Rachel Pacheco author of Bringing Up The Boss: Practical Lessons for New Managers

Bill Ringle and Rachel Pacheco discuss research-backed, counterintuitive insights to help you become a better manager, team leader, and rising star in your business.

>>> Visit MyQuestforTheBest.com  for complete show notes and more expert advice and inspiring stories to propel your small business growth. My Quest for the Best is a top-rated small business podcast with over 300 episodes of thought-provoking and insightful interviews with today’s top thought leaders and business experts. Host Bill Ringle’s mission with this show is to provide the strategies, insights, and resources that will unlock the growth potential of your business through these powerful conversations.

MQ4B Booster 22.0 — Experienced managers cultivate 1+1=2 relationships

Interview Insights

Top 3 Takeaways

Observation is a potent way to know what motivates your people, which lets you figure out how to best reward them.

An actual team is not a collective of self-serving individuals who are just there to contribute their skills. Instead, it functions as a whole, driven to achieve a common goal, and thinks about what’s best for the entire organization and benefits everyone in the group.

Highly efficient teams have explicit, agreed-upon norms like how they operate and behave. When members know what is expected of them, there is accountability and trust.

Read the Show Notes from this Episode

Rachel's mom inspired her through her example as Rachel was growing up.[01:23]How does her mother’s work ethic applies to her professional career? [02:50]Attributes of a highly effective manager. [04:47]The false notions of putting an effort and managing towards the wrong direction. [07:48]Obstacles are caused when managers and team members do see eye-to-eye about what motivated them. [10:26]Why being an observant leader can make all the difference. [12:17]CASE: Mark's interview where he shared what motivates him. [13:56]A fine distinction between an actual team vs. what Rachel calls a ’TINO’ or team in name only. [16:37]What makes an incredible team? Contributions from Patrick Lencioni and Google's Re: Work project define a great team. [18:00]Psychological safety is also a critical common ingredient present shared by top-performing teams. Psychological safety musts: conversational turn-taking and empathy. [21:56]The Abilene Paradox — why it is not always ideal for a team to decide as a collective. [23:41]My Quest for the Best lightning round begins. [26:23

Expert Bio

Rachel Pacheco, PhD is a management author, lecturer and researcher at The Wharton School. She is passionate about teaching people what it takes to be great managers and coaching executives and leaders on how to build thriving teams and organizations.

At Wharton, Rachel conducts research on management—specifically on power and conflict—and is a member of the teaching faculty. She is also a founding faculty member of the Entrepreneurship in Education Program at the University of Pennsylvania, where she teaches multiple courses for budding entrepreneurs that focus on the practical side of working in a small organization.

Rachel serves on the board of advisors for numerous start-ups, primarily in the digital health and wellness space. A former chief people officer, she was on the executive teams of start-ups in the healthcare and big data space. Rachel has also lived and worked in Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Indonesia, and Kazakhstan, and thus has experienced the joy (and pain!) of leading and managing organizations across many distinct cultures.

She holds a PhD and MBA from The Wharton School and a BS from Georgetown University.

Contact Info and Social Media for Rachel Pacheco Pacheco

Primary website

Travels from: Washington, DC

Connect on: Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram

Resources Mentioned During the Interview

Below are key people, places, books,

Thomas D. Zweifel, author of Leadership in 100 Days: Your Systematic Self-Coaching Roadmap to Power and Impact—and Your Future

Bill Ringle and Thomas Zweifel discuss every individual can take more responsibility for their own achievement as well as the overall success of the business without a title change.

>>> Visit MyQuestforTheBest.com  for complete show notes and more expert advice and inspiring stories to propel your small business growth. My Quest for the Best is a top-rated small business podcast with over 300 episodes of thought-provoking and insightful interviews with today’s top thought leaders and business experts. Host Bill Ringle’s mission with this show is to provide the strategies, insights, and resources that will unlock the growth potential of your business through these powerful conversations.

Interview Insights

Top 3 Takeaways

A well-defined vision is a north star that leaders follow. It gives us direction to where we should lead our organization, lets us prioritize goals, and keep things on track.

leadership is not a one way conversation with the person on top just issuing orders. Great leaders knows when to listen and when to start talking.

The series of actions we do daily impacts the outcomes we earn.

