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The Leadership Mind

The Leadership Mind

By massimo backus

Leadership, by its very definition, is a human experience. We operationalize, optimize, and codify leadership as an experience we get better at doing. This podcast is about Humans Being Leaders as much as the "doing" of leadership.

These episodes help reveal the potential of what can be to leaders who balance growing a business, leading a team, and being fully engaged and present with their families.
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Leading a Team and What it Means to Truly be of Service with Geoffrey Roche

The Leadership MindJul 31, 2023

00:00
45:20
Leading a Team and What it Means to Truly be of Service with Geoffrey Roche

Leading a Team and What it Means to Truly be of Service with Geoffrey Roche

In today’s episode, Massimo is joined by Geoffrey Roche. Geoffrey is currently the Senior Vice President of National Healthcare Practice and Workforce Partnerships at Core Education PBC. He speaks often on healthcare workforce topics at national conferences such as Becker's Annual Conference, HIMMS, and ViVE. In 2022, Roche was also nominated to the Forbes Business Council for his national-level work.


Roche has over nine years of hospital administration experience, including senior leadership roles in various departments at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Pocono. He also held leadership positions at Lebanon Valley College and Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, focusing on strategic partnerships, organizational strategy, and business development. Roche earned his Master of Science degree in Management and Leadership: Public Administration at East Stroudsburg University and his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at Moravian University. He also holds several certificates, including a Mini-MBA in Healthcare from the University of Arizona’s Eller Executive Education, Innovation in Healthcare Management from Arizona State University, Healthcare Leadership from Duke Corporate Education, and Heroic Leadership from Santa Clara University.


Geoffrey Roche’s Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffreymroche


Highlights from today's podcast include:

  • What it means to truly be of service to both your team and your customers

  • The importance of having empathy when running a business and overseeing a team of people 

  • Treating your team members as if they are customers

  • How to protect yourself from the potential of being let go in a volatile work landscape

  • Why succession planning and mentoring for the future need to be focused on more in leadership.

Jul 31, 202345:20
The Power of Building Strong Relationships When Organizing a Business with Dr. Johanna Pagonis

The Power of Building Strong Relationships When Organizing a Business with Dr. Johanna Pagonis

In today’s episode, Massimo is joined by Dr. Johanna Pagonis. She is the CEO and founder of Sinogap Solutions Leadership Consulting, and the author of Choose to Be a Leader Others Would Want to Follow. Dr. Pagonis launched Sinogap Solutions after recognizing many habitual workplace challenges while in her role as a manager. Her workplace experiences contributed to her attaining a Ph.D. in adult education, with a focus on uncovering how workplace managers can advance into emotionally intelligent leaders. The discoveries she made inspired her to quit her senior management position with the Government of Alberta and launch her own business. Since the full-time establishment of Sinogap Solutions in 2020, Dr. Pagonis’ firm has worked with over 50 companies to develop customized leadership programs that have successfully equipped supervisors and managers with the skills necessary to maximize the human potential within their teams. She also hosts a podcast called Tackle Tuesdays that addresses meaningful topics that challenge us in the workplace.

Highlights from this interview include:

  • The necessity of trust and relationships within a team for success 

  • Understanding and working through the systems we’re born into

  • The importance of safe spaces/psychological safety in the workplace 

  • Practising self-compassion, especially in our mistakes and failures 

  • Listening to the champion and challenger within yourself to stay motivated yet humble


Apr 24, 202344:36
People Hold the Tools: Making a Difference Through a Mindset of Belief and Commitment with Richard Lewine

People Hold the Tools: Making a Difference Through a Mindset of Belief and Commitment with Richard Lewine

In today’s episode, Massimo is joined by Richard Lewine. He is the Founder of Executive Concierge Services and President of RSL Consulting Group. He is a grand vizier & mentor who uses his extensive life experience and wisdom to help change the lives of his clients. Richard is relentless in his approach and guides his clients to set and achieve their most important goals. His methodology results in sustainable skills that positively impact people’s careers, the bottom line of their businesses, and their personal lives. Lewine has created a series of services including; organization goals sessions and sales plus-leadership, vision building and strategy formulation, the presidents' alliance, the objective performance appraisal system, and succession planning. Richard is currently focused on preparing the next generation of Family Offices to steward the vast wealth that will be handed off to them over the next 5 years. A few of his goal-directed workshops include; Job-Matching That Works, Tapping Your Family Office Potential, and B2B Selling Success!

Highlights from this interview include:

  • Learning to make good judgement calls by doing due diligence for yourself
  • Breaking out of a hostile work environment and creating a better, safer, workspace
  • The importance of your own morals and interpersonal relationships in the work field
  • How to work based on goals versus out of fear and survival
  • The differences and harmony between coaching, consulting, and counselling
Mar 13, 202342:01
Identifying and Following the Natural Order of Business in Order to Succeed with Simon Severino
Feb 28, 202339:25
Taking Steps to Solve Interpersonal Conflicts While Learning to Break Down Personal Biases with Liz Kislik
Feb 13, 202335:44
Thinking Big and Getting Creative to Achieve More Especially when Resources are Limited with Adam McGraw

Thinking Big and Getting Creative to Achieve More Especially when Resources are Limited with Adam McGraw

In today’s episode, Massimo is joined by Adam McGraw. 3 years ago Adam walked away from a VP/GM job at American Express and all of its stability and equity to do what he didn’t have the mental fortitude or skills to do at 25.

It was a great run but he was being pulled to pursue things that he knew if he didn't try he'd regret later in life.

Adam has always applied a “go for it” mentality when it comes to things he’s passionate about.

From voiceovers in his college apartment, to starting his first band, to leadership roles at American Express, to running revenue in start-ups, and launching a consulting and coaching business.

