The Leadership Podcast

In this episode, Jim and Jan welcome Vincent Stanley, Co-Author of The Responsible Company, visiting Fellow at the Yale Center for Business and the Environment, and Director of Philosophy / Chief Storyteller at Patagonia. Vincent shares the evolution of both product design and company leadership since his start at Patagonia in 1973, and the ways they integrate new employees with existing culture. He speaks to what makes Patagonia’s story unique and authentic, the burdens of being responsible, and offers advice to those looking to be change agents and storytellers within their own community. Vincent believes that one of the most important responsibilities we have is the right to be responsible. Key Takeaways [2:39] Vincent has been at Patagonia on and off since 1973, and is the nephew of the founder, Yvon Chouinard. He and his uncle co-wrote The Responsible Company with two different yet powerful intentions. Yvon wanted to create something practical for people who are motivated to see how Patagonia operated as a business over the past several decades. Vincent’s motivation was to come to an understanding the core culture. These responsibilities encompassed much of what we saw was important in the early 1960’s. [3:35] Vincent discusses how people are yearning for full agency throughout their day. He discusses the traditional 1960’s corporate model where businesses focused both on the financial health and bottom line of a company, and also the strong commitment to honor the employees, customers and community of which they serve. Patagonia took this and added in environment, as this area has been compromised immensely by population and economy growth over the past several decades. [6:52] When Vincent started work in the 1970’s, the population was now 3.8 Billion. It is now doubled, with economic activity up 500%. This has put tremendous pressure on economic and social systems, so Patagonia aims to do their part to stay responsible to traditional stakeholders, and our original CEO, nature. [7:11] Leadership at the top is important, but there must also be a strong middle management with a sense of agency built into everyone’s role. The more coworkers that feel a kinship and responsibility to help others in the company, the easier it is to add new people while helping current ones expand their skills. [11:35] Vincent’s discusses what the title of Chief Storyteller means to him, and Patagonia as a company. He helped write some of the early catalogs and business philosophies, so he pulls from the foundation of their core values and creates the story to reflect their authentic meaning in today’s world. Vincent feels as though Patagonia’s success in its ability to be a model for other companies, is that their stories are based in reality and not to create spin. Patagonia’s story is complex, however it’s important for the story to consistently build credibility and trust with employees, customers and suppliers. [13:23] There are many fibers woven into Patagonia’s story. One being their position as an outdoor gear company, with products designed for technical performance. Then, the origin story of the company coming out of climbing equipment, and their community activism; donating 1% of sales to environmental causes; and use of catalogs and websites to educate the general public. [14:57] Vincent shares a story on when they changed to organic cotton, and how they took steps that entailed a financial risk in order to do the “right thing”. It was a huge move, as they broke their connection to the global supply chain. They took providing an explanation to everyone involved very seriously, and bussed 40 people in at a time from all different departments to cotton fields. Here they could see the difference between conventional cotton and organic cotton, and now the reason for the change went from abstract to tangible. They invested both time and money in explaining why the change, and it paid off in dividends. [20:20] One of Vincent’s key tenets of success is maintaining the impulse towards improvement. Two of the dirtiest industries are apparel and agriculture, and he sees this as an opportunity to make a difference. [22:47] Many associate Patagonia as a super responsible brand, but Jim and Jan note that how well their gear actually performs and holds up while used for exactly what it was meant to do. Patagonia also makes a lot gear for the Military. [25:55] Vincent describes their different environmental campaigns, and how they started small in the 1980’s by giving 1% to organizations that were respected locally but not getting a lot of coverage. He talks about the need to restore agricultural soil to health, and what Patagonia is doing about it. [35:21] There is a strong sense of culture and permission to be active at Patagonia. The employees are outdoor enthusiasts and it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for a group to take a hike or bike ride in the middle of their work day. [38:28] Vincent’s advice is to give what yo...

As the CEO of Imagine Think, Nora Herting helps expand the definition of creativity in the business world. As the author of the best-selling book, “Draw Your Big Idea,” Nora has inspired thousands to think visually to access their own creativity. Nora breaks down the myth that drawing is only for the creatives, and showcases real examples of how leaders can add another dimension to their ideas (and execution effectiveness) through simple doodles. Listen in to unlock and inspire others in new ways beyond the written word! Key Takeaways [3:15] Nora shares insight about visual leadership. [5:00] Paintings have been a form of communication for thousands of years. [7:10] When we use our brain, we don’t just use the right brain or the left brain hemispheres while doing a task, we use the entire brain. [9:10] If you or your team is stuck somewhere, try drawing a picture! [9:15] Nora explains how leaders can empower their staff to embrace their artistic side more effectively. [14:45] Jim shares an example of how powerful visuals are in a presentation to bring home the core message. [20:10] An important skill to have is to patiently wait for people to finish and to know when they’ve finished their point. [21:55] Nora shares the difference between having a liberal arts degree vs. an MBA. [25:35] Instead of looking within your industry and what the competition is doing, look elsewhere. Look at politics, cultural events, or other industries not related to you for inspiration. [28:05] Creatives and implementers tend to clash with one another, but Jim talks about the book Loonshots and how you can blend these two groups together for collaboration. [34:10] Nora offers resources on the types of visual tools leaders and teams can use. [35:55] Jim and Jan admit that their handwriting is horrible. It’s hard to multitask when talking and writing. [37:00] If you have terrible handwriting, Nora offers a quick tip on how to fix this. [39:45] Listener challenge: Ask your team to draw out the description of their role and what they do every day. Quotable Quotes “If you’re stuck on a problem, try solving that problem visually.” “We are wired to think in pictures and we’ve been doing it as a species for so long.” “The business world has a real fascination with creativity, but it mystifies business leaders.” “Artists are looking outside for inspiration all the time. They’re not just looking at what people in their field are doing but they’re pulling things from all over, like science, politics, and cultural events.” Resources Mentioned Sponsored by: Grab Nora’s book,

In this episode, Jim Peters, co-founder and president of Citizen Engineers, shares his leadership experiences and how he leverages AI tools like AssemblyAI and Myaskai to learn from nearly 400 leaders. He recounts how bike trips with his kids imparted valuable leadership lessons. Amid personal challenges, including his wife’s diagnosis and his job loss, Jim stresses the significance of downtime and resilience. He applies these insights to his business, emphasizing work-life balance and compassionate leadership. Jim advocates for continuous learning and living a life filled with meaning and compassion in the workplace. Key Takeaways [02:26] Jim shares that he remembers taking his kids, aged six and eight, on annual bike tours around Washington and Oregon for nearly a decade. These trips, lasting one to two weeks, were full of adventure. One of his standout memories is climbing to Anthony Lakes, where he and his wife let the boys decide if they wanted to push on to the top of the mountain. The boys were enthusiastic, teaching Jim valuable lessons about setting direction, pace, and keeping the experience fun. [07:02] Jim values taking time off and encourages others to do the same. He treasures memories with his family and has taken three sabbaticals during his career. Jim also learns a lot from podcasts featuring nearly 400 leaders. He mentions that these podcasts help him grow as a leader and improve his emotional intelligence and management skills. [9:07] Jim shares that he listens to podcasts to learn from experienced leaders and improve his skills. In 2021, he faced a personal challenge when his wife was diagnosed with stage four cancer. This taught him to focus on what he could control, choose gratitude, and live a meaningful life. He took a sabbatical in 2022 to spend time with his wife and reflect on his values. After returning to work, Jim was unexpectedly terminated, which taught him resilience and helped him understand others' experiences. Now, he enjoys his work with his business partner and finds joy in helping others. [16:00] In 2023, Jim had extra time and used it to dive deeper into podcasts about leadership. He made a list of questions he wanted answers to, like how to measure effective leadership and manage difficult conversations. Jim found taking notes while listening challenging, so he used an AI tool called AssