In this episode, Bart is joined by a fellow CEO of a leadership communication training company, Scott Simmons of Ariel. Together, they explore Scott's unique career path—from healthcare to Gallup, and now to leading Ariel.
They dive into the evolving landscape of leadership communication, examining what has changed and what remains the same. The conversation touches on the new expectations placed on leaders today, the critical skills they must develop, and the increasingly diverse audiences they need to engage. Bart and Scott also discuss the role of AI in shaping leadership development, where human expertise still reigns, and the enduring opportunity to inspire through communication that both Ariel and The Humphrey Group help their clients capitalize on. Learn more about Ariel Group at their website, https://www.arielgroup.com, and connect with them on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-ariel-group/
00:21 Show intro
00:57 Welcoming Scott Simmons
01:44 Tell us about Ariel Group
02:20 From acting classes to communication consulting
03:27 The parallels between Ariel and THG
04:14 Scott's career trajectory
04:34 Healthcare in Flux in the 90s
05:16 Food service delivery challenges
06:58 The Human element
08:06 Joined Gallup
08:46 Why did you move to Gallup?
09:13 Need to go beyond meeting basic expectations
09:41 Really need an engaged workforce delivering quality in the moment
10:31 Embodying the mission of the org
11:23 Did the human element make a difference at Gallup?
12:05 Focus on manager effectiveness
12:12 How much can you change/improve managers?
12:55 Burdened by initiatives
13:27 What did he learn about leadership communication in organizations?
15:17 Jumping at the opportunity to be CEO
17:42 The changing demands on leaders today
19:50 Trying to do more with less
20:04 Bart talks about the loss of decorum these days
22:11 Keyboard courage
23:24 A lot more self-ownership
24:07 The move to digital/virtual world
24:31 Leaders now have to communicate in multiple channels
25:05 Don't get caught up in the shiny new thing
26:39 AI as a training/practice tool - not a replacement
27:08 3 things leaders should be doing?
29:15 Best communicators are: CLEAR, CONCISE, CANDID
29:43 Big shift - putting yourself in audience/readers standpoint
30:12 Candidness
30:45 Start reflecting back on 2024!
31:03 The core of communication stays the same, even as channels change/increase
31:47 Thank yous