Read the Show Notes from this Episode

Political ethicist and leader Mahatma Gandhi was a massive influence on Thomas growing up. [01:29]9/11 impacted many lives across the globe, Thomas being one of them. He shares that being an unfortunate witness to the terrible event that shook the world made him value his authentic self. [02:54]Zusha of Hanipol and the essence of identity. [04:09]The requirements of being a great leader. [05:05]How rituals enable successful leadership and achievement of goals. [07:36]Thomas talks about his student in Columbia and how an open-ended question in class helped him shape his vision. [09:50]The five levels of the global leadership pyramid scheme - awareness, relationships, vision, strategy, and action. [11:40]Why trust is paramount. [12:46]Thomas talks about why Martin Luther King is a great leader. [15:02]Thomas shares a story about an airline company who sadly lost their vision, thinking that their best days are behind them. [16:49]

Expert Bio

In a VUCA world (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity), business-as-usual is still necessary, but no longer sufficient. A real partner from outside the system can help ask the right questions, confront taboos, stand in the future, build strategy alignment, and boost productivity.

Thomas is a trusted sparring partner for CEOs & C-level executives, board member and expert on strategy & performance. Since 1984, the ex-CEO of Swiss Consulting Group, named "Fast Company" by Fast Company magazine and featured on ABC, Bloomberg, CNN & The Financial Times, has coached leaders on four continents to open new strategic frontiers and meet business imperatives.

On average Thomas' clients have realized 40X ROI in management results from working with him. An authority on integrating planning, people and performance, ultimately his specialty is unleashing the human spirit in organizations—without bla-bla, impractical training programs, or false dependencies on high-priced consultants.

He is an award-winning author of 8 books, e.g. Communicate or Die; Culture Clash 2.0; iCoach; Leadership in 100 Days; The Rabbi and the CEO (with Aaron Raskin); & Strategy-In-Action (with Ed Borey).

Thomas has been featured on ABC, Bloomberg, CNN, SRF, Fast Company & Financial Times, & "Top 100 Excellent Speakers" 2016-17 and a board member of Paramount Business Jets, JAFI Board of Governors, Keren Hayesod World Executive, Giordano Bruno Institute, International Journal of Communication Research.

His selected corporate clients include ABB, Airbus, Banana Republic, Citibank, ConocoPhillips, Credit Suisse, Danone, Dell, Deutsche Bank, DHL, Faurecia, Fiat, GE, GM, Goldman Sachs, Google, J&J,

Ken Honda, author of “Happy Money: The Japanese Art of Making Peace With Your Money” (June 4, 2019, Simon & Schuster)

Bill Ringle and Ken Honda discuss how to improve your attitude toward money for the sake of your business, your staff, and your personal wealth for small business leaders.

>>> Visit MyQuestforTheBest.com  for complete show notes and more expert advice and inspiring stories to propel your small business growth. My Quest for the Best is a top-rated small business podcast with over 300 episodes of thought-provoking and insightful interviews with today’s top thought leaders and business experts. Host Bill Ringle’s mission with this show is to provide the strategies, insights, and resources that will unlock the growth potential of your business through these powerful conversations.

Interview Insights

Top 3 Takeaways

If we focus too much on not wasting our money and our time, we may not enjoy life. We can be cost conscious at work but not hesitate to spend money and be generous at home.Managers should be in the same boat regarding how money should be allocated.Money becomes what we want it to be. It is an ingredient, not the chef.

Read the Show Notes from this Episode

Ken’s father, a successful tax accountant, is a massive inspiration to him growing up. [01:19]Because he was actively observing his father’s work, Ken already has a strong understanding of the power of money at a young age.[02:01]His eagerness to learn the ins and outs of the business, from hiring people to firing people as a young boy, didn’t go unnoticed. [03:07]A negative behavior by one employee can have a ripple effect in the workplace. [04:42]Ken defines money. [05:50]A helpful attitude to have towards money. [07:40]The skill sets we can embrace to earn more.[09:55]How our priorities influence our business and how we earn money. [11:06]Ken proudly talks about his mentor, Dr. John Gray who authored Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, and how he taught him that money is abundant everywhere. [12:33]Managers can fix it. [14:16]How our relationship with money improves our relations at work and at home. [16:00]My Quest for the Best lightning round. [22:35]

Expert Bio

Money and happiness expert Ken Honda is a best-selling self-development author in Japan, with book sales surpassing eight million copies since 2001. His latest book is called “Happy Money: The Japanese Art of Making Peace With Your Money” (June 4, 2019, Simon & Schuster). Ken studied law at Waseda University in Tokyo and entered the Japanese workforce as a business consultant and investor. Ken’s financial expertise comes from owning and managing several businesses, including an accounting company, a management consulting firm, and a venture capital corporation. His writings bridge the topics of finance and self-help, focusing on creating and generating personal wealth and happiness through deeper self-honesty. Ken provides ongoing support through mentoring programs, business seminars, therapeutic workshops, and correspondence courses.