Through his ambitions and journey, the thing he has become most passionate about (and admit requires the most intentional work) is finding proper balance.

Adam is currently obsessed with being able to connect his inner drive to his true passions, while ensuring relationships and fulfillment are the true markers of “success”. He’s a self-admitted WIP on this inward journey to truly self-actualize and he loves inspiring and helping others realize how they can create systems and processes to do the same.

He has recently supported and coached hundreds of senior executives and their teams at some of the top fortune brands and fast growing SMEs.

Now, he’s thrilled to also be building a private, members only community curated exclusively for Senior Leaders that helps them connect, give, grow, and continue to find ways to enrich their lives and careers.

Highlights from this interview include:

  • How he got his career started by creating voice overs and the lessons he learned from that experience
  • How thinking big leads to more opportunities in your life and how to identify the external factors that act as barriers to thinking big
  • How leaders can be resourceful and creative when resources are limited
  • How to blend patience with ambition as a young leader and a hyper achiever
  • The one book that changed his life and how he turned it into a daily practice that allowed him to change the way he operates in the world
  • The unique community he and his dad created for senior executives to feel safe, courageous, and authentic.

Connect with Adam:

www.crewexec.com

 www.adammcgraw.com

linkedin.com/in/adammcgraw7


To download my Conscious Communication Workbook to support you in turning toxic conflict into collaborative gold, please visit Massimobackus.com/workbook

Dec 12, 202248:38
How to Own Your Career as a Leader with Andy Storch
Nov 21, 202255:29
Healing from Burnout for Good After Burning Out 3 Times with Gabby Lubin

Healing from Burnout for Good After Burning Out 3 Times with Gabby Lubin

In today’s episode, Massimo is joined by Gabby Lubin, Ed.M., a passionate wellness executive. She experienced burnout 3x before turning 30 and decided that she’d had enough. Since then, she has dedicated her life to eliminating burnout through the intentional implementation of the 8 dimensions of wellness. 


Her unique expertise allows her to sit at the intersection of wellness and the future of work. Gabby has taught wellness, studied the science of wellness, and founded a business in wellness (Spark This Day). She also brings her expertise in intervention programming and Master's in Adult Development and Behavior Change from Harvard to the forefront of her work. To sink deeper into her unique intersection, Gabby hosts the podcast Capital P in People Work which interviews guests in People Work on the people, wellness, and the future of work.


Highlights from this interview include:

  • Her journey of being burnt out 3 times
  • What to do when you begin burning out (or how to start healing if you are burnt out right now)
  • How organizations can successfully bring wellness in and create an environment that reduces burnout
  • The pitfalls many organizations face in their efforts to help employees bring their best selves to the workplace
  • The 5 stages of burnout and how her company supports people that are in each stage


Connect with Gabby:

Website: https://sparkthisday.com/

Social Media Handles: Gabby:

https://www.instagram.com/gabby_lubin/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabby-lubin-0a19607b/


To download my Conscious Communication Workbook to support you in turning toxic conflict into collaborative gold, please visit Massimobackus.com/workbook

Nov 14, 202244:42
How to Overcome the Core Struggles that Leaders and Managers Face with Leila Towne Bulling
Nov 07, 202238:20
Navigating Uncharted Waters as a Manager & Coach with Kristen Hartley Part 2

Navigating Uncharted Waters as a Manager & Coach with Kristen Hartley Part 2

Nov 02, 202233:45
Navigating Uncharted Waters as a Manager & Coach with Kristen Hartley Part 1

Navigating Uncharted Waters as a Manager & Coach with Kristen Hartley Part 1

Massimo’s guest is Kristen Hartley. In her coaching, Kristen brings all of her experiences to bear; these include working as a coach, organizational consultant, facilitator, trainer, and manager of many teams. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Sociology and Communications from the University of California, San Diego and an MBA from Vanderbilt University with a focus in Human and Organizational Performance. She lives in Northern California with her husband and their two young, very active sons. She is on a lifelong pursuit of balance in her own life, as someone who loves her work, being a parent, and getting more than 6 hours of sleep! Being a parent has more parallels to being a coach and leader than she ever could have imagined and is experimenting and learning every day how to be better at all of these roles. She loves working with fellow parents who are on a similar journey.

Highlights from this episode include:

  • The struggles Kristen faced going from a manager and recipient of trainings to being the trainer and facilitator herself
  • Her advice for managers and leaders navigating uncharted waters like hybrid working and quiet quitting
  • How Kristen would rebrand feedback and better ways to have hard conversations than the traditional ways we are taught


Connect with Kristen:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristenhartley

www.Khartleycoaching.com


To download my Conscious Communication Workbook to support you in turning toxic conflict into collaborative gold, please visit Massimobackus.com/workbook

Oct 31, 202240:35
New Age Leadership Strategies to Reinvent How You Lead with James Adams

New Age Leadership Strategies to Reinvent How You Lead with James Adams

In today’s episode, Massimo is joined by James Adams. James has been an engineer and builder all of his life. James first learned to code when he was five years old. After graduating from high school at the age of sixteen, he studied Computational Mathematics at Arizona State University. He has been in IT professionally for 22 years. James spent half of my career developing large, distributed web applications, primarily in Java. After rising through the ranks as an engineer, architect, team lead and manager, he pivoted to full-time consulting and moved his focus to cloud infrastructure. The second half of his career has been spent building cloud-focused consulting companies. James has built two Premier AWS Partners (Slalom and Caylent), and is now building his own called Ackolyte Consulting, which launched in July of this year. Ackolyte is an all-in-on-AWS Advanced Tier consulting partner which runs in a regional remote plus travel model, with 100% US-based consultants.

