Shows
A Leadership BeyondExploring Predictive Index with A Leadership BeyondThere’s a big difference between watching a leadership tool in action—and experiencing it with your own team, focused on your real business challenges. That’s the power of our People Strategy Power Hour. At A Leadership Beyond, we believe people-first doesn’t mean soft—it means strategic. When leaders understand their own leadership DNA and how their team naturally works together, they can move faster, solve business problems more effectively, and stay aligned to what matters most. In this week’s podcast episode, we walk through a live demo of the Predictive In...2025-07-0138 minA Leadership BeyondThriving Through Transition - A Conversation with Ben BakerThriving Through Transition In this engaging conversation, Ben Baker shares his journey of professional transition, moving from owning a communication consulting company for 17 years to rebranding himself and exploring new opportunities. The discussion delves into the nuances of personal and professional evolution, resilience, and the importance of adaptability. Key Highlights: - Ben closed his company, Your Brand Marketing, at the end of 2024 to focus on coaching, mentoring, and solving problems. - Emphasized the importance of creating a transition that allows continued connection with existing network. There are great examples of the power...2025-05-1340 minA Leadership BeyondUnderstanding People First, Results Follow: A Conversation with Dot ProuxWe’re all experiencing the same thing, only differently -Adrienne Guerrero Since 2021, our A Leadership Beyond community has examined leadership through diverse lenses, bringing together insights from business leaders and human development experts. Today's conversation with Dot Proux (a community member, podcast guest and dear friend) represents a natural evolution in our journey—moving from facilitating discussions about leadership challenges to offering collaborative, tailored solutions. While our community of conversation remains a vibrant space for exchanging ideas and perspectives, we recognize that some members seek more personalized support for their specific leadership challenges. 2025-04-1539 minA Leadership BeyondThe Power of The Pause - Adrienne Guerrero and Tom Rosenak“Keep it simple and focus on what matters. Don’t let yourself be overwhelmed.” -Confucius The Power of the Pause Congratulations to our co-host Adrienne Guerrero on rocking her TEDx talk on the Power of the Pause. She did it! We'll keep you posted when it's published. You won't want to miss it! The P.A.U.S.E framework emerged from Adrienne's personal struggles with the symptoms of living and doing from a reactive state. She learns what she teaches, teaches as she learns! A Leadership Beyond emerged as we...2025-04-0126 minA Leadership BeyondListen, Lead, and Love Your Work - A Conversation with Michele StoweHow important it is to walk along, not in haste but slowly, looking at everything and calling out Yes! No! The swan, for all his pomp, his robes of grass and petals, wants only to be allowed to live on the nameless pond. The catbrier is without fault. The water thrushes, down among the sloppy rocks, are going crazy with happiness. Imagination is better than a sharp instrument. To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work. — Mary Oliver, "Yes! No!" Owls and Other Fantasies: Poems and Essays, Beacon Press, Bo...2025-03-1836 minA Leadership BeyondHow to Lead in the New World of Work - A Conversation with Dina Denham SmithHow to Lead in the New World of Work In this episode of A Leadership Beyond, we welcome Dina Denham Smith, co-author of the book "Emotionally Charged: How to Lead in the New World of Work" (releasing February 18). As an expert at the intersection of psychology and business, Dina shares valuable insights on leadership in today's emotionally demanding workplace. Key highlights from our conversation include: The critical importance of recovery for high performance, comparing leaders to race cars that need strategic pit stops The mounting business costs and human drain...2025-02-1839 minA Leadership BeyondHire and Retain Better People Faster - A Conversation with Ryan EnglinWelcome to A Leadership Beyond, where we explore business challenges through a people-centered lens. In today's episode, we sit down with Ryan Englin, author of "Hire Better People Faster" and founder of Core Matters, who brings a fresh perspective to recruiting and retention in the trades and service industries. Drawing from his personal experience growing up in a blue-collar household, Ryan watched his father - a successful business owner - spend countless hours on hiring and managing his team. This inspired Ryan's passion to find a better way. After founding his own marketing company, he discovered that...2025-01-2131 minA Leadership BeyondThe Purposeful Pause: Leadership Beyond the LinesAs the year winds down, the holiday season's chaos often drowns out critical reflection. To grow as leaders, we must intentionally create space for thoughtful review—pausing the reactive frenzy to revisit values, acknowledge missteps, reconnect with relationships, and reignite aspirations before diving into next year's goals and plans. This deliberate pause provides an opportunity to transform end-of-year busyness from a distraction to a time of meaningful personal and professional renewal. As co-founders of A Leadership Beyond, Adrienne and Tom are practicing what we teach: taking a purposeful pause to reflect before rushing into...2024-12-0321 minA Leadership BeyondFrom the Vault - A Conversation with Matt Poepsel on Talent OptimizationFor this week’s episode, we're revisiting a clip from a fascinating panel discussion from our vault that explores how HR professionals can become true strategic partners in their organizations. But before we jump in, let's frame the conversation through the lens of Talent Optimization, a critical framework that many organizations are missing. Adrienne and I work together to help organizations leverage people data to drive success in their business strategy. Think of Talent Optimization as the strategic alignment of your people strategy with your business objectives. It's like a well choreographed dance where your workforce capability, tea...2024-11-1951 minA Leadership BeyondFoundations of Engagement: Insights from Olivier Aries In this week's episode of A Leadership Beyond, we're taking a journey back to a powerful conversation from our vault, originally recorded in 2022. Our featured guest, Olivier Aries—a certified Predictive Index practitioner with a deep focus on workplace engagement—shares invaluable insights into what it truly means to cultivate engagement within organizations. Olivier