Access Your Leadership with Hakim Lakhdar

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Bob Tankesley, M&A Advisor, Principal at Neri Capital Partners, and Author of the new book, Exit Teams: Build a Team of Advisors for Your Business Sale to Get a Higher Price. In this episode, Bob shares his expertise in helping business owners prepare for and execute successful exits while building value in their companies. He goes on to explain the complexities of selling a business, emphasizing the importance of leadership, optimization, and assembling the right team of advisors to maximize results. Bob’s wealth of experience in mergers and acquisitions, along with his passion for helping business owners, shines through in this insightful and actionable conversation. Why are leadership and personnel issues critical when positioning a business for sale? What is the importance of building a team of advisors early? What is the often-overlooked component of selling a business and how can you prepare for it? How can focusing on leadership development increase business value and position you for a more successful sale? What does it take to prepare your business for a successful sale? Why do leadership and team dynamics play such a significant role in attracting buyers? How can business owners overcome the emotional challenges of letting go? What leadership shifts are necessary to transition from operator to seller? Whether you’re a business owner considering an exit or a leader looking to future-proof your company, this episode is packed with invaluable insights.

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You can connect with Bob Tankesley on LinkedIn

You can email Bob directly at [email protected]  

Click here to sign up and learn more about Bob’s work and new book

Click here to buy Bob’s new book, Exit Teams: Build a Team of Advisors for Your Business Sale to Get a Higher Price

Did this podcast spark something in you or get you to take action in some way? I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback on our conversation. You can hit me up on Instagram @lakhdar_coaching, LinkedIn: /hakimlakhdar, Twitter @LakhdarCoaching, and Facebook/LakhdarCoaching

I’m always looking to connect with people who are passionate about leadership as well as companies who value and support strong leaders in their own organization. If that’s you or you know someone then drop me a line at [email protected] 

Check out previous episodes of Access Your Leadership on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

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Leslee Cohen, founder and managing partner of All Rise Legal Counsel, joins Access Your Leadership to share her incredible journey as a leader in the legal profession. From Wall Street to building her own boutique law firm, Leslee has redefined what leadership looks like in her industry by prioritizing empathy, flexibility, and authenticity. In this inspiring conversation, Leslee takes us through the twists and turns of her career, from navigating high-pressure roles in corporate law to creating a firm where lawyers can thrive both professionally and personally. She shares how she built a culture of trust and flexibility at All Rise Legal Counsel, offering a safe space for team members to bring their whole selves to work. How did a tough career transition lead you to discover your value and negotiate for what you deserved? What was the process of scaling your firm while staying true to your vision and values? Why develop a leadership philosophy that puts empathy at the forefront and ensures the team feels seen, heard, and supported? Why or how might flexibility in the workplace benefit both employees and clients? How do empathy and flexibility make you a better leader?Why is it critical to create a safe space for team members to show up authentically? What role does constructive feedback play in personal and professional growth? How can leaders build cultures of trust that retain top talent? This episode is packed with self-leadership insights and actionable lessons on building trust, creating safe spaces, and leading with compassion. Whether you’re a leader navigating a career pivot or looking to build a team culture rooted in authenticity, Leslee’s story will leave you inspired.

Feedback (I/we want to hear from you):

You can connect with Leslee Cohen on LinkedIn

You can email Leslee directly at [email protected] 

Click here to learn more about AllRise Legal Counsel and the work of Leslee and her team

Did this podcast spark something in you or get you to take action in some way? I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback on our conversation. You can hit me up on Instagram @lakhdar_coaching, LinkedIn: /hakimlakhdar, Twitter @LakhdarCoaching, and Facebook/LakhdarCoaching

I’m always looking to connect with people who are passionate about leadership as well as companies who value and support strong leaders in their own organization. If that’s you or you know someone then drop me a line at [email protected] 

Check out previous episodes of Access Your Leadership on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

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In this solo Thanksgiving Week episode of Access Your Leadership, Hakim dives into the transformative power of gratitude and how it can elevate your leadership game—both in leading yourself and others. Gratitude isn’t just a feel-good practice; it’s a leadership tool that fosters trust, inspires engagement, and drives impactful results. In this episode, Hakim shares a short story about coaching a leader who discovered how gratitude could revolutionize their connection with their team. He also provides practical insights into how gratitude helps leaders shift their focus from problems to possibilities, strengthen relationships, and how to cultivate clarity, confidence, and compassion in their roles. Why is gratitude one of the most underrated tools in leadership? How does expressing gratitude strengthen workplace trust and morale? What’s the connection between gratitude and emotional intelligence? How can daily gratitude practices shift your leadership mindset? Three simple ways to incorporate gratitude into your leadership today. What do the statistics say about the measurable impact of gratitude in the workplace? Gratitude is more than a mindset—it’s a powerful, practical habit that can transform how you show up as a leader. Whether you’re reflecting on small wins, expressing appreciation to your team, or finding lessons in challenges, gratitude can help you lead with more clarity, compassion, and confidence. There are a number of ideas shared in this episode that can help you integrate gratitude into your leadership journey. It’s quick, it’s actionable, and it has the potential to shift your entire perspective. Enjoy!

