Tom Rosenak welcomed Michele Stowe, founder of Skyrocket Coaching, to discuss her continuous journey of aligning work with her core life values. Michele's story offers valuable insights for leaders seeking to create healthier work environments, achieve success with personal balance.

During the interview, Michele shared valuable insights about leadership and energy management along with other insights:

• The impact of energy: Nonprofit C-suite leaders are experiencing unprecedented challenges in today's environment. One client told her, "I just don't want to keep leading in unprecedented times," having navigated through the pandemic and continued uncertainty. There are always trade offs and we must learn to make choices with greater intentionality.
• Intentional role modeling: Leaders must be thoughtful about how they spend their time and demonstrate this to their teams. By showing employees that there are various ways to restore energy—whether through hiking, playing music, or spending time with family—leaders create space for everyone to find what works for them.
• Understanding cultural dynamics: Michele emphasized the importance of recognizing the cultural dynamics at play in an organization—including geographic, sector-specific, company, and generational differences in work expectations—and determining whether one's values align with that culture.

After interviewing 100 nonprofit C-suite leaders with more than five years in their roles, Michele developed a framework for effective leadership: The Listen, Lead, and Love Your Work framework which she shares during our conversation.

Michelle's story reminds us that leaders have the power to shape both their own work experiences and their organizational cultures. By listening deeply, modeling self-care, finding joy in work, and establishing meaningful measures of success, leaders can create environments where both they and their teams thrive.

To follow and connect with Michele:

Website: Skyrocket Coaching

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michele-stowe-pcc-9458314/

A Leadership Beyond exists to support the alignment between the business strategy and people strategy - to drive results with people not at the expense of people (Talent Optimization). Subscribe to our podcast to join the Leadership Beyond Community of Conversation and hear insights from thought leaders and human development experts leading the way in the field of Talent Optimization.

We are grateful to you and always eager to hear from you!

To learn more visit https://aleadershipbeyond.com

How to Lead in the New World of Work

In this episode of A Leadership Beyond, we welcome Dina Denham Smith, co-author of the book "Emotionally Charged: How to Lead in the New World of Work" (releasing February 18).

As an expert at the intersection of psychology and business, Dina shares valuable insights on leadership in today's emotionally demanding workplace.

Key highlights from our conversation include:

• The critical importance of recovery for high performance, comparing leaders to race cars that need strategic pit stops
• The mounting business costs and human drain on productivity as modern leaders face unprecedented emotional demands without adequate training or resources
• The distinction between different types of empathy and the concept of "compassionate detachment"

· Practical strategies for setting boundaries in an always-connected world

Our conversation with Dina aligns perfectly with our ongoing conversations about the human side of leadership and the evolving demands on today's leaders.

Join us as we continue to explore how to create more sustainable and effective leadership practices in the modern workplace.

At A Leadership Beyond, we're brewing the secret sauce for organizational success: combining rich conversations with experts in the trenches, viewing business challenges through a people-first lens, and aligning business goals with human needs - all backed by proven data and gold standard leadership communication practices.

Stay tuned for an insightful discussion that challenges conventional wisdom about "soft skills" and offers practical solutions for today's leadership challenges.

Head to these links to follow and connect with Dina:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dina-denham-smith

Website: https://www.dinadsmith.com/

To purchase her book on Amazon: Emotionally Charged: How to Lead in the New World of Work

A Leadership Beyond exists to support the alignment between the business strategy and people strategy - to drive results with people not at the expense of people (Talent Optimization). Subscribe to our podcast to join the Leadership Beyond Community of Conversation and hear insights from thought leaders and human development experts leading the way in the field of Talent Optimization.

We are grateful to you and always eager to hear from you!

To learn more visit https://aleadershipbeyond.com

Welcome to A Leadership Beyond, where we explore business challenges through a people-centered lens. In today's episode, we sit down with Ryan Englin, author of "Hire Better People Faster" and founder of Core Matters, who brings a fresh perspective to recruiting and retention in the trades and service industries. Drawing from his personal experience growing up in a blue-collar household, Ryan watched his father - a successful business owner - spend countless hours on hiring and managing his team. This inspired Ryan's passion to find a better way.

