This episode is a recording of a live FNN television interview in Accra, Ghana from January 11, 2018.  The show host Annie Afua Ampofo directs questions to Mark Nelson about his relationship with the highly esteemed leader and businessman Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom in Ghana.  She also asks Mark to share some reflections on results-oriented leadership and management.  Mark's wife Mona was in the studio as well and shared in the fuller conversation.  

On the Morning Edition Show for Eezy FM 107.5 in Accra, Ghana, broadcaster Larry Benson conducted a live interview on leadership with Mark Nelson.  The conversation touched on integrity, influence, accountability, respect, communication, values and other related matters that contribute to leadership development and success.  To that end - they even talked about humor.

The interview took place on January 10, 2018.  

As a former prosecutor and now Senior Judge in Minnesota, The Honorable John E. DeSanto reflects on events and career developments that allowed him to serve as a leader in public service.  His resolve and enthusiasm to lead and serve well are infectious and exemplary.

Amy Simpson is a writer, speaker, and author who wrote a notable book in 2013 entitled Troubled Minds: Mental Illness and the Church's Mission. Because of the book's success and it's credible focus on a critical need, Amy has emerged as a leader in speaking to those affected by mental illness, and she helps cast a vision for those wanting to help.

In Troubled Minds, Amy tells the story of her mother when she had a complete psychotic break - when Amy was only 14 years old. This profoundly affected her mother and the whole family. Nothing was ever the same again. I read the book in a church group because it also focused on helping others to be supportive of people and families dealing with mental illness. But I also found the book to be a fine example of an author/leader at work in influencing people and bringing forth essential change.

Amy Simpson has written a number of books including: Troubled Minds - Mental Illness and the Church's Mission, and Anxious. She is a former publishing executive, and besides being a writer, she is a life and leadership coach. Amy and her husband Trevor have two children.

[spp-player] The purpose of this episode is to hear from Dave Wickstrom who retired from the Minneapolis Community Development Agency after several decades of work developing revenue and expenditure plans for public urban redevelopment projects.  In this role, negotiating redevelopment agreements - with the project manager as lead - was a key part of his job.  

Dave reflects on significant considerations for assessing negotiation issues, how to engage parties in a negotiation, things that interfere with negotiation momentum, and other related concerns for achieving desired negotiation outcomes.[/spp-transcript]  

When the book Getting to Yes by Roger Fisher and William Ury came out in 1981, it became an international bestseller - and has continued to be published under multiple editions.  Why?  It was an accessible and uncomplicated guide that is still popular for it's capacity to instruct a wide range of people on how to approach negotiation.  It is not the first word on negotiation, nor will it be the last, but it has been extremely useful in engaging both the big wig and the commoner in being strategic their approach to negotiation.  

The authors problem-solving mutual-gains exploring approach at once expanded the prevalent competitive narrow focus of common negotiation practice.  It also reminded readers that we are all negotiators. 

Besides just making brief note of this still very useful book in the podcast, I also interview two people who tell some of their history with learning and practicing negotiation - and how it brings value and benefit to their lives.  Yossra and Mostafa are a young and very interesting Egyptian couple who came to the United States for Mostafa's Phd. in engineering.  They illustrate storied points that may help others get to yes in their negotiations.  

During his twenty-six year tenure at the Men's and Women's Cross Country Coach at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minnesota, Steve Pfingsten was selected twenty times as the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference Coach of the Year.  In 2016 inrecognition of his exemplary leadership and tremendous success as a coach, the College of St. Scholastica inducted him into the College's Hall of Fame.  

From a conversational interview with Steve in this episode, you can hear about his leadership thoughts and get more than just a glimpse into the heart that enabled Coach Pfingsten to influence and lead in such a way that generated outstanding results for so many people over so many years.  In just his final fourteen years of coaching alone, his teams won 22 conference championships.  This was in addition to many individual championships and awards for team members.  In 2013, he coached Chelsea Johnson to an NCAA Division III national championship.