The Next Interview Show

Dr. Rhonda L. Simmons joins Doland White on The Next Interview to explore one of the most important questions in Leadership Development: Are your people becoming more capable, confident, and independent because of your leadership?

Dr. Rhonda is an Executive Leadership Consultant, Organizational Development Strategist, author, and creator of Leadership Authority Architecture. With more than 30 years of experience across business, education, entrepreneurship, and faith-based organizations, she brings a powerful perspective to Executive Leadership, Leadership Coaching, and Business Leadership.

In this episode, we explore the trust gap: the difference between the trust leaders believe they demonstrate and the trust their employees actually experience.

We also discuss why micromanagement can undermine Team Performance, how clear expectations create accountability, and why effective leaders must develop people rather than simply direct their work.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• How to build Leadership Trust without losing accountability.

• Why clearly defining success improves autonomy and performance.

• How evidence-based feedback strengthens Workplace Culture.

• Why listening to employees can unlock better ideas and stronger ownership.

• How to turn Leadership Mindset principles into practical leadership habits.

Dr. Rhonda also shares her personal experience with toxic leadership and burnout, offering an important reminder that the impact of leadership extends far beyond business results.

Whether you're a CEO, founder, Vice President, Director, or emerging executive, this conversation will challenge how you think about leadership responsibility and employee development.

EPISODE CHAPTERS — ESTIMATED

00:00 — Meet Dr. Rhonda Simmons

04:00 — Leadership across different organizations

09:00 — Is your team growing because you lead?

15:00 — Lessons from toxic leadership

23:00 — The trust gap and micromanagement

29:00 — Clear expectations and accountability

35:00 — Turning leadership insight into action

ABOUT THE NEXT INTERVIEW

Hosted by Doland White, executive coach, author of Lead With Confidence®, and The Empowerment Guy.

The Next Interview features conversations with experienced leaders to help you empower your teams, accelerate growth, and lead with confidence.

SUBSCRIBE & CONNECT

Subscribe for conversations on Executive Coaching, Leadership Communication, High Performance Teams, and Organizational Transformation.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedolandwhite

Website: https://www.dolandwhite.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dolandwhite

Get Lead With Confidence®: https://www.dolandwhite.com/lwc

FEATURED GUEST

Dr. Rhonda L. Simmons

Executive Leadership Consultant and Organizational Development Strategist

Creator, Leadership Authority Architecture

Author, Is My Team Growing Because I Lead Them?

https://a.co/d/0c5T4wL1

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

What's one change you could make this week to help your team grow?

Share your answer in the comments, and send this episode to another leader who would benefit from the conversation.

leadership development

executive leadership

leadership coaching

business leadership

leadership mindset

The Next Interview

Doland White

Dr Rhonda Simmons

Rhonda L Simmons

Leadership Authority Architecture

Is My Team Growing Because I Lead Them

leadership trust

trust and autonomy

micromanagement

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workplace accountability

executive coaching

leadership communication

organizational development

high performance teams

How do you lead organizational change when your people aren't ready to follow?

In this episode of The Next Interview, Doland White sits down with Kathy Miller, award-winning global manufacturing executive, author, and leadership coach, to explore why successful transformation begins with trust, listening, and relationships—not positional authority.

Kathy brings more than 30 years of experience leading operational transformation, including senior leadership roles at Delphi, Parker Hannifin, and Rolls-Royce Defense. Her career includes recognition with the Shingo Prize for large businesses and induction into the Women in Manufacturing Hall of Fame.

But her most valuable lessons aren't about awards or executive titles.

They're about people.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• Build leadership trust before driving change. Discover why understanding your team's current reality creates a stronger foundation for organizational transformation.

• Identify the informal leaders who shape workplace culture. Learn how people without formal authority can influence whether change succeeds or fails.

• Practice active listening as an executive leadership skill. Understand why listening before solving can improve relationships, communication, and decision-making.