Ken is the first person from Japan to be voted into the Transformational Leadership Council, a group of personal and professional development leaders. He is fluent in Japanese and English; lived in Boston, Massachusetts for two years; and currently resides in Tokyo, Japan. Learn more at KenHonda.com.

Contact Info and Social Media for Ken Honda

Primary website

Travels from: Saluda, NC

Connect on: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

Resources Mentioned During the Interview

Below are key people, places, books, quotes, websites and other resources that we discussed, so you can explore further.

Sam Silverstein, author of I Am Accountable- Check our interview.Dr. Jon GrayArigato Living CommunityWealth Code Breaker SeminarFree Abundance Mini Course8 Steps to Happiness and ProsperityMoney EQ ProgramThe Japanese Art of Happy Money (with OM)

Published by Ken Honda

Ray Frohnhoefer, author of Accidental Project Manager: Zero to Hero in 7 Days

Bill Ringle and Ray Frohnhoefer discuss how to avoid the delays and cost overruns in projects by understanding the 7 phases of project management.

>>> Visit MyQuestforTheBest.com  for complete show notes and more expert advice and inspiring stories to propel your small business growth. My Quest for the Best is a top-rated small business podcast with over 300 episodes of thought-provoking and insightful interviews with today’s top thought leaders and business experts. Host Bill Ringle’s mission with this show is to provide the strategies, insights, and resources that will unlock the growth potential of your business through these powerful conversations.

Interview Insights

Top 3 Takeaways

Managers should create an environment where people don’t feel sanctioned for asking questions or raising concerns.

Avoid discouraging negative topics as it may deter open and transparent communication.

Start from a position of trust, and from that foundation we can build a high performing team.

Read the Show Notes from this Episode

He's very organized mother was a massive inspiration to Ray when he was growing up. [01:31]Ray explains why he rarely says no and how this enables effective management. [02:19]Balance and why we should work with people as individuals. [04:10]A tip on being a manager on a team consisting of people older than you. [06:14]Ray emphasizes the importance of open, honest, and transparent communication. [08:01]How open-ended questions help teams, project stakeholders, and clients. [09:40]Project managers can all learn from the Death Star and the Suez Canal. [10:30]Ray talks about his former manager, Norman, and what he learned from him regarding micromanagement. [12:50]Why managers should not shy away from negative topics. [14:52]The importance of making and maintaining good relationships with the people you work with. [15:52]Ray shares best practices for setting the right environment with a new team. [18:02]Clarifying projects versus processes. [21:29]My Quest for the Best lightning round begins. [23:35]

Expert Bio

Ray W. Frohnhoefer is the Managing Partner of PPC Group, LLC, specializing in helping aspiring, new, and accidental project managers and their organizations improve their project management practice. Products and services include three Amazon international bestsellers in business project management, corporate training, and consulting.

Ray has led engagements in multiple industries of all sizes and many areas globally over his nearly 40-year project management career. Notable projects include rolling out a UNIX development environment to over 400 developers in 16 locations, testing electronic voting equipment with a team of 30 for San Diego County, and patenting an estimating tool that was put into use by a global PMO. No stranger to virtual, international teams, he has been working with and leading them his entire career.

Ray has had a dual career in training and education concurrent with his project management engagements. He was an author, editor, and lecturer for the Edison Engineering Advanced Course in Computers for over eight years, and has been teaching project management and business analysis classes both in-person and online at UC San Diego Extension for 18 years.

A long-time PMI volunteer, Ray, served as president of the PMI San Diego Chapter. He has supported several global PMI committees and member advisory groups over the past 15 years, including serving as the first official PMI Region Mentor for Southwest North America and as a member of the PMI Ethics Review Committee. He is also a long-time supporter of the PMI Educational Foundation and helped establish one of their first professional development scholarships.

Ray holds an undergraduate degree in Mathematics with a concentration in Computer Science and an MBA degree in Technology Management.