Highlights from this interview include:

  • How he learned how to let go of control and perfectionism and step into delegation and trust of his team
  • His strategy for hiring and why he allows his team to interview the person that will be hired to manage them
  • Tips for effective one on ones with team members
  • The surprising policy he has implemented for his consultants and how it is driving more productivity
  • How he has created a space that people feel comfortable asking for help

Connect with James:

https://www.ackolyte.com

@ifjamesthen - Personal handle on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook.

@AckolyteHQ - Company profile on Twitter

Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesmadams

Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ackolyte


To download my Conscious Communication Workbook to support you in turning toxic conflict into collaborative gold, please visit Massimobackus.com/workbook

Oct 24, 202238:33
Current Trends for Leaders to Pay Attention to with Matt Burns
Oct 17, 202245:49
Using Poetry as a Medium of Cultivating Professional Leadership with Abigail Prout
Oct 11, 202238:46
How to Nurture Resilience with Keith Hildesheim
Jun 27, 202246:43
Building the World that You Want to Live in through Culture Change with Omar Brownson
Jun 20, 202249:40
Promotions are So Yesterday with Julie Winkle Giulioni
Jun 13, 202230:34
Reset Your Mindset with Karen Allen

Reset Your Mindset with Karen Allen

In today’s episode, Massimo is joined by Karen M. Allen, a professional speaker and mindset thought-leader who is committed to guiding people and organizations to reach their highest potential by developing their mental strength.

After the unexpected loss of her husband followed by years of transformational experiences, Karen discovered methodologies and lifestyle changes that helped her find her way back to a whole heart. Now, she shares practical advice and research-based strategies that empower audiences to overcome stress-induced burnout, pain, stress, anxiety, and other mindset challenges we all face in life and work.

Karen is the go-to mindset and success coach for high-achievers who are hungry to master their mind and establish sustainable habits that will give them the confidence, clarity and energy to achieve deep, lasting change as they reach their full potential.
Karen's client list includes AT&T, Kaiser Permanente, Travelers Insurance, NBC’s Golf Channel, Hubspot, Universal Orlando Parks & Resorts, Sprint and many more! Her work has been featured in Forbes, Parent Magazine, on Good Morning America, MSNBC, and many others!


Highlights from today’s episode include:

  • How consciousness is defined so that you can choose it everyday in order to live a purposeful life
  • Using mindfulness to make conscious decisions in your life
  • Identifying your guiding compass
  • How to claim your boundaries in the workplace
  • How to shorten the time that you experience overwhelm and stress
  • The one question to ask yourself if you are currently unhappy in your situation

Connect with Karen:

www.karenallen.co

To download my Conscious Communication Workbook to support you in turning toxic conflict into collaborative gold, please visit Massimobackus.com/workbook

Jun 06, 202251:49
The Power of Sharing Your Mental Health Story with Shannon Flanagan

The Power of Sharing Your Mental Health Story with Shannon Flanagan

In today’s episode, Massimo is joined by Shannon Flanagan. Over the course of her career, by design, she has chosen to grow through different types of roles in order to develop a well-rounded perspective of how to optimize the levers that propel organizations through: first and foremost people, and connecting the dots across strategy, process and technology.

She’s particularly passionate about how to open the aperture of what it means to empower a truly diverse and inclusive environment to enable realization of individual and organizational potential. One of the most important human needs is to feel included and a part of a community. Sadly, to date, most organizations have created environments that recruit and reward like thinking and experience. For visions and missions to be realized, diversity and inclusion must be a priority in action, resulting in better decision making and happier employees who pay that energy forward to customers, colleagues and the world around them.

Leading with authenticity, empathy, enthusiasm, pragmatism and integrity is the cornerstone of her approach. At the end of the day, we all want to feel valued, productive and proud of what we do – creating the conditions for that to actualize is what fuels her fire.

Highlights from today’s episode include:

  • How leaders can foster an environment for others to share their mental health story
  • Ways that leaders/organizations, and even individuals, can create space for the tragedies in the world
  • How to practice radical acceptance
  • Overcoming the challenge of other people not accepting you

Connect with Shannon:

www.linkedin.com/in/shannon-colquhoun-flanagan

To download my Conscious Communication Workbook to support you in turning toxic conflict into collaborative gold, please visit Massimobackus.com/workbook

May 30, 202241:27
How to Build Better Bosses with Melissa & Johnathan Nightingale
May 23, 202254:08
How to Begin: Start Doing Something that Matters with Michael Bungay Stanier
May 16, 202247:49
Slowing Down in Order to Have a Greater Impact Inside and Outside of Work
May 09, 202238:60
The Spiritual Patht to Taking Your Business and Life to the Next Level with Molly Mandelberg
May 02, 202238:47
How Leaders Can Understand Complex Human Systems & Create Psychological Safety

How Leaders Can Understand Complex Human Systems & Create Psychological Safety

In today’s episode, Massimo is joined by Martha Acosta, a sought after speaker, facilitator, and expert in Human and Organizational Learning who helps high-reliability organizations navigate the complexity of human systems in their operations. Martha is a member of the HOP HUB Consortium with other thought leaders in the Human and Organizational Performance movement. Martha also represents Harvard Business Publishing (a subsidiary of Harvard Business School) as Senior Moderator who designs and facilitates leadership development programs based on Harvard scholarship. Before joining Harvard, Martha led the Human Performance Improvement Team for the nuclear facilities at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), where she helped develop a national safety initiative for the Department of Energy and won LANL's Director's Achievement Award. Martha began her career in Silicon Valley helping fast-growing technology companies build the sales and support capacity needed to commercialize their innovative solutions. Later, she led the design and delivery of global leadership programs for a division of News International in the United Kingdom.