• Connect leadership development to operational results. Explore how meaning, optimism, and relationships strengthen team performance.

• Create accountability with your people, not to them. Learn how employee involvement supports sustainable execution and high performance teams.

Kathy also shares her journey from a 17-year-old manufacturing co-op student to global executive leadership, and how she eventually combined operational excellence with positive psychology and leadership coaching.

Her book More Is Better: Leading Operations with Meaning, Optimism, and Relationships for Excellence explores how leaders can combine sound operational systems with the science of human behavior.

Who should watch?

This conversation is for directors, vice presidents, founders, CEOs, and executives responsible for business leadership, organizational transformation, workplace culture, and developing stronger teams.

Whether you're navigating resistance, developing frontline managers, or rethinking your leadership mindset, Kathy's experience offers practical ideas you can put to work immediately.

Estimated episode chapters:

00:00 — Meet Kathy Miller

05:00 — How manufacturing shaped her leadership purpose

12:00 — Lean transformation and leadership growth

19:00 — Navigating executive career transitions

25:00 — Leading organizational change through trust

31:00 — The influence of informal leaders

36:00 — Why active listening matters

41:00 — Resilience, inclusion, and the MORE approach

47:00 — Getting results with people, not to people

Subscribe to The Next Interview

Each week, Doland White speaks with experienced leaders about leadership development, executive leadership, leadership coaching, business leadership, and the leadership mindset needed to empower people and improve organizational performance.

Subscribe, like, comment with your biggest takeaway, and share this episode with a leader who needs to hear it.

Connect with Kathy Miller:

Website: www.more4leaders.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathy-miller-mapp-mba-acc/

Books: More Is Better and Steel Toes and Stilettos

Connect with Doland White:

Website: https://www.dolandwhite.com

Lead With Confidence®: https://www.dolandwhite.com/lwc

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dolandwhite

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedolandwhite

#LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutiveLeadership #LeadershipCoaching #BusinessLeadership #TheNextInterview

What if avoiding tough feedback is actually holding your team back?

Joe Davis, former Managing Director and Senior Partner at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), joins Doland White on The Next Interview to explain why generous leadership requires honest feedback, genuine care, and the courage to help others grow.

Joe spent 37 years at BCG, where he built businesses, developed leaders, and ultimately led the firm's North American operations. He's also an award-winning author, TEDx speaker, and author of The Generous Leader: 7 Ways to Give of Yourself for Everyone's Gain.

In this conversation, Joe challenges one of the most common assumptions about leadership: that caring about people means protecting them from difficult conversations.

His experience suggests something different.

The best leaders give people the clarity, support, and opportunities they need to perform at their highest level.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• Why honest feedback builds trust. Learn how timely, specific feedback strengthens relationships and helps people develop.

• How to become an action ally. Discover why creating opportunities for others matters more than simply offering encouragement.

• Why vulnerability improves performance. Understand how admitting uncertainty creates space for better questions, collaboration, and problem-solving.

• How to balance care and accountability. Learn why generous leadership and high performance reinforce each other.

• Why listening generously matters. Explore how understanding people's context improves communication, inclusion, and leadership decisions.

WHO SHOULD WATCH?

This episode is for Directors, Vice Presidents, founders, CEOs, and growth-minded executives who want to strengthen their Leadership Development practices and build High Performance Teams.

Whether you're navigating Executive Leadership challenges, investing in Leadership Coaching, improving Business Leadership, or developing your Leadership Mindset, Joe offers practical lessons drawn from decades of experience.

You'll also discover valuable insights about Leadership Trust, Workplace Culture, Executive Coaching, Leadership Communication, and Accountability in the Workplace.

