Take Command: A Leadership Podcast

Fergus Williams is the CEO of Walking With The Wounded (WWTW), a UK charity that supports injured former members of the UK armed forces during their career transition from military to civilian life. Over the past decade, Fergus and his team have supported more than 15,000 veterans in the United Kingdom.   

Fergus first served in the British Army for nine years as an infantry officer with the Welsh Guards, ending his career as a staff officer for HRH (His Royal Highness), the then Prince of Wales, now King Charles III. After leaving the Army, Fergus held several commercial positions, including running his own project management company in the banking and finance sector.    

He leads WWTW with a culture that puts the customer first. This service culture was tested by the COVID-19 outbreak. But his team and he responded quickly and were able to contribute to the veterans online.

Fergus started using the OKR (Objectives and Key Results) system to better manage his team remotely. He sets a goal for the team, and they pursue that goal without worrying about all the side issues. As a leader, he aims to create an environment where his team can grow and deliver quality services both in-person and online.

During his time at the Royal Military Academy and as a soldier, Fergus learned the values of leadership. He realized that service is a privilege of leadership and that humility is the other key element. For him, it's all about listening to others' perspectives and bringing out the best in people. 

In this episode’s Thought Leadership Spotlight segment, Pete Burbidge, General Manager of Dale Carnegie London and Southeast UK, explains how Dale Carnegie's principles led him to make a life-changing decision and move into action with a positive attitude. Like Fergus, Pete reminds us of the importance of standing by our decisions, facing the consequences, and learning from our mistakes if they occur.

Join us and listen to Fergus’s leadership insights on taking command of our decisions, leading with a people-first culture, gaining humility, and having a service mindset.

Walking with the Wounded 

Joe Hart’s Fundraising Link– London Marathon WWTW 2022

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Huynh Thanh Phongstarted his work in financial services and insurance in Asia and is now a well-respected figure in the global insurance industry with experience in several leadership roles, currently as the CEO and Executive Director of the FWD Group.

Phong’s life philosophy is that we must always be prepared so that when an opportunity presents itself, we can take advantage of it. He did that by developing a market for life insurance in Asian communities that had never bought such products before. He created long-term wealth, jobs, and economic development and improved the economy from a macro- and microeconomic perspective. His leadership advice is to always leverage our strengths and not pretend to be what or who we are not.

Phong is passionate about helping people.  He finds different ways to do that while developing strong relationships. He believes in karma and his vision is grounded in doing good. If we do that, good things happen to us. His goal and passion are to improve the social safety net throughout Asia.

Phong also urges people to have passion for their work and to wake up every day excited about what they will do. We need to be prepared to work hard. The harder we work, the luckier we get. And financial reward comes later.

Please join us to listen to Phong’s insights on how to leverage our strengths, help people, do good, develop strong relationships, and work with passion. 

Also, enjoy a short story by Linh Nguyen, CEO of Dale Carnegie Vietnam, on how by helping other people and doing good, we not only build relationships but also allow our business to grow in the long run.

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Dr. Yasmin Davidds is an entrepreneur and organizational psychologist. She is CEO of three organizations: the Multicultural Women Executive Leadership Foundation, the Women’s Institute of Negotiation, and the Dr. Yasmin Davidds Leadership Institute, which is focused on empowering Latina women. Both the U.S. Congress and the California State Senate have recognized her efforts for the Latin and female communities. 

After dramatic family circumstances, depression, and life in rehab, Dr. Davidds realized that her story could help others. She wrote a book, Empowering Latinas: Breaking Boundaries, Freeing Lives, which led her to a global speaking tour. Her success as a speaker led to invitations to teach corporate Leadership Workshops for Latina Executives, which later grew into her pursuing a Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology. Next, Yasmin partnered with the USC Marshall School of Business in California to launch the Dr. Davidds Leadership Institute. The goal of the Institute is to help Latin women take command of their lives and careers.

Davidds has learned from her failures, and her story serves as an inspiration to others. Davidds believes that everyone must get to know who they are and what they want to achieve in life. The institute teaches leadership skills & creates an environment where women can be vulnerable and share their fears.

Dr. Davidds encourages her students to read Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People. By embracing empathy, we can learn how to adapt to environments, family, or work settings, learn how to shelter ourselves from toxic experiences and people, and learn how not to fear them. 

Yasmin’s goal is to encourage people to find their purpose. We should commit to getting to know who we are as individuals, finding out who we want to be, and becoming the best version of ourselves.

Listen to how Dr. Yasmin Davidds found her purpose—to inspire and help others to become the best version of themselves.

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Dr. Marshall Goldsmith is ranked as Thinkers50 World’s #1 Leadership Thinker, World’s #1 Executive Coach, and a New York Times #1 Bestselling Author. He is a member of the Thinkers50 Hall of Fame, has won the Lifetime Award for Leadership from the Harvard Institute of Coaching, and is on the list of Amazon’s “100 Best Leadership & Success Books Ever Written.”

