Punk Rock HR

This summer, I'll be reissuing some of my favorite episodes of Punk Rock HR. Here's a conversation I had in 2019 with Professor Amy Edmondson from Harvard Business School and author of "The Fearless Organization". Our conversation about generating psychological safety, inviting participation and using humor to destigmatize failure is still essential today. If you're ready to empower your workforce to create and innovate, sit back and learn from Amy Edmondson.

My guest for today is Mike Kim, author of "You Are The Brand: The 8-Step Blueprint to Showcase Your Unique Expertise and Build a Highly Profitable, Personally Fulfilling Business." Mike's expertise has always been invaluable, but it's essential right now, when so many smart and talented people are pivoting in the post-COVID world. If you want to learn how to position your expertise in the most effective way possible, then listen in!

My guest for today is Dr. Amy Dufrane, the CEO of HRCI, the leading certification body for human resources — and she's also a longtime listener of Punk Rock HR! Amy joined me to talk about on the show today to talk about the future of work, the future of human resources, and all things human capital. If you're like Amy and me and nerd out over all things HR, this is one you don't want to miss!

Do you have what it takes to become an entrepreneur? My guest on this week's episode, Gino Wickman, is here to help you figure that out. He's the author of the book "Entrepreneurial Leap: Do You Have What It Takes to Become an Entrepreneur?" He makes his point clear: becoming an entrepreneur is rewarding, but it definitely isn't for everyone. Listen in to hear Gino break down all of the parts that make up a successful self-leader so that you can figure out if becoming an entrepreneur is right for you.

My guest this week, David Buckmaster, has a ton of experience working for corporate compensation teams. He's a prolific writer and is the author of the new book "Fair Pay: How to Get a Raise, Close the Wage Gap, and Build Stronger Businesses." Listen in to hear David's solutions on providing employees with full transparency, the role that negotiation has in fair pay and HR's role in closing the racial and gender pay gaps once and for all.

My guest today, Dr. Rebecca Heiss, uses her degrees in biology to help people overcome evolutionary limitations that are hardwired in the brain and improve their self-awareness and leadership skills. She's also an ornithologist, which means that she can tell us what we can learn about this type of human behavior by studying birds. Listen in to discover the methods you can use to rewire your brain and live more positively, and find out how birds fit into all of this.

Do you wonder why it feels like we're more connected than ever before, yet it feels so difficult to keep true friendships alive? In this episode, I talk to Smiley Poswolsky, author of the book "Friendship in the Age of Loneliness: An Optimist's Guide to Connection." We discuss the reasons why we feel so alone despite always being connected with others online, as well as how to show up as our true selves and form authentic connections.

My guest on this episode is Cyril Bouquet. He's a professor of innovation and strategy at the Switzerland-based IMD Business School and helps executives bring progress to a changing world. He's also the co-author of "ALIEN Thinking: The Unconventional Path to Breakthrough Ideas." In our conversation, Cyril discusses how people can come up with truly original ideas and foster creativity, even under stress, by thinking like an ALIEN.

In this episode I'm joined by Dr. Jeffrey McCausland, a retired U.S. Army Colonel and author of the book "Battle Tested!: Gettysburg Leadership Lessons for 21st Century Leaders". He uses the events in the Battle of Gettysburg to explain how one can be a leader in today's corporate world. Listen to our conversation about Gettysburg and how it relates to leadership, the need for a succession plan, and the value of succinctly communicating the mission and vision of your organization.

My guest today is Mitchell Kaplan, who has been a bookseller and owner of the independent Books & Books in the Miami area for almost 40 years. We chat about what it's like managing a small business during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly with maintaining the community that he's helped to build in the Miami literary scene. We also talk about keeping employees motivated and how pivoting can help grow your business during challenging times.