PowerUp Your Presence

An astronaut, aquanaut, jet pilot, ER doctor, scientist, CEO, father – Dr. Dave Williams is an exceptional leader with much to share! The former Director of Space & Life Sciences at NASA has flown once on the space shuttle Columbia and once on Endeavour, logging over thirteen million kilometers in space and over seventeen hours of spacewalks. He holds the Canadian spacewalking record for the most number of spacewalks and was the first Canadian to have lived and worked on the world’s only undersea research habitat. He is the recipient of six honourary degrees, the Order of Canada and the Order of Ontario.

The first episode of Season 2 of PowerUp Your Presence features Dr.Dave Williams discussing his latest book, “Leadership Moments From NASA,” co-authored with Dr. Elizabeth Howell. Dr. Howell is a Canadian journalist who has written extensively on space exploration for over 20 years, has witnessed rocket launches in the United States and Kazakhstan, lived on a simulated Mars base, and interviewed dozens of astronauts. Their latest book combines their expertise and experience in space exploration with leadership lessons NASA practices to provide readers with the knowledge of best-in-class practices employed by some of the most pioneering leaders today.

In this episode, Diane Craig and Dave explore exceptional circumstances that challenge leadership, test resilience, professionalism, taking risks when the cost of failure is high and how leaders can create an environment of psychological safety, particularly in encouraging teammates to speak up without fear of retribution, while practicing empathy as a leader, and much more!

Leadership Moments from NASA delves into the senior NASA Executive overcome tragedy and adversity and how they leverage it to develop a culture of competency that continues to attract the best and brightest from around the world. The podcast investigates how did they prioritize? How did they resolve differences while maintaining a culture of safety and innovation? How did they chart new territory? How did they build highly competent and resilient teams?

In addition to Leadership Moments from NASA, Dr. Dave Williams is also the author of a series of children’s books on being an astronaut and a memoir entitled Defying Limits: Lessons from the Edge of the Universe.

To learn more about Dr. Dave Williams, visit his website www.astrodavemd.ca, (http://www.astrodavemd.ca) and follow him on Twitter @AstroDaveMD

We all know the importance of connection - or we've all been told six different ways to network, but it's so much harder than anyone makes it sound. Overcoming that is not just a matter of positivity, but a genuine mix of affirmation, preparation and exuding confidence. If it helps, remember that it's not as easy as the pros make it look; 'working a room' is real "work", that's why it's in the name.

For the genuine introvert, you have to work on getting out of your own way. Overcome your fears, let go of self-judgement, and stretch yourself into networking spaces to get the work done. Preparation is key, imagine a perfect scenario where everyone is interested in what you think and use those answers to launch conversations. Have something ready for any topic - they say Eleanor Roosevelt had a small talk prompt set for each letter of the alphabet before any event, and seldom reached whatever she had ready to say about zoology!  Everyone left convinced of her ability to socialize. On a more tactical level, challenge yourself to meeting 1-2 people before grabbing a drink or some food.  Find groups with an odd number of people, they are easier to break into, and introduce yourself.

Reframe how you think about networking - make it about relationship building and what you can give the other person versus what you can get.  Social credit is the only real credit, leverage it any way you can.

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Do you enjoy listening to the PowerUp your Presence Podcast? If the tips, stories and interviews we share in each episode have helped you become more intentional about how you show up to lead more effectively, head over to iTunes or Spotify, subscribe to the show and leave a review to let us know!  If you are interested in learning more about our training programs, workshops or private coaching visit our website at www.corporateclassinc.com (http://www.corporateclassinc.com/).

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Dr. Kathleen Reardon is Professor Emerita at University of Southern California Marshall School of Business. She is an author and leading authority on persuasion, politics in the workplace, negotiation and interpersonal communication.

Through her research and writing, Dr. Reardon has influenced the careers of countless women and men.

During this episode, we delve into women’s empowerment. Dr. Reardon shares candid stories about her career and personal life, along with insights drawn from other women—including her mother and luminaries within the business world.

Stepping into Your Power

We explore the difference between equality and empowerment. Dr. Reardon explains how to step into your power and overcome challenges. She provides practical advice and strategies for confronting inappropriate comments, dealing with constant interruptions and speaking with conviction.

Dr. Reardon offers insights into navigating workplace politics, advocating for yourself and managing your own career brand, while avoiding labels. She cautions:

• Don’t get stuck in a junk job. Focus on visible, relevant assignments central to your goals.

• Maintain a balance in your favor-account; be mindful of the support you deliver in contrast to what comes your way.

