Let's Get Real

Jenny Vazquez-Newsum is a leadership facilitator and CEO of Untapped Leaders, a leadership development organization specializing in uncovering overlooked capacities and untapped talent.  Her recent book Untapped Leadership: Harnessing the Power of Underrepresented Leaders examines strategies, capabilities, and contributions from leaders of color and marginalized backgrounds from all walks of life and career stages. in this conversation, Jenny shared some of the unique challenges BIPOC leader face in the work place from going into stealthmode to being hypervigilant.  Nina and Jenny also explored some of the practices team leaders need to develop to create more inclusion and tap into the full potential of a diverse team.

Untapped Leaders
Rest as Resistance
Co-Active Leadership Model 

Nina Simonds Coaching
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In this Quick Take episode, Andy interviewed Nina about what it takes to cultivate a positive workplace culture.  Nina shared the three C's and the two of them explore how pitfalls and limits of a culture based on the personalities of the founders.   

Real Leaders in Tech

Nina Simonds Coaching
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James Fountain is a documentarian, a sustainability leader and a storyteller.  He has an extensive career trajectory that includes leadership roles in Big 4 public accounting firms, strategic consulting to top-tier corporations in diverse sectors, and work with the United Nations.  His unique worldview is enriched by his lifelong exploration of indigenous communities worldwide, which has offered him first-hand insight into the harsh realities of climate change and global development. In this episode, he shared about his recent visit to indigenous nomadic groups in Tajikistan.  We explored some of the differences between an indigenous, local approach and a Western global approach  to climate change and what keeps him hopeful about the future. 

James Fountain

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance 

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Dr. Priya Nalkur is the President of the Roundtable Institute a professional coaching and training firm that helps leaders raise their awareness, action, and advocacy for organizational change.   In this conversation they explored why DEI is so intrinsic to effective and empathetic leadership.  Priya also shared her perspectives on how to bring a JEDI (justice-equity-diversity-inclusion) lens to the coaching conversation.  Nina also shared a challenge she has and got some great advice!   Finally, Dr. Nalkur shared more about her JEDI for Coaches program.     

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Recitatif by Toni Morrison

Nina Simonds Coaching
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Bessi Graham is an investor, entrepreneur and writer with a passion for using business as an agent for change.  For the past 20 years she has focused on unlocking capital to deliver positive social and environmental outcomes in Australia and the Pacific.  In this episode Bessi shared her approach to helping mid to small-sized businesses do good while making money. Nina and Bessi agreed that a “Both And” stance is powerful and much needed if we are going to solve some of the complex challenges of our time.  They also chatted about what it takes to be a values-driven business in today's political environment.  

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Dr. Elijah Nicholas is an 11-time published author with his most recent work is his LGBTQI+ friendly children's book series which promotes love, family, compassion, inclusion, and authentic gender expression.  He spent almost half of his life in the U.S. Military, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2012. Dr. Nicholas transitioned in 2018.   Dr. Elijah is also the founder of 100 Black Trans Men, an organization that empowers  and elevates the visibility and representation of Black Transgender Men.

In this conversation, Dr. Elijah shared about what it was like to be in the closet while leading in the military. Nina and Elijah also talked about how our values can be not only a guiding post but an invitation for change.  They also got real about their shared vision for the future of inclusion and what we can all learn from the trans experience. 

Dr. Elijah Nicholas
Madoodle
100 Trans Men 

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In the Season Five Opener, Nina shares four ways to cultivate better listening. She also makes a key distinction between managing and leading and why it matters to listen well. 

How to Lead from the Dancefloor and the Balcony

A Few Powerful Questions 

Nina Simonds is an internationally-recognized Executive Coach and Team Facilitator. She is currently translating 18+ years of experience working with senior leaders and leadership teams in fields as diverse as tech, financial services and transportation into helping her clients navigate and thrive in times of immense organizational and societal change.  She supports her clients in working from a deep sense of purpose and building new self awareness and capacity to lead through complexity and uncertainty. 

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Nina reflects on the three leadership lessons from Season 4.  

The meta questions we asked this season included: how does a leader cultivate a culture of belonging and inclusion?  What's the most effective ways to navigate a difficult conversation?  And what role does creativity play in self-awareness and leadership development?   While the answers are more complex than one conversation or even the full season,  Nina had fun summarizing some of her personal take-aways from talking to leaders, coaches and authors.     

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Maria Gerea is the founder and owner of Coevolution.  As an experienced executive coach and team development facilitator, she supports leaders and teams to connect the dots between collaboration and innovation to elevate their impact and results. In this conversation, we explored what it is like working with social impact leaders and visionaries.  As a Romanian-born founder, Maria also shared early challenges in establishing herself in the United States.  We also talked about our new program for mission-driven leaders and what we are discovering about our own working relationship including how to view conflict as an opportunity.   

Leadership for Real Impact Course
CRR Global
Marshall McLuhan Quote 

 

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Dr. Nancy Dome is the Founder/CEO of Epoch Education who’s primary charge is to provide  accessible and transforming professional development for educators and business leaders in diversity, inclusion and belonging, and equity.   She is also the author of Let's Talk about Race (and Other Hard Things.)  In this conversation,  Dr. Dome outlined a process that is both an effective and compassionate way to talk about hard things and in the process create stronger relationships.     I opened up about one of my own triggers when it comes to addressing microaggressions.   Dome also shared the origins of the  Compassionate Dialogue model and the RIR (Recognize-Interrupt-Repair) protocol that has helped hundreds of educators and leaders navigate difficult but essential conversations.  The two of us also talked about the importance of intentions in any attempt to initiate a high-stakes conversation.

Dr. Nancy Dome

Leadership and Self Deception

Center for Non-violent Communication 

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