After founding his own marketing company, he discovered that effective recruiting was fundamentally a marketing challenge, leading him to develop streamlined processes and automation tools that help businesses hire and retain the right people. Today, he shares transformative insights about building successful teams.

Key takeaways from our conversation:

• Recruiting is fundamentally a marketing activity, not an HR function - organizations need to become attractive to potential employees just as they work to attract customers

• The trades don't have a labor shortage, they have a retention crisis - the challenge isn't finding people, it's creating an environment where they want to stay

• Successful hiring requires a holistic approach - from clear definition of what "good" looks like, to proper assessment tools, and comprehensive onboarding that shows you have your act together

Thank you for joining us for this enlightening conversation with Ryan Englin.

His practical insights about treating employees as whole human beings and building systems that support both hiring and retention remind us that great leadership starts with how we view and value our people. Join us next time as we continue exploring leadership perspectives that challenge conventional wisdom and offer fresh solutions to today's business challenges.

We'd love to hear from you and encourage you to take advantage of our People Strategy Hour. This is a no obligation way to look at your business challenges through the lens of People strategy using data on YOUR people. Raise your hand to learn more about this complementary conversation and reach out to us at https://aleadershipbeyond.com.

See you next time!

A Leadership Beyond exists to support the alignment between the business strategy and people strategy - to drive results with people not at the expense of people (Talent Optimization).

Subscribe to our podcast to join the Leadership Beyond Community of Conversation and hear insights from thought leaders and human development experts leading the way in the field of Talent Optimization.

We are grateful to you and always eager to hear from you!

To learn more visit https://aleadershipbeyond.com

To connect with Ryan Englin:

Facebook: https://facebook.com/thecorematters LinkedIn Company: https://www.linkedin.com/company/corematters LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanenglin YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@corefithiring https://x.com/corematters

As the year winds down, the holiday season's chaos often drowns out critical reflection.

To grow as leaders, we must intentionally create space for thoughtful review—pausing the reactive frenzy to revisit values, acknowledge missteps, reconnect with relationships, and reignite aspirations before diving into next year's goals and plans.

This deliberate pause provides an opportunity to transform end-of-year busyness from a distraction to a time of meaningful personal and professional renewal.

As co-founders of A Leadership Beyond, Adrienne and Tom are practicing what we teach: taking a purposeful pause to reflect before rushing into action. While we're excited about an upcoming year filled with panel discussions, new services, and leadership strategies, we're first taking time to thoughtfully review, learn, and realign.

This approach embodies the essence of our podcast—demonstrating that true leadership begins with intentional reflection.

This episode is an invitation to all leaders to step back, breathe, and create space for meaningful reflection before diving into the river of reactivity. We explore the power of pausing, examining our accomplishments, learning from challenges, and realigning with our core values as we prepare for the coming year.

Highlights of the conversation:

• Importance of carving space for personal reflection, even amidst the busy holiday season.

• Practical strategies for taking 10-15 minutes to reconnect to core values and assess what you accomplished and what may need refinement.

• How personal touches can increase engagement through deeper connection.

• Understanding the power of M2 in your S.M.A.R.T goal setting. Effective goals must be meaningful, motivating and measurable.

• Importance of finding trusted partners to provide objective feedback. Sometimes a partner with no skin in that game can shed valuable light on your dilemma.

The overall message is that taking a purposeful pause for reflection and renewal can transform the end-of-year chaos into a meaningful time of personal and professional growth for leaders.

We'd love to hear about your success (and challenges) with leadership beyond the lines.

A Leadership Beyond exists to support the alignment between the business strategy and people strategy - to drive results with people not at the expense of people (Talent Optimization).

Subscribe to our podcast to join the Leadership Beyond Community of Conversation and hear insights from thought leaders and human development experts leading the way in the field of Talent Optimization.

We are grateful to you and always eager to hear from you!

To learn more visit https://aleadershipbeyond.com.

For this week's episode, we're revisiting a clip from a fascinating panel discussion from our vault that explores how HR professionals can become true strategic partners in their organizations. But before we jump in, let's frame the conversation through the lens of Talent Optimization, a critical framework that many organizations are missing.