• Keep track of your sponsors; develop alliances with women and men.

• Most importantly, be genuine in building yourself up and recognize that to grow, you need to be willing and prepared to take some falls.

Our conversation closes with Dr. Reardon emphasizing, “You never overcome adversity fighting back with anger.” She stresses how important it is to focus on things that truly enrich your life and describes her personal journey through both her writing and oil and watercolour painting.

Dr. Reardon has just released her second novel, Damned if She Does. Learn more about her research, writing and artwork at: www.kathleenkelleyreardon.com

Love the show? Let us know!

Do you enjoy listening to the PowerUp your Presence Podcast? If the tips, stories and interviews we share in each episode have helped you become more intentional about how you show up to lead more effectively, head over to iTunes or Spotify, subscribe to the show and leave a review to let us know!  If you are interested in learning more about our training programs, workshops or private coaching visit our website at www.corporateclassinc.com.

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There is great power in listening. The ability to connect both personally and professionally with people and build successful relationships depends on deliberate, attentive listening. And yet, formal instruction on effective listening is rarely even touched on at school.

Lorna Dueck, journalist, broadcaster and CEO of Crossroads and YES TV joins us on this Listen to Lead episode, where we explore the hallmarks of powerful listening skills, notably in leadership positions.  Lorna explains that at the forefront is a genuine sense of curiosity, a critical component of learning at every age.

Next, she describes how there are two obstacles leaders must overcome-the ability to put aside a big ego and the time factor. The first requires humility and respect in place of ego, imperative to engage with empathy, while the time factor demands focus with no sense of distraction.

As our conversation moves on, we touch on the importance of listening for non-verbal cues, repetition as a tool for emphasis of vision and direction-and the importance of "cultural intelligence," or consciousness, to understand differences in communication meaning and styles.

Listening is an opportunity to gather information and insights. When organizations truly listen to employees as well as customers, and are alert to market trends, success follows. Lorna leaves us with a reminder of three magic words, "help me understand..."

 

 

Love the show? Let us know!

Do you enjoy listening to the PowerUp your Presence Podcast? If the tips, stories and interviews we share in each episode have helped you become more intentional about how you show up to lead more effectively, head over to iTunes or Spotify, subscribe to the show and leave a review to let us know!  If you are interested in learning more about our training programs, workshops or private coaching visit our website at www.corporateclassinc.com (http://www.corporateclassinc.com/).

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Dr. Greg Wells, Ph.D., is a scientist and physiologist who translates scientific discoveries into actionable advice on how to improve people's health and well-being. Dr. Well's research is focused on what he's identified as "four interrelated grand epidemics" that cause people to struggle on a daily basis:

* Sleeplessness

* Mental illness

* Obesity

* Inactivity

During this podcast, to help unravel these four interconnected issues, Dr. Wells walks us through his STEM Pathway model where STEM stands for:

* Sleep soundly

* Think clearly

* Eat smarter

* Move more

Sleep soundly

Although we all recognize sleep is the foundation of human health and performance -and essential for the brain to recover-we're not always disciplined about making sleep a priority. Dr. Wells provides practical tips, easy to incorporate into a daily routine, on what he calls "defend our last hour," to help people get a good night's sleep.

Move more

Dr. Wells has a Ph.D. in Physiology, served as an Associate Professor of Kinesiology at the University of Toronto and is an exercise medicine researcher at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. During our conversation, we also look at how prioritizing moving more benefits both the body-and brain performance to positively impact mental health.

Think clearly

Dr. Wells explains that we're living in the midst of a distraction epidemic where focus is the fundamental currency of our era. Devices and apps are scientifically designed to hold our attention. They can improve life when used positively but often become powerful distractions that prevent people form giving their full consideration to what really matters. This results in what Dr. Wells describes as "attention residue," where time is lost trying to get back in the zone and into a flow. To offset this, he offers techniques that both limit distractions and better control where and how to focus attention.

Dr. Wells leaves us with accessible advice and attainable goals for how we can begin to achieve a healthier lifestyle. He shares a simple strategy: Challenge yourself to be one percent better every day so habits begin to form-you'll feel better and be better.

 

A special offer for 2020

Dr. Wells is author of three best-selling books-Superbodies, The Ripple Effect and The Focus Effect.

We're excited to offer you a chance to win a copy of The Ripple Effect or The Focus Effect.

To enter: Head over to our Instagram page @corporateclass, follow us, and like The Ripple Effect post.   Comment on the post by sharing a key insight you gained from our interview with Dr. Wells.