Feedback (I want to hear from you):

If you’re a senior leader, or even an aspiring leader, and you are interested in the ways you can incorporate gratitude to not only improve your effectiveness as leader, but also love it at the same time, click here to book time for us to talk.

You can also connect with Hakim at https://lakhdarcoaching.com/ 

To learn more about The Training Rock, our leadership programs and how you can work with us, click here. 

Did this podcast spark something in you or get you to take action in some way? I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback on our conversation. You can hit me up on Instagram @lakhdar_coaching, LinkedIn: /hakimlakhdar, Twitter @LakhdarCoaching, and Facebook/LakhdarCoaching

I’m always looking to connect with people who are passionate about leadership as well as companies who value and support strong leaders and teams in their own organization. If that’s you or you know someone then drop me a line at [email protected] 

Check out previous episodes of Access Your Leadership on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

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Dan Lubic is a Fractional V.P. of Sales, as a member of the Sales XCeleration network, which allows him to partner with small-to-medium sized businesses to help them drive sales growth. Dan joins Access Your Leadership to talk about his 36 amazing years building a career at FedEx, where he started as a delivery driver, and where that’s led him today. As Dan begins to tell the story of his inspiring professional journey, he shares a personal win from his mid-thirties that he’s still celebrating today - overcoming a health issue that left him paralyzed and likely unable to walk for the rest of his life. In this surprise share, Dan describes how this all came about, what the doctors and nurses were telling him and how he chose to focus on possibility and positivity to navigate an incredibly scary situation. What kind of mindset prepares someone for something like that and has them choose to fight, rather than flee or freeze? How powerful can our minds and positive thinking be in the most challenging of times? What was it about your time and the culture at FedEx that would compel someone to continue working from their hospital bed? Why are sales training and leadership development not mutually exclusive? What role did recognition, praise and formal acknowledgement play in your motivation and success while at FedEx? How did your various roles within an organization for 36 years prepare you for retirement and your “encore career” as a fractional VP of Sales? How did your personal medical experience shape you as a leader of self and others? When do leaders need to have all the answers and should they strive to be the smartest person in the room? Dan’s incredible professional experience is only matched by the personal journey that he found himself on suddenly in 2001. There are so many self-leadership gold nuggets to gain from this episode that help put life and career into perspective and provide you with lessons for how to get the best out of your people. Enjoy! 

Feedback (I/we want to hear from you):

You can connect with Dan Lubic on LinkedIn

You can email Dan directly at [email protected] 

Click here to learn more about Dan’s work with Sales XCeleration

Did this podcast spark something in you or get you to take action in some way? I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback on our conversation. You can hit me up on Instagram @lakhdar_coaching, LinkedIn: /hakimlakhdar, Twitter @LakhdarCoaching, and Facebook/LakhdarCoaching

I’m always looking to connect with people who are passionate about leadership as well as companies who value and support strong leaders in their own organization. If that’s you or you know someone then drop me a line at [email protected] 

Check out previous episodes of Access Your Leadership on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Check out these links!