EPISODE CHAPTERS — ESTIMATED

00:00 — Meet Joe Davis: Leadership lessons from BCG

04:00 — What generous leadership really means

10:30 — Why great leaders give tough feedback

18:00 — Accountability and developing talent

25:30 — How to become an action ally

32:00 — Generous inclusion and listening

37:30 — Vulnerability and the power of "I don't know"

43:00 — Leadership legacy and helping others thrive

ABOUT THE NEXT INTERVIEW

Hosted by Doland White, executive coach, author of Lead With Confidence®, and The Empowerment Guy, The Next Interview features powerful conversations with experienced leaders who share lessons you can apply to your own leadership journey.

Our mission is to empower one million leaders to lead with greater confidence, capability, and impact.

SUBSCRIBE AND CONNECT

Subscribe to The Next Interview for more practical executive leadership conversations.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedolandwhite

Website: https://www.dolandwhite.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dolandwhite

Discover Lead With Confidence®: https://www.dolandwhite.com/lwc

ABOUT JOE DAVIS

Former Managing Director and Senior Partner, Boston Consulting Group

Author of The Generous Leader: https://www.amazon.com/Generous-Leader-Ways-Yourself-Everyones/dp/B0GQS8PL82

Guest website: https://www.joedavis.com/

J

OIN THE CONVERSATION

What's one difficult conversation you've been postponing that could help someone on your team grow?

Share your perspective in the comments.

Like this episode, share it with a fellow leader, and subscribe for more conversations about leadership development, executive coaching, and building empowered teams.

#LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutiveLeadership #LeadershipCoaching #BusinessLeadership #TheNextInterview

Your team may be performing exactly where you've allowed them to settle.

In this episode of The Next Interview, Doland White sits down with James Gamble, former professional baseball player and founder and CEO of Global Scouting Bureau, to explore one of the most important challenges in Executive Leadership: how do you build accountability while developing the potential of the people you lead?

James has spent nearly three decades helping athletes advance, building international relationships, and developing businesses around a powerful belief: today's performance doesn't define tomorrow's potential.

But potential alone isn't enough.

People need expectations, opportunities, honest feedback, and the willingness to put in the work.

What makes this conversation different?

James doesn't approach leadership from theory. His lessons come from professional sports, entrepreneurship, hiring, employee development, and years of helping people advance toward their goals.

He challenges leaders to rethink how they evaluate talent, build Leadership Trust, and create accountability without losing sight of the individual.

For Directors, VPs, Founders, and CEOs, this episode offers practical Leadership Development lessons that translate directly into Workplace Culture, Team Performance, and Business Leadership.

Five leadership lessons you'll take away:

1. People often settle at the standard you accept. Learn why clear expectations shape performance and why leaders must examine the behaviors they tolerate.

2. Potential requires more than talent. Discover why resilience, character, initiative, and consistent effort matter when evaluating employees and developing High Performance Teams.

3. Honest feedback is a leadership responsibility. Understand how direct, evidence-based conversations can strengthen Leadership Communication and Accountability in the Workplace.

4. Trust is earned through action. James explains why consistent performance and demonstrated value create stronger professional relationships.

5. Small actions create long-term improvement. Learn how repeatable routines, measurable commitments, and regular reviews help people build a stronger

Leadership Mindset.

Whether you're developing emerging leaders, strengthening Organizational Culture, or navigating your own leadership growth, this conversation will challenge you to rethink the relationship between expectations, trust, and human potential.

Episode chapters — estimated; verify against final edit

00:00 — Meet James Gamble

05:00 — Work ethic and resilience

12:00 — Recognizing human potential

18:00 — Why analytics can't replace human judgment

24:00 — Honest feedback and employee development

30:00 — The standards leaders accept

35:00 — The earning method and building trust

42:00 — Building a people-centered business

48:00 — Accountability and leadership growth

What is the biggest leadership lesson from this episode?

People need more than encouragement to grow. They need clear expectations, truthful feedback, meaningful opportunities, and consistent accountability.

About The Next Interview

Hosted by Doland White, executive coach, author of Lead With Confidence®, and known as The Empowerment Guy, The Next Interview delivers practical Leadership Coaching insights and conversations with experienced leaders.