Ruth Gotian, author of The Success Factor: Developing the mindset and skill set for peak performance

Bill Ringle and Ruth Gotian discuss the four pillars of the success formula (intrinsic motivation, perseverance, a strong foundation, and ongoing learning) and how to apply them for small business leaders.

>>> Visit MyQuestforTheBest.com  for complete show notes and more expert advice and inspiring stories to propel your small business growth. My Quest for the Best is a top-rated small business podcast with over 300 episodes of thought-provoking and insightful interviews with today’s top thought leaders and business experts. Host Bill Ringle’s mission with this show is to provide the strategies, insights, and resources that will unlock the growth potential of your business through these powerful conversations.

Interview Insights

Top 3 Takeaways

High achievers always strive for peak performance, not just fulfilling the bare minimum. They work on excelling, not just fulfilling.

Make your success a part of your life, not your entire life. Always create a new aim and a new venture in which to succeed.

Knowing the key factors of success does not make us successful. Having the discipline to implement them into our daily lives will.

Read the Show Notes from this Episode

Ruth's Grandma Esther — a woman who filled the room with her presence disproportionate to her physical size — was a bold trailblazer in her own academic and professional career who always encouraged Ruth to have her voice heard. [01:27]Ruth shares how her grandmother's appreciation of her writing fueled Ruth's courage and determination to pursue her doctorate degree in her 40s and write her first book in her 50s. [03:09]Ruth talks about her responsibilities as Chief Learning Officer at Weill Cornell Medicine. [04:46]The four pillars of The Success Factor: Intrinsic motivation, perseverance, building a strong foundation, ongoing learning, and growth. [08:10]Ruth describes her qualitative study on the common denominators of success by interviewing Olympians. [09:22]While knowing the key ingredients of success is essential, Ruth knows that taking actionable steps to implement them into our daily lives, is what results in success. [11:54]How to spot the early markers of a high achiever and a high-performing team. [15:16]The common denominator of all high achievers. [17:59]Saying 'no' helps keep us stay laser-focused on our goals. [19:54]Having a mentor gives us an edge. [22:05]Why high achievers have mentors and how they in turn become mentors. [23:34]Ruth gives her advice to people who want a mentor's perspective. [24:56]My Quest for the Best lightning round begins. [25:39]

Expert Bio

Ruth Gotian is the Chief Learning Officer and Assistant Professor of Education in Anesthesiology and former Assistant Dean of Mentoring and Executive Director of the Mentoring Academy at Weill Cornell Medicine. She has been hailed by the Journal Nature and Columbia University as an expert in mentorship and leadership development.

In 2021, she was selected as one of 30 people worldwide to be named to the Thinkers50 Radar List, dubbed the Oscars of management thinking. Recently, she won the Thinkers50 Distinguished Achievement - Radar Award given to a “thinker with the potential to change the world of theory and practice” and cemented her place as the #1 emerging management thinker in the world. She is also a semi-finalist for the Forbes 50 Over 50 list.

In addition to publishing in academic journals, she is a contributor to Forbes and Psychology Today where she writes about ‘optimizing success’. Her research is about the mindset and skill set of peak performers, including Nobel Prize winners, astronauts, and Olympic champions. Her forthcoming book, The Success Factor, will be out in January and now available for pre-sale.

Contact Info and Social Media for Ruth Gotian

Primary website

Travels from: New Rochelle, NY

Jon Rennie, author of All in the Same Boat: Lead Your Organization Like a Nuclear Submariner

Bill Ringle and Jon Rennie discuss how to build a company culture where each person cares about the client's success for small business leaders.

>>> Visit MyQuestforTheBest.com  for complete show notes and more expert advice and inspiring stories to propel your small business growth. My Quest for the Best is a top-rated small business podcast with over 300 episodes of thought-provoking and insightful interviews with today’s top thought leaders and business experts. Host Bill Ringle’s mission with this show is to provide the strategies, insights, and resources that will unlock the growth potential of your business through these powerful conversations.

Interview Insights

Top 3 Takeaways

When failure is not an option, the only other reasonable choice is to move forward and find a way to make things work.

You are the manager of your career. You don’t want to be a non-useful body. You want to be the most valuable person in the company.

Short-term managers see their employees as expenses, but successful leaders and companies see them as assets.

