The Inner Edge: Leadership, Self-Mastery, and Reinvention for a New Era

“Your joy doesn't come from filling out the paperwork, your joy doesn't come from meeting that priority goal, your joy comes from the people that you lead”

How can we create workplaces where we lead with love and laughter?

Whether you're working in a corporation, a nonprofit, or a government organization, think about the climate and think about the culture that you're creating as a leader. Is it fear-based, risk-averse, serious, and riddled with judgment? Or is it an environment where people feel connected to each other and the mission, and love coming to work? The tone you set with your words and behaviors every day creates the culture people experience at work.

In this episode, I talk to Patrick Malone and Zina Sutch, authors of the book Leading with Love and Laughter. We talk about why leading with love and laughter is critical to creating productive and meaningful workplaces.

In this episode:

• What has changed and evolved in Zina and Patrick’s thinking about leadership over the years
• The importance of taking care of yourself and self-love
• Research that supports the benefits of bringing love, laughter, and joy in an organization
• Holding people accountable with love
• How to lead with love and laughter
• And more!

Power Presence Academy: Practical Wisdom for Leaders is the go-to podcast for anyone who leads. Your host is Janet Ioli, leadership and human development expert, sought-after coach and advisor to global executives, and former executive with experience in four Fortune 100 companies. She helps leaders ground themselves with confidence, connection, and purpose and learn to lead with Less Ego, More Soul.

Resource Links:

Today’s guests:
Zina Sutch leads the Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Civil Rights at the Small Business Administration. Before that role, she held positions at the Office of Personnel Management and the United States Department of Agriculture. She has a long background as an executive in the government.
Patrick Malone is the director of the Key Executive Leadership Programs at American University. He is a retired Navy captain and has served 23 years in a number of leadership and policy roles in the US Navy.
Read Patrick and Zina’s book, Leading with Love and Laughter: Letting Go and Getting Real at Work
Connect with today’s guests on their website: sutchmalone.com

Escape the Traps: The 7 Hidden Patterns That Sabotage Your Leadership Imprint

- Get Janet's new book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Others

- Get special discounts when purchasing multiple copies at https://janetioli.com/order 

Connect with Janet Ioli:

Website: janetioli.com
LinkedIn: Janet Ioli
Instagram: @janetioli
YouTube: @janetioli

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.  Select “Listen in Apple Podcasts,” then choose the “Ratings & Reviews” tab to share what you think.  

Produced by Ideablossoms 

“If you're going to help others, you are the instrument. Your presence, how you come across, what you say, your composure, the quality and tone of your energy, how you respond to the group, and what you model—That presence is the tool.”

Today we're going to be diving into a topic that is absolutely essential for effective leadership. It is commonly called “conscious use of self”.

How you show up every moment matters more than you think.

In this episode:

• The power of using yourself consciously to model desired behaviors
• Why how you show up as a leader every moment matters
• The emotional intelligence work that needs to be done to develop the ability to consciously use yourself as an instrument of change

Power Presence Academy: Practical Wisdom for Leaders is the go-to podcast for anyone who leads. Your host is Janet Ioli, leadership and human development expert, sought-after coach and advisor to global executives, and former executive with experience in four Fortune 100 companies. She helps leaders ground themselves with confidence, connection, and purpose and learn to lead with Less Ego, More Soul.

Noteworthy Quotes from This Episode

"This notion of learning to consciously use yourself as an instrument is really what leadership is all about.”
“We have a tremendous capacity to transform the situations we're in just by a matter of how we come across.”
“My famous line and my magic question is always being able to say, what is needed here, and use this self-awareness to lead authentically and make impactful decisions.”
“It's about expressing yourself in the role that you're playing, and understanding what is needed here.”
“In the end, it's not all about you. It's about being a conduit for change, being a conduit for transformation, and also showing up in a way that is in service of others, not just in service of you.”

Escape the Traps: The 7 Hidden Patterns That Sabotage Your Leadership Imprint

- Get Janet's new book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Others

- Get special discounts when purchasing multiple copies at https://janetioli.com/order 

Connect with Janet Ioli:

Website: janetioli.com
LinkedIn: Janet Ioli
Instagram: @janetioli
YouTube: @janetioli

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.  Select “Listen in Apple Podcasts,” then choose the “Ratings & Reviews” tab to share what you think.  