1. Check out the Big10 YouTube video about Penn State’s Adam Taliferro
2. Check out The Playbook on Netflix

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Evan Nierman, the Founder and CEO of Red Banyan PR, a strategic communications firm specializing in public relations and crisis-management, joins Access Your Leadership for a conversation about how important life-long learning is to becoming and being a CEO. In this episode, Evan shares how valuable it is to “just show up” as a leader and business owner. He explains how celebrating the little wins along the way is as powerful, if not more powerful than waiting for some big event to occur. Evan not only talks about but demonstrates what vulnerability looks like in leadership and the significant impact it can have on those you lead. Why is the need for instant gratification so common these days and how does that play into one’s leadership journey and that of building a business? How does identifying team members’ level of “skill” and “will” help with understanding how to get the best out of your people? What does “hiring for mindset, teach for skillset” mean and how can that be incorporated into getting the right people on the bus and building a strong company culture? Is a fixed mindset a life sentence or can people learn/be taught how to adopt a growth mindset? Why was the option of entrepreneurship so attractive and what did you realize right away? How important is it to seek support early on and to surround yourself with the proper network? What’s the difference between working “in your business” vs. working “on your business?” Why would someone wait to call themselves an entrepreneur or even a CEO? How can insisting on doing it all on your own ultimately hold you back from greater success in your business? When and where are generalists and specialists valuable? What can personal challenges or events in our life teach us about leadership and business if we’re willing to be vulnerable and reflect? Evan demonstrates why he, his business, his teams and his clients all thrive as part of Red Banyan in his light, fun and open way of communicating. Enjoy the episode! 

Feedback (I/we want to hear from you):

You can connect with Evan Nierman on LinkedIn

You can email Evan directly at [email protected] 

Click here to learn more about Red Banyan PR

You can also learn more and connect via social media at Facebook, Instagram or X

Did this podcast spark something in you or get you to take action in some way? I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback on our conversation. You can hit me up on Instagram @lakhdar_coaching, LinkedIn: /hakimlakhdar, Twitter @LakhdarCoaching, and Facebook/LakhdarCoaching

I’m always looking to connect with people who are passionate about leadership as well as companies who value and support strong leaders in their own organization. If that’s you or you know someone then drop me a line at [email protected] 

Check out previous episodes of Access Your Leadership on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Check out these book links!

1. Mindset by Carol Dweck 
2. Grit by Angela Duckworth
3. Good to Great by Jim Collins

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Robert Merlin is the immediate-past President of the Florida Academy of Collaborative Professionals, former President of the Collaborative Family Law Institute and a Senior Partner and the Founder of Robert J. Merlin, P.A., where he represents clients in divorces through the Collaborative Process. In this episode, Bob gives a detailed and inspiring explanation of exactly what the Collaborative Practice is, how it works and why it’s such a valuable approach to divorce and other (often legal) matters. Bob shares what it was like to be a hard-nosed litigator for so much of his legal career and how he then came to learn of the Collaborative Process. He explains how he learned more about it, incorporated it into his own practice and how he would ultimately transition to exclusively handling matters for clients through the Collaborative approach. Where and with whom did the Collaborative Practice originate? How long has this practice/approach been around? Why is it seen by many as a better approach to litigation? What are the personal and professional implications of incorporating this practice into how you serve clients? Is this a formally recognized approach to resolving divorces and other disputes? Is the Collaborative Approach limited to only divorce/family law? How did self-leadership play a role in exploring this new and alternative approach to how you’ve practiced law for so long? What compelled you to no longer litigate and only work with clients in the Collaborative way? Why might other attorneys or professionals be hesitant about incorporating this approach into their regular practice/workflow? What skills are necessary and/or developed when this Collaborative Process is adopted/incorporated? Is this process right for everyone facing divorce or other disputes? Why is language so important as part of this Process? You will have these and so many other questions answered as you learn about this fascinating, refreshing and effective approach to an area of law that has been handled in such a way for so long. Bob is experienced, knowledgeable and passionate about this work and, as he shares, “if he can do it, so can you!”. Enjoy the episode! 

Feedback (I/we want to hear from you):

You can connect with Bob Merlin on LinkedIn or at +1-305-448-1555.

Click here to learn more about Bob’s practice and the Collaborative Process

Click here to learn more about the Florida Academy of Collaborative Professionals (FACP)

• Email Hakim directly to learn more about his upcoming Keynote at the May 2025 FACP Annual Conference. 

Click here to learn more about the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals (IACP)

Did this podcast spark something in you or get you to take action in some way? I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback on our conversation. You can hit me up on Instagram @lakhdar_coaching, LinkedIn: /hakimlakhdar, Twitter @LakhdarCoaching, and Facebook/LakhdarCoaching

I’m always looking to connect with people who are passionate about leadership as well as companies who value and support strong leaders in their own organization. If that’s you or you know someone then drop me a line at [email protected] 

Check out previous episodes of Access Your Leadership on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