Goldsmith has coached over 200 CEOs and their management teams. His experience and deep focus on leadership have enabled him to understand how successful people think and make decisions. He’s been coaching positive leadership behavioral changes that help us overcome challenges and become more confident. Marshall’s coaching tactics discover roadblocks that prevent us from reaching our best potential and lead to a fulfilled life. 

One of Marshall’s first executive clients was Alan Mulally, one of the most outstanding leaders in the USA (Former CEO of Boeing & Ford). Marshall admits that Alan was the person who changed his life.  When Marshall started using the famous Business Plan Review, developed by Alan, in his coaching,  he transformed it into Life Plan Review, using the“accountability & collaboration process” for personal and professional growth tracking.

Marshall talks about his newest book, “The Earned Life: Loose Regret, Choose Fulfillment”, where he shares findings about coaching during the Covid-19 pandemic, the post-pandemic work-life balance desire, and the Great Resignation, connected with people’s urge to seek meaning, get unstuck, and make changes.

Marshall’s tips for achieving a successful life lie in three areas: Aspiration – finding a profound meaning; Ambition – setting goals; and Action – our day-to-day activities that should be based on our aspirations and goals. It’s essential to combine the three.

As someone who transformed the executive coaching industry, Goldsmith has discovered that everyone can get better at something, no matter how successful they are. It’s OK to get help and bring in experts as needed. So many people he has worked with have made a conscious effort to get the coaching they need to become better leaders.

Join us to hear Marshall Goldsmith’s insights on how courage, humility, and discipline can help us achieve positive change, reach our fullest potential, and succeed!

Additional Resources:

Dale Carnegie

Dale Carnegie Coaching

Dale Carnegie Course

Dale Carnegie Leadership Coaching Blog

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Marshall Goldsmith’s Website 

Marshall Goldsmith’s Top Leadership Books 

The Life Plan Review (LPR) by Marshall Goldsmith:  HBR 

Matt Norman’s Website

Matt Norman’s Blog

Joe Hart’s Website

Connect on LinkedIn:

Joe Hart, CEO of Dale Carnegie

Marshall Goldsmith, #1 Executive Coach

Matt Norman, President Dale Carnegie North Central US

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Andre Swanston is a dynamic tech innovator and media magnate whose ability to forecast industry shifts, identify opportunities, and take calculated risks has catapulted him to one of the Top 10 9-figure exits by a Black American. He was the co-founder and CEO of Tru Optik, a data and identity company for streaming media advertising, acquired by TransUnion in 2020.

Swanston’s first venture was an event promotion and production company. At the age of 23, he opened one of New England’s most prominent nightclubs, and by 28, he had moved on to private wealth management at JP Morgan Chase & Co., becoming one of the youngest Vice Presidents of Investments.

What’s important for Andre is learning and growing from experiences that prepare us for challenges later. The “magic” is that everyone has a unique combination of life experiences. He grew up in one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the world, the Bronx, NY, where his father constantly motivated him by pointing out the success of people with diverse backgrounds.

Andre’s biggest responsibility & definition of success is the evolution of the family - to provide more for our kids than we had, no matter who we are. This goal motivated him to keep going and deal with setbacks along the way.

Andre left his investment banking job at JP Morgan to start his own company from nothing - one of his “riskiest and best” decisions in his life. He had a unique vantage point, seeing digital media as the most effective place to invest advertising dollars at that time and having access to angel investors he knew from his work at JP Morgan.

The two most important things in building a business are creating a great team and learning to motivate As a leader, Andre pushes for what’s possible and even what’s impossible but realistic. When a team sees that we as leaders are fully invested – they are motivated by us. Swanston believes that a more diverse team drives creativity.

Andre’s personal competitive advantage is having healthy ambition and confidence. It’s essential to have a larger goal to drive our ambition. Short-term confidence comes from preparation while long-term, it comes from life experiences, education, relationships, and taking decisions.

His advice to younger people is: “Don’t rush; give yourself more time than you expect! Prepare yourself to work harder and longer! Believe in goodwill!”

Join us to hear how Andrew builds a mindset of confidence, motivates a diverse team, and leads as an “optimistic realist”.

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Saana Azzam is the Founder, CEO & Chief Inspirational Officer of MENA Speakers, The Middle East’s leading speaker’s bureau. She is an award-winning international economist, Forbes contributor, an international keynotes speaker, and a business influencer. Her success is grounded in helping businesses in The Middle East select the right speakers for their events.

Saana was born in Germany, raised in Sweden by Palestinian parents, has lived in the UK, USA, and the UAE (currently in Dubai), and speaks five languages. She defines herself as a citizen of the world and a sum of all the people she has met, all the places she has visited, and all the books she has read. She holds a Master’s in Economics and was named “Female Economist of the Year” by the Stockholm School of Economics in 2010. She then found her area of interest and specialized in Leadership Communication at Harvard University.

After her career as a gold trader in banking, Saana realized that public speaking is what excites her and what she had always wanted to do. When she moved to Dubai, she saw there were no organizations representing speakers in the Middle East. She saw an opportunity and founded and grew her business in the events speaking industry. Her diverse background and cultural awareness helped her understand the various leadership styles practiced in different countries and became a speaking coach for young entrepreneurs. She defines her leadership style as servant and situational.