For 25 years, as a consultant and educator, Martha has helped countless leaders in high-reliability industries to manage volatility, uncertainty and ambiguity for improved safety, strategy-implementation, innovation, learning and problem-solving. Martha writes, speaks and conducts research on the cognitive and emotional aspects of safety and leadership. Martha earned a Doctorate in Human and Organizational Learning from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She earned both a MBA and MA from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. She studied math, science, philosophy and literature at St. John's College, graduating with a BA from the Annapolis, Maryland campus. She also completed a graduate credential in training systems development from San Francisco State University.

As a woman of color, Martha serves her community by working as a Director on non-profit boards. She serves on the Governance Committee of the LANL Foundation, which supports underserved students in Northern New Mexico. She is also a member of the Board of Visitors and Governors of St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland and Santa Fe, New Mexico, for which she serves on the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force as well as the Audit, Enrollment and Trustee Committees. She previously sat on the Board of Homewise, a non-profit affordable housing developer and mortgage bank. Martha lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, where she enjoys the arts and the outdoors.

Highlights from today's podcast include:

  • How to build capacity to be error-tolerant and respond to failure effectively
  • How leaders can create an environment of physiological safety and the misconceptions that come with it
  • The common knowledge effect and how leaders hide their expertise to feel safe in a group
  • How to change your relationship to your ego
  • Taking an appreciative approach to your dissatisfaction to understand the gap of where you are and where you want to be

Connect with Martha:

martica.com


To download my Conscious Communication Workbook to support you in turning toxic conflict into collaborative gold, please visit Massimobackus.com/workbook

Apr 25, 202230:56
Creating Wealth in Business & Life with Aryeh Sheinbein

Creating Wealth in Business & Life with Aryeh Sheinbein

What’s in a name? Well, in Aryeh Sheinbein’s case, it’s a perfect metaphor for  his track record as a wealth architect; his given name derives from the Hebrew  word אריה) aryé), meaning “lion.” He is every bit a lion for those he works with:  passionate, courageous, protective, and willing to fight for the valuable assets  his clients entrust him with and he is on the podcast this week with Massimo.

Aryeh’s bread and butter is helping successful business owners and  entrepreneurs invest their money intelligently, allowing their wealth to  accumulate so they can stay focused on what truly matters—their business and  mission. He’s spent his entire career sharpening his operational experience  with investments and valuing businesses, having worked with top private  equity, venture capital, hedge funds, investment managers, and banks, as well  as a wealth of success in the eCommerce and Amazon selling spaces. Aryeh is  particularly skilled in managing large, complex projects and teams—a credit to  his excellent executive leadership skills rooted in finance, business strategy,  marketing, and operations.

When he’s not sculpting the financial futures of his clients, Aryeh loves  coaching his kids' sports teams, donating his time to various non-profit  organizations, and enjoying quality time with his four wonderful kids and  amazing wife. He also hosts the iTunes Top 100-ranked Inside the Lions Den  podcast, a show that explores the leadership skills, financial acumen, and  operational improvements required for sustained entrepreneurial and  financial success.

Highlights from today's podcast include:

  • How he learned to leverage business and assets through his experience with trading baseball cards
  • Challenges Aryeh sees when people are adopting a new way of doing business
  • Life lessons from the unprecedented times in the world
  • How he has become more passionate with where he wants to go and who he wants to be


Connect with Aryeh:

IG: @aryehthebusinessman

Twitter: @aryehsheinbein

Facebook: Aryeh Sheinbein

LinkedIn

Website: www.solutionadvisory.com

To download my Conscious Communication Workbook to support you in turning toxic conflict into collaborative gold, please visit Massimobackus.com/workbook

Apr 18, 202245:48
From CEO to Stocking Coffee.. Leadership Lessons on Being a Beginner Again with Ricky Singh

From CEO to Stocking Coffee.. Leadership Lessons on Being a Beginner Again with Ricky Singh

In today’s episode, Massimo is joined by Ricky Singh, leader of Software AG’s IoT business for the Americas region. Bringing together deep industry knowledge and business acumen, he is focused on developing and executing a winning strategy that aligns customer needs and market trends with the best-in-class Cumulocity IoT platform.

Ricky is a results-driven digital business leader with a track record of helping customers solve complex challenges through application of technology and design-driven thinking. He leverages his skills in corporate strategy, business development, and IoT platforms & business models to deliver meaningful outcomes across industries.

Prior to joining Software AG, Ricky served as Head of Innovation & Emerging Products at T-Mobile for Business, where he was responsible for the strategy, development, and management of IoT, Private Networks, Edge Computing and other emerging technologies. Before joining T-Mobile, Ricky spent 14+ years consulting leaders at global companies on IoT and mobility while at Accenture and through his own consultancy, which came to bear after several years of owning a business in cellular retail across multiple carriers.

Ricky holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Information Systems Operations Management from George Mason University and an Executive MBA from Quantic School of Business & Management.

In his free time, you might find Ricky attending concerts in his hometown of Falls Church, Virginia, chatting with guests at his restaurant in downtown Washington DC, cycling around town, or reading a book!

Highlights from today's podcast include:

  • How to scale your business to a place where it can run without you being there everyday
  • His experience going from a CEO of a multi-million dollar business to a data analyst that was stocking coffee everyday and how he shifted his mindset around doing something new and being a beginner again
  • Why Ricky doesn’t allow his team to introduce themselves by their title or who they work for
  • The future of technology and IoT
  • Why we need to learn how to lead ourselves first

Connect with Ricky:

Linkedin

Twitter: @thatsmrsingh

To download my Conscious Communication Workbook to support you in turning toxic conflict into collaborative gold, please visit Massimobackus.com/workbook

Apr 11, 202251:52
Aligning Your Values with Your Career For Maximum Success at the Start of a New Venture
Apr 04, 202242:02
  Be the Leader of Your Own Life with Shawna Schuh

Be the Leader of Your Own Life with Shawna Schuh

In today’s episode, Massimo is joined by Shawna Schuh. A lifetime adventurer, entertainer, and leadership expert, Shawna is an innovative thought-leader who can help you unpack the pesky problems you encounter when you lead people.

