Shows
Engaged By DesignS2 Ep03 – Tell Me a Story: Leadership Lessons from the Stories That StickStorytelling is a leadership superpower—but too often, we don’t use it well. In this episode, Michael and Vernon dive into why stories matter, especially in leadership roles where influence matters more than control.
They share three of the essential story types every leader should have in their toolbox—value, founder, and purpose stories—inspired by Kindra Hall’s book Stories That Stick. You’ll hear: How Kindra Hall’s Normal–Explosion–New Normal model compares to the Hero’s Journey and the MACRO PPP (Problem–Path–Payoff) structure.
Real leadership stories told live on the podcast—with feed...2025-07-2949 min
Engaged By DesignS2 EP02 Rebundling the Faculty Role: Evolving, Not ErodingIn this second episode of our two-part series, Michael and Vernon explore what happens after unbundling: how faculty and other academic professionals are adapting, defending, and rebundling their roles in an AI-powered world. This episode outlines four irreducibly human responsibilities, three common defense strategies of professions under threat, and four emerging faculty archetypes for the AI era. Whether you're a professor, designer, advisor, or leader, this conversation will challenge your assumptions and offer a hopeful path forward. Stick around for a set of reflection questions you can bring back to your team.
These are the sources mentioned...2025-07-2237 min
Engaged By DesignS2 Ep01 – Unbundled: How AI and Economics Are Redefining Faculty RolesWelcome to Season 2 of the Engaged by Design podcast! In this kickoff episode, Dr. Michael Cottam interviews his co-host Dr. Vernon Smith—this time in the role of featured guest—to explore how artificial intelligence, economic pressures, and platformization are driving the unbundling of professional roles in higher education.
Drawing from Vernon's dissertation research and recent policy shifts, this episode dives deep into what’s happening behind the scenes of your course shell, syllabus, or advising software.
🔍 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
What “unbundling” means and how it applies to the faculty role
Examples from o...2025-07-1543 min
Engaged By DesignEp08 How Might You Go MACRO? Applying Agile Leadership to First-Year Student SuccessIn this final episode of the MACRO Leadership podcast series, Michael and Vernon take listeners on a practical journey through applying all five elements of the MACRO framework—Match, Assign, Coach, Reflect, and Ovation—to a high-impact institutional initiative: redesigning the First-Year Experience (FYE).
🎓 What you’ll learn in this episode:
Why the FYE is a strategic project that demands cross-functional leadership
How to match the right team members based on passion and perspective
How to assign clear roles and responsibilities for momentum
How coaching—not just supervision—helps people grow through complexity
Why reflection is essential to...2025-07-0827 min
Engaged By DesignEP07: MACRO Ovation: The Power of Recognition in Leadership📄 Episode Summary
In the final episode of the MACRO Leadership podcast series, Vernon and Michael explore the “O” in MACRO: Ovation—the practice of authentic, values-aligned recognition. They dig into Gallup research showing that only 27% of employees feel regularly recognized at work, despite the fact that frequent praise correlates with dramatically higher engagement. Michael shares real stories from his leadership experience, like writing weekly handwritten thank-you notes, and explores how recognition practices can foster connection, morale, and momentum in higher education and beyond. Whether you're managing from the middle or guiding change from the top...2025-07-0125 min
Engaged By DesignEp06: Reflect: How Smart Leaders Learn, Adapt, and ImproveIn this episode, Vernon and Michael explore the fourth principle of the MACRO Leadership model: Reflect.
💡 Topics Covered:
Why reflection is a leadership imperative—not a luxury
Michael’s story of using Agile SCRUM and reflection cycles to improve student success and team alignment
Understanding the Diffusion of Innovation curve and its role in leading change
Creating a psychologically safe space for team reflection
Ground rules for effective team dialogue
Tools and frameworks including Plus/Delta and the Sailboat Exercise
How to embed reflection into your leadership rhythm
📌 Reflection Questions:
What reflection tools and cadences m...2025-06-2431 min
Engaged By DesignEp05: Coach with FRIES: How to Help People Grow While Getting the Work DoneIn this episode of the Engaged By Design podcast, Michael and Vernon unpack the “Coach” step of the MACRO Leadership framework. They share personal stories of transformative coaching, explore the difference between coaching and mentoring, and introduce the practical FRIES method for performance coaching.
Whether you lead a team, manage projects, or want to support your people more intentionally, this conversation will help you coach with clarity and confidence. Download the free FRIES Coaching Tool and start coaching better conversations today.
🎧 Highlights:
The difference between coaching, mentoring, supervising, and teaching
How to coach people through...2025-06-1729 min
Engaged By DesignEp04: Assign with Intention: How Clear Delegation Unlocks Strategic MomentumIn this episode of the Engaged By Design podcast, Michael and Vernon explore the second step in the MACRO Leadership model: Assign. Even the best match can struggle if the assignment isn’t clear. Learn how clarity, structure, and purpose in your assignments can unlock momentum and prevent project drift.
We share cautionary tales from Boeing and Google, introduce the PPP model (Problem, Path, Payoff), and explain how AMP (Autonomy, Mastery, Purpose) and the 5 Elements of a Strong Assignment work together to help teams thrive.
Plus, we offer tools and templates you can start using ri...2025-06-1031 min
Engaged By DesignEp03: Matching People to Projects: The “M” in MACRO LeadershipDescription
In this episode of Engaged By Design, Vernon interviews Michael about the first step in the MACRO Leadership framework: Match. Drawing from a personal story of an international student exchange early in his career, Michael illustrates what it really means to match people to projects in a way that builds confidence, accelerates team growth, and reduces risk. Learn how to assess strengths, understand motivation, and design teams that thrive. Whether you're leading a college initiative, an academic department, or a cross-functional design team, this episode offers practical insights and tools—like CliftonStrengths—to help you make bett...2025-06-0335 min
Engaged By DesignEp02: Prioritize or Paralyze: Leadership Lessons from Rocks, Chocolate, and Chaos🔍 Podcast Summary:
Ever feel like you’re drowning in tasks with no clear way out? In this episode, Michael and Vernon unpack what it really means to prioritize strategically as a leader. From Covey’s famous “rocks in a jar” to the chaos of Lucy and Ethel in the chocolate factory, they explore how planning, transparency, and agility can rescue your organization from overload. Discover practical tools like the Eisenhower Matrix and learn how to make prioritization a shared habit—not just a yearly report.
📘 Full Show Notes:
In this episode of the Engaged By Desig...2025-05-2741 min
Engaged By DesignEp01: Introducing Engaged By Design – Leading Through VUCA with Innovation and Purpose🎙️ Episode 1: Introducing Engaged By Design – Leading Through VUCA with Innovation and Purpose
Welcome to the first episode of the Engaged By Design podcast! Your co-hosts, Dr. Michael Cottam and Dr. Vernon Smith, kick off the series with a conversation about who we are, why we started this podcast, and how we plan to help leaders thrive in the middle of change. In this premiere episode, you'll hear:
How we used (and corrected) ChatGPT to write our intros
The meaning and implications of the VUCA environment (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity)
A preview of the MACRO Leadership model — an agile...2025-05-1329 min