Adrienne and I work together to help organizations leverage people data to drive success in their business strategy. Think of Talent Optimization as the strategic alignment of your people strategy with your business objectives. It's like a well choreographed dance where your workforce capability, team dynamics and organizational culture move in perfect sync with your business goals. When this alignment is off, the consequences can be severe.

And that's exactly what we'll hear about in this clip from our conversation with Matt Poepsel, often referred to as the "Godfather of Talent Optimization". Matt talks about the real business costs of misalignment. And it turns out that most business problems are people problems in disguise.

Tune in to learn about the damage that's done when we don't align our people strategy and our business strategy -and what you can do to bring your people and business goals back into sync.

Listen now and start transforming your people strategy into a powerful lever for success.

A Leadership Beyond exists to support the alignment between the business strategy and people strategy - to drive results with people not at the expense of people (Talent Optimization).

Subscribe to our podcast to join the Leadership Beyond Community of Conversation and hear insights from thought leaders and human development experts leading the way in the field of Talent Optimization.

As always, we'd love to hear from you about your insights, challenges, and successes around leading (self and others) through transitions.

To learn more visit https://aleadershipbeyond.com.

In this week's episode of A Leadership Beyond, we're taking a journey back to a powerful conversation from our vault, originally recorded in 2022. Our featured guest, Olivier Aries—a certified Predictive Index practitioner with a deep focus on workplace engagement—shares invaluable insights into what it truly means to cultivate engagement within organizations. Olivier breaks down:

• What engagement is
• Why it's important to pay attention to it
• What we should be doing about it
• How we should be focused on it

We're excited to reintroduce this episode as part of our commitment to an upcoming panel series dedicated solely to the topic of engagement. This episode serves as the perfect foundation for exploring what engagement is, why it matters, and how leaders can harness it for the benefit of their teams.

Join us as Olivier Aries delves into the essentials of workplace engagement, setting the stage for deeper conversations in our forthcoming engagement series.

A Leadership Beyond exists to support the alignment between the business strategy and people strategy - to drive results with people not at the expense of people (Talent Optimization).

Subscribe to our podcast to join the Leadership Beyond Community of Conversation and hear insights from thought leaders and human development experts leading the way in the field of Talent Optimization.

As always, we'd love to hear from you about your insights, challenges, and successes around leading (self and others) through transitions.

To learn more visit https://aleadershipbeyond.com.

Energy Creating Engagement for Sustainable Performance

For this week's episode we are revisiting the podcast vault as we prepare for a new leadership series focused on Employee Engagement.

Our hosts Adrienne and Tom continue to glean gems from a previously released engaging conversation with Bryan Sykes.

Bryan Sykes is a healthcare professional, neurobiologist, and martial artist working at the 4-way intersection of people, science, technology, and business to support human thriving. Bryan shares his journey of exploring performance enhancement and how the realm of athletics emerges as an illuminating beacon.

Bryan touches on themes of well-being, energy management, and creating an environment that fosters engagement - all of which are relevant to our upcoming engagement series. Our hosts are excited to "round the house again" and bring Sykes' insights back into the conversation.

Key Highlights from this dynamic conversation:

- Bryan has a background in medicine and sports psychology, and he draws insights from how athletes prepare, perform, and recover that are applicable to professionals in any field.

- Bryan is passionate about helping people and organizations understand the neurobiology and science behind managing mental, physical, emotional, and social energy. He believes this is key to avoiding burnout and elevating engagement.

- Bryan emphasizes the importance of creating space, pausing, and reflecting in order to learn and grow, rather than just constantly pushing for productivity and checking tasks off a list.

- He challenges the notion that people are inherently resistant to change, arguing that people are primed for change but often struggle with the process of changing. Providing the right support and environment is crucial.

- He advocates for a "humanity-centered" rather than just "human-centered" approach, considering the broader, long-term impacts on society and the planet, not just short-term business goals.

A Leadership Beyond aligns powerfully with Bryan's focus on holistic, scientific, and human-centric approach to elevating engagement and well-being, providing a sound foundation for the themes we plan to explore in our upcoming engagement series.

A Leadership Beyond exists to support the alignment between the business strategy and people strategy - to drive results with people not at the expense of people (Talent Optimization).