With a curious mind, herself, and a Master’s Certificate in Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Shawna is exceptionally skilled in the art of uncovering leadership blind spots through coaching, facilitating leadership groups  and catapulting leaders out of the leadership weeds and into leading teams effectively.

Having worked with organizations like Nike and Columbia Sportswear to associations such as Fashion Group International and the National Speakers Association. Shawna shares a unique perspective so that the information and ideas she promotes stick and work.

With two TEDx talks to her credit, as well as 3 decades of experience, you will be enlightened as well as challenged while shifting from the less stellar things most leaders do to focus only on what the best leaders do.

Highlights from today's podcast include:

  • Why asking “why” questions is not the most effective form of communication with leaders and their employees
  • Why affirmations are so hard and what we can do to make them successful for us
  • How to make the shift when you know you are not on the right path
  • Why pets can be our best teachers when it comes to developing leadership skills
  • How Shawna became an executive coach

Connect with Shawna:

Website

LinkedIn

Facebook

Twitter

Shawna's FREE Ebook = 3 Ways to Overcome Your Imposter Feelings and Fears


To download my Conscious Communication Workbook to support you in turning toxic conflict into collaborative gold, please visit Massimobackus.com/workbook

Mar 28, 202252:40
Becoming a Better Human with Greg Witz
Mar 21, 202236:07
How a Silent Retreat Can Transform Your Mind and Thoughts with Mike Buccialia
Mar 14, 202236:39
Making Effective Feedback Your Superpower with Therese Huston

Making Effective Feedback Your Superpower with Therese Huston

In today’s episode, Massimo is joined by Therese Huston, a cognitive scientist at Seattle University and the author of three books. Her latest book, Let’s Talk: Make Effective Feedback Your Superpower, was recently published by Penguin Random House. Therese received her BA from Carleton College and her MS and PhD in cognitive psychology from Carnegie Mellon University. She completed a prestigious post-doc in neuroscience at the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition and recently finished a post-graduate program in Organizational Leadership at the University of Oxford.

In 2004, Therese founded the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at Seattle University. Her last book, How Women Decide, was named a summer reading title by Oprah.com and called “required reading on Wall Street” by the New York Times.

Therese leads workshops and consults internationally on how to give and solicit more actionable feedback. In addition to speaking at TEDx, Therese has talked at Microsoft, Amazon, the Cleveland Clinic, and the US State Department about how to create more inclusive workplaces.


Highlights from today's podcast include:

  • The top 5 ways to make your feedback better
  • How to give hard feedback
  • How to ensure alignment on expectations between the manager and employee
  • The importance of creating psychological safety when we give feedback to our employees
  • Why it is so important for managers to praise the ‘superstars’ on the team as well
  • What you can do to be a good listener


Connect with Therese:

Website

Linkedin


To download my Conscious Communication Workbook to support you in turning toxic conflict into collaborative gold, please visit Massimobackus.com/workbook

Mar 07, 202244:49
How Organizations Can Create Sustainable Engagement and Effectiveness with Michael Condren

How Organizations Can Create Sustainable Engagement and Effectiveness with Michael Condren

In today’s episode, Massimo is joined by Michael Condren, an organizational development and leadership development practitioner and researcher.In the past Michael has worked internally and as a consultant in OD, talent management, coaching and leadership development at F250 companies in technology, healthcare, retail and marketing. His work now focuses on people and organizations that are working to create lasting, positive social change. He helps activists, social change agents and their funders design and manage their organizations in ways that sustain individual and collective engagement and effectiveness over time and through adversity.

Michael has an M.A. in positive organizational psychology from Claremont Graduate  University, where he is currently finishing his doctorate on organizational characteristics that support social heroes. His research and publications include articles and book chapters on heroism, mentoring and cross-cultural intelligence.

Highlights from today's podcast include:

  • How organizations can maintain engagement, fulfillment, and flow for their employees
  • What positive deviance is and why it is impactful for building organizations
  • How organizations can identify and foster the positive deviants in the company
  • A way that organizations can move away from toxic work culture

Connect with Michael:

Website

Linkedin


To download my Conscious Communication Workbook to support you in turning toxic conflict into collaborative gold, please visit Massimobackus.com/workbook

Feb 28, 202249:35
Leadership Lessons Learned from being a High School Basketball Coach to Becoming President of a Healthcare Company

Leadership Lessons Learned from being a High School Basketball Coach to Becoming President of a Healthcare Company

In today’s episode, Massimo is joined by James Hereford who joined Fairview in 2016 bringing extensive experience in strategically guiding organizations, strengthening core operations and bringing teams together to drive cultural change.  Prior to joining Fairview, James served as chief operations officer at Stanford Health Care. Previous roles included chief operations officer at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation and a series of leadership roles with the Group Health Care Delivery System. James holds bachelor's and master's degrees in mathematics from Montana State University. He has taught courses with Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, University of Washington’s Master of Health Administration program and The Ohio State University’s Masters of Business Operations Excellence program. He is a frequent writer and presenter on the topic of lean management systems and transformation.