Our mission is to empower one million leaders.

Subscribe for conversations on Leadership Development, Executive Leadership, Business Leadership, Leadership Coaching, and Leadership Mindset.

Connect and learn more

Doland White: https://www.dolandwhite.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dolandwhite

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedolandwhite

Guest: James Gamble, Founder and CEO, Global Scouting Bureau

Guest website: https://www.gsbsports.com/about-us/contact-us/james-gamble/

Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-gamble-79a05710/

Subscribe, share this episode with another leader, and comment below:

What's one performance standard you're ready to raise?

What happens when the identity that made you successful starts limiting what you believe you can do next?

In this episode of The Next Interview, Doland White sits down with Jay Sargeant, author of Shift: The Gift of Reinvention, for a conversation about Leadership Development, reinvention, confidence and why leadership growth never has an expiration date.

Jay has reinvented himself across seven dramatically different careers. Along the way, he developed three principles that challenge how experienced leaders think about growth: credentials are overrated, there are no small moments, and it's never too late to change.

For Directors, Vice Presidents, Founders and CEOs, this isn't simply a conversation about changing careers.

It's about Executive Leadership and the willingness to keep becoming.

Jay and Doland explore why accumulated experience can become either an asset or a constraint, why confidence frequently follows action, and why staying “open at the top” is essential to a strong Leadership Mindset.

You'll learn:

• How to identify transferable capabilities before chasing another credential

• Why ordinary conversations can become career-defining moments

• How curiosity strengthens Business Leadership and Leadership Communication

• Why confidence often develops after you take action

• How lifelong learning strengthens Executive Leadership and Leadership Coaching

• Why reinvention can improve how you approach growth, Team Performance and Workplace Culture

Timestamps

00:00 Why leaders need to reinvent

06:00 Jay's seven careers and Shift

15:00 Why credentials can hold you back

29:00 There are no small moments

45:00 Reinvention belongs to the willing

54:00 Building confidence through action

61:00 Purpose versus the safe choice

70:00 Lifelong learning and choosing your models

78:00 Why it's never too late to change

If you're navigating a transition—or wondering whether the leadership approach that got you here will take you where you want to go next—this conversation is for you.

Meet Coach Jay: https://www.theshiftproject.academy/ - [email protected] – Shift https://a.co/d/0d0OvUta

Subscribe to The Next Interview for conversations about Leadership Development, Executive Leadership, Leadership Coaching, Business Leadership and Leadership Mindset.

Share this episode with a leader who may be ready for their next chapter.

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Your team has heard the decision. Have they committed to making it work?

Former Torrance Mayor Pat Furey joins Doland White on The Next Interview to explore how listening, acknowledging contributions, and keeping a shared purpose in view help leaders turn disagreement into coordinated action.

For Directors, Vice Presidents, Founders, and CEOs, this conversation brings leadership development into a familiar situation: people have different opinions, a decision must be made, and the work still needs to move forward. Pat draws on his public-service experience to explore how leaders create room for discussion while helping people commit to the outcome.

You’ll hear examples of listening before directing, inviting others to propose the way forward, and recognizing contributions even when only part of an idea is adopted. These are practical executive leadership habits for anyone navigating competing priorities or trying to strengthen leadership communication.

In this episode, you’ll learn how to:

• Ask open questions that make room for alternatives before a decision closes.

• Show people how their input influenced the direction, helping build trust and ownership.

• Separate a person’s preferred option from the commitment needed to move forward.

• Use institutional humility to understand people and processes before pushing change.

• Keep a shared purpose visible during disruption and difficult decisions.

The leadership coaching application is straightforward: in your next decision conversation, summarize what you heard, explain what shaped the outcome, and ask for a clear commitment to the next step. Choose one practice and use it before your next week gets busy.