Your reputation capital is a tangible asset. It’s the beliefs, feelings and opinions people hold about you. Your reputation can even serve as a powerful door-opener. Think of it as your personal brand—what you’re known for and the perceptions people have about you.

And because your reputation precedes you, there is no greater asset than a positive personal brand. In order to show up the way you want to be seen, you must have a clear vision of how you want to shape your personal brand. To build your reputation demands thoughtful consideration of how you desire to appear.

Sad but true, reputation is like fire, easy to maintain once it’s glowing—hard to rebuild when extinguished. And as we say: “Your reputation never goes on vacation!”

To understand how people perceive you, consider participating in a 360 assessment (https://www.corporateclassinc.com/assessments/). When you hold up the mirror, honestly reflect on your interactions and ask for feedback, you shine a light on both your key strengths and areas requiring development.

Today, the expressions personal brand and reputation are often used interchangeably. During today’s episode, we discuss managing the three top elements that comprise reputation, including the importance of maintaining a strong personal brand on-line.

Let a strong presence underline your best qualities.

Love the show? Let us know! Do you enjoy listening to the PowerUp your Presence Podcast? If the tips, stories and interviews we share in each episode have helped you become more intentional about how you show up to lead more effectively, head over to iTunes or Spotify, subscribe to the show and leave a review to let us know! If you are interested in learning more about our training programs, workshops or private coaching visit our website at www.corporateclassinc.com.

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This episode's guest, Brad Petersen, is really a kid at heart. For most of his career, Brad, Founder and President of Indykko Limited, has worked in both toy distribution and tech for young audiences. Although his start was as a carnival-style salesman, he transitioned to major brands including DC Comics and Pokémon. Brad has a reputation for creating bestsellers.

As he reflects on entrepreneurial life, Brad shares insights into his experiences, lessons learned, the distinction between failing and failure and finally, that adversity in some form is inevitable. He explains how enterprises undertaken in challenging conditions often successfully manage setbacks.

Brad describes the process of how he's become a better leader. Although always an effective team captain, leading from the ice-to borrow a hockey metaphor-he had to learn how to move to the coach's corner of the bench, then up to the general manager's box.

For the longest time Brad was his company's rainmaker; he recognized, however, to grow and scale his business, he couldn't do it alone. The process, Brad explains, starts with imagining your current business on a scale far too complex to fathom. Say for example, ten times greater than it is currently, or even more. Once you begin to visualize your business on this almost incomprehensible level, you realize the need to recruit a team of experts who can make it happen.

Brad follows a consistent recruiting methodology. He starts with people already employed, then identifies potential candidates whose lives embody his company's core values. He looks for people reputable within the industry who demonstrate humility and empathy. It's not a quest for people who have all the answers, rather those with the desire to participate in finding answers. The only way to build something great is to surround yourself with people smarter than you are.

Once you have a team in place, Brad describes his three rules for leading. First, define the purpose and mission of your company to inspire people. Next, build and empower high-performance teams to fulfill that mission. Last, create a personal white space where you can explore and contemplate the big-picture and where the company should be headed.

Love the show? Let us know! Do you enjoy listening to the PowerUp your Presence Podcast? If the tips, stories and interviews we share in each episode have helped you become more intentional about how you show up to lead more effectively, head over to iTunes or Spotify, subscribe to the show and leave a review to let us know!  If you are interested in learning more about our training programs, workshops or private coaching visit our website at www.corporateclassinc.com (http://www.corporateclassinc.com/).

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Today we are talking about mental wellness and overcoming self-doubt with Dr. Katy Kamkar (https://www.psychiatry.utoronto.ca/faculty/dr-katy-kamkar).

Dr. Kamkar is a Clinical Psychologist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and Assistant Professor with the Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto.

Dr. Kamkar's passion and a focus of her work is providing community-wide education that encourages conversation about mental health and well-being-to reduce the stigma of mental illness. She explains that talking about mental health normalizes the conversation to help take away the fear and stigma associated with mental illness. Mental health is health.

During our conversation, Dr. Kamkar relates how a negative viewpoint can result in self-doubt that impacts personal growth and the ability to reach our full potential. An internal bias allows negative thoughts and events to have more sticking power so we begin searching for evidence that reinforces pessimistic attitudes.

She offers practical strategies and tools to interrupt our inner critic. To suspend or deter negativity, it's important to have a balanced self-regard-appreciate our positive aspects while accepting our gaps and limitations. This helps offset swinging too far either way. Dr. Katy reminds us there is great power in pausing, to catch our thoughts and bring them into our awareness. She also recommends talking about how we feel. This helps us recognize we are not alone.

Dr. Kamkar encourages everyone to pay attention to mental wellness and overall well-being by consciously building a sense of self-worth. For example, the expression of gratitude elevates self-esteem. Research indicates that when people are thankful for good things and express gratitude, they focus on the positive, resulting in a better frame of mind.

She leaves us with a thoughtful reminder not to be afraid of our thoughts and emotions. When we recognize our negative emotions, we're able to put them into perspective and prioritize practicing self-kindness and compassion. The starting point is recognizing the importance of self-care and personal growth.

Twitter: @DrKatyKamkar (https://twitter.com/DrKatyKamkar) Linkedln: Dr. Katy Kamkar

www.katykamkar.com/videos (http://www.katykamkar.com/videos)

Love the show? Let us know!Do you enjoy listening to the PowerUp your Presence Podcast? If the tips, stories and interviews we share in each episode have helped you become more intentional about how you show up to lead more effectively, head over to iTunes or Spotify, subscribe to the show and leave a review to let us know! If you are interested in learning more about our training programs, workshops or private coaching visit our website at www.corporateclassinc.com.

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Trust matters! Charles Green, author of The Trusted Advisor, breaks down what trust is and how it's often established in low profile, discreet moments to build solid business relationships.

Charles experienced his breakthrough moment on workplace trust early in his career during a sales pitch at a sandpaper manufacturer. Asked by the client about his sandpaper marketing experience, Charles was about to launch into a roundabout explanation when his boss jumped in with, "None that I can think of but let's get down to what you really need." That simple statement contradicted everything Charles had been taught about sales. It kicked started his appreciation of how trusting business relationships are built.

Today, he has building trust down to a science, expressed through The Trust Equation where four objective variables-credibility, reliability, intimacy and self-orientation-measure trustworthiness. His formula is written:

T=(C+R+I)/S

Our conversation about these four variables moves quickly to the two most difficult to pin down, intimacy and self-orientation:

Intimacy refers to feelings of safety and security. This can be complicated in corporate settings where creating a safe, open space for people to comfortably take emotional risks is often discouraged. Intimacy doesn't necessarily involve sharing. By ensuring people are heard and listened to without fear of judgement creates emotional connection.

Self-orientation is more complex than its name may imply. It's not confined to selfishness or even greed used to propel a relationship. It refers to preoccupation with people putting themselves and their own agendas first, ahead of clients. Self-interest has a direct, negative impact on building trust.

We also discuss mistrust, meaning a general lack of trust or confidence, sometimes based on instinct and not to be confused with distrust, a complete lack of trust. Mistrust can develop when people are evasive and non-transparent or opposed to any level of confidentiality and closeness. People instinctively respond with like behaviour. Evasive, non-committal responses are met with more sidestepping until concluding in a disconnected, totally non-productive conversation.

Modern life and modern modes of interaction can also get in the way of trust. Digital interactions present a challenge for building rapport. Live video and conferencing software not only put a face to the voice-they provide clarity about what people want to convey. Connection creates trust: to create trustworthiness demands plugging in with emotional bandwidth. Be more intimate in text (yes, emojis are fine.

First impressions are both critical and more complicated than they appear at first (impression). Every day as you move from interaction to interaction, you’re making an impression—from the moment you walk through the door to your staff meeting and then later in the break room. There are a number of factors, not just your mood, that impact how you show up in every interaction.

Diane shares anecdotes about the best and worst first impressions she’s experienced. There’s an authentic interest and warmth that comes from good impressions, while all her negative interactions come down to individuals demonstrating a lack of interest.

Likeability goes far in creating a positive first impression but requires you to foster trust swiftly. Fortunately, there’s a mathematical formula for building trust from Charles Green, author of The Trusted Advisor. His Trust Equation combines credibility, reliability, intimacy and perceived self-interest to measure and evaluate trustworthiness. Power up the three good qualities and reduce the negative one to nail your impression every time.

Charles Green will be our guest on an upcoming podcast, so please add our feed to your app of choice.

Love the show? Let us know!

Do you enjoy listening to the PowerUp your Presence Podcast? If the tips, stories and interviews we share in each episode have helped you become more intentional about how you show up to lead more effectively, head over to iTunes or Spotify, subscribe to the show and leave a review to let us know!

If you are interested in learning more about our training programs, workshops or private coaching visit our website at www.corporateclassinc.com (http://www.corporateclassinc.com/).

You can also follow our social media channels: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/corporateclass/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/CorporateClass) LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/corporate-class-inc./) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/CorporateClass)