Highlights from today's podcast include:

  • Why he says he has learned every good leadership lesson there is to learn from coaching high school basketball in a small town in Montana.
  • How to not become emotionally hijacked
  • What allows James to not carry the burden of mistakes, losses, poor decisions that happen in a large company as the President and CEO
  • The shift in leadership skills need to make the transition from director level to CEO level
  • The biggest challenges James see for leaders as we come to the realization that the world is not going to back to how it was

Connect with James

www.fairview.org

Twitter: @jameshereford


To download my Conscious Communication Workbook to support you in turning toxic conflict into collaborative gold, please visit Massimobackus.com/workbook

Feb 21, 202248:34
Rewriting His Story with MS by Running 100 Miles and Choosing to Live and Lead with Empowerment with Matthew Porter

Rewriting His Story with MS by Running 100 Miles and Choosing to Live and Lead with Empowerment with Matthew Porter

In today’s episode, Massimo is joined by Matthew E. Porter, a father to three amazing kids, a husband to a phenomenal woman, a geek, a trail runner, an ultramarathoner, a sponsored athlete, an MS warrior, and an entrepreneur. He currently serves as Founder and Vice Chairman of Contegix. He is also a board member for a select group of companies - from startup to the established.

Porter founded Contegix, the award-winning managed hosting, cloud computing, and colocation service provider based in Saint Louis, Missouri, in 2004. He served as CEO from its founding until 2016. During his time as founder and CEO, Porter organically grew revenues to nearly $20MM. In late 2016, Porter merged two companies into Contegix bursting the company to more than 250 employees and $60MM in revenue. He subsequently sold a majority to Strattam Capital, a private equity firm based in San Francisco, CA and Austin, TX. He realized this was the time to hire his replacement to lead the company and assumed the role of Vice Chairman. He retains a minority share and a board seat.

During his tenure at Contegix, The Saint Louis Business Journal named Porter both “30 Under 30” (2007) and “40 Under 40” (2012). Porter was featured in the New York Times (2011) and the Wall Street Journal (2014). In 2015, Forbes featured Porter for his work as an “angel vendor” supporting startups, many in Saint Louis.

His family lives by their mission statement, and it drives Porter's desire to serve others. “We have a debt to those before us and an obligation to those after us. We maximize life and potential through heart, intelligence, and grit. We focus on our bond. We do all of this together because we are always stronger together. Mostest.”

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society are the charities that matter most. He is on a selfish mission to ensure his friend with cystic fibrosis remains healthy and in his family’s life for a long time to come. He wants to change the face of multiple sclerosis - one that acknowledges the challenges while still pursuing dreams.

Porter is most likely to be found on a trail. He began trail running in 2010 after his then 6-year-old daughter questioned whether he would make it to her far off in the future wedding. He has completed numerous ultramarathons – from 50k to 100 miles. He finished the 100 mile Leadville race in 2018. He turned this race into a fundraiser for the disease impacting him - multiple sclerosis. People wanting to see him finish pledged an amount per mile. As Porter wrote, “If you love me, please pledge an amount per mile to encourage me to finish. If you don’t like me and just want to see me suffer, pledge even more per mile.” In total, more than $50,000 was raised for Race to Erase MS. He has continued to raise money with every race since then.

Highlights from today's podcast include:

  • His Multiple Sclerosis story and how him and his family handled the news
  • How he rewrote the story of what MS is and looks like
  • What scares him the most about his diagnosis
  • How his perception of time and his relationship with saying ‘no’ changed after he was diagnosed
  • The way in which he shows up as a leader now vs. before his diagnosis
  • The challenge he is about to embark on to support those with MS and how you can support him

Connect with Matthew:

www.porterhome.com

Twitter: @meporter.com

Showme100.ms


To download my Conscious Communication Workbook to support you in turning toxic conflict into collaborative gold, please visit Massimobackus.com/workbook

Feb 14, 202250:04
How to Take a Consultative Approach to Sustainable Learning Programs with Jess Almlie

How to Take a Consultative Approach to Sustainable Learning Programs with Jess Almlie

In today’s episode, Massimo is joined by Jess Almlie. Jess has worked in the talent development field for more than 20 years in nonprofit, for-profit, and higher education organizations. She is currently serving as Vice President of Learning Experience in the Benefits Division of WEX, a leading financial technology service provider with over 5,000 associates around the world. In this role, she is responsible for casting vision, defining effective learning strategy, developing learning leaders, and working collaboratively across the organization.

Jess has a BA in organizational communication and a Master’s in educational leadership as well as a certificate in Improving Human Performance. She volunteers as a National Advisor for Chapters within the Association for Talent Development and is a member of the Talent Development Think Tank Community.

Highlights from today's podcast include:

  • How to create impactful learning experiences that people will remember
  • Influencing stakeholders to implement learning and development programs
  • How to help managers see the value of a program if they haven’t had the experience first hand
  • How to know you are chartering a successful path forward with your learning programs in a company
  • Creating a sustainable L&D program that continues to have an impact on those involved
  • The 3 elements to blended learning approach and hybrid model
  • The challenges of scaling L&D programs
  • The one thing she wishes everyone knew about talent and learning

Connect with Jess:

LinkedIn

To download my Conscious Communication Workbook to support you in turning toxic conflict into collaborative gold, please visit Massimobackus.com/workbook

Feb 07, 202254:22
Increase your Mental Fitness with Taryn Laakso

Increase your Mental Fitness with Taryn Laakso

In today's episode, Massimo is joined by Taryn Laakso, the founder of UnLaaking Your Potential. Taryn is passionate about igniting the spark in her audience and clients so they play a bigger game in their business. She speaks on topics such as positive mindset, mental well-being, leadership, and overcoming limiting beliefs based on the Positive Intelligence ™ model. She is a contributing author to an Amazon bestseller by Steven Samblis and Forbes Riley, 1 Habit ™ to Thrive in a Post-Covid World, and speaks to the topic of the power of a positive mindset to thrive during challenging times.

Before speaking and coaching, she had a long career in the HR Technology field before taking the bold action to leave her soul-sucking corporate job to launch her own coaching business back on March 5th, 2020. Just days before the Covid-19 world shutdown. Despite the risks and fears of becoming an entrepreneur, she strategically prepared to pivot her profession by improving her mindset to be more resilient to challenges and setbacks. She now is a successful business owner of a 6 figure coaching business after just 18 months of becoming a full-time business owner.