Subscribe to our podcast to join the Leadership Beyond Community of Conversation and hear insights from thought leaders and human development experts leading the way in the field of Talent Optimization.

As always, we'd love to hear from you about your insights, challenges, and successes around leading (self and others) through transitions.

"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." – Winston Churchill

The path to extraordinary leadership is rarely a straight line. It's a winding journey, paved with adversity, setbacks, and the courage to chart a course beyond the status quo. It takes a unique blend of determination, resilience, and humility to stay the course and bring others along to the land of A Leadership Beyond.

In this episode, we sit down with Anatoliy Labinskiy, whose story embodies the spirit of leadership that goes beyond the confines of a traditional career. From humble beginnings as an immigrant in Dubai to building multiple seven-figure businesses, Anatoliy has navigated the ups and downs of entrepreneurship with a relentless drive to create a better future - for himself, his family, and the teams he's assembled along the Way. Anatoliy has a unique blend of grit, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to his team.

In this insightful discussion, Anatoliy shares the key qualities that have propelled his success, the strategies he's employed to cultivate a high-performing, remote workforce, and his perspective on leveraging emerging technologies like AI to stay ahead of the curve. His experiences and lessons offer a roadmap for leaders who are ready to lead.

Key highlights include:

• The three critical qualities for entrepreneurial success:

1. All-in determination
2. Willingness to take big risks
3. Defining a strong "why" beyond just money

• Cultivating an "extreme ownership" mindset in his remote team, where each person is an entrepreneur of their own role. This drives accountability and Results.

• Leveraging AI strategically to boost productivity and efficiency, without letting it dehumanize the workforce. Anatoliy emphasizes adapting skills to complement AI rather than being replaced by it.

• Three leadership encouragements for the new world:

1. Never stop learning
2. Genuinely care for your team
3. Diligently track performance metrics to identify and address issues

Anatoliy's journey is a powerful example of how grit, resilience, and a steadfast commitment to one's vision can pave the way to success, even when the odds may seem stacked against us. This is a valuable lesson for anyone looking to lead beyond the constraints of the ordinary and make a lasting impact.

We welcome and encourage the continued participation of all our listeners, whether you're an established leader, an aspiring entrepreneur, or simply someone seeking to cultivate a mindset and approach that can create positive change. Your voices, your stories, and your unique insights are invaluable in shaping the ongoing dialogue around what it means to lead beyond the ordinary.

A Leadership Beyond is led by Change Management Consultant Adrienne Guerrero and Leadership Communication Strategist Tom Rosenak, and exists to support the alignment between business strategy and people strategy - to drive results with people not at the expense of people (Talent Optimization).

Subscribe to our podcast to join the Leadership Beyond Community of Conversation and hear insights from thought leaders and human development experts leading the way in the field of Talent Optimization.

As always, we'd love to hear from you about your insights, challenges, and successes around leading (self and others) through transitions.

To learn more visit https://aleadershipbeyond.com.

"You will have bad times, but they will always wake you up to the stuff you weren'tpaying attention to." - Robin Williams

Welcome back, community!

After a brief summer hiatus, our hosts Adrienne and Tom are excited to return with a special

episode focusing on mindfulness and leadership. This episode builds on our recent

sprint of panel discussions covering a wide array of leadership topics, including two

panels on wellbeing at the individual, team, enterprise, and global levels.

In the introduction to this episode Adrienne Guerrero and Tom Rosenak set the stage for our guest interview:

• They discuss the constant pressure on leaders to "keep going" without adequate time for strategic thinking and reflection.
• They emphasize the interconnectedness of individual well-being, team performance, and business outcomes like retention and engagement.
• The co-founders liken self-care to maintenance in a mechanical system - neglectingthe "human machines" inevitably leads to decreased productivity.
• They stress the importance of open conversations about stress and well-being, even when additional resources aren't available.
• Adrienne and Tom highlight the need for personalized approaches to stress management, acknowledging that everyone experiences stress and VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity) differently.

We're thrilled to welcome back Dot Proux our featured guest, who previously joined us on a panel about self-leadership. Dot is an executive coach and leadership development advisor who teaches an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course.