breaks down: What engagement is Why it’s important to pay attention to it What we should be doing about it How we should be focused on it We’re excited to reintroduce this episode as part of our commitment to an upcomi...2024-11-0546 minA Leadership BeyondEnergy Creating Engagement for Sustainable PerformanceEnergy Creating Engagement for Sustainable Performance For this week’s episode we are revisiting the podcast vault as we prepare for a new leadership series focused on Employee Engagement. Our hosts Adrienne and Tom continue to glean gems from a previously released engaging conversation with Bryan Sykes. Bryan Sykes is a healthcare professional, neurobiologist, and martial artist working at the 4-way intersection of people, science, technology, and business to support human thriving. Bryan shares his journey of exploring performance enhancement and how the realm of athletics emerges as an illuminating beacon. Bryan...2024-10-2257 minA Leadership BeyondLeading Beyond the Ordinary - How Anatoliy Labinskiy Built a High-Performing Remote Team with Extreme Ownership"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." – Winston Churchill The path to extraordinary leadership is rarely a straight line. It's a winding journey, paved with adversity, setbacks, and the courage to chart a course beyond the status quo. It takes a unique blend of determination, resilience, and humility to stay the course and bring others along to the land of A Leadership Beyond. In this episode, we sit down with Anatoliy Labinskiy, whose story embodies the spirit of leadership that goes beyond the confines of a tr...2024-10-0835 minA Leadership BeyondMindfulness and Leadership - A Conversation with Dot Proux"You will have bad times, but they will always wake you up to the stuff you weren'tpaying attention to." - Robin Williams Welcome back, community! After a brief summer hiatus, our hosts Adrienne and Tom are excited to return with a special episode focusing on mindfulness and leadership. This episode builds on our recent sprint of panel discussions covering a wide array of leadership topics, including two panels on wellbeing at the individual, team, enterprise, and global levels. In the introduction to this episode Adrienne Gu...2024-09-2432 minA Leadership BeyondSelf-Leadership Panel Discussion Part 2 Leadership in today's dynamic world demands more than just managing others -- it requires mastering oneself. Our engaging panel discussions on diverse leadership topics consistently lead us back to a fundamental concept: our internal locus of control and how we respond to the challenges of change. Dr. Ana Kazan eloquently defines self-leadership as "the practice of intentionally influencing your thinking, feeling and actions towards your objectives." This powerful idea forms the foundation of our exploration into personal and professional growth. In a lively and interactive conversation, Dotty Posto and Dot Proux, draw from their rich car...2024-07-3040 minA Leadership BeyondWomen in Leadership With Heather H. Bennett We had to make a slight adjustment in our planned panel discussion on empowering women for executive roles. Originally, we intended to feature a joint conversation with Beth Hilbing, co-founder of C-Sweet, and Heather H. Bennett, partner at Newport LLC. However, due to unexpected travel delays in Chicago, we've had to adjust our format. Instead of a single panel discussion, we'll be presenting two separate conversations. Today, we're excited to share our insightful discussion with Heather H. Bennett. Stay tuned for Beth’s valuable contributions which will be featured in the upcoming weeks. 2024-07-1638 minA Leadership BeyondHR as Strategic Allies Panel Discussion You’ve heard it said, “Your people are your greatest asset”. (ad infinitum). Well, quiet quitting, the great resignation and other trends make clear, they aren’t an asset, you don’t own them. They are your greatest investment and the leaders that learn to better align talent strategies with business objectives will be better poised for long-term sustainability and growth. We recently had an insightful conversation with three HR experts on our podcast, Dr. Eric D. Hieger, Jackie Kaweck, and Ian Ziskin. We discussed strategies for HR professionals to establish their value and secure a seat at the...2024-06-1847 minA Leadership BeyondTechnology's Impact on People Strategy: Leading with Heart in the Digital Age "Technology is nothing. What's important is that you have faith in people, that they're basically good and smart, and if you give them tools, they'll do wonderful things with them." -Steve Jobs In today's dynamic business world, technology stands out as a transformative force, dramatically reshaping our workplaces. From AI-driven recruitment to remote work enablers, these innovations do more than change work methods—they fundamentally alter how companies view their most significant investment: their people. We've moved past the outdated notion of referring to employees as "assets." The Great Resignation and quiet quitting phenomena starkly remi...2024-06-0454 minA Leadership BeyondSelf-Leadership Panel Discussion "We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now" – Martin Luther King, Jr. We kicked off our new panel discussion format with the most requested of the seven leadership topics: employee well-being. As we transition from Wellbeing to Self-Leadership, it's clear that our leadership topics are not isolated silos but rather a tapestry of interconnected themes. Employee wellbeing, which has been our primary focus, naturally leads us to the topic of self-leadership. When we talk about self-leadership, we are keeping the essence of wellbeing at the forefront of...2024-05-2149 minA Leadership BeyondWell Being -Individual, Team, Organization, Societal – Part 2 Welcome to another enriching discussion on employee wellbeing, a topic that resonates deeply with leaders striving to cultivate resilience and foster environments where employees not only survive but truly thrive. Our community, A Leadership Beyond, recognizes the pressing need to address this crucial aspect of leadership in today's fast-paced and ever-evolving workplace. Our guests this week were: Amanda Ryznar, Paul LaLonde and Dr. Natacha Nelson (see links in the show notes) Our aim, shared wholeheartedly by our guests, is to transcend mere acknowledgment of the current challenges and embark on a collaborative journey toward meaningful cha...2024-05-0746 minA Leadership BeyondWell Being -Individual, Team, Organization, Societal – Part 1 “When the well’s dry, we know the worth of the water.” – Benjamin Franklin We are excited to publish the opening salvo in our series of panel discussions aimed toward addressing the most