Children who experience a strong early education are more likely to be successful in life.  This is why today's guests strive to support families and seek out innovation for children and early childhood education. In this episode, Rina Irwin,  CEO of Child Development Centers (CDC) in Erie, Pennsylvania, and Dr. Scott Cartwright, Director of Medical Services share about how they do things differently to lead a change in culture and mindset within the CDC.

This episode answers questions such as:

• How can we communicate in a way that builds and maintains trust?
• What can we do to change our culture?
• How can we build a task force to overcome barriers?

Recommended Resources: Creating the Best Executive Team, It's All About Relationships, Busting Through Barriers & Improvement & Innovation

Recommended Podcasts: Creating Cultures of Improvement, Cultivate a Can-Do Culture, Building an Army of Improvers & Strive for Equity and to Serve the Most Vulnerable

Join us virtually for our 9th Annual Education Leadership Conference: What's Right in Education 2020.
As we look back at the year so far, we see a community of educators who are stronger and more resolved than ever to make sure that students have every opportunity to succeed, despite the obstacles ahead. It takes courage to face uncertainty and willingness to unlearn some of our most successful practices and define new practices. Individually, we don’t have all of the answers, but together we can accomplish more, lay new ground and forge ahead.

When we are faced with change we have an opportunity to respond with creative solutions. Today, our guest shares how her organization is inspired to navigate change by the vision: one team, one mission, one community. Superintendent of Hopkins County Schools, Deanna Ashby explains, "our mess has become our unified message together." Listen as Deanna and our host discuss how this district has become more than just a part of their community, and the deeper connections they've made as a result.

This episode answers questions such as:

• What can we do to move forward steadily during uncertain times?
• How can we build a high level of accountability for students and employees?
• Why is it so important to utilize partnerships in our communities?

Recommended Resources: Accelerate Your Communication, Accountability, Practice Accountability & Busting Through Barriers 

Recommended Podcasts: Service in the Relationship Business, Vulnerability is at the Heart of Service Excellence, Schools are Essential & From Problem to Solution

Join us virtually for our 9th Annual Education Leadership Conference: What's Right in Education 2020.
As we look back at the year so far, we see a community of educators who are stronger and more resolved than ever to make sure that students have every opportunity to succeed, despite the obstacles ahead. It takes courage to face uncertainty and willingness to unlearn some of our most successful practices and define new practices. Individually, we don’t have all of the answers, but together we can accomplish more, lay new ground and forge ahead.

Building relationships with people is more important than ever as we shift to more virtual environments. Not only are relationships key, they also help us all get through obstacles and challenges. In this episode, we are joined by Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Chris Hartly, and Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Colby Smart, from Humboldt County Office of Education in Northern California.  Listen as they discuss overcoming the challenges that come with improvement work and how they're developing relationship capacity within their organizations.

This episode answers questions such as:

• What must first happen before an organization can improve?
• How can organizations build the capacity for leadership growth?
• How can leaders successfully build ownership and allegiance to the mission among team members?

Recommended Resources: Lead Your Work, Trust: Consistency of Leadership, Use Clear Expectations to Bring Teams Together & Always Be Recruiting

Recommended Podcasts: Anticipating Community Fear & Building Trust, Listen for Ideas, Perspective & Connection, Manage Disruption: Adjust Quickly and Communicate Transparently & Vulnerability is at the Heart of Service Excellence

Join us virtually for our 9th Annual Education Leadership Conference: What's Right in Education 2020.
As we look back at the year so far, we see a community of educators who are stronger and more resolved than ever to make sure that students have every opportunity to succeed, despite the obstacles ahead. It takes courage to face uncertainty and willingness to unlearn some of our most successful practices and define new practices. Individually, we don’t have all of the answers, but together we can accomplish more, lay new ground and forge ahead.

To deliver exceptional service we need to embrace vulnerability and courage. When leaders model this behavior in organizations, employees are encouraged to take risks and know that it's okay to fail. Today, Jon Malone, Director and CEO of Northwestern Illinois Association discusses his organization's commitment to service and how vulnerability impacts trust and accountability on his team.

This episode answers questions such as:

• What does it look like to provide unmistakable value to those you serve?
• How can we integrate vulnerability into our team's culture?
• How can we build a team that chooses character over comfort?

Recommended Resources: Creating Unmistakable Value, Am I a Perfectionist Leader?, Cascading the Building Blocks of Service Excellence & Culture: the Foundation for Withstanding Disruption

Recommended Podcasts: Unmistakable Value, Brene Brown: The Courage to Be Vulnerable,  Focus on Service Excellence & The Behavior that's Holding Leaders Back


Join us virtually for our 9th Annual Education Leadership Conference: What's Right in Education 2020.
As we look back at the year so far, we see a community of educators who are stronger and more resolved than ever to make sure that students have every opportunity to succeed, despite the obstacles ahead. It takes courage to face uncertainty and willingness to unlearn some of our most successful practices and define new practices. Individually, we don’t have all of the answers, but together we can accomplish more, lay new ground and forge ahead.

Quint Studer has joined us as a guest on our podcast throughout 2020, sharing his stories and experiences from his career that we can learn and grow from. In this episode, we have collected highlights from these interviews and we revisit some of Quint's top tips and advice for leaders who want to be their best. 

This episode answers questions such as:

• What is really getting in our way?
• How can we build the courage it takes to make decisions that stem from character, not comfort?   
• What driving factor can help take us across the finish line when leading change? 