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Michelle Mekky is the CEO and Founder of Mekky Media Relations, Inc., a member of the Strategic Advancement Committee, on the Executive Council for the International Public Relations Network (IPRN) and most recently a member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Council. She is based in Chicago, which is where she and Hakim met at an Exit Success Lab two-day conference event. Michelle joins Access Your Leadership to share her incredible story and journey of becoming the leader of an award-winning PR firm and all that it took to get there. She shares personal and professional challenges that she had to face and overcome in order to step into the leadership role she was alway meant to play. Why after all that is her biggest leadership win all that her team has accomplished? What do accolades represent to leaders and team members along the journey? What’s the difference between weight and burden of leadership? How can we hire and surround ourselves with the most talented, most aligned people? Why is feeling good as a leader so important? What’s the main responsibility of a leader? How do acknowledgements of your internal team impact morale and performance? Where do values play a role in hiring and creating a culture? How might getting fired be more challenging or different than finding out that you have cancer? Where does self-belief and self-worth play a role in your willingness to take risks? How important is our truth and the truth of those close to us as we embark on new and unfamiliar activities? Is heart really that important in leadership? What’s the difference between empowerment and delegation? There are so many more questions being answered and gold nuggets shared in this episode. Listen to what authentic leadership sounds like and then listen again. Where’s the opportunity for you? 

Feedback (I/we want to hear from you):

You can connect with Michelle on LinkedIn or Instagram

Click here to connect with Michelle and learn more about Mekky Media Relations, Inc.

You can also connect directly with Michelle at [email protected] 

Click here for Michelle’s Forbes Agency Council page  

Did this podcast spark something in you or get you to take action in some way? I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback on our conversation. You can hit me up on Instagram @lakhdar_coaching, LinkedIn: /hakimlakhdar, Twitter @LakhdarCoaching, and Facebook/LakhdarCoaching

I’m always looking to connect with people who are passionate about leadership as well as companies who value and support strong leaders in their own organization. If that’s you or you know someone then drop me a line at [email protected] 

Check out previous episodes of Access Your Leadership on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Send us Fan Mail

Rob Cressy is an AI & Self Development Coach, Entrepreneur, Podcast Host, Speaker and the Co-founder of the Unlimited Coach community. Rob and Hakim have run in similar circles for some time now and really connected when they attended a virtual conference for a coaching community, where they each helped elevate the virtual space for those not attending the London event in-person. From there, their connection grew and Hakim ended up engaging Rob in podcast coaching in order to launch Access Your Leadership. From there, they met up in Santa Monica and have become close friends and co-creators, meeting up often in-person since they both reside in Florida. In this episode, Hakim welcomes Rob onto the podcast to commemorate and celebrate the podcast’s one-year anniversary. Together, they talk about the journey of even getting to the place of being “ready” to launch a podcast and then what self-leadership was required to actually execute on that desire. Rob talks about his own journey and the various challenges and obstacles he’s encountered along the way and how he helps others better understand themselves to navigate those more effectively. Hakim and Rob talk about the level of responsibility and ownership we can create in our own lives, careers and creation journeys. How does control play into self-leadership? What does it take to take action despite limiting beliefs, apprehension and a lack of knowledge of the steps to get where you’re going? Why is energy so important when you’re sharing yourself online? How is just noticing what’s alive in you enough to create content and impact? What’s the difference between 0 and 1? Are you a passive observer or active participant in your leadership and life? What does it mean to feel like a sports car stuck in the garage and what’s your role to play? How important is momentum and putting in the reps when it comes to starting something new? Rob and Hakim discuss these questions and more as coaches, fathers, husbands, friends and creators. Enjoy the episode and here’s to another year of podcasting! 

Feedback (I/we want to hear from you):

You can connect with Rob on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Instagram

You can also connect directly with Rob at [email protected] 

Click here to learn more about The Unlimited Coach Community w/ Rob Cressy and Colin Scotland

Did this podcast spark something in you or get you to take action in some way? I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback on our conversation. You can hit me up on Instagram @lakhdar_coaching, LinkedIn: /hakimlakhdar, Twitter @LakhdarCoaching, and Facebook/LakhdarCoaching

I’m always looking to connect with people who are passionate about leadership as well as companies who value and support strong leaders in their own organization. If that’s you or you know someone then drop me a line at [email protected]  

Check out previous episodes of Access Your Leadership on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Check out these links!