pressing challenges faced by business leaders today. It makes sense to begin with wellbeing, as this topic received by far the greatest share of votes in our topics of interest survey. More than that, employee wellbeing is essential for all our business strategies to have hope of success. Humanity first is a core principle of this community. Lastly, we don’t have to look fa...2024-04-2354 minA Leadership BeyondEmployee Wellbeing - What Can We Do About It? To me, good health is more than just exercise and diet. It’s really a point of view and a mental attitude you have about yourself” {and your organization} ~Albert Schweitzer “Good health IS good business” – Paul Drechsler (CEO, Wates Group Limited) When planning our next conversational series, we asked the community to weigh in on the topic they were most interested in. Wellbeing weighed in (pun intended) as top priority for our community. As we prepare for an upcoming expert panel discussion, we decided to kick it off with a few thoughts from the co-fo...2024-03-2631 minA Leadership BeyondDefine the Win and Execute - A Conversation with Traci Austin Define the win, align to people strategy, and execute! Simple and easy are not synonymous. It is easy to understand that aligning individual goals to the business goals of the organization is a win-win for both. And it might seem a simple activity to clearly define the win at every level and for every worker in the organization. Simple, yes, and equally hard to implement and sustain. There is no magic wand. Why is this so challenging? Well, because we are human, of course. We may have one vision through our organizational lenses...2024-02-2734 minA Leadership BeyondListening Tour Conversation – Current Top HR Topics for Business LeadersIn our latest episode we discuss our recent solicitation to this community for the top-of-mind topics related to their human resources for business leaders today. We appreciate everyone who took the time to participate in the poll. Your input is invaluable as we strive to tailor our content to address the most pressing challenges and interests of our community. The Results: Based on the poll results, it seems like “Employee Wellbeing/Engagement” is a significant concern for our community members, with 53% of respondents indicating this topic. However, we also received interest in other areas such as se...2024-02-2013 minA Leadership BeyondC-Sweet Is Becoming the “Sweet Spot” for Female ExecutivesThis week we interviewed Dianne Gubin and Beth Hilbing of C-Sweet, the premier global community of female executives. The genesis of C-Sweet serves as an inspiring tale for entrepreneurs. Dianne Gubin, actively engaged in running and participating in various networking groups, sought a new community that crossed industries and business boundaries. Faced with the challenge of not finding precisely what she was looking for, she embraced the entrepreneurial spirit: if it doesn't exist, create it. Collaborating with her trusted friend, Beth Hilbing, marked the beginning of C-Sweet, and the rest is history. From its humble o...2024-01-1630 minA Leadership BeyondResilience From the Well of Purpose - A Conversation With Jill ValdezFor this week’s conversation, you are invited to embark on a captivating journey with Jill Valdez as she shares her remarkable transition from full-time ministry to the world of senior care, complemented by a pursuit of an MBA to bridge the gap between non-profit and for-profit management. Today, her unwavering focus lies in serving executives within senior care facilities, recognizing the pivotal role of a people-centric strategy in sustaining such vital institutions. In our conversation, Jill's profound insights highlight the essential connection between a winning business strategy and a robust people strategy, emphasizing that removing the la...2023-12-1937 minA Leadership BeyondEnlightened Leadership With Matt Poepsel – Leading Outside in and Inside Out“For me, the wheels came off during the pandemic…” Who else can relate to that? I know those of us at A Leadership Beyond sure can. It’s what led us to create this community… but you already know that story. That is the initial prompt that led our friend and colleague Matt Poepsel on a journey that culminated into his recently released book Expand the Circle: Enlightened Leadership for Our New World of Work. In this week’s episode we interview Matt and discuss his new book. Matt’s Buddhism practice inspire...2023-12-0534 minA Leadership BeyondConsciousness Rising Above VUCA - A Conversation with Marika Messager We are hearing the clarion call for a new model of leadership in this age of unprecedented change. In our latest conversation Marika Messager shares her early experience as a young woman, working in the toxic, fast-paced, male dominated financial services industry. Her first experiences of questioning the root causes of toxicity were about her personal survival in a difficult world. Through her experiences, she came to understand that we needed a new paradigm of leadership based on different values of co-creation of understanding of inclusion, acceptance, compassion and collaboration. Marika is one of the...2023-11-0739 minA Leadership BeyondThe Power of Networking and Curiosity - A Conversation with Diane Kubal"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." -Albert Einstein Albert Einstein's quote above might lead one to believe that he possessed only a modicum of talent. However, history tells us a different story, as he was undoubtedly a genius in his own right. Nevertheless, the extent of our inherent talent is something we cannot control. What we can control, though, is how we harness and manifest our talents in our professional endeavors. As certified Predictive Index partners, our hosts Adrienne and Tom underscore the paramount significance of valuing every individual's unique talent...2023-10-1039 minA Leadership BeyondThe Themes Are Coming In – Our Research Hypothesis is Proving True!This week's episode aims to connect with the A Leadership Beyond community shortly after launching our Leadership Resilience Research Project. We're excited about the insightful responses we've received on our Leadership Resilience Research from early participants. It’s a lot to ask, we get it! And we are confident it’s worth it! We acknowledge that some of our trusted community members have committed to the self-evaluation but haven't had the 20 minutes needed for thorough self-reflection. We get it! Asking for 20 minutes is a lot. This situation underscores one of the fundamental principles guid...2023-09-2630 minA Leadership BeyondVisit the WINNERs Circle with Coach Sherry WinnIn this inspiring conversation with Sherry Winn, a remarkable two-time Olympian, National