Your Leadership Story

Do you feel stuck in life? If so, it’s time to take things to the next level. In this interview, Cliff Ravenscraft provides practical insights into how to do so. Most people know Cliff Ravenscraft as “The Podcast Answer Man” for a very good reason. Since 2005, Cliff has produced over 3,200 of his own podcast […]

An uncountable number of books have been written about leaders and leadership. Unfortunately, too many of those books fail to focus on one of the core tasks of leadership — developing other leaders. In some cases, leadership development focuses on training people for their initial leadership roles. In other cases, leadership developing involves equipping people […]

If you’re leading now or preparing to lead in the future, you’ll experience “underwater leadership.” You’ll feel like the waves of demands in the job have washed over you and you cannot catch your breath. When that happens, don’t panic. Remember the lessons you’ll learn in this Bookmark Edition of Your Leadership Story Podcast. In […]

In this edition, David Atchison shares about the power of a simple phase, “It’s my pleasure,” to reinforce a company’s brand and then influence culture more broadly. If you’ve ever eaten in a Chick-fil-A Restaurant, you’ve experienced the power of this phrase first-hand. After receiving your meal, if you say, “Thank you,” the person serving you […]

What can you do as a new leader in an organization to jump-start the team-building process? In this Bookmark Edition, David Atchison interviews John Kramp about a simple survey that John developed and used in his new role as SVP of Bible Resources at HarperCollins Christian Publishing in Nasvhille and Grand Rapids. The best part of […]

Few people bring as diverse a set of experiences to leadership as does Paula Puleo. Currently, she is Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Innovation Officer for Academic Partnerships, one of the leading companies helping major universities extend their global reach through technology. Before that, Paula was the Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for […]

Every leader does not have to be a great public speaker but every leader must learn how to communicate. So what’s the secret? David Atchison shares his insights in this fun but insightful Bookmark Edition. If you’ve struggled to overcome your fear of speaking to groups of people, you’ll discover principles in this episode that you […]

Michael Maden has a BA in English Literature from Cornel but he has not written the great American novel. He has, instead, crafted a fascinating leadership story filled with surprising twists, turns, and obstacles.   A Great Educational Story Michael Madon has impressive educational credentials with a MBA from the Wharton Business School, a Master […]

One of the foundational tasks for leaders is establishing standards. Those working in an organization take cues from their leaders about expectations for organizational performance. Is this an organization that works to high standards? Is this an organization that readily settles for average work and quality? Is this an organization that cuts corners and allows […]

Without a doubt, Lisa Cines is a trailblazing leader. She is the Regional Partner in Charge of Business Development and Marketing. with the accounting firm, Dixon Hughes Goodman, working from the Rockville offices, in the Washington D.C. Metro Area. Lisa Cines has had a distinguished business career. She was the first female managing partner of a […]

Have you ever talked with someone in a networking event or social gathering and felt that person look past you, clearly paying attention to someone other than you? How did that make you feel? We have all had that experience and do not like it. Yet, without constant care, we can treat others the same, negative […]

You may not know Joe DePinto but you know the iconic company he leads. 7-Eleven is the world’s largest operator, franchisor, and licensor of convenience stores with more than 50,000 outlets (actually 53,000 but who’s counting). The company operates in 16 countries. Joe DePinto has been leading 7-Eleven since December 2005 after working previously in the company […]

One of the most frequent questions we hear in our consulting with the Riverstone Group is this, “I have a new opportunity. What do you think I should do?” In addition, we get a variation on the question: “I think I need to do something different, what do you think I should do?” It’s confusing, […]

Most companies have mission and values statements. The problem is that those statements do little to differentiate those companies from their competitors. That is not the case, however, with The Human Capital Group in Nashville, TN. Steve Hayes, the Founder and Senior Partner, has developed a top-40 retained executive search firm which he launched in […]

Imagine the moment when things begin to go badly. Tempers rise. Team members blame each other. Words fly. Confusion multiplies at the moment everyone needs clarity. That’s the moment when leadership matters most. Someone must step up and step in and say, “Listen. Here’s what we’re going to do.” Sounds easy, right? But only if […]

You cannot know your level of leadership fitness until you go through a leadership stress-test. How would you respond if the volume of your work increased? For example, imagine 800 new email messages filling your inbox every day. How would you respond if your leadership context changed radically? How about moving from the military, to […]

Leaders communicate all the time. That’s why people “read” leaders all the time hoping to understand what’s going on with the one they follow. Unfortunately, leaders often confuse others by what they do not say — sending confusing signals through body language they never intend to send. In this Bookmark Edition interview, David Atchison and […]

If you ask Jeff Goins what he does, he will say, “I am a writer.” And he is. As the author of three books and a slew of blog posts on his own site and on other top sites all around the web, Jeff Goins carries the descriptor “writer” comfortably . . . although it hasn’t […]

Do you discipline yourself to make time for unexpected opportunities? Most of us don’t. Instead, we pack our “to-do” lists so full that we automatically classify the unexpected as intrusions. In this episode, David Atchison shares a lesson he learned from one highly successful leader who planned for unexpected opportunities. How to balance planning and […]

Optimize – to make the best or most effective use of a situation, an opportunity, or a resource. Sounds great, right? Who wouldn’t want to optimize his or her business or life? The question, though, is how? That’s where Jonathan Smith shines. Along the way, he even picked up a nickname — the Chief Optimizer! […]