Produced by Ideablossoms 

“A key thing that I've learned along the way is that as leaders, we're always in the spotlight. And you need to always lead by example.”
In this episode, I talk to Anthony Wysocki. Anthony has over 25 years of service with the US federal government. He currently serves as a director in the Office of the Inspector General in the US Department of Transportation.
I invited him on the show today because he has a unique leadership challenge, and I think it's an intriguing one.
Providing an internal oversight audit role, yet maintaining a service and relationship orientation. How do you do that as a leader? I talk to Tony about this challenge in this episode, as well as the personal challenge of neurodiversity awareness in organizations. This is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

In this episode:

• Anthony’s journey and his role with the Office of Inspector General in the US Department of Transportation
• What Anthony learned about leadership along his journey
• Leading by example
• The importance of building relationships based on trust
• Leading as a neurodiverse individual 
• And more!

Power Presence Academy: Practical Wisdom for Leaders is the go-to podcast for anyone who leads. Your host is Janet Ioli, leadership and human development expert, sought-after coach and advisor to global executives, and former executive with experience in four Fortune 100 companies. She helps leaders ground themselves with confidence, connection, and purpose and learn to lead with Less Ego, More Soul.

Resource Links:

Anthony Wysocki is an energetic, strategic leader skilled in developing and inspiring self-managed teams that engage stakeholders and provide innovative and pragmatic solutions to organizational challenges. He has demonstrated an ability to establish an organizational vision that achieves multi-faceted goals and objectives. He consistently organizes and leads managers of diverse high-performance teams. He has effectively managed the performance of over 100 managers and professionals and contributed to their growth and advancement. 
Anthony is passionate about increased workplace diversity and inclusion through recruitment, hiring, and professional development opportunities that achieve mission results. 

Connect with today’s guest on LinkedIn: Anthony Wysocki

Escape the Traps: The 7 Hidden Patterns That Sabotage Your Leadership Imprint

- Get Janet's new book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Others

- Get special discounts when purchasing multiple copies at https://janetioli.com/order 

Connect with Janet Ioli:

Website: janetioli.com
LinkedIn: Janet Ioli
Instagram: @janetioli
YouTube: @janetioli

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.  Select “Listen in Apple Podcasts,” then choose the “Ratings & Reviews” tab to share what you think.  

Produced by Ideablossoms 

“I can't explain the amount of energy and time and resources we had to display in order to get all these people to come on board and work for us and with us. It was the biggest lesson of my life. And it looks like it worked."

I'm thrilled to have Dimitra Kolotoura as my guest today. She is a former PR and communications agency owner, turned fashion entrepreneur. Dimitra is the co-founder of the upscale Greek fashion brand, Zeus+Dione. The brand has a cult-like international following and is being expanded into Asia and the United States.
 
I invited Dimitra to the show because she is such a great example of someone who had a vision to create something, took big risks, and made the vision a reality. She offers practical and wise advice about leaving a safe career to pursue a big idea and a big dream – and also speaks about the rewards, trials, and realities of entrepreneurship.
 
In this episode:

• The importance of perseverance when creating a brand
• The responsibility you have as a business owner to the people you have engaged in your business and vision
• Trusting your gut as an entrepreneur
• The distinction between creating a business and having a hobby
• Finding a team to enhance your vision

Power Presence Academy: Practical Wisdom for Leaders is the go-to podcast for anyone who leads. Your host is Janet Ioli, leadership and human development expert, sought-after coach and advisor to global executives, and former executive with experience in four Fortune 100 companies. She helps leaders ground themselves with confidence, connection, and purpose and learn to lead with Less Ego, More Soul.

Resource Links:
Zeus+Dione was conceived as a creative nod to the rich Hellenic tradition, seen from a fresh and contemporary standpoint. References to mythology and symbolism are manifested through sharp, forward, and dynamic designs.
Shop Zeus+Dione here.

Connect with today’s guest on LinkedIn: Dimitra Kolotoura

Escape the Traps: The 7 Hidden Patterns That Sabotage Your Leadership Imprint

- Get Janet's new book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Others

- Get special discounts when purchasing multiple copies at https://janetioli.com/order 

Connect with Janet Ioli:

Website: janetioli.com
LinkedIn: Janet Ioli
Instagram: @janetioli
YouTube: @janetioli

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.  Select “Listen in Apple Podcasts,” then choose the “Ratings & Reviews” tab to share what you think.  

Produced by Ideablossoms 

“Stop using the scale as a measure of your health. It's what we were taught to do. [...] But it's really, really wrong. We are more than just that number. And it's a very poor indicator of chronic health.”

