In this podcast episode, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover talks with Derrick Mains about returning to the fundamentals of leadership.

Derrick Mains is an Emmy Award-winning content creator, four-time author, operations podcaster with more than 160,000 monthly listeners, and optimization consultant renowned for his pioneering work in process engineering, design, and transformation. Mains work spans more than 20 years and 150 companies across nearly every industry, from early-stage companies on through the Fortune 10. Mains approach melds essentialism with a keen focus on human-centric system design, emphasizing the need for regular audits, reflection, and reinvestment to achieve optimization. Mains believes that all organizational systems share a fundamental purpose: transforming the input of resources into value, through outputs. He highlights how, without active management, systems degrade, leading to inefficiency and value and margin fade. His philosophy underscores the criticality of understanding the interconnectedness of systems and their natural progression towards entropy.

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In this podcast episode, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover talks with Sheri Jacobs about her book, The Unexpected Power of Boundaries.

Sheri Jacobs is a keynote speaker, and innovation strategist who helps organizations unlock their creative potential by rethinking boundaries, risks, and leadership. As the founder of Avenue M Group, she has partnered with over three hundred organizations and surveyed over half a million people to uncover what drives real transformation and growth.

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In this podcast episode, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover talks with Kyle Harkema about his new book, Strategic Clarity.

Dr. Kyle Harkema, DBA, MBA, is a distinguished scholar-practitioner with a wealth of experience at the intersection of academia and industry. With an academic foundation built on rigorous study and research, combined with extensive practical experience in the business world, Dr. Harkema epitomizes the modern scholar-practitioner—a professional who not only understands theoretical frameworks but also knows how to apply them in real-world contexts.

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In this podcast episode, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover talks with Dallin Cooper about leading through conflict in the workplace.

Dallin Cooper is an author, entrepreneur, and award-winning shepherd. From small Wyoming towns to one of the largest cities in China, Dallin has helped audiences challenge their assumptions to understand perspectives outside their own.

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In this podcast episode, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover talks with Dr. Meghan Grace about generational differences in the workforce and how leaders can better understand and balance the different needs and interests of their workers.

Dr. Meghan Grace is a leading generational expert whose research on Generation Z spans the last decade and has helped companies, universities, and associations understand generations to work better together. In speaking with groups around the world, Meghan prioritizes understanding the human experience while providing data-informed insights about generations. Guided by multiple studies, Dr. Grace helps connect the dots between getting to know a generation and knowing what makes them tick. She is the host of the podcast, #GenZ and has co-authored three books on Generation Z with a new book on generations in the workplace coming later this year. When she isn’t researching, speaking, writing, or podcasting about generations, she co-leads the Institute for Generational Research and Education.

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In this podcast episode, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover talks with Beth Wanner about providing temporary leave options within your organization.

Beth Wanner is the founder and CEO of Mother Cover, an agency providing interim and fractional coverage that helps companies across the U.S. and Canada maintain momentum while supporting employees through parental and caregiver leave. A former tech executive, she launched Mother Cover after her own experience of being terminated at 8-months pregnant exposed critical gaps in how workplaces support parents. She has become a vocal advocate for women and parents in the workplace, focused on changing how leave is handled operationally—not just in policy.

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In this podcast episode, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover talks with Deborah Huber and Willow Older about their book, Today I Noticed: A Little Book of Mindfulness that Will Change the Way You See the World.

Deborah has spent her career in creative and management positions in the tech industry, designing and managing the development of digital products. She holds a B.A. from U.C. Berkeley and an M.A. from Stanford University. 

Willow holds a B.A. from the University of Vermont and an M.A. from the Breadloaf School of English at Middlebury College. Willow is an internationally published writer who runs her own editorial services business, including ghostwriting for executive leaders. 

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In this podcast episode, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover talks with Kevin Gaskell about building high-performance cultures and unlocking discretionary effort.

Recognized as ‘the man who fixes businesses’ Kevin Gaskell has an impressive track record in building and leading successful companies. As Managing Director of Porsche, Lamborghini, and BMW, Kevin led hugely successful turnarounds and business growth. Today he remains actively involved in numerous companies worldwide, as both an investor and founder, including the UK’s fastest-growing B2B fibre network provider and Radical Motorsport, the world’s largest race car manufacturer. Gaskell's entrepreneurial approach to business has earned him numerous accolades. He was recognized as one of the UK’s Top 40 leaders reflecting his exceptional ability to inspire teams to transform companies and achieve extraordinary results. His focus on developing innovative strategies and building high-performance cultures has been instrumental in driving business growth and success. Alongside his business successes, Kevin has climbed the world’s highest mountains, walked to the North and South Poles, and in 2020 and 2025, was a member of the crew setting a new world record for the fastest row across the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean. He has played international cricket but now relaxes by playing in a rock band. His most recent book, Catching Giants, was shortlisted for Business Book of the Year 2023.

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In this podcast episode, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover talks with Jamie Aitken about the end of performance management as we know it.

As VP of HR Transformation at Betterworks, Jamie helps customers reimagine the way employee performance is managed with proven systems and processes that work. As co-author of Make Work Better, she draws inspiration from her more than twenty-five years of HR leadership experience, spearheading organizational development, HR transformation and employee engagement strategies that boost business performance. Her work as a consultant and an in-house HR practitioner spans the entire spectrum of human capital practices and multiple industries.

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In this podcast episode, I talk with Ryan C. Warner about how leaders can effectively develop and apply emotional intelligence to enhance their leadership skills and improve team performance.

Ryan C. Warner, PhD is a globally-recognized speaker, award-winning psychologist, published author, and esteemed executive coach. As the Chief Executive Officer of RC Warner Consulting, he strengthens organizational performance by boosting inclusion and mental wellness in the workplace for high-performing organizations, Fortune 500 companies, and government entities. He is passionate about supporting high-performing leaders in reaching the top 1% of their industry through improved leadership development and emotional intelligence. Through his captivating speaking, coaching, and consulting solutions, Dr. Warner empowers workplaces to achieve success by cultivating a positive and fulfilling work culture where all employees thrive. Dr. Warner has been a featured guest on numerous podcasts, has spoken on various radio/TV shows, and has authored a wealth of scholarly research articles, reaching millions worldwide.

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