Peak Performance Leadership

Today’s leaders face a situation no one imagined fifty years ago: getting a hundred or more people to assemble complex and abstract ideas into an invisible, effective decision-making machine. The key is focusing on people, not process. Agile software development is transforming how businesses run. But too many leaders are in the dark when it comes to how to captain agile teams. A hands-off approach won’t work — leaders must be active participants. To lead a team effectively means harnessing their intellectual power to successful and valuable results. It takes rigor, alignment and efficiency.

Michael K. Levine is a leader in lean and agile thought. As a senior executive he has driven results at Wells Fargo, US Bank and a leading software company. He has written well-received books on why we do lean & agile, how to make organizational change to do so, and how to lead for agility. The books are both instructional and entertaining, as he mixes teaching and story-telling (Tales). Michael’s most recent book is People Over Process: Leadership for Agility. This website shares more information on Michael, his models, and his books, and provides links to articles and reviews in media.

People over Process Topics

During the discussion Michael and I discuss the following topics:

• How Michael got interested in leadership specifically within the Agile space.
• His ideas of leadership for Agile
• Three Major Frameworks for people-oriented agility
• Governance and the role of the organizational leader
• Qualities of an Agile Leader

For the complete show notes, be sure to check out our website:

https://leaddontboss.com/103

Digital transformation is more important than ever now that we're in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, where the lines between the physical, digital, and biological worlds are becoming ever more blurred. But fully 70 percent of digital transformations fail.

Tony Saldanha, a globally awarded industry thought-leader who led operations around the world and major digital changes at Procter & Gamble, discovered it's not due to innovation or technological problems. Rather, the devil is in the details: a lack of clear goals and a disciplined process for achieving them. In this book, Saldanha lays out a five-stage process for moving from digitally automating processes here and there to making digital technology the very backbone of your company. For each of these five stages, Saldanha describes two associated disciplines vital to the success of that stage and a checklist of questions to keep you on track.

Why Digital Transformations Fail Topics

During this interview, Tony and I discuss the following topics:

• Inspiration for the book
• Why digital transformation fail
• The five stages of digital transformation
• How culture has an impact in digital transformation
• How leaders can avoid biases in their organization’s transformation
• How leaders can ensure they use the right methodology to their transformation
• Common pitfalls and how leaders can avoid them

For the complete show notes, be sure to check out our website:

https://leaddontboss.com/102

There’s a lot of hype, hand waving, and ink being spilled about artificial intelligence in business—and enterprises are taking the bait. According to a 2019 report by Gartner, AI implementation has grown by an astounding 270 percent in the past four years and has tripled in the last year alone. By 2021, IDC researchers predict that organizations will spend $52.2 billion annually on AI-related products. We’ve spent decades feeding AI vast amounts of data and propping it up with energy-hungry data centers. But despite its speed and smarts, AI lacks one critical element: common sense. AI simply can’t replicate the decision-making abilities of its flesh-and-blood counterparts. AI isn’t ready for prime time. But the Humachine is.

John Wood is a graduate of NYU School of Law and TCU where he earned his bachelors degrees summa cum laude in English and Philosophy. He is a member of the New York and Texas State Bar Associations and has provided Continuing Professional Education programs on insurance, copyleft, and artificial intelligence and the law. He represents real and intellectual property owners in insurance matters through his law firm, and consults on technology policy through The Humachine LLC. He is co-author of The Humachine: Humankind, Machines,and the Future of Enterprise.

Humachine Topics

During this interview John and I discuss the following topics:

• Why understanding AI development is important to leaders
• How can leaders leverage the risk associated with AI
• How to transition workers from one job to another type
• How to break the traditional business paradigm through AI
• Negative aspects of AI being incorporated into organizations
• Legal aspects leaders need to be aware of regarding AI

For the complete show notes, be sure to check out our website:

https://leaddontboss.com/101

It's been a heck of a ride. In this episode of the Moving Forward Leadership Podcast I keep it simple. Just one question but many answers. In this episode you'll hear from many past guests and a few future quests. As they answer: How can leaders best serve their people today?

