Improvisation. You probably know it as comedy and communication on the fly. It often consists of short scenes or sketches beginning with an idea from the audience. Many of your favorite comedians and entertainers have considerable improv training. As modern improv comedy grew, business professionals took note - realizing improv training could greatly help in terms of communication, success, and teamwork. When the new MBA students and the William & Mary School of Business arrived a couple weeks ago, they were given improv training by Brad McMurran, who among other things owns Push Comedy Theater in Norfolk, Virginia. Just minutes after training the new MBA students, McMurran sat down with us to discuss improv, how it builds rapport, and helps people become more comfortable when conversing with others.

Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

With each day, more companies and organizations are hiring people who think – and approach problems – differently. Neurodiversity refers to the variation in which human brains function. A range of conditions fall under the neurodiverse umbrella; from autism to Tourette Syndrome, to others. The conditions affects the way people communicate, interact, and process information. Eleanor Loiacono is a professor at the William & Mary School of Business. Her research efforts focus on neurodiversity. She joins us on the podcast today to discuss neurodiversity, the hurdles neurodivergent applicants and employees face, and what companies and managers are doing to hire and retain neurodivergent employees.

Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Bill Rosenthal is not a typical leader, and Midnight Oil is not a typical creative agency. Rosenthal is President of Midnight Oil, an agency located in Los Angeles. Its clients include Netflix, Hulu, HBO, and other streaming services and studios. Rosenthal and his team design and build highly creative and unique displays, billboards, and other media that grab peoples attention and get them talking. He earned his bachelor's degree in Business at William & Mary, and later his MBA at the University of Southern California. He's worked at some top organizations including Goodwill, Deloitte, and Disney. He joins us on the podcast to discuss working and leading in a creative organization.

Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

It's a subsidiary of one of the largest machinery manufacturers in Japan: Sumitomo Machinery Corporation of America. Jim Solomon is its CEO. Solomon overseas the company's locations in North, Central, and South America while staying in close contact with corporate headquarters in Japan. It's an interesting leadership role in that Solomon finds himself interacting with different cultures regularly. Before becoming CEO, he came up through the finance function and says today he has a particular interest in Human Resources. He joins us to discuss leadership in a global organization, balancing different cultures, and the importance of investing in your employees.

Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

When you think of corporate or organizational crises, the list of examples is never ending: the BP oil spill, the Tylenol tampering incident, the Wells Fargo account fraud scandal, the Equifax data breach, and countless others. A crisis can threaten a number of important elements, including your ability to operate, your relationships with stakeholders, the ability to pursue your strategy, and your reputation. Tim Lloyd is Managing Partner at Social Simulator, he works with companies and organizations across the world helping them train and prepare for a crisis. He was recently at the William & Mary School of Business helping executive MBA students as they work through a crisis simulation. Before that, he joined us to talk about crisis management, the role of social media in a crisis, and why every organization needs to be prepared.

Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Since it was founded sixteen years ago, the Hilb Group - a successful middle market insurance broker - has embraced a high growth strategy. And in just over a decade and a half, the organization has acquired almost two hundred small agencies and brokers across the country. While focused on the growth, Hilb's leaders also work to maintain the health of the organization, customer satisfaction, and financial discipline. Jason Angus is the Hilb Group's Chief Operating Officer. He joins us today to discuss the insurance sector, leading a fast growing organization, and the elements of effective leadership; including communication, patience, and passion.

Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Networking. Love it or hate it, networking is required if you're looking to land a new job in this unusual employment market, or if you want to grow and progress in your career. Many people feel somewhat uncomfortable networking, and if that sounds like you, it might be time to examine the approach you take to networking. Inga Carboni is a professor of management at the William & Mary School of Business. An author and award-winning instructor, she's an expert in strategic networking. She joins us today to define strategic networking, and how you can network effectively inside and outside your organization.

Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

The Muscarelle Museum of Art at William & Mary has been in the spotlight lately generating media coverage by the Wall Street Journal and others thanks to its current exhibition, Michelangelo: The Genesis of the Sistine. The exhibition, running through June 1st, displays Michelangelo's early drawings of the famous frescoes of the Sistine Chapel. Organizations like the Muscarelle are part museum, part art gallery, and part business. David Brashear is the director of the Muscarelle Museum. After earning his MBA from Harvard Business School, he worked in the private sector as an entrepreneur, division manager, and consultant. And he uses his business experience to lead the museum. He joins us today to talk about the Michelangelo exhibition, leadership, and the business of museums.

Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

If there's one constant in business, it's change. Thanks to globalization, competition, AI, and other factors, change comes at us continuously. And while adapting to change is a challenge for many, change management is a critically important component of leadership. If not done correctly, employees, teammates, and customers will refuse to buy in. David Long is a professor of management at the William & Mary School of Business. He teaches change management to students, working professionals, and leaders. He says in order to effectively introduce and manage change, and make it stick, leaders should become familiar with the change management models that have proven to be effective. He joins us today to share an overview of the models, and to discuss the strategy and tactics behind successful change management.

Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Every spring, the MBA program at the William & Mary School of Business presents the Principled Achievement Award to a leader who best embraces and demonstrates the tenets of principled achievement. Previous winners include the head coach of the Buffalo Bills, Sean McDermott; and AnnaMaria DeSalva, global chairman of Burson, the global communication company. The Principled Achievement Award winner is the leader who values people, diversity of thought, empathy, humility, integrity and success. This year's winner is Michael Medline, CEO of Empire Company and Sobeys Inc – Canada's second largest retailer, whose key businesses include Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, and others. Medline joins us to discuss principled achievement, leadership, and how doing things the right way is the only way.

Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.