Read the Show Notes from this Episode

Two heavy influences to Jon while growing up were his grandfathers, who served in the army and the Navy. [01:06]Jon shares a valuable lesson from his grandfathers that they learned while serving the country, which helped establish him as a person and how he does work. [02:05]His first experience leading his team while in the Navy and the fear, doubt, and trust that came with leadership. [02:49]How do you lead when the people in your team are older and more experienced than you? Jon addresses this common problem felt by young leaders by sharing his own experience. [04:21]A discussion about getting qualified and being a valuable and valuable body in any workplace. [07:37]How volunteering can give us more experience. [09:55]What is skill stacking, and how can it help your retention. [11:32]One of the great things about small businesses is that leaders can give experiences and opportunities to their employees that are not ordinarily available when working on a big company. [13:17]As shared by Jon, the story of Tom highlights the importance of delegating authority but not responsibility. [15:42]Jon shares how he still has to gain the people who already knew him when he first started his company. [17:50]The pandemic did not deter Jon and his team from reaching out to their clients. [23:09]My Quest for the Best lightning round begins. [25:10]

Expert Bio

Jon is the Co-Founder, President & CEO of Peak Demand Inc., a premier manufacturer of critical components for electrical utilities. He is a former U.S. Navy Nuclear Submarine Officer who made seven deployments during the end of the Cold War.

Prior to starting Peak Demand, he led eight manufacturing businesses for three global companies. He is the author of the best-selling leadership books, I Have the Watch: Becoming a Leader Worth Following and All in the Same Boat: Lead Your Organization Like a Nuclear Submariner.

He is the host of the Deep Leadership podcast.

Contact Info and Social Media for Jon Rennie

Primary website

Travels from: Wake Forest, NC

Connect on: Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram | YouTube

Resources Mentioned During the Interview

Below are key people, places, books, quotes, websites and other resources that we discussed, so you can explore further.

Deep Leadership Podcast

Vishal Garg

First Break All The Rules

Published by Jon Rennie

Mark LaChance, author of The Lucky Formula: How to Stack the Odds in Your Favor and Cash In on Success

Bill Ringle and Mark LaChance discuss how taking responsibility for your own luck changes the trajectory of your success in every area of your life and business.

>>> Visit MyQuestforTheBest.com  for complete show notes and more expert advice and inspiring stories to propel your small business growth. My Quest for the Best is a top-rated small business podcast with over 300 episodes of thought-provoking and insightful interviews with today’s top thought leaders and business experts. Host Bill Ringle’s mission with this show is to provide the strategies, insights, and resources that will unlock the growth potential of your business through these powerful conversations.

Interview Insights

Top 3 Takeaways

Luck is not random; rather, it is something we can craft and control through the way we think and the actions we do.

Showing gratitude can cause a domino effect of a lot of good opportunities and useful relationships.

Bring in people that can help you get to your goals rather than people think on a lower level.

Read the Show Notes from this Episode

Mark talks about his dad, who taught him and his brothers personal development. [01:23]The advantages of writing down goals. [03:56]The meaning of his last name and an exciting input about luck are things we can control. [04:41]How Mark develops his team with a positive focus. [05:53]Why hiring is critical and how to sift out applicants. [06:51]Mark shares his thoughts about the importance of gratitude. [09:36]What is a financial fortress? Mark shares one of the lessons he learned from the most transformative event he attended. [11:40]Taking accountability for your goals and business. [14:42]Take an inventory of your inner circle and other relationships and how these ties impact the probability of success. [16:30]My Quest for the Best lightning round begins. [18:28]

Expert Bio

Mark Lachance is a serial entrepreneur, strategic thinker, and investor. He is a renowned figure in the business world, one who possesses a deep understanding of blitzscaling companies. Having owned and operated several businesses that have experienced hypergrowth through creative business development and lead generation, he is a master of sales and marketing and continues to apply and grow his expertise through current projects. Mark is the CEO and lead investor of Maxy Media Inc., one of the largest TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, and Google Display Network performance marketing agencies in the world. Currently, Maxy Media is the number one advertiser in terms of monthly spend on the TikTok platform in Canada and top ten in North America. In 2016, Mark successfully sold EVO Payments International Canada, an end-to-end payment solutions provider and merchant acquirer which he founded in 2009. He guided the company from its inception with one employee to over 200 employees across Canada. Prior to founding EVO, Mark was one of the founding members and president of VersaPay Inc, a payments solutions provider, which was taken public in 2010. Before joining VersaPay, Mark was a founding member of Pivotal Payments, which is now a multi-billion-dollar public company. He helped set the foundation and drive the company's sales and revenues before his successful exit from the company in 2006. Mark has made several other highly successful investments in various industries such as payments, cryptocurrencies, marketing, nutrition, fitness, and sports. Over the past twenty-five years, he has invested in and consulted for dozens of other ventures, which have resulted in highly positive returns. He speaks and travels the world with his wife, Sonya, and their two boys.