Basketball Coach of the Year, and three-time bestselling author on Amazon, we delve into the profound lessons she has learned on her leadership journey. Sherry's life began in a challenging environment, filled with dysfunction and bullying, but she refused to let adversity define her. She persevered, not only becoming an Olympian but also a world-renowned coach, author, and motivational speaker. Sherry's story is a testament to the power of inner resilience. She urges us to consider how we respond to adversity, what we ca...2023-09-1230 minA Leadership BeyondRetooling and Refueling - Holistic Leadership with Bryan SykesBuilding a leadership beyond is a holistic process. It requires nurturing our own growth while also fostering the growth of those we work with. We recognize and honor both our uniqueness and our shared humanity. Joining us in this episode is Bryan Sykes, a healthcare professional, neurobiologist, and martial artist working at the 4-way intersection of people, science, technology, and business to support human thriving. Bryan shares his journey of exploring performance enhancement and how the realm of athletics emerges as an illuminating beacon. It is within this arena that the principles of performance management t...2023-08-2953 minA Leadership BeyondEssential Qualities of Exceptional Leaders - from Elementary Education to Corporate Boards - A Conversation with Dr. Tim ArnoldAssessing the true quality of a leader can often be challenging. However, during a crisis, their true capabilities surface. The co-founders of this community emphasize the value of “bringing your whole self to work, engaging your head, heart, and briefcase.” Without a doubt this week’s guest, Dr. Tim Arnold earned his position as Superintendent of Will County District 92 through his intelligence and impeccable credentials. Adrienne Guerrero, a parent with two grade school daughters in the district, often praised Tim's exceptional communication skills and reassuring demeanor, especially during times of unprecedented challenges faced by the school sys...2023-08-0137 minA Leadership BeyondAn Invite to A Leadership Beyond's Research Project“Everybody is experiencing the same thing only differently.” -Adrienne Guerrero, Co-Founder A Leadership Beyond Our community of conversation has had the privilege to engage in dynamic conversation with remarkable thought leaders, even during one of the most challenging business environments in history. We hope you find these conversations as enjoyable to listen to as we find them rewarding to facilitate. Through our interactions, we have noticed patterns and gained valuable insights into the barriers that often hinder the execution of our best personal and professional transformational ideas. It would be redundant to list all the...2023-06-2005 minA Leadership BeyondCommunicating Through Change - A Conversation with Ben Baker“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” -George Bernard Shaw Our community of conversation seeks guests with unique style and perspective, who also share our core values – people first, effective communication as the key to leading transformational change, and that change is not an event or project but rather an ongoing leadership responsibility. To quote Aristotle, “all communication must lead to change.” This week we enjoyed the energy and insight of Ben Baker, who after years of applying his communication skills in high-tech sales and direct mail, ultimately turned his a...2023-05-2334 minA Leadership BeyondHighest Self is Whole Self at Work - A Conversation with Kristin Lamar“Whether in business or our personal lives, clarity comes from having a clear sense of the self. When we are aligned with our inner wisdom all things are possible.” -Kristin Lamar We hear the clarion call to “bring our whole selves to work.” Despite this, the fear of competing agendas and possible friction from diverse religious affiliations, can create an environment where people are hesitant to bring their spirituality to work. We are body, mind, and spirit; the whole person is not present if we deny the soul in our work. What’s a leader to do about t...2023-04-2538 minA Leadership BeyondYou Are What You Risk - A Conversation With Michele WuckerAwareness is the starting point of most of our leadership discussions within this community of conversation. Once aware, we need a framework to guide our thinking and do authentic discovery. This week’s guest Michele Wucker, deepens our awareness of the peril we face if we ignore risk, as well as the opportunity for success, happiness and fulfilment presented by learning to navigate risks more effectively. Her newest book examines evaluating risk from the highly personal reflection, to cultural and global implications. You Are What You Risk builds on, and in many ways mirrors, Michele’s maste...2023-03-2844 minA Leadership BeyondFinding our Ikigai - A Conversation with Milan BatinichWith a background in staffing, our guest this week, Milan Batinich developed a passion for helping companies and individuals find the right talent and the right work. He started with a company that utilized Predictive Index (PI) for their hiring. At first, he was not a believer, but came to see how powerful a behavioral assessment is in leveraging behaviors and drives to support creating alignment between the individual, the culture of the organization, and the work to be done. From the foundation of staffing contact centers, Milan has become a certified PI trainer and is certified t...2023-03-1435 minA Leadership BeyondThriving Beyond Pandemic - a Conversation With Dr. Michele R. Kramer and Dr. Lesley PageWe are called to thrive. Yes, we must first of all survive as signified in Maslow’s Hierarchy. Our community of conversation is dedicated to nourishing the siren call to go beyond, and to be sure to join others as we learn to thrive, despite our challenges. Thriving together. We can get beyond the shock to our world brought to us by accelerated change and exacerbated by the pandemic. But never alone! For this episode we had the opportunity to chat with two experts who have collaborated with a team to research, write about...2023-02-2834 minA Leadership BeyondPractice What We TeachRather than having a guest this week, we decided to record the co-founders of this community having a conversation using Your Strategic Networking Guide. The strategy guide is the first module in our Strategic Leadership Series. Download your copy at https://aleadershipbeyond.com/your-strategic-networking-guide. If we are not already connected, you’ll be automatically subscribed to become part of our community to whom we bring the expertise of leaders as well as insights on optimizing your leadership excellence. Your