You may have seen today's guest on Tik Tok, Instagram, or YouTube because she's a sensation on social media. She's an OB/GYN who specializes in treating menopausal and perimenopausal women.  I'm thrilled to have Dr. Mary Claire Haver on the show today.

When we are seeking to maximize our performance, why don’t we have real conversations about physical health and changes? As hormonal shifts happen to women’s bodies beginning as early as their mid 30’s, there is a real impact on health, body weight, and overall well-being. Yet the topic of this perimenopausal and ultimately menopausal stage that may last decades is often ignored when we talk about women and health.

So why am I talking about this on a leadership podcast? I facilitate women's executive networking sessions and this topic keeps coming up as a taboo subject that the women leaders in these groups want to talk about. It impacts health & well-being. It's affecting how women show up as leaders. And it's affecting how we feel about ourselves. So let's talk about it today.

In this episode:

• Why 40+ women are experiencing weight gain
• What’s perimenopause? And what’s menopause?
• The difference between men and women as we age
• Dr. Haver’s top tip: make sure you are getting enough fiber in your diet
• What to do about sugar and processed foods as we age as women
• And more!

Resource Links:

Dr. Mary Claire Haver is a certified OB/GYN and has helped thousands of women going through perimenopause, menopause, and beyond actualize their health and wellness goals by creating the online course, The Galveston Diet.

Read The Galveston Diet: The Doctor-Developed, Patient-Proven Plan to Burn Fat and Tame Your Hormonal Symptoms

Connect with today’s guest on LinkedIn: Dr. Mary Claire Haver

Escape the Traps: The 7 Hidden Patterns That Sabotage Your Leadership Imprint

- Get Janet's new book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Others

- Get special discounts when purchasing multiple copies at https://janetioli.com/order 

Connect with Janet Ioli:

Website: janetioli.com
LinkedIn: Janet Ioli
Instagram: @janetioli
YouTube: @janetioli

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.  Select “Listen in Apple Podcasts,” then choose the “Ratings & Reviews” tab to share what you think.  

Produced by Ideablossoms 

“We look at all these things that we shouldn't do, and we punish ourselves. Let's add the positive and naturally, these negative things will go away.”

In this episode, I talk to Joey Thurman, a health, fitness, and nutrition expert and a trainer for celebrities, A-listers, and millionaires. He has appeared on numerous television shows as a fitness expert and his advice has been featured in a host of well-known publications including People Magazine. He's a well-known adviser on all things related to fitness.

I am a big believer that our overall health and well-being play a big role in our overall energy and presence. The power of your presence comes from the balance of your mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical energy. Part of that physical energy is your health and fitness.

So many of you listening are busy leaders with endless responsibilities both at work and at home. One of the areas that often gets neglected in our busy lives is the focus on our own health, nutrition, and fitness. I invited Joey on the show today to give us a little bit of advice on how to keep fitness, health, and nutrition in the forefront of our focus with a minimum amount of effort.

In this episode:

• Do a life and day assessment to figure out where your time is going
• Move away from an all-or-nothing approach to fitness and nutrition
• Start with one small healthy habit a day and expand when you’re ready
• The Minimum Method includes awareness, consistency, and self-love
• Joey’s expert advice to move towards better fitness and health

Power Presence Academy: Practical Wisdom for Leaders is the go-to podcast for anyone who leads. Your host is Janet Ioli, leadership and human development expert, sought-after coach and advisor to global executives, and former executive with experience in four Fortune 100 companies. She helps leaders ground themselves with confidence, connection, and purpose and learn to lead with Less Ego, More Soul.

Resource Links:

Joey Thurman is a health, fitness, and nutrition expert, and a television contributor/host. Joey was named the best trainer in Chicago by the Chicago Sun Times and one of ‪NEWBEAUTY’s top 3 favorite celebrity trainers.

Read Joey’s latest book The Minimum Method: The Least You Can Do to Be a Stronger, Healthier, Happier You

Connect with today’s guest on his website: Joey Thurman

Escape the Traps: The 7 Hidden Patterns That Sabotage Your Leadership Imprint

- Get Janet's new book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Others

- Get special discounts when purchasing multiple copies at https://janetioli.com/order 

Connect with Janet Ioli:

Website: janetioli.com
LinkedIn: Janet Ioli
Instagram: @janetioli
YouTube: @janetioli

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.  Select “Listen in Apple Podcasts,” then choose the “Ratings & Reviews” tab to share what you think.  