She now loves to share her professional pivot story by speaking to other service-based business owners who work too many hours and feel overwhelmed and frustrated because they are not seeing the financial abundance flow in despite all their hard work. She provides tips and tools through workshops and keynote speaking engagements to emphasize how the Brain Bullies block their business success, which ultimately keeps them from feeling happy AND successful.

She is a leader in sharing the message of building one's Positive Intelligence quotient (PQ score) as she was the first 20 coaches to become certified in the Positive Intelligence ™ coaching framework (CPQC). She is a certified Co-Active Coach (CPCC) and accredited by the International Coaching Federation with her PCC designation. She has hosted workshops and lunch and learns at several small business organizations like Women's President's Organization (WPO) - Seattle Chapter, Dream Factory, and spoken at several business networking groups.

Highlights from today's podcast include:

  • What it means to be a ‘leader within’
  • Her experience of being a doormat and how she stopped the cycle
  • Tips to excavate your inner wisdom
  • The 3-step process for reframing your inner critic voices and stopping them in their tracks
  • How positive intelligence can positively impact your personal and business life

Connect with Taryn:

LinkedIn

Blog

Facebook


To download my Conscious Communication Workbook to support you in turning toxic conflict into collaborative gold, please visit Massimobackus.com/workbook

Jan 31, 202227:58
The Power of Emotional Intelligence for Successful Leadership with Juan Cortes
Jan 24, 202246:46
Creating an HR Uprise with Rebecca Weaver
Jan 17, 202250:40
How to Create High Performing Workplaces with Kevin Campbell

How to Create High Performing Workplaces with Kevin Campbell

In today's episode, Massimo is joined by Kevin Campbell, who helps organizations acquire, develop and retain their most valuable asset: their people. Kevin also helps people manage an aspect of their lives that plays a key role in their happiness: their work. He’s spent the last decade of his career building leaders at every level and creating scores of engaged, high-performing, strengths-based teams.

He has driven talent strategy, employee engagement, performance management, and leadership development initiatives for clients in the professional services, medical device, banking, hospitality, consumer products, technology, healthcare and life sciences industries. He also served as a principal investigator and researcher for social science programs funded by the U.S. Federal Government.

Prior to founding Lifted Leadership, Kevin served as a Lead People Scientist for Culture Amp where he helped organizations like Airbnb, Palo Alto Networks, and ServiceNow reinvent and optimize their performance management and employee engagement initiatives.

Kevin also served as a Workplace Consultant and Executive Strengths Coach for Deloitte Human Capital and the Gallup Organization where he helped coach leaders from companies like Stryker, P.F. Chang's, US Bank, Amazon, CH2M (now Jacob's), and PayPal leverage their unique individual talents into greater performance.

As a certified coach, Kevin has logged over 1,000 hours of paid executive coaching and workshop facilitation sessions. As a coach he makes use of a variety of psychometric assessment tools and feedback techniques to identify and coach high-potential, high-performance next generation leaders.

Prior to his career in industry, Kevin received a Master’s in Organizational Psychology where he studied under Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, co-founder of Positive Psychology and the first researcher to recognize and name the mental state of flow—the optimal experience of total engagement.

Highlights from today's podcast include:

  • Understanding your strengths and how to find a career that best suits your strongest characteristics
  • How to find your flow state to make your work easier
  • How to bridge the gap between the inherent promises that organizations have with employee engagement processes and the results that are happening
  • How to help your employees overcome evaluation anxiety
  • The coaching skills needed for managers to ensure they meet the needs of their employees

Connect with Kevin:

LiftedLeadership.com

To download my Conscious Communication Workbook to support you in turning toxic conflict into collaborative gold, please visit Massimobackus.com/workbook

Jan 10, 202243:27
How to Leverage and Navigate Polarities in the Workplace with Matthew Dawson
Jan 03, 202245:13
Stop Playing Small and Letting Your Fears Limit You with Mike Forrester
Dec 13, 202144:32
The Role Identity Plays in Having Success as a Leader in a Diverse World with Tim Duggan
Dec 06, 202141:57
Important Lessons in Leadership with Greg Johnson
Nov 29, 202144:41
How to Be the Most Authentic and Empowered Leader You Can Be with Valarie Gilbert

How to Be the Most Authentic and Empowered Leader You Can Be with Valarie Gilbert

In today's episode, Massimo is joined by Valarie, the Founder and CEO of Valiant Coaching.  Her coaching practice includes supporting chief counsels, university deans, as well as senior technology leaders in the  hi-tech industry.  Valarie seeks to empower her clients to be both resilient and confident, helping them to develop leadership and communication skills that build high performing diverse teams that are deliberately inclusive.   Prior to starting Valiant Coaching, Valarie held VP positions at Marriott International, S&P Global, Slalom Build and leadership roles at Cisco Systems, Dell EMC and AT&T Bell Labs.  She has managed projects ranging from the development of Marriott’s Bonvoy mobile application to Cisco Systems’ use of machine translation to deliver multilingual support sites. Valarie holds a Masters in Mechanical & Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh and a Bachelors from Carnegie Mellon University.  She serves on a number of advisory boards that focus on the empowerment of young women and people of color; Girl Scouts, Nerdy Girl Success and TY-Education.  She is gleefully married for 35 years and the mother of two amazing women; an attorney and UX designer.