Strategic Networking Guide is comprised of a series of generative questions that help you focus your networking activities acco...2023-02-1427 minA Leadership BeyondDisconnect Principle - A Conversation with Ann LathamFor this episode we had the opportunity to chat again with the Queen of Clarity, Ann Latham. The discussion was about her newest book, The Disconnect Principle. A continuous struggle in business communication is giving and receiving feedback well. While formulas focusing on behavior and impact may help to a certain degree, we are still left uncomfortable giving feedback, tend to procrastinate or sugarcoat our feedback until the message and meaning are lost. The disconnect principle is as simple as it is powerful: “If someone doesn’t do as you expected, all you...2023-01-3134 minA Leadership BeyondYour People Philosophy - A Conversation with Paul LaLondeThe word “philosophy” means love of wisdom. Wisdom is not contained in abstract concepts, nor in academic mental gymnastics. Such exercises can be effective as they sharpen our ability to think critically. But philosophy at its core has always been about living a great life, aligned as best we can to the highest imaginable good. Life optimized! For this week's episode we had the opportunity to chat with Paul LaLonde, Vice President of People and Culture at the Community Economic Development Association of Cook County (CEDA). Paul happened across a modern perspective on the anci...2023-01-1728 minA Leadership BeyondWelcome 2023!Adrienne and Tom, co-founders of this growing community of conversation, decided to practice what they continually teach and need to remind themselves and others to do. For the last recording of 2022 (first post of 2023), rather than have a guest, they took time to breathe, pause, celebrate, and reflect. Before digging in for the work of the exciting new year, let’s reflect on where A Leadership Beyond has been and set intentions for the new year. Watch as Tom and Adrienne reflect on 2022 and share their plans for 2023. A Leadership Beyond exists to support the alig...2023-01-0305 minA Leadership BeyondLeadership Lessons From the Performing Arts - A Conversation With Robert SnyderThis week we had the opportunity to interview Robert Snyder, author of the soon to be released book, Innovation Elegance: Transcending Agile with Ruthlessness and Grace. In our community’s name is the word “beyond.” What we intend to imply is that leaders must manage the messy runway while at the same time collaborating, innovating, and creating a compelling future of work – at the individual, team, organization, and societal levels. The good news is we don’t create from scratch, we can draw from what is currently working and find new applications. Robert draws leaders...2022-12-0634 minA Leadership BeyondWelcome Back Y’All – Staying Grounded to Your Roots While Moving Fast - A Conversation With Liz BrighamOur guest this week is Liz Brigham. Liz is the W. Spencer Mitchem Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Jay Hurt Hub for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Davidson College. Liz has had vast and varied experiences in her career, which includes Disney, industrial supply distribution, and leadership in a global financial company. That journey finally led to her current role of being a catalyst for innovation and entrepreneurship within higher education. Liz’s role is not confined to higher education but is focused on serving Davidson College, the community, students, alumni, and faculty, as well as the...2022-11-2242 min
The Founder & The Force Multiplier08 - A Leadership BeyondManal interviews the founders and co-hosts of the A Leadership Beyond podcast, Tom Rosenak and Adrienne Guerrero. The two share how what started as a pandemic project grew into something greater, how their Force Multiplier helps BOTH of them execute their vision, and how “graceful assertiveness” can help you find balance and boundaries in both your career and personal life.References from Today’s Episode:A Leadership Beyond:https://aleadershipbeyond.com/connect@aleadershipbeyond.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/a-leadership-beyond/Diamond Mind (Tom)https://www.digdia...2022-11-1446 minA Leadership BeyondEmployee Engagement: A Survey Is Just The Beginning - A Conversation with Olivier AriesThe principals at A Leadership Beyond are Predictive Index practitioners precisely because we are passionate about putting people at the center of leading change at the global and local level. Putting people first is the right thing to do, but we need to establish the business case as well as the moral case. Without a framework (Talent Optimization and tools (Predictive Index Assessment), even the most well-intentioned people initiatives fall short. In our latest conversation we spoke with Olivier Aries Co-Founder/Talent Optimization Implementer at Thrive Collective. Our conversation focused on the Diagnose component of Talent Optimization, wh...2022-11-0844 minA Leadership BeyondThe Power of Founder & Force Multiplier - A Conversation with Manal KheenThe Power of Founder & Force Multiplier Manal Keen, CEO of Founder & Force Multiplier brings passion and commitment to every conversation. In this conversation, Manal gives us her story, the drive behind her biggest why, as well as a good overview of the book The Founder & The Force Multiplier. We won’t give too much away, but her career journey toward her “why” is amazing – relatable and inspiring. She excelled in the male-dominated field of financial services, holding various roles in large financial institutions heading finance and strategy positions. (Eye-opening fact that she shares: females curr...2022-10-2532 minA Leadership BeyondHire the Right People to Execute Your Strategy - A Conversation with Dan AdamsHire the Right People - A Conversation with Dan Adams We are excited to share our conversation with Dan Adams, an experienced Learning & Development Leader who is passionate about Tech, Cars, and Saving the Planet. In this conversation we are taking a case study approach to demonstrate the practical application of using Predictive Index to quickly hire the right people to execute a new strategy. This is a case study on how Predictive Index, “quite frankly saved our butts. Predictive Index was the difference between success and failure...2022-10-1124 minA Leadership BeyondCourage of a Leader with Amy RileyOur guest this week is Amy Riley, author of The Courage of a Leader. Amy has spent decades teaching leaders how to step up, inspire, engage, and get extraordinary results. She helps them lead with courage. "I want to help leaders, there is so much coming at them from all directions. I want to support them. If leaders are doing it correctly, there is a lot of processing and a lot of care, and a lot of head and heart that goes into their work.” Why Courage? After collaborating with leaders in multiple...2022-09-2733 minA Leadership BeyondPay Attention to Tension with T. Falcon NapierOur guest this week is T. Falcon Napier, an internationally-recognized human development expert, specializing in sales, leadership and change management. He is the Founder of the Institute for Productive Tension® — an organization that researches the role of Productive Tension® in human performance. Mr. Napier is best known for bringing the principles, tools and techniques of professional Tension Management® to corporate audiences worldwide through his three flagship programs: ChangeWorks!