Imagine how your life would change if you had a clear and consistent approach to having conversations that would strengthen relationships, resolve conflict, and expand future possibilities? Conversation expert Dr. Cheri Torres and I cover those topics and more in this episode. We also talk about the key principles in her book, Conversations Worth Having, and the philosophy and practice of appreciative inquiry. 

If you are a leader, coach, or consultant, or someone curious about shifting any local or national conversation, I highly recommend this episode, as I was immediately able to apply what I learned to my coaching work with leaders.

Show Highlights:

• Dr. Cheri Torres explains “appreciative inquiry” [2:22 ] and “generative questions” [3:54]
• The nuances of creating a positive frame for a conversation [5:33]
• Dr. Cheri Torres provides examples of “generative questions” [7:53]
• How these practices may manifest during under-performing employee reviews [9:12]
• How to run effective meetings [16:40]
• Workshops: “Conversations Worth Having” and “Strategic Conversations” [20:19]
• What the “appreciative conversation” with yourself might sound like [22:16]
• Identifying and addressing fear and other emotions upfront in conversations  [24:00]
• Broadening conversations with your neighbor to create positive change [27:51]

Resources:

Book - Conversations Worth Having by Jackie Stavros and Cheri Torres

Have effective conversations, EVEN with your kids! FREE Conversation Toolkit can be downloaded here: https://www.conversationsworthhaving.today

Article - “Business As An Agent for World Benefit”

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/business-as-an-agent-of-w_b_2091045

https://www.rhinomind.com

Follow Todd on Twitter: @rhinomind

We can all use a little “tweak” to the habits that make up our lifestyles, especially if we’re interested in optimal performance, endurance, and mastery. Today’s guest has many years’ experience and much wisdom to share, based on what he practices in his own life and how he works with his clients. You don’t want to miss today’s conversation!

Brian Cain is widely regarded as the foremost authority on Mental Performance Mastery Coaching in sports in the US. His client list includes five UFC champions, Olympic medalists, Heisman Trophy winners, and over 100 first round draft selections in professional sports, including the NFL, NHL, and MLB. He’s also coached collegiate national champions. In today’s show, we discuss the evolution of his own high-performance lifestyle, as well as his approach and philosophy. We cover his journey to “walking the walk,” his daily and weekly routine, for competing in triathlons, his sleep routine, and his vision for impacting the most people possible over the next 20 years through his work. Brian has created a new Mental Performance Mastery Coaching Certification, which I will be taking, and you can sign up through the link in our Resources section. Brian and I have crossed paths in several ways over the last 20 years, and I’ve been able to witness his passion and dedication firsthand.

Show Highlights:

• Brian’s peak performance life and what his journey has looked like [2:28]
• How Brian follows through with his meditation process [8:36]
• How Brian uses discipline and obsession in positive ways [13:48]
• The impact of endurance sport on Brian’s life [15:48]
• What spiritual work means in theory and practice [23:56]
• The importance of sleep [26:10]
• Brian’s ideal approach to coaching and the future [29:42]

Resources:

www.briancain.com  Find out about Brian, his 40 books, and more!

www.briancain.com/certification  Find out more about Brian’s course.

Follow Brian on Twitter: @briancainpeak

Success Hotline  973-743-4690

Episode 11 of the Rhinomind Coaching Podcast is Part 2 of my conversation with creative empowerment coach Calee Lucht. In this episode, Calee shares her perspectives on “callout” culture, the difference between soul work and spiritual work, and the relationship between sex and leadership potential. We also talk about ways in which men and women can partner together in more powerful ways. 

For over 17 years at Harvard Business School and the Harvard Kennedy School, Calee helped many school leaders and alumni around the world tell their stories. Calee leveraged that experienced to build a coaching practice that helps people and performers find their true creative power, and live into their potential. Please enjoy Part 2 of my conversation with Calee! 

Show Highlights:

• Calee’s thoughts on today’s “callout” culture [:58]
• How a man can become a powerful partner [9:42]
• Challenges to sex and sexuality in our culture [10:20]
• The connection between sex and leadership [16:50]
• What soul work is and why it’s valuable [20:02]
• How to bring new thinking into traditional organizations [22:33]

Resources:

https://caleelucht.com

On Episode 10 of the Rhinomind Coaching Podcast, I’m joined by creative empowerment coach Calee Lucht. Calee also specializes in coaching men, and has some very interesting thoughts about moving away from the “patriarchy” label, and in shifting from systems of domination to systems of partnership in organizations.