Highlights from our conversation with Dot:

1. Dot's background: Before becoming a coach, she was a partner at a Big 4 accounting firm, experiencing high stress and burnout firsthand.
2. Personal experience: Dot shares her journey with "cliffing" - pushing herself too hard until her body forced her to stop and recover.
3. Empathy in coaching: She now uses her personal experiences to connect with and support her high-performing, high-stress leadership clients.
4. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) benefits: Research shows that MBSR can improve focus, present moment awareness, and overall well-being.

Course structure: Dot's 8-week MBSR program includes: Formal and informal mindfulness exercises Accountability and support from a cohortGradual building of the "mindfulness muscle"

Opportunity to join Dot's Fall MBSR Cohort

To enroll in the upcoming fall program or learn more about mindfulness, visit:

https://aleadershipbeyond.com/mindfulness-based-stress-reduction/

Join us as we continue to explore leadership practices that keep the human front and center in the face of the sometimes dehumanizing modern leadership challenges.

A Leadership Beyond is led by Change Management Consultant Adrienne Guerrero and Leadership Communication Strategist Tom Rosenak, and exists to support the alignment between business strategy and people strategy - to drive results with people not at the expense of people (Talent Optimization).

Subscribe to our podcast to join the Leadership Beyond Community of Conversation and hear insights from thought leaders and human development experts leading the way in the field of Talent Optimization.

As always, we'd love to hear from you about your insights, challenges, and successes around leading (self and others) through transitions.

To learn more visit https://aleadershipbeyond.com.

Tom & Adrienne

Leadership in today's dynamic world demands more than just managing others -- it requires mastering oneself. Our engaging panel discussions on diverse leadership topics consistently lead us back to a fundamental concept: our internal locus of control and how we respond to the challenges of change.

Dr. Ana Kazan eloquently defines self-leadership as "the practice of intentionally influencing your thinking, feeling and actions towards your objectives." This powerful idea forms the foundation of our exploration into personal and professional growth.

In a lively and interactive conversation, Dotty Posto and Dot Proux, draw from their rich career experiences and their passion for guiding others. Pause, breathe, smile. 😊 We couldn't plan a two-Dorothy panel if our life depended on it. Serendipity!

They offer invaluable insights and practical strategies for enhancing our self-leadership capabilities, empowering us to navigate the complexities of modern leadership with greater wellbeing, confidence, and effectiveness.

Summary of key points in the discussion:

• The critical importance of self-leadership and self-awareness in managerial roles

• Recognizing and preventing burnout through proactive self-care measures

• Managing energy levels and aligning work with strengths for optimal performance

• The role of emotional intelligence in leadership and personal well being

• The impact of self-care on productivity, creativity, and problem-solving

Dot made a point that deserves an underscore apart from the bulleted list. This reminder creates a sound foundation for the rest of the self-leadership tips.

Prioritize meaningful relationships with loved ones. Give your work your best but not your ALL. This a reminder of ancient script, "What profit a woman if she gains the whole world and loses her soul?"

The insights shared by Dotty and Dot merely scratch the surface of the profound wisdom contained in our full conversation. Their experiences and strategies offer a roadmap for cultivating leadership that goes beyond traditional paradigms, embracing personal growth and well-being as fundamental to professional success.

We urge you to make space to listen to the entire discussion to fully absorb the nuances of their personal reflections in addition to their strategies and tips. We also encourage you to comment and reach out to us to have your perspectives in the mix.

Stay tuned for more thought-provoking panel discussions on cultivating a leadership beyond.

Wherever this exciting journey brings us, let's not lose sight of the truth: Leadership always begins with leading self!

A Leadership Beyond is led by Change Management Consultant Adrienne Guerrero and Leadership Communication Strategist Tom Rosenak, and exists to support the alignment between business strategy and people strategy - to drive results with people not at the expense of people (Talent Optimization).

Subscribe to our podcast to join the Leadership Beyond Community of Conversation and hear insights from thought leaders and human development experts leading the way in the field of Talent Optimization.

As always, we'd love to hear from you about your insights, challenges, and successes around leading (self and others) through transitions.

To learn more visit https://aleadershipbeyond.com.