Contact Info and Social Media for Mark LaChance

Primary website

Travels from: Montreal, Quebec

Connect on: Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook

Resources Mentioned During the Interview

Darren Reinke author of The Savage Leader: 13 Principles to Become a Better Leader from the Inside Out

Bill Ringle and Darren Reinke discuss finding the courage to become a leader who has done the inner work no matter what your job title.

>>> Visit MyQuestforTheBest.com for complete show notes and more expert advice and inspiring stories to propel your small business growth. My Quest for the Best is a top-rated small business podcast with over 300 episodes of thought-provoking and insightful interviews with today’s top thought leaders and business experts. Host Bill Ringle’s mission with this show is to provide the strategies, insights, and resources that will unlock the growth potential of your business through these 

Interview Insights

Top 3 Takeaways from this Interview

Make employees truly feel that they are part of the company and inspire them to have a sense of ownership and the opportunity to be a leader. [Leadership is a life-long responsibility that we all have and continue to learn and improve.Peel and look through the different layers of your business to gain insights.

Read the Show Notes from this Episode

Darren's dad, who he described as a self-made guy with a deep passion for lifelong learning and growth, is his biggest inspiration growing up. [00:50]How his father's influence gave him a strong urge to help others throughout his career. [02:16]When and why he decided to want to make coaching his career. [3:28]Darren on building our businesses as extensions of ourselves. [5:25]Developing leadership and the challenge of reaching people who don't have it yet. [07:52]David is a client of Darren's who needed help improving his executive presence. [09:11]How we learn leadership through reading books. [12:59]The importance of identifying our values and enriching them. [16:19]Meditation and journaling and how they can help us focus. [17:54]Darren shares his experience and learning doing volunteer work at The Focus Foundation. [21:36]The importance of inspiring employees to have a sense of ownership. [24:23]My Quest for the Best lightning round begins. [25:49]

Expert Bio

Darren is the founder of Group Sixty, an executive coaching and training company focused on building great leaders from the inside out. Group Sixty works with leaders and teams at Fortune 500’s, mid-market companies, fast-growing startups, and visionary non-profits. Darren is also the author of “The Savage Leader”, a new leadership book that provides a blueprint for becoming a great leader through the adoption of the 13 Savage Principles.

Contact Info and Social Media for Darren Reinke

Primary WebsiteTravels from: Encinitas, CaliforniaConnect on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

Resources Mentioned During the Interview

Below are key people, places, books, quotes, websites and other resources that we discussed so you can explore further.

AccentureGranicusTim FerrissThe Honor Foundation

Books Authored by Darren Reinke

MaryBeth Hyland, author of Permission to Be Human: The Conscious Leader’s Guide to Creating a Values-Driven Culture

Bill Ringle and MaryBeth Hyland discuss how workplace culture is really a product of values and behavior while working from anywhere and especially in small and mid-sized businesses.

>>> Visit MyQuestforTheBest.com for complete show notes and more expert advice and inspiring stories to propel your small business growth. My Quest for the Best is a top-rated small business podcast with over 300 episodes of thought-provoking and insightful interviews with today’s top thought leaders and business experts. Host Bill Ringle’s mission with this show is to provide the strategies, insights, and resources that will unlock the growth potential of your business through these powerful conversations.

Interview Insights

Top 3 Takeaways from this Interview

Workplace culture is not just about strategy, goals, and structure but also the feelings and emotions that we experience while working.Choose to be a part of the culture keepers. Work to be that person people want to collaborate with and trust.Instead of gossiping or complaining about problems within your workplace, focus on being part of the solution by doing your best to address them.