Recommended Resources: Notice What's Right,  Courageous Conversations, To Increase Motivation Show More Appreciation & Deal with Problems
Recommended Podcasts: Be Bold About Action, Reinvent the Organization: Increase Efficiency While Reducing Costs, The Middle is Hard but it Doesn't Have to Be &  Facing Community Resistance to Change

You can hear more from Quint at our upcoming 2-day virtual conference, Destination High Performance Pensacola 2020. Day 1 will focus on leadership tips, tools and considerations, and Day 2 will focus on building a vibrant community. The event is scheduled for October 28th and 29th. Register for free now.

Is your workplace culture vibrant? Is it a place where people want to stay and work? Is it a place that attracts top talent? In this episode, Quint Studer is back to share more about his experience in education and healthcare, and his current focus -- communities. Listen as our host Dr. Janet Pilcher asks Quint about lessons learned in his work to make communities vibrant places to live work and play.

This episode answers questions such as:

• How do we continue to keep the flame burning inside of us in our work and throughout our lives?
• What are the key ingredients of creating a culture where people love to work?
• What keeps talented individuals in our communities and organizations?

You can hear more from Quint at our upcoming 2-day virtual conference, Destination High Performance Pensacola 2020. Day 1 will focus on leadership tips, tools and considerations, and Day 2 will focus on building a vibrant community. The event is scheduled for October 28th and 29th. Register for free now.

Recommended Resources: About Quint, Quint Studer is the Man with a Vision,  Map Your Career Ambitions  & Navigating Career Phases  

Recommended Podcasts: Purpose, Worthwhile Work & Making a Difference P1, Purpose, Worthwhile Work & Making a Difference P2 &  Facing Community Resistance to Change

How did Quint advance his career from a High School Special Education Teacher to a Hospital President to a Founder and CEO? In this episode, we continue Quint Studer’s story from episode #122 and hear about one of his major life transitions-- a key moment when he took a risk and followed his heart. Listen as Quint and Janet discuss the part of his journey that fueled the creation for some of his greatest accomplishments.

This episode addresses questions such as:

• How can we navigate our careers by following our heart?
• Why are training and development so critical to an organization's culture?
• Who should superintendents focus on hiring?

You can hear more from Quint at our upcoming 2-day virtual conference, Destination High Performance Pensacola 2020. Day 1 will focus on leadership tips, tools and considerations, and Day 2 will focus on building a vibrant community. The event is scheduled for October 28th and 29th. Register for free now.

Recommended Resources: About Quint, Quint Studer is the Man with a Vision,  Map Your Career Ambitions  & Navigating Career Phases  

Recommended Podcasts: Purpose, Worthwhile Work, and Making a Difference Part 1, The Middle is Hard but it Doesn't Have to Be, Facing Community Resistance to Change, Innovation is Easier than Changing the World & The Advantage of Being Yourself

2020 has been a psychologically challenging year for leaders and employees across all organizations. At the same time, disruption can be our greatest innovator, and we've all learned important lessons from this year that will stick with us. In this episode, Ocean Springs School District Superintendent, Dr. Bonita Coleman and Janet discuss balancing the burden of keeping people safe with the responsibility for student achievement.

This episode addresses questions, such as:

• How does communicating transparently better support employees, students, and families?
• What is key for leaders to be successful in this environment?
• How can we handle disruptive situations more thoughtfully?

Dr. Bonita Coleman will also join us to present at our upcoming virtual conference, What’s Right in Education, on November 17th and 18th. You can learn more about our upcoming events by visiting our events page.

Recommended Resouces: Transparency, Huddle for Critical Outcomes, Key Words At Key Times for Resilient Leaders & Create Resilient Leaders

Recommended Podcast Episodes: Move Forward by Doing the Next Right Thing, Improve by Measuring What Matters, Who Hears What When? & How Can We Manage Indefinite Despair? 

We all want to make a difference in our work. Whatever the path maybe that has brought us to this point in our careers, our experiences along the way are valuable and have shaped us into who we are. In this episode, we take a look at Quint Studer’s path—from his childhood to his journey in education and healthcare. Listen as our host Dr. Janet Pilcher asks Quint about his journey, stories about those who impacted him along the way, as well as valuable lessons he learned.

This episode addresses questions, such as:

• How did Quint's education prepare him for healthcare and leadership?
• What does it take to turn something people perceive as a weakness into a strength?
• How can we help someone embrace the discomfort of learning something new?

You can hear more from Quint at our upcoming 2-day virtual conference, Destination High Performance Pensacola 2020. Day 1 will focus on leadership tips, tools and considerations, and Day 2 will focus on building a vibrant community. The event is scheduled for October 28th and 29th. Register for free now.

Recommended Resources: About Quint, Quint Studer is the Man with a Vision, Map Your Career Ambitions & Navigating Career Phases  

Recommended Podcasts: The Middle is Hard but it Doesn't Have to Be, Facing Community Resistance to Change, Innovation is Easier than Changing the World & The Advantage of Being Yourself

How do we speak our truth, while deepening our connection with others? Executive leader coach and author, Terre Short joins us to discuss more mindful, communication that comes from the heart. In episode 120 Janet and Quint discussed Terre’s book The Words We Choose: Your Guide to How and Why Words Matter. Today, listen as Terre shares tools from her book focused on how we can elevate our communication at work—making it more values-based and intentional— while remaining true to who we are.

This episode addresses questions, such as:

• What are some key areas we can grow in to improve our emotional intelligence?
• What does it mean to be connected to our values in our communication?
• What are some words we may want to avoid in order to have better communication?

Subscribe to Terre's website to download the first chapter of her book and learn about the latest learning content available.

Recommended Resources: "Just" - A Form of Self-Sabotage, Values Guide Resilience, Communication & Connection & Leader Always Actions

Recommended Podcasts: Why Do Words Matter?, How Can We Stop Complaining, Comparing, and Criticizing?, Words Have Power & Who Hears What When?