• 00:00 Meet former Torrance Mayor Pat Furey

• 06:00 Listen before you lead

• 15:00 Turn input into ownership and commitment

• 23:00 Lead through disruption with a shared purpose

Subscribe to The Next Interview for conversations that help you empower your team and lead with confidence. Share this episode with a leader navigating disagreement, and comment: What will you change in your next decision conversation?

Guest: Pat Furey, former two-term Mayor of Torrance, California. Personal website and preferred LinkedIn profile awaiting confirmation.

Hosted by Doland White, executive coach, author of Lead With Confidence®, and The Empowerment Guy.

Order the book: https://www.dolandwhite.com/lwc

Explore Doland’s work: https://www.dolandwhite.com

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dolandwhite

What if the biggest constraint on your leadership isn’t your team, your organization or the market—but the story you believe about what’s possible?

Jennifer Doty, Vice President of Customer Operations at ThreeFlow, executive advisor, keynote speaker and author of Just Lead and Find the Right Now Role, joins Doland White on The Next Interview for a practical conversation about leadership, identity, trust, reinvention and creating what comes next.

After nearly two decades at MetLife—including leading approximately 1,400 people across the U.S. and India—Jennifer had to confront a question many successful executives eventually face: Who am I beyond my job title?

Her answer became a lesson in Leadership Development, Executive Leadership and Leadership Mindset.

Jennifer explains why getting unstuck begins with examining the stories and beliefs running between your ears. She shares how leaders can define what they actually want, identify what is already working and move forward without immediately abandoning their current role.

The conversation also explores Leadership Trust and Leadership Communication in virtual organizations. Jennifer explains why intentionally spending time with people remains some of the highest-value work a leader can do—and why influence becomes especially important when you don’t have positional authority.

And we tackle AI Leadership.

AI can create enormous velocity, but Jennifer argues that technology does not eliminate the human relationship at the center of Business Leadership. Leaders still need to provide context, validate outputs, exercise judgment and build genuine relationships.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to recognize the beliefs keeping you stuck

• Why identity should be bigger than your job title

• How to lead through influence instead of control

• Why relationships remain essential in an AI-driven workplace

• How Plan → Do → Review creates learning and accountability

Estimated timestamps:

00:00 — Jennifer Doty’s leadership journey

15:00 — Beliefs, fear and getting unstuck

25:30 — Building trust and relationships

30:00 — Leading without positional authority

38:00 — AI, judgment and human relationships

43:00 — Building additional possibilities

48:00 — Dreaming bigger and creating what’s next

Jennifer Doty — VP of Customer Operations, ThreeFlow

Website: JenniferDoty.com

LinkedIn: Jennifer Sierveld Doty

If this conversation helps your Leadership Development, subscribe to The Next Interview, comment with the lesson you’re taking away and share the episode with another leader.

Hosted by Doland White, executive coach, author of Lead With Confidence®, and The Empowerment Guy.

Doland White Website

Lead With Confidence®

The Doland White YouTube Channel

Doland White on LinkedIn

Your teams have AI tools. Can they explain what they’re trying to accomplish together? In this solo episode of The Next Interview, executive coach and author Doland White explores the leadership work that connects AI strategy to everyday decisions, team priorities, and coordinated execution.

An instruction to “go implement AI” leaves a lot for your Directors and VPs to interpret. Without a clear business purpose, departments can build separate initiatives that pull the organization in different directions. Doland explains how leaders create common meaning so people understand both the intended outcome and why their own contribution matters.

If you’re a Director, VP, Founder, or CEO responsible for AI adoption, this conversation gives you a practical place to begin. It connects executive leadership with the conversations teams need before they can act confidently. You’ll also hear five reflection questions covering strategic intent, leadership sense making, common meaning, connection to work, and coordinated direction.

You’ll learn how to:

• Clarify what AI should accomplish and what progress would look like.

• Translate executive intent into priorities your team can use.

• Check understanding instead of assuming agreement means alignment.

• Connect departmental initiatives, decisions, and process dependencies.

• Make progress visible so people can see how their work contributes.