For the complete show notes, check out our website:

https://movingforwardleadership.com/100

The world is moving at an ever increasing pace yet leaders are becoming more and more bogged down by everything which they are expected to achieve. Sometimes the best strategic is not actually learn how to speed up but rather how and when to slow down.

Liz Bywater has been called a one-of-a-kind leadership expert. Working at the intersection of business and psychology, Liz integrates deep expertise in human behavior and organizational dynamics with a pragmatic mindset and engaging personal style to help her executive clients thrive in an increasingly complex world. Liz works with top executives and management teams across an array of companies, including Johnson & Johnson, Bristol-Myers Squibb, AmerisourceBergen, Nike, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Biotronik, EMD Serono, Thomson Reuters and more. She provides her clients with expert guidance and pragmatic tools to accelerate success, based on more than 25 years of experience

Slow Down to Speed Up Topics

During this interview, Liz and I discuss the following topics:

• What it truly means to slow down in order to speed up
• Why racing to results is ineffective
• When and how leaders should take a break
• How leaders can in place barriers from work
• Why reflection is so important
• How leaders can ensure that they are on the right track
• How to ensure you thrive at work

For the complete show notes, be sure to check out our website:

https://leaddontboss.com/99

In a world where the pace of change and the complexity of challenges are ever-increasing, leaders are consistently tasked with making decisions that impact not only their organizations but also the people within them. Effective decision-making is crucial, yet many leaders rely on intuition or "gut feelings" rather than informed, evidence-based approaches. This reliance can lead to significant pitfalls and missed opportunities. This episode dismantles the myth of intuitive decision-making, illustrating why leaders should avoid going with their gut and instead employ strategies grounded in cognitive neuroscience and behavioral economics. Unpacking topics such as organizational tribalism, cognitive biases, and the dangers of unchecked intuition, this episode offers actionable strategies for leaders to improve their decision-making processes.

Dr. Gleb Tsipursky is a cognitive neuroscientist and expert on behavioral economics and decision making. As CEO of Disaster Avoidance Experts, he spent over two decades consulting, coaching, speaking and training hundreds of clients across North America, Europe, and Australia, including Aflac, IBM, Honda, Wells Fargo, and the World Wildlife Fund. With over 15 years in academia, including 7 as a professor at Ohio State University, he published dozens of peer-reviewed pieces in academic journals such as Behavior and Social Issues and the Journal of Social and Political Psychology. His thought leadership is featured in Fast Company, CBS News, Time, CNBC, Inc Magazine, and elsewhere.

Never Go With Your Gut Topics

During this episode, Gleb and I discuss the following topics:

• [00:00:00] Introduction to Decision Making: The importance of leaders making informed decisions rather than relying on gut instincts.
• [00:01:48] Gleb Tsipursky's Background: Insights into Gleb's expertise in cognitive neuroscience and decision-making.
• [00:03:17] Why Intuition Can Lead to Poor Decisions: Discussion on the pitfalls of relying on gut instincts in leadership roles.
• [00:08:07] Evoutionary Background: Explanation of how our instincts are not evolved for today's business environment.
• [00:11:02] Organizational Tribalism: Exploring the impact of tribalism on organizational culture and decision-making.
• [00:16:04] Cognitive Biases and Leadership: Identifying common cognitive biases and their effects on decision-making.
• [00:25:06] Tools for Better Decision Making: Strategies to overcome biases and improve decision processes.
• [00:31:12] Effective Decision-Making Techniques: Tools and techniques leaders can use to make better decisions.
• [00:44:33] Final Thoughts on Decision Making: Importance of wise decision-making in leadership and organizations.

For the complete show notes, be sure to check out our website:

https://leaddontboss.com/98

There are no other leadership lessons which are in comparison than those which are learned on the front lines. The Royal Marines of the UK's armed forces know all too well this lesson. Military leaders are trained to think quickly, be decisive, and most importantly the importance of taking care of their soldiers. All leadership traits which apply as much in service as out of service.