Previously, for over 17 years at Harvard Business School and the Harvard Kennedy School, Calee helped many school leaders and alumni around the world tell their stories. Calee has leveraged that experienced to build a coaching practice that helps people and performers find their true creative power, and live into their potential. Please enjoy Part 1 of my conversation with Calee! 

Show Highlights:

• How Calee followed art and creativity on her path to empowerment [3:35]
• How Calee learned about the kind of leader she wanted to be [5:46]
• The process Calee uses to help people connect to their purpose, based on core values [10:06]
• What it means to be a values-driven leader [13:01]
• Why Calee chose to work with men in coaching [16:46]
• What “above the line” behavior looks like in systems of partnership [22:42]

Resources:

https://caleelucht.com

The Chalice and the Blade by Riane Eisler

On Episode 9 of the Rhinomind Coaching Podcast, I’m joined by five-time Olympian Frances Houghton, formerly of the Team Great Britain Rowing team. From Sydney in 2000 to Rio in 2016, Frances won three silver medals and multiple world championships during her time in competition. With her towering 6’4” frame and ability to build high-trust relationships, Frances physically and spiritually wrapped her arms around her teammates during her career.

On this episode, Frances shares incredibly insightful leadership and teambuilding lessons from her 20+ years of experience competing at the highest level. As Frances transitions out of the world of elite competition, we also hear about what’s next for her, and her dream for what is possible in developing people through sport. 

Show Highlights:

• Frances’ background and the love of rowing began at age 11 when she was tired of not being successful in other sports [4:50]
• What happens when you clearly define who you’re trying to become---and a key moment that organized Frances’ life around a goal [11:17]
• Shifting your mindset from the awe and wonder of “being there” to focus on the competition, with the process sandwiched between the passion moments [15:45]
• Frances on connection, trust, and vulnerability in building teams [31:42]
• Frances’ last Olympics, her new perspective and leadership role, and making it to the podium [36:41]
• The transition to “life after sport” and what’s coming up next for Frances [39:47]
• Frances’ dream for what’s possible in sport [46:11]

Resources:

www.thetrueathleteproject.org  

Find Frances on Twitter: @houghtonfrances

Todd Iarussi’s leadership coaching website: www.rhinomind.com

Todd on Twitter: @rhinomind

On Episode 8 of the Rhinomind Coaching Podcast, I’m joined by Jeff Eggers, a retired Navy SEAL, former Special Assistant to President Obama for national security affairs, and the current Executive Director of The Leadership Institute at The McChrystal Group. In this interview, Jeff shares stories from his time as a Navy SEAL, and also describes what he feels were President Obama’s most effective leadership behaviors. We also discuss why Jeff feels that redefining leadership around the realities of behavioral science is the key to unlocking future American prosperity.

Jeff, General Stanley McChrystal, and Jay Mangone also recently wrote a book, Leaders: Myth and Reality, where the authors show us that leadership isn’t what we think it is…and never was! We discuss the book and a whole lot more, so please enjoy a conversation with someone working at an exceptionally high level to help people develop more effective leaders and teams! 

Show Highlights:

• Jeff’s background, family life, path to the Naval Academy, and how he “one-upped” his Air Force dad [2:58]
• Discovering a new level of hunger for understanding leadership [6:51] and what Jeff learned about leadership and teams [10:35]
• The old leadership model, a new threat, and learning to perform under pressure in war [14:54]
• How Jeff ended up working for President Obama [19:07] and what kept him on the National Security Council for five years [21:30]
• The #1 leadership skill of President Obama [24:17]
• Jeff’s plan to start with executive coaching and studying behavioral science---and what he discovered [30:10]
• The idea for the book---where it came from and how the journey progressed [32:15]
• Jeff’s burning questions around leadership that still exist [40:11]
• Jeff’s dream and hope for our culture regarding leadership [45:39]

Resources:

www.mcchrystalgroup.com

www.newamerica.org

Find Jeff on Twitter: @jeff_eggers

Leaders: Myth and Reality by Stanley McChrystal, Jeff Eggers, and Jay Mangone

Todd Iarussi’s leadership coaching website: www.rhinomind.com

Todd on Twitter: @rhinomind

On Episode 7 of the Rhinomind Coaching Podcast, I am joined by one of the world’s foremost experts on high-performance leadership. Mike Feiner was an SVP and Chief People Officer at PepsiCo before spending a decade teaching high-performance leadership at Columbia Business School. 

Mike is also the author of The Feiner Points of Leadership, where he breaks leadership down into 50 laws across easy-to-use categories, including leading subordinates and bosses, peers and teams, as well as leading in situations that include change, conflict, and leading with values. Mike is now an executive coach and trusted consultant to senior organizational leaders through his company, Michael Feiner Consulting.