Start with one question at your next team meeting: “What are we trying to accomplish with AI, and what does that change about your priorities?” Listen for different interpretations and use them to decide what needs clarification.

Estimated chapters — verify against the final recording:

00:00 Why AI implementation requires leadership

02:15 The Director and VP translation challenge

04:20 Why AI needs a meaningful business purpose

05:35 How disconnected initiatives deepen silos

07:25 Define strategic intent and visible progress

10:05 Leadership sense making

11:40 Create common meaning

13:55 Connect AI to decisions and priorities

16:20 Coordinate direction across departments

18:40 Review your scores and choose one action

Subscribe to The Next Interview for practical leadership coaching and conversations that help you empower your team and lead with confidence. Share this episode with a leader implementing AI, and comment: Where does your strategy lose clarity?

Hosted by Doland White, executive coach, author of Lead With Confidence®, and The Empowerment Guy.

Explore Doland’s work: dolandwhite.com

Order Lead With Confidence®: https://a.co/d/0hqSy7LA

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dolandwhite/

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Your strategy may fail when an outdated identity builds it. Cassandra Shea, founder and Leadership Scaling Consultant at The Possibility Investor, explains why identity must come before strategy—and how that choice accelerates aligned growth.

Directors, VPs, founders, and CEOs will connect Leadership Development, Executive Leadership, Leadership Coaching, Business Leadership, and Leadership Mindset to clearer decisions, communication, execution, Workplace Culture, Team Performance, and Accountability in the Workplace.

• Future-cast your role before the plan.

• Treat imposter syndrome as skill-gap data.

• Test in short sprints; share the learning.

Why identity first? It shapes what leaders see and choose. How can leaders make change practical? Test one future behavior and measure the signal. How do retrospectives build Leadership Trust? They make learning and commitments visible.

00:00 — Identity first | 13:30 — Imposter syndrome | 30:00 — Lead change | 54:30 — Learn and recalibrate

Subscribe, follow, share, and comment with the identity your next season requires.

Cassandra Shea — Founder, The Possibility Investor

Website: possibilityinvestor.com

LinkedIn: Cassandra Shea

The Next Interview is hosted by Doland White, executive coach, author of Lead With Confidence®, and known as The Empowerment Guy.

Each episode delivers practical insights, powerful stories, and bold conversations designed to help leaders empower their teams, accelerate growth, and lead with confidence.

Visit dolandwhite.com/lwc and order your copy of Lead With Confidence® today.

What happens when the leader who built the company becomes the person holding it back? David Schnurman, CEO of Lawline and author of 11 Suitcases, joins Doland White to explore the shift from founder dependency to shared leadership. It connects Leadership Development, Executive Leadership,

Leadership Coaching, Business Leadership, and Leadership Mindset.

This episode is for Directors, VPs, founders, and CEOs building a Workplace Culture of ownership.

• Replace founder dependency with trusted leaders and priorities.

• Use bounded experiments to strengthen Leadership Trust, Team Performance, and Accountability in the Workplace.

• Write the future, then move before certainty arrives.

Can a company scale if every decision depends on the founder? No—scale requires distributed leadership. How can leaders reduce fear? Take the smallest credible action that creates learning.

00:00 Fear and leadership |

10:20 The founder bottleneck |

22:10 Barcelona |

31:30 Bounded failure

Subscribe, follow, share, and comment with the decision you need to release.

David Schnurman — CEO, Lawline | lawline.com | linkedin.com/in/davidschnurman

The Next Interview is hosted by Doland White, executive coach, author of Lead With Confidence®, and known as The Empowerment Guy.

Each episode delivers practical insights, stories, and conversations designed to help leaders empower teams, accelerate growth, and lead with confidence.

Visit: https://www.dolandwhite.com/lwc and order your copy of Lead With Confidence® today.

Leadership Development; Executive Leadership; Leadership Coaching; Business Leadership; Leadership Mindset