Rod Yapp is a former Royal Marine Officer and the founder of Leadership Forces, a program that takes the high performance principles of the Royal Marines and applies it to leadership development. Rod has exemplified leadership on the front lines (literally) in Afghanistan and Libya and now uses that experience in order to develop leaders within organizations such as Land Rover, HSBC, and NATO.

Lead like a Royal Marine Topics

During this interview, Roderic and I discuss the following topics:

• What the Royal Marines taught him of leadership
• How his first bosses were great mentors
• How subordinates can mentor a leader
• What leadership lessons he learned from his deployments to Afghanistan and Libya
• Mental Models which leaders can use
• What civilian leaders can learn from military leaders

For the complete show notes, be sure to check out our website:

https://leaddontboss.com/97

Even leaders have their "baggage" which affects their emotions and can have negative consequences on their performance. Our people and organizations deserve leaders who operate at their peak, this is where neuroscience can come into play and give leaders that advantage.

Michele is the founder and CEO of Nectar Consulting Inc., and co-author of the best-selling book “Breakthrough Healing”. She works with executives and entrepreneurs bringing more than 25 years of experience, intuitive insights and strategic business savvy to their success. She is an expert at enhancing the capacity of leaders, to build high performing teams and exponentially increase bottom-line results.

Neuroscience Of Success Topics

During my interview, Michele and I discuss the following topics:

• How she became an expert in the field
• Why leaders should care about neuroscience
• How leaders can use neuroscience to their advantage
• Advice for leaders who have a hard time controlling their emotions
• How leaders can release their “baggage” and move forward
• How leaders can use neuroscience to improve their team

For the complete show notes, be sure to check out our website:

https://leaddontboss.com/96

The world is constantly changing and it is becoming more and more difficult to keep up with "the Jones'" per say. Teams are no different in this case. Teams need to evolve and change over time to ensure that they stay relevant and meet your organization's needs. So it's imperative that you learn how to transform your team for the future. Not learning this could cause something that work okay to crash and burn.

In 2000, Jill Valdez joined a start up team for a non-profit organization and was thrust into creating all of the systems and processes necessary to grow the organization. Eight years later, they were operating on two sites with a 30% increase in clients and a simple operations plan that was successfully passed on to the next director. Her next position was for an established organization that had been doing things the same way for over 40 years. Her empathy, combined with her aptitude for assessing people and connecting their passion to a purpose, allowed her to introduce updated processes in order for the team to enjoy greater success at accomplishing

Transform Your Team Topics

During the interview, Jill and I discuss the following topics:

• Why would leaders need to transform teams in the first place
• How to deal with resistance to change and transformation
• Her 5 ways to transform teams
• How to deal with problems during a transformation
• What to do when a team is done transforming
• How to address “good idea fairies”

For the complete show notes, be sure to check out our website:

https://leaddontboss.com/95

Organizational productivity is linked to the organization's culture. If the organization's culture is of one which stuffs out ideas, limits creativity, or enables backstabbing then it will implode. However, if your organization embraces a culture where people can talk, collaborate, and resolve conflicts then it'll be a highly productive culture.

For 30 years as a management consultant, executive coach, and facilitator, Liz Kislik has helped clients such as American Express, Orvis, The Girl Scouts, Comcast, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, and Highlights for Children solve their thorniest problems while strengthening their top and bottom lines. Her specialty is developing high performing leaders and teams. Liz is a frequent contributor to Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and Entrepreneur, and gave a TEDx talk on “Why There’s So Much Conflict at Work and What You Can Do to Fix It.” She has served as adjunct faculty at Hofstra University and New York University.

Highly Productive Culture Topics

During this interview, Liz and I discuss the following topics:

• Why organizational culture is so important to her
• What a highly productive culture actually means
• How leaders can create highly productive teams
• How conflict destroys productivity within an organization
• How to fix conflict as a leader

For the complete show notes, be sure to check out our website:

https://leaddontboss.com/94