Show Highlights:

• Mike shares how he was very driven to rise to the top of People Operations at PepsiCo. [04:11]
• Critical feedback may be uncomfortable, but it’s necessary in high-peformance leadership. [07:42]
• Some upper-level managers lead from the ways they were socialized as kids. [08:21]
• A leader also has to be a coach. [11:29]
• What does it take to lead bosses? [19:00]
• Command and control is still alive today. [21:49]
• The importance of values conversations [29:18]
• Leadership is not about power and authority. [30:12]

Resources:

The Feiner Points of Leadership

Feiner Consulting 

Todd's website: www.rhinomind.com

Todd on Twitter: @rhinomind

On today’s Rhinomind Coaching podcast, Todd is joined by executive coach and Coachlogix CEO Dr. Alex Pascal, an entrepreneur who lives at the cutting edge of technology, research, and coaching. Alex was one of the youngest coaches ever to coach executives at the Center for Creative Leadership, and with such a broad, insider’s view of the coaching landscape, Alex founded Coachlogix to address inefficiencies in the coaching marketplace. CoachLogix provides a platform for coaches and organizations to standardize the way coaching is managed, and understand the value and effectiveness of coaching. CoachLogix is also moving into the machine learning / AI space to bring coaching into the future. 

For the CEOs, entrepreneurs, and leaders, Alex will share his journey of creating and leading a successful startup technology company [05:03]. For the coaches, you will hear about the future of coaching and technology [12:35]. Alex also discusses his spiritual journey [21:54], paradox and adult development, and human evolution [25:05], and the nature of the current challenges humans are facing amidst the power of emerging technologies. Alex closes with the responsibilities of leaders of coaches to keep human flourishing at the center of innovation [34:15].

Show Highlights:

• The history of Alex beginning CoachLogix [5:03]
• Technology and future trends in the coaching industry [12:05]
• Alex’s spiritual journey, purpose, and having an impact [22:00] 

Resources:

CoachLogix 

Facebook

LinkedIn

Twitter

Todd's website: www.rhinomind.com

Todd on Twitter: @rhinomind

Award-winning filmmaker Mike Zimbalist joins the Rhinomind Coaching podcast to talk about his career and life in film. Mike and his brother Jeff are best known  for the ESPN 30-for-30 documentaries The Two Escobars (2010) and Youngstown Boys (2013), and the feature film Pelé: Birth of a Legend (2016). Mike and his brother are set to release four films in 2018! Please join Mike and host Todd Iarussi as they discuss Mike finding his calling in film, his perspective on making films that have a cultural impact, and moving into feature filmmaking outside of sports.     

Show Highlights

• What led to the making of the Two Escobars with ESPN [03:55]
• The moment Mike found his calling in film [07:40]
• Mike’s perspective on making films with his brother Jeff [14:10]
• The impact Mike wants to have on the world at this point in his career [19:16]

Resources:

Mike and Jeff’s film company All Rise Films

Mike Zimbalist on IMDB

Todd on Twitter: @rhinomind

In this episode, Todd Iarussi talks to Dr. Richard Levin, one of America's first executive coaches, and the CEO of Richard Levin and Associates (RLA). RLA is the only coaching firm on the 2018 Forbes list of the 50 best US management consulting firms. 

Richard actually began his career as a psychologist, but at the request of his executive-level clients, began helping them approach business and leadership challenges by observing them in the workplace. In the process, he has helped to start and shape the field of executive coaching over the last 30-plus years. 

Please enjoy one of American’s most experienced executive coaches talking about leadership, coaching, and culture development at the highest levels of organizations!

What you'll hear in this episode:

• What informed Richard’s decision to become a psychologist (2:22) and how he made the transition to executive coach in the 80’s
• Richard’s opinion about whether or not shadowing and observing leaders in the workplace actually allows for an authentic assessment of their leadership. (16:18)
• How RLA’s network of 42 coaches makes it easier for organizations to find right the coach. (22:12)
• How a leader or CEO can work with an executive coach to begin developing the systems and practices that create high-performing, values-driven cultures. (28:12)
• Re-introducing a more civil discourse - and learning to listen more, trust more, and respect each other more as human beings. (37:55)

Resources:

CFAR is the consulting organization that RLA has partnered with.

Dr. Richard Levin and RLA's website: www.richardlevinassociates.com  

Richard on Twitter: @R_Levin_Assoc

Todd's website: www.rhinomind.com

Todd on Twitter: @rhinomind