Her advice to young female leaders is to take on opportunities going all in and be prepared to be uncomfortable. Saana believes that in 2022 we can easily change jobs with an open mind and heart, that micro careers are the new norm now, and we should not be afraid to try out new occupations. 

To stay aligned, Saana relays on coaches and mentors. Her routine includes meditation, journaling (in apps), and reading books. She emphasizes the importance of mental health and finding the things/places that help you stay balanced, calibrated, and feel good about yourself, so you can fully contribute to the success of your family, friends, team, and clients.

Join us to hear Saana’s valuable insights on courage, persistence, finding your passion, and living a bit on the edge. 

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Meet the original “shark” from the show Shark Tank, the infomercial creator, the pioneer of the As Seen on TV brand, and co-founding board member of the Entrepreneur’s Organization, Kevin Harrington. His legendary work behind the scenes of business ventures has produced more than $5 billion in global sales, the launch of more than 500 products, and the making of dozens of millionaires. Kevin’s been called the Entrepreneur’s Entrepreneur and has a passion for helping and mentoring entrepreneurs. 

Kevin’s entrepreneurial journey began at the age of 15, and by 18, he was building a million-dollar business. He is a true believer in reading books by authors such as Dale Carnegie and Zig Ziglar, as well as staying on top of current events and industry trends. He speaks about the importance of surrounding ourselves with and hiring more intelligent people than us, as well as finding great mentors. 

His experiences and endeavors have all been instrumental in leading him to where he is today. Kevin defines leadership as empowering others, giving directions, and not micromanaging but inspiring people to follow his ideas. He advises us not to be afraid to fail but to fail fast, fail cheaply, and not  lose our enthusiasm along the way. His recipe for success is having a vision, following it enthusiastically, and acting upon it.

Join us to listen to Kevin’s leadership insights on the power of enthusiasm, acting upon your vision, and surrounding yourself with great mentors.

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Adam Mendler is the CEO of The Veloz Group, where he co-founded and oversaw ventures across a wide variety of industries.
Adam is also the host of the leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he elicits insights from America's top CEOs, founders, athletes, celebrities, and political and military leaders. Adam has authored articles for Forbes, Inc., HuffPost, and “Leadership Lessons” in Thrive Global.

Adam began his leadership journey at a young age. He held various leadership positions, like the class president, sports coach, or captain of the team. These endeavors have all been instrumental in leading him to where he is today. Leadership to him is the synergy that brings out the best in others and elevates the greater view of the team and the organization.

Setbacks were constant experiences for Adam, especially when he founded the Veloz group. According to Adam, how we bounce back from failure is what defines us. He teaches us not to have regrets but to learn from our mistakes. Even if things don’t work out by themselves, we should pull from our collected experiences, and do our best next time. And if we are fearful, we should understand wh, break down what we are afraid of, and work on it. 

Join us to listen to Adam’s leadership insights on the power of learning, defining success, and combating fear.

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Robert Forrester is the CEO of Vertu Motors plc, currently the fifth-largest automotive retailer in the UK. He got into his current role through a series of accidents. His life changed when he was diagnosed with a deadly disease. Immediately, he understood what he wanted to do next, personally and professionally. He believes that people need to figure out what they want from life early on, create a plan, and execute it.

Strong mental preparation and focus helped Robert respond to setbacks with positivity. Robert’s advice on handling adversity with less stress and worry is to trust your support network, work on your mindset daily, and build your personality to be confident and aligned when faced with challenges.

He believes that to build strong relationships, we need to show genuine interest in others and do things for them without expecting anything in return because loyalty and friendships are what we get back and that is priceless. Those are tips that Robert learned from reading Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People as a young leader. He admits that he was not a people person at the beginning of his career. Still, he quickly realized that he needed to work on his social skills to succeed in business, influence others, and achieve win-win outcomes.

Join us and listen to Robert’s insights on mental focus, leadership, fast decision-making, and the power of communication during challenging times.

Books and Authors mentioned in the Podcast:

Marcus Aurelius –Meditations: Book of Knowledge and Philosophy Handbook our lives are what our thoughts make it”

Dale Carnegie – How to Win Friends and Influence People

Greig Huntington - Risk: A Road Worth Traveling

John Maxwell

Franklin Covey

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Keith Ferrazzi is a master networker and bestselling author of “Never Eat Alone”.  Keith’s experience as the Chief Marketing Officer of Deloitte and Starwood Hotels has informed his work as Founder and Chairman of Ferrazzi Greenlight, an executive consulting firm.

According to Keith, what distinguishes highly successful people is the ability to build and cultivate meaningful relationships. He believes that generosity opens the door to relationships and empathy can transform a transactional relationship into a caring and genuine connection. 

Today, Keith shows organizations how insecurity and fear hinder relationships and how they could be overcome with practice. It’s a piece of advice that Keith shares consistently to help leaders gain the confidence and courage to reach out and connect. 

Join us to hear Keith’s advice on how to build your support network through meaningful relationships.

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