Produced by Ideablossoms 

“I think another thing is this idea of lifelong learning. Now, it's kind of a buzzword. And there are lots of things about Drucker that have now become buzzwords. But Drucker really lived this idea of lifelong learning.”

In this episode, I talk to Bruce Rosenstein, managing editor of Leader to Leader and author of “Create Your Future the Peter Drucker Way” and “Living in More Than One World: How Peter Drucker's Wisdom Can Inspire and Transform Your Life”.

Bruce Rosenstein has written about Drucker for many publications and currently writes the “Peter Drucker Files” blog for Psychology Today.

Peter Drucker has been called the inventor of modern management and he's one of the most popular management thinkers of all time. He believed that business was human-driven, and could be both profitable and socially responsible.
 
In today’s episode, we talk about some of the ideas that Drucker had about management, leadership, and living life.
 
In this episode:

• Who is Peter Drucker and why leaders should know about him
• 4 main principles relevant to everyone
• Aspiring to be the type of person others want to be around
• The latest research in leadership 
• How leaders can create the future 

Resource Links:
Bruce Rosenstein worked for USA TODAY as a corporate librarian and also as a writer about business and management books. He is a regular writing contributor and member of the advisory board for the Corporate Learning Network. He has taught as an adjunct professor at The Catholic University of America Department of Library and Information Science.
Read Create Your Future the Peter Drucker Way and Living in More Than One World: How Peter Drucker's Wisdom Can Inspire and Transform Your Life or find more about Bruce’s work here.
You can find the Leader to Leader publication here.
Search The Peter Drucker Files or read Bruce’s article on Peter Drucker and Music in Psychology Today.
Connect with today’s guest on LinkedIn: Bruce Rosenstein

Escape the Traps: The 7 Hidden Patterns That Sabotage Your Leadership Imprint

- Get Janet's new book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Others

- Get special discounts when purchasing multiple copies at https://janetioli.com/order 

Connect with Janet Ioli:

Website: janetioli.com
LinkedIn: Janet Ioli
Instagram: @janetioli
YouTube: @janetioli

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.  Select “Listen in Apple Podcasts,” then choose the “Ratings & Reviews” tab to share what you think.  

Produced by Ideablossoms 

“Everybody can learn to reinvent whatever it is you want to do. You just have to learn how to go about it.”

Gendered ageism is the intersection of age and gender bias in the workplace. This is a growing concern for professional women. I talk to so many women about wanting to reinvent themselves and start a new career or get a new job. They’re hesitant because they feel as if they're dismissed in the job market due to their age.

In the workplace, this form of bias impacts their job security and their financial future. I couldn't think of a better person to have a conversation about this topic than Lesley Jane Seymour.  Lesley is a former editor, an author, and the founder of the Covey Club, an online community for professional women focused on reinvention.

Lesley uses her personal story of reinvention after being editor-in-chief of four national magazines as inspiration to others.. She inspires people to reach beyond their self-imposed boundaries to realize that they can reinvent themselves at any age because she did it herself.

In this episode:

• The perception of “you’re done” at a certain age
• Minding your own prejudice around age
• Getting out of your comfort zone
• Reinvention is not linear, it’s an exploratory process
• Striving for perfection is the death of success

Power Presence Academy: Practical Wisdom for Leaders is the go-to podcast for anyone who leads. Your host is Janet Ioli, leadership and human development expert, sought-after coach and advisor to global executives, and former executive with experience in four Fortune 100 companies. She helps leaders ground themselves with confidence, connection, and purpose and learn to lead with Less Ego, More Soul.

Resource Links:
Lesley Seymour is the CEO and founder of CoveyClub, an online community for professional women focused on reinvention. She has interviewed everyone from First Lady Michelle Obama to Mindy Kaling to Hannah Grove (CMO of State Street Bank). She was previously a senior editor of Vogue, editor-in-chief of Marie Claire, Redbook, and More magazine.

Visit CoveyClub here.

Connect with today’s guest on LinkedIn: Lesley Seymour

Escape the Traps: The 7 Hidden Patterns That Sabotage Your Leadership Imprint

- Get Janet's new book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Others

- Get special discounts when purchasing multiple copies at https://janetioli.com/order 

Connect with Janet Ioli:

Website: janetioli.com
LinkedIn: Janet Ioli
Instagram: @janetioli
YouTube: @janetioli

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.  Select “Listen in Apple Podcasts,” then choose the “Ratings & Reviews” tab to share what you think.  