®, MasterStream® and Pride-Based Leadership®. He is also creator of the ChangeGrid® — the world’s only client-driven, activity-specific coaching and management tool. When we hear the word tension, our thoughts...2022-09-1331 minA Leadership Beyond7 Forms of Respect - a Conversation with Dr. Julie PhamOn this episode of A Leadership Beyond podcast, we had a conversation with Dr. Julie Pham, author of the book, 7 forms of respect. Julie Pham was born in Vietnam, came to the United States with her parents as a boat person. That is a strong part of her identity, and she learned early both the challenges and rewards of being bicultural. She had to adapt to being Vietnamese at home, American at school and work. Added to this is her experience studying and working in the UK, Germany, and Vietnam. These experiences have influenced and shaped the...2022-08-3026 minA Leadership BeyondSee You at the Top of the Mountain With Tiffany Prince“Those at the top of the mountain didn’t fall there.” -Vince Lombardi In this episode of A Leadership Beyond we had the pleasure of interviewing Tiffany Prince, author of Top of the Mountain Leadership. Tiffany refers to herself as an “accidental trainer.” She excelled as an individual contributor in biotech pharma and was promoted. She found herself thrust into a position with responsibility for others. She quickly realized this challenge required new and different skills than her technical position. This seems like a no-brainer to this audience, but Tiffany points out from her research...2022-08-1631 minA Leadership BeyondPrepare to Soar Over Uncharted WatersOur guest this episode is Naval Flight officer and COO of Wolf Management Solutions, Ron Higgs. We had the opportunity to discuss how to cultivate the mindset of a Naval flight officer, and how to translate these attributes into success for our unique leadership journey. Here are a few insights you’ll get from listening to this dynamic conversation with Ron: -The three components to ensure we learn from every mission: Aviate, Navigate, Communicate -The importance of planning – as well as remembering that, “Aviation is like life, things rarely go as planned. Plan for th...2022-08-0231 minA Leadership BeyondUnlock Your Leadership PowerIn this week's conversation we spoke with Damaris Patterson Price. Damaris uses story and the power of metaphor without ever losing mooring to the practical action needed to be our best as leaders. In our conversation, Damaris refers to Shakespeare and Gulliver’s Travels, but the emphasis remains, as her book promises, on straight answers about how we can unlock our truest leadership power. Here are a few highlights from our conversation: What is a leader? The perception and attraction to becoming a leader can be the title, the money, the status, the po...2022-07-1934 minA Leadership BeyondLeading Transformational Change with Ian Ziskin“Everyone has a plan until they get hit in the mouth.” ~Mike Tyson A recurring theme in our community is that COVID has challenged our assumptions, forced us to rethink strategy, and raise our leadership game. And it has led many of us to amazing transformational change, whether we intended to or not. The journey of leading transformational change must always begin in each of us, AND fortunately we never do it alone. The best we can do is watch, listen, and learn with other leaders that have great perspective, insight, and broad experience. It...2022-07-0530 minA Leadership BeyondGood Questions Drive Careers with Heather H. Bennett“Good questions inform, great questions transform” -Ken Coleman Asking the right questions, with clear intention is fundamental to personal transformation. This episode’s guest, Heather H. Bennett, brings over two decades of experience as a marketing strategist to life in her excellent book: Fun and Fulfilling Careers One Question at a Time Heather’s brilliance is to help us discover our personal brand. Rather than tell us, Heather helps draw the answers from our depths through insightful questions! Regardless of where you are in your career, it is valuable to keep asking in case we need...2022-06-2128 minA Leadership BeyondLeading Through TransitionLeading Through Transition We usually feature a guest on our bi-monthly podcast. This time Tom and Adrienne chat about leading transitions. This conversation is timely as we enter a new season. Summer disrupts schedules for all of us. Our schedules have been disrupted for multiple reasons over the last couple years. Add this “normal” transition to the mix and emotions run high. Adrienne points out that, it’s not the change, it’s the uncertainty. As the founder of Positive Delta, Adrienne has been guiding global leaders to navigate change for over fifteen years. An e...2022-06-0727 minA Leadership BeyondLeading DEI - The Triple Bottom LineIn this week’s episode we speak with Lee Mozena, founder of Zena Consulting. Lee has a background that positions her well to support leaders as they navigate the challenges of DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion). Lee has vast experience in Marketing communication; she facilitates strategic conversations for business, government, and community leaders with a lens on diverse populations She asks the necessary tough questions that people are hesitant, embarrassed, or afraid to ask. A Leadership Beyond has collaborated with Lee since our beginning and we are excited to bring her insights to our community of c...2022-05-2429 minA Leadership BeyondLessons from Aikido for Conflict Transformation - A Conversation with Judy RingerThis week we have an insightful conversation with Judy Ringer, author of Turn Enemies Into Allies. If you know any martial art, you already recognize how the principles can be applied to resolving conflict. Aikido is a martial art with a core principle of non-harm. “Render the attack harmless without harming the opponent.” Our conversation with Judy gets right to the center of how this practice can be applied. Judy Ringer was