Read the Show Notes from this Episode

Why her grandparents are MaryBeth's greatest inspirations. [01:04]MaryBeth shares what signals a healthy relationship for her. [01:45]How her grandparent’s influence influenced how she conducts her work as well. [04:37]The difference between intentionality and strategy. [06:41]How managers should address issues regarding workplace culture. [08:06]David Swarner is a CEO of a construction company who wanted to reignite his company’s strong culture. [11:03]How to identify culture keepers vs. culture killers. [14:14]Workplace culture is connected to wellbeing. [19:07]Aligning your values during burnout. [20:03]One of the worst things a company could do. [24:20]My Quest for the Best lightning round begins. [27:04]

Expert Bio

Author, speaker, and award-winning company culture expert MaryBeth Hyland found her passion as a facilitator and mindfulness coach, engaging with leaders within all industries to create possibility and ignite alignment between their values and their actions. MaryBeth is the founder and chief visionary of SparkVision and her awards include Circle of Excellence, Innovator of the Year, and Top 100 Women. With a BA in Social Work, MS in Nonprofit Management, and over a decade of experience transforming workplace cultures into flourishing and connected communities, she is committed to values-based mindfulness in the workplace. The Washington Post, HuffPost, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal have recognized her as a powerful thought leader in workplace culture.

Contact Info and Social Media for MaryBeth Hyland

Primary WebsiteTravels From: Baltimore, MarylandConnect on LinkedIn | Facebook

Resources Mentioned During the Interview

Below are key people, places, books, quotes, websites, and other resources that we discussed so you can explore further.

Glennon DoyleUnited Way

Books Authored by MaryBeth Hyland

Scott Mautz, author of Leading from the Middle: A Playbook for Managers to Influence Up, Down, and Across the Organization

Bill Ringle and Scott Mautz discuss the pressures and opportunities to make a difference as middle managers in a small business.

Scott Mautz and Bill Ringle discuss Leading from the Middle: A Playbook for Managers to Influence Up, Down, and Across the Organization for small business leaders

>>> Visit MyQuestforTheBest.com for complete show notes and more expert advice and inspiring stories to propel your small business growth. My Quest for the Best is a top-rated small business podcast with over 300 episodes of thought-provoking and insightful interviews with today’s top thought leaders and business experts. Host Bill Ringle’s mission with this show is to provide the strategies, insights, and resources that will unlock the growth potential of your business through these powerful conversations.

Interview Insights

Top 3 Takeaways from this Interview

No one is born a manager. Our leadership is a product of our environment and the influence of those who came before us.

Middle managers can improve employee retention and attraction with the right approach and skill set. This is why they are the backbone of the organizaton.

Learn from good influences and in turn, be a good influence.

Read the Show Notes from this Episode

Scott proudly talks about his mom and the massive influence on his life helped shape his leadership style. [01:09] 

Bob was a former manager at Proctor and Gamble who’s confused expressing authority with expressing anger. Scott shares how his mother’s influence helped him deal with and better the situation. [04:12]

The effect of workplace environment and culture on leadership. [07:32] 

Defining the middle manager. [08:46]

Why middle managers are the backbones of their companies. [09:24]

Scott shared how he first conceptualized his book The Middle Manager. [10:33]

The importance of influence and influencing people in building a solid company. [11:59]

The SCOPE that makes middle management uniquely challenging. [15:16]

How to be integral. [17:42]

Meaning beyond the book’s subtitle: A Playbook For Managers To Influence Up Down Across The Organization and why he chose it. [19:21]

Ryan was a middle manager who was unsure of his responsibilities. [20:34]

My Quest for the Best lightning round begins. [30:12]

Expert Bio

Scott Mautz is a former Procter & Gamble senior executive who successfully ran four separate multi-billion-dollar businesses. He’s the author of three multi-award-winning, best-selling books, including his latest, "Leading from the Middle: A Playbook for Managers to Influence Up, Down, and Across the Organization" Scott is faculty at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business for Executive Education. He’s a former top columnist for Inc.com where he drew 2 million readers a month and where he was named a “Top 50 Leadership Innovator.” Scott frequently appears in a variety of national media.

Scott Mautz , author of Leading from the Middle: A Playbook for Managers to Influence Up, Down, and Across the Organization.

Contact Info and Social Media for Scott Mautz

Primary Website

Travels from: San Diego, CA

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Resources Mentioned During the Interview

Below are key people, places, books, quotes, websites and other resources that we discussed so you can explore further.

Proctor and Gamble 

LinkedIn Courses by Scott Mautz

11 Inactions that Ruin a Leader's Reputation

Building a Better Relationship with Your Boss

Change Leadership

Change Management Foundations

Develop and Promote Your Hybrid Competence

Eight Ways You Block Your Success

Happiness Habits

How Leaders Can Connect Empathy and Results

How Leaders Can Motivate Others by Creating Meaning

How to Get People to Like You

How to Think Big

Inspiring Today's Workforce to Go Above and Beyond