Produced by Ideablossoms 

“The women who get to the top of the existing power structures have the ability to make the most change.”

Today’s episode is all about women and power. We explore the question, “How do we move away from the old notion of what constitutes power and redefine it to meet the needs of the future?” That question leads to a deeper discussion about how women leaders can embody and model this new type of power.

I was introduced to my guests, Katty Kay and Claire Shipman, when I read their book, “The Confidence Code”.  I recommend that book to almost every woman leader I work with, as it offers meaningful research and insights about the cultivation of confidence in women. I have the pleasure to talk to these veteran journalists, authors, and all-around powerhouse women about the research and conclusions about women and power in their new book, “The Power Code”, which launches today.

In this episode:

• Why Katty and Claire decided to explore the concept of power
• Why are we, as women, so afraid of the word power?
• Redefining power structures as women
• Kay’s and Shipman’s advice for women leaders
• How we can use power differently

Power Presence Academy: Practical Wisdom for Leaders is the go-to podcast for anyone who leads. Your host is Janet Ioli, leadership and human development expert, sought-after coach and advisor to global executives, and former executive with experience in four Fortune 100 companies. She helps leaders ground themselves with confidence, connection, and purpose and learn to lead with Less Ego, More Soul.

Resource Links:

You can find The Power Code, The Confidence Code, and the rest of Katty and Claire’s books on their website.

Connect with today’s guests on their website: Kay and Shipman

Katty and Claire are veteran journalists based in Washington DC. Both women have covered the White House extensively and reported on multiple presidential elections, the Trump and Clinton administrations, financial collapses, and the wars in Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq. They are advocates for change when it comes to issues vital to women, and developing a much-needed confidence movement for women of all ages. Together, they have authored three highly successful books including the  New York Times bestselling books The Confidence Code and The Confidence Code For Girls.

Escape the Traps: The 7 Hidden Patterns That Sabotage Your Leadership Imprint

- Get Janet's new book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Others

- Get special discounts when purchasing multiple copies at https://janetioli.com/order 

Connect with Janet Ioli:

Website: janetioli.com
LinkedIn: Janet Ioli
Instagram: @janetioli
YouTube: @janetioli

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.  Select “Listen in Apple Podcasts,” then choose the “Ratings & Reviews” tab to share what you think.  

Produced by Ideablossoms 

“We're just trying to build smarter people here. Right now, smart people grant dignity,  to others, and they're inherently respectful and inclusive.”
In this episode, I talk to Joe Thomas, director of the James Stockdale Center for ethical leadership at the US Naval Academy and an expert in leadership development.
One of the  questions that's recurring in the consulting and coaching work I do with executives is: “How do we develop leaders of the future?”
If anyone knows about leadership development and creating leaders for the future, it's Joe. So join us as we have a very enlightening conversation.
In this episode:

• What is ethical leadership?
• Discipline is key when it comes to focusing on true priorities
• The importance of developing and opening your mindset
• Measuring leadership by breaking it down into measurable, tangible competencies
• Incorporating diversity, dignity, and respect into leadership development

Power Presence Academy: Practical Wisdom for Leaders is the go-to podcast for anyone who leads. 
Resource Links:
Dr. Joe Thomas served as a Lieutenant colonel for 24 years in the Marine Corps, as Director at the Gen John A. Lejeune Leadership Institute at Marine Corps University, as an instructor at Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron 1, as a Battalion Officer at the US Naval Academy, and as the Senior Education Officer at Marine Corps Training and Education Command. 
In addition to years of teaching experience in the Naval Academy’s Leadership, Ethics, and Law Department, he’s taught at the University of Notre Dame, the University of Maryland, and George Washington University.
He has published six books on leadership and ethics. Joe holds master’s degrees from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University and the US Army War College and a PhD from George Mason University.
Read Joe’s latest book Developing Cross-Cultural Competence for Leaders.
Some of the other books we spoke about today were The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey, Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear, and The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living by Ryan Holiday. 
Connect with Joe Thomas

Escape the Traps: The 7 Hidden Patterns That Sabotage Your Leadership Imprint

- Get Janet's new book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Others

- Get special discounts when purchasing multiple copies at https://janetioli.com/order 

Connect with Janet Ioli:

Website: janetioli.com
LinkedIn: Janet Ioli
Instagram: @janetioli
YouTube: @janetioli

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.  Select “Listen in Apple Podcasts,” then choose the “Ratings & Reviews” tab to share what you think.  

Produced by Ideablossoms