in Real Estate, a business that puts you in the center of conflicting, emotionalized counterparts. Her dominant tendency was to accommodate, to please the...2022-05-1030 minA Leadership BeyondShow Up and ShineThis week we are sharing our conversation with Catherine Johns, author of Show Up and Shine. When it comes to communication, Catherine Johns wrote the book. And did the radio show. And gave the talk. Catherine’s audience benefits from her years of experience on the stage and in the studio. What do you say about yourself, your work, and the value you offer? And how are you perceived while you say it? Catherine offers a practical path to making a stronger impression when you speak in a meeting, on a conference call, at...2022-04-2631 minA Leadership BeyondLeverage the Power of ClarityAn insightful conversation with Ann Latham, author of The Power of Clarity. Before becoming an independent consultant, Ann asked for feedback to determine the core value she provided. The answers she got pointed in one direction: Ann creates clarity out of complicated issues. She points out that people often don't know they are looking for clarity. They know they want to solve a problem. During our conversation with Ann, we quickly recognized the urgency of the problem of disclarity (not a typo!) and how costly it really is. In fact, the first chapter of The Pow...2022-04-1238 minA Leadership BeyondReinventing Yourself, Your Business, Your WorldA thrilling interview with Dr. Nadya Zhexembayva! Dr. Nadya is a scientist, entrepreneur, author, and a 4-time TEDx speaker specializing in resilience and reinvention. This conversation with Nadya is rich and chock full of reinvention tips applicable at the individual, team, organization, and community level. Reinvention is messy and certainly not a straight line. In her book, 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑒𝑓 𝑅𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑂𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑟 𝐻𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑘: 𝐻𝑜𝑤 𝑡𝑜 𝑇ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑜𝑠, Nadya shares a framework that allows us to repeat and build on previous reinventions. As Nadya reminds us: Change is NOT a project. We are designed to thrive and Nadya is passionate and determined to support us on this path. A Leadership Beyond exists to support the alignment between the business strategy and people strategy - to drive results with people not at the expen...2022-03-2943 minA Leadership BeyondThe Great Resignation – One Employee’s JourneyThis week we are honored to hear the story of one career journey. The frenetic pace of our work and the challenges of each day make it difficult to take a moment to step back, zoom out, and reflect on our own career journey. This neglect can result in our being swept away in a river of reactivity rather than designing a career that challenges us, grows us, fulfills us, and allows our strengths to expand our contribution. Do not blink or 15 years vanish! The lock downs of the pandemic created new space for reflection. This...2022-03-1547 minA Leadership BeyondEthical InfluenceA conversation about Ethical Influence with Brian Ahearn, personally trained by Robert B. Cialdini, Ph.D., and one of only a dozen Cialdini trainers in the world. Among the valuable gems in this stimulating conversation with Brian: * 3 things that differentiate ethical influence from manipulation * A concise summary of the 7 principles of persuasion * An acronym to help us D.E.A.L. with differing styles * Concrete examples to help us learn the practical application of this wisdom2022-03-0133 minA Leadership BeyondBuilding Resilience with Appreciative Inquiry You’ve seen the people who seem to take a blow, get up, dust off and keep going. The question arises, “are great leaders born, or developed?” The age old : “nature/nurture” strikes again. We never met a leader who wasn’t born, nor a great leader who isn’t still developing. To quote our friends in the improv world "Yes, AND". In this week’s interview, Jeanie Cockell talks about the positive impact of being raised by a mom that always emphasized hope and possibility. We don’t get to choose...2022-02-1538 minA Leadership BeyondWhat is Culture and What Does It Have to Do with HR?Tom and Adrienne spent time with Karen Jaw-Madson, owner of consultancy Co. -Design of Work Experience and author of Culture Your Culture. Although this conversation concludes our series on Reimagining Human Resources, in a sense, the topic never ends. The vision for this community is to provide insights, ideas, and network that enables us to reimagine leadership considering our new reality. To build sustainable and thriving organizations, culture must continuously be in focus. The discussion formed around the question, “what does culture have to do with HR?” We explore why NOW is a critical time for organi...2022-01-3037 minA Leadership BeyondA Conversation Worth having InterviewConversations Worth Having – Using Appreciative Inquiry to Fuel Productive and Meaningful Engagement. As a community of conversation, A Leadership Beyond ranks the ability to facilitate effective and meaningful conversations high on the leadership excellence pyramid. To accomplish this requires an awareness, a framework, and continuous practice. This is a terrific book, not merely to read, but to serve as a practice guide to help us evaluate and improve our conversations over time. Conversations Worth Having – second edition In this interview, Jackie and Cheri clearly define and demonstrate the value of appreciative inquiry by giving real...2022-01-3035 minA Leadership BeyondPower of Slowing DownYou’ve heard it said, “sometimes we must slow down to speed up”. The clearer we get, the greater our capacity to handle a steady pace. First, we need to catch our breath, step back, get centered, anchored, and focus on the people engagement and alignment. A rational business strategy without the team behind it is unlikely to have successful execution, and certainly not quickly or effectively. As an experienced change leader, and a Talent Optimization specialist, Adrienne knows the principle, in fact teaches it, practices it, and works to instill this principle in leaders as the...2022-01-2822 minA Leadership BeyondA Leadership Beyond Begins With ConversationAfter this series, we asked What’s next? We dropped the word pandemic as we realized creating a new reality in this era of accelerated change and emotional upheaval requires A Leadership Beyond… Adrienne can do it! But not alone. Tom can do it! But not alone. YOU can do it, but not alone. Your voice matters in our community of conversation. Can’t wait to listen with you. The top two values of our community (our top 5 will be published shortly) are : People first – You’ve heard it said, “our people are ou...2022-01-2803 minA Leadership BeyondGreat Retention During Great ResignationTalent optimization is a strategic process to drive results by aligning business strategy and people strategy. To accomplish this, leaders must focus on organization, team, and individual needs. The Great Resignation provides an opportunity for business leaders to refine their strategies for recruitment and retention by engaging in rigorous support of career development. The word align can become a buzzword—overused and underleveraged. At a certain level, we know the ingredients to successful talent retention. But how clear is our focus? Do our actions line up with our talk? Or are we throwing money and people at th...2022-01-2102 minA Leadership BeyondConversations Worth HavingWe are thrilled to announce an upcoming interview with Jackie Stavros and Cheri Torres, authors of Conversations Worth Having – Using Appreciative Inquiry to Fuel Productive and Meaningful Engagement. The currency of all positive change is indeed conversation. Mostly we lead conversations without real strategy – and sadly, sometimes without much thought. And, being creatures of habit, we repeat the same cycle endlessly. We hold you (and ourselves) as already successful. This means you have meaningful relationships and produce good results. And yet, a leadership beyond calls us to continuously grow and develop. To accomplish this requires heightened conversational awareness. Jackie a...2022-01-2103 minA Leadership BeyondEmpathetic Leaders get LOCALA recurring theme for Leadership Beyond has been the need for more empathetic leadership, stemming from our experience during the pandemic (survival mode), and continuing as some of us have found a bit of our footing (although the evidence suggests that collectively we’re a far cry from a sense of being grounded again). Tom and Adrienne had the opportunity to interview Dolores Priegnitz, an HR professional, change management expert and life coach. To help us stay anchored to our empathic leadership intention, Dolores created the acronym LOCAL as a reminder, as well as a practical rudder to ke...2022-01-2134 minA Leadership BeyondHybrid Leadership is a Leadership BeyondWe’ve all noticed an acceleration of trends that were bubbling up before Covid. The gig economy increased remote work, demand for greater flexibility in when, where, and how to work have increasingly challenged organizational leadership. Dr. Grant, an organizational psychologist at the Wharton School of business, recently published an article:: The Real Meaning of Freedom of Work: “When Covid untethered us from our offices, many people experienced new forms of flexibility, and the taste of freedom left us hungry for more. We started rethinking what we wanted out of work. But the Great...2022-01-2110 minA Leadership BeyondDeveloping Leaders is Everyone’s Responsibility Conversation with Eric ZemaitaitisTom and Adrienne caught up with Eric Zemaitaitis, HR Director at a major healthcare system in Chicago. The challenge statement that opened our discussion: What are the challenges organizations face when relying solely on HR to develop leaders? Leadership development courses are fantastic. But then the expert goes away – the external consultant is no longer engaged or the in-house facilitator from HR moves to the next thing. As Tom said “continuous, small reinforcements rather than big events is the way!” We agree, but practically speaking how is this accomplished? In this casual chat, we explore how can we fa...2022-01-2121 minA Leadership BeyondTalent Optimization with Intention by DesignWe are thrilled by the opportunity to have Matt Poepsel, the Godfather of Talent Optimization join our community of conversation to address two interrelated questions: What is talent optimization, and why as a leader, should I care? Let’s add a third, why now even more in this unique new reality, more than ever? This short interview will give you a clear, easy to grasp definition of Talent Optimization and an understanding of the four dark forces that every organization must grapple with. You’ll also get a visual demonstration of how this leadership framework and set of tools can h...2022-01-2127 min
A Leadership BeyondWe're off Reimagining HRAdrienne and I are thrilled as we begin our first series of conversations at https://aleadershipbeyond.com/ We asked our network to respond with brief quotes on what is needed to Reimagine Human Resources in this new world. The responses were inspiring, intriguing, and thought provoking. We have several conversations being scheduled and in the queue. Today’s video is an executive summary of what we have heard so far and an update on what is next in our series. We invite you to join in on the conversation by suggesting to...2022-01-2112 minA Leadership BeyondSet the SailLet’s begin this conversation with some thought starters from Talent Development thought leaders. First, we zoom out. A core axiom of Leadership Beyond is that holistic people profit is as important as business profit, and though the two profits are ever challenging to align, they must not, need not, be antithetical. We kick our quotes off with a soulful compass in our quest: “Unleashing our full potential at work will begin when our jobs touch and inspire our hearts & souls.” – Dr. Orly Maravankin, Global Business Executive Coach, Senior Advisor to Fortune 100 We asked fo...2022-01-2102 minA Leadership BeyondReimagining HRWe invite your participation in the conversation “reimagining Human Resources.” Let us begin this conversation on reimagining Human Resources with a trusty google search for a baseline definition of Human Resources. Here is what we come up with: Human resources refer to the department charged with managing personnel. The first expansion of this definition immediately leads to functional, legal, and operational role of HR: The primary function of human resources is to ensure the company complies with federal and state labor and employment laws, such as Title VII of the Civil...2022-01-2105 minA Leadership BeyondCommunity of ConversationWelcome to Leadership Beyond! Adrienne and I began our collaboration with big ideas for our work together and the impact we could have in the business world. We thought big and intended to start big. Boom! Pandemic. Change. Clients. Change. No more details and certainly. No pity party here, as we are aware that you have your own version of this unprecedented disruption. Your world has changed. This change is accelerating. This so-called new normal will not just happen. To create a world that we would choose to live in, it is essential that we...2022-01-2104 min