1. Built For The Game on YouTube
2. Rob Cressy YouTube Page

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A lot has happened since my last published episode, which I did with my father. Unfortunately, days after publishing that episode, my father was admitted to the hospital and ended up being there for 2 weeks. I am happy to report that he got some good medical attention and has been home now for a few weeks regaining his strength and getting himself back on track. Additionally, my 93 year old grandmother was experiencing some issues related to her assisted living situation, which the whole family responded to in a beautiful way to resolve. She remains in her beautiful apt and is doing well. Not that this wasn’t enough to keep my mind and heart busy, but I had a number of speaking engagements and had a trip planned to Chicago for some business and networking meetings. It was an incredible trip and I’ll even have one of my new friends on the podcast as a guest here shortly. Upon returning from Chicago for the surprise my wife had waiting for me, I was back at the airport for a surprise trip to Boston to meet one of my best friends for a Pearl Jam concert at Fenway Park. While I was tired from my previous trip and it was all a bit unexpected, it was an amazing surprise and I felt so loved to be gifted that! 

This is much of the reason why I took a bit of a break with the podcast and also why my Creation Vacation with Rob Cressy ended up being so perfectly timed. We had a full day in Key Largo/Islamorada, Florida talking about business, coaching, life, family and how each of us shows up in each of those areas of our lives. It was intense and confronting while also being very loving and supportive. We shattered self-imposed ceilings and created so many new possibilities for what we do in our businesses and how we do it. I left that day feeling inspired, energized and motivated to be fearless in my asks, to not limit myself and who I’m being each and every day and to take bold action in my business and with my clients. 

That all would not have been possible without creating the space and the container for those conversations to emerge. And this is my encouragement to you…where are you holding yourself back? Where are you playing small? Where might you be living in a place of limited possibilities? And most importantly, who are you able to surround yourself with and be in conversation with who can call these things (and you) out on these things? Finding time to take a “creation vacation” from your every day is a necessary part of growing and expanding who you are as a leader, business owner and human being. So…who’s that person for you? How do you create that time for yourself? 

Feedback (I want to hear from you):

If you’re a senior leader, or even an aspiring leader, and you are interested in the ways you can get out of your head and not only improve your effectiveness as leader, but also love it at the same time, click here to book time for us to talk.

You can also connect with Hakim at https://lakhdarcoaching.com/ 

Did this podcast spark something in you or get you to take action in some way? I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback on our conversation. You can hit me up on Instagram @lakhdar_coaching, LinkedIn: /hakimlakhdar, Twitter @LakhdarCoaching, and Facebook/LakhdarCoaching

I’m always looking to connect with people who are passionate about leadership as well as companies who value and support strong leaders and teams in their own organization. If that’s you or you know someone then drop me a line at [email protected]  

Check out previous episodes of Access Your Leadership on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.<

Send us Fan Mail

Dr. Sidi M. Lakhdar (aka “Lakhdar,” “Papa” and “Grand-pere”) is a retired Professor of Special Education. Before retiring in 2019, he spent 44 years of his career developing and designing programs, as well as teaching and training teachers of special education in multiple languages and multiple countries around the world. He is a dedicated husband, grandfather and…father to my brother, Samir, and me. After taking a break for some summer travel, I decided that my father was the perfect guest to have on and feature in my return episode. In this episode, Dr. Lakhdar shares his amazing and inspiring story of growing up in Morocco and moving to the United States to further his education and build a life. What was it like to arrive in the States, not knowing the language, not really knowing anyone and with only a few dollars in your pocket? How did courage, confidence and honesty play a role in you finally setting your life in motion? What compelled you to pursue a career in academia, especially special education? Why was hard work and discipline so important in your success as a student and beyond? How did you overcome adversity in your early years and how has that shaped your philosophy as it relates to challenging times? Why did you move to the Middle East soon after your first child and when and why did you come back to the States? How have your values shaped your relationship with your wife, your children, your students and peers? Why did stigmas around students with disabilities leave such an impression on you? What was your vision for your family, future and career and how did that shape your decision-making? How did you end up working with governments in the Caribbean? Why have optimism and positivity been so important in your professional and personal journey? These questions are so thoughtfully answered and reflected on by this great man, who I am lucky enough to call my father. This was an incredibly special opportunity for me to share a bit of my father’s unique and special story and I hope you enjoy hearing it as much as I have over the years. Thanks, Papa. Je t’aime! 

Feedback (I/we want to hear from you):

You can connect with Dr. Lakhdar on LinkedIn

Did this podcast spark something in you or get you to take action in some way? I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback on our conversation. You can hit me up on Instagram @lakhdar_coaching, LinkedIn: /hakimlakhdar, Twitter @LakhdarCoaching, and Facebook/LakhdarCoaching

I’m always looking to connect with people who are passionate about leadership as well as companies who value and support strong leaders in their own organization. If that’s you or you know someone then drop me a line at [email protected] 

Check out previous episodes of Access Your Leadership on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.