Highlights from today's podcast include:

  • Her experience being the first African American female to graduate in metallurgical and mechanical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University
  • Where her drive came from to keep going when she could have given up and what it means to be resilient 
  • The challenge in accepting compliments and the impact that has on owning one's role as a leader
  • The missteps in diversity and inclusion efforts where we undermine the unique needs of each group.
  • How people can define success and be proactive about their career
  • Valarie’s mission for her coaching company and how she supports minorities

Connect with Valarie:

Website www.valariegilbert.com

Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/valariegilbert/

Nov 22, 202143:37
 How Do you Have your Needs Met Without Walking Over Other People? with Chris Sallquist
Nov 15, 202136:56
How to Deal with Fear from One of the First Female Navy Aviators to Fly in a Combat Jet Squadron

How to Deal with Fear from One of the First Female Navy Aviators to Fly in a Combat Jet Squadron

In today's episode, Massimo is joined by Loree Draude, an ICF-certified executive coach, leadership consultant and professional speaker. She is the host of the Supersonic Leaders & Teams podcast, in which she interviews inspirational leaders.

Loree has spent the past twenty years in Silicon Valley, most recently leading a team of content designers at Facebook. Prior to Facebook, she led the online advertisers communities and social media business support teams at Google, where she facilitated training and coaching for diversity efforts focused on women, veterans and underrepresented Googlers. Prior to joining Google, she co-founded a mobile app company, created leadership video case studies for Stanford's Graduate School of Business and led marketing at PayNearMe and Military.com. Previously, she was a management consultant for Bain & Company.

Prior to her business career, Loree served in the US Navy for 10 years and left active duty as a Lieutenant Commander. She was one of the first female aviators to fly in a combat jet squadron in the Navy. Loree completed two deployments to the Persian Gulf and a tour as an instructor pilot, accumulating over 1600 flight hours and 300 carrier landings. She wrote about her experiences flying the F/A-18 Hornet and the S-3B Viking in the book She's Just Another Navy Pilot.

She earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics from the University of San Diego and an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. She lives with her two teenagers and two cats in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Highlights from today's podcast include:

  • Her career as one of the first female Navy pilots to fly combat missions and the thrill of launching off an aircraft carrier.
  • Her passion for creativity and inspiring others led her to write and perform in a one-women show off-broadway.
  • The relationship fear plays in limiting our ability to innovate, create change, and reach from what we really want to achieve.

Connect with Loree Draude:

Website

LinkedIn

Facebook

Nov 08, 202140:02
The Call for Modern Leadership Starts with Self-compassion with Adam Piandes

The Call for Modern Leadership Starts with Self-compassion with Adam Piandes

In today's episode, Massimo is joined by Adam Piandes, the founder of The Art of Masterful Communication, a leadership coach and mentor, consultant, and Forbes columnist, as well as an avid surfer, world traveler, and huge fan and supporter of the Girls Athletic Leadership School.

As a former collegiate athlete, outwardly thriving in high pressure athletic environments came easy, while managing his emotions and internal life didn’t. After leaning on unhealthy coping mechanisms through much of his adult life, Adam was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2015, which helped him learn how to slow down and start harnessing his sensitivity in a useful way. In combination with 25+ years of teaching, coaching, and personal development, a masters degree in Spiritual Psychology, training from the Coaches Training Institute, and seeing the impact of effective communication in his own life, he developed The Art Of Masterful Communication and his unique leadership methodology. Ever since, he has guided students in 70+ countries, across a variety of industries, into the most effective communication skills that have brought consistent measurable results to both their business and personal lives.

Highlights from today's podcast include:

  • The power of connection and community during rudderless times
  • What happened for Adam when he made the shift from viewing his cancer as something he has, to some he has been diagnosed with.
  • How leadership starts by taking ownership for our own stories, emotions, needs, and actions
  • Why vulnerability is a precursor to true curiosity, as curiosity is an inherently vulnerable act.
  • How finally listening to his truth led Adam to live more aligned to his values, with greater integrity, and build a successful purpose-driven company.
  • And we both went deep on the universal power of self-compassion as the bridge our internal leadership to that of leadership in our relationships and organizations.

Connect with Adam Piandes:

Website

@adampiandes

Nov 01, 202153:31
Get to Know Me and How I Got Where I am Today with Massimo Backus
Oct 25, 202138:38
Using Neuroscience for Better Communication, Connection, and Conflict Resolution with Alex Yates

Using Neuroscience for Better Communication, Connection, and Conflict Resolution with Alex Yates

In today's episode, Massimo is joined by Alex Yates, a high-energy, high-impact neuroscience-infused business leader bringing inspirational approaches for transformational work with over 25 years of experience --which means he graduated college before he sent his first email #GenX. He's grew up in San Diego where he started his career doing market research for a top 40 radio station, sales training for the San Diego Padres, recruiting for a University, moved to Chicago and re-invented himself as the Marketing Mad Man, before roles in leadership consulting for Humana, change management for Kraft Foods, and now leads work around Change Agility for organizational transformations. A lifelong learner with a creative approach to most everything, Alex is the king of metaphors & analogies who applies 21st century research of neuroscience and human-centered design to shift mindsets to help people choose the change.

Alex moved from sunny San Diego to seasonal Chicago in the middle of a January snowstorm, so he’s personally experienced transformational change. He happily lives in Chicago with his Instagram-influencer wife and two kids where Alex has been voted “Dad of the Year” for 9 consecutive years, in his household.

Highlights from today's podcast include:

  • How Alex's chance encounter with a classmate introduced him to public speaking and discovering his gifts in persuasion and debate.
  • The power of 'Name it, to tame it" when communicating in emails and chat to let the person know that you want to talk and the why behind it.
  • The 5 types of evidence for persuasion and communicating effectively.
  • Why the TED Talk cap is 18 minutes in duration
  • The power of TikTok for microlearning beyond trendy dance moves.
  • How research shows that we learn far more effectively by sharing our struggles than we do our successes.

Connect with Alex Yates:

Twitter

LinkedIn

Oct 18, 202140:60
Finding your Niche to Unleash your Greatest Career and Fulfill your Purpose with Sarah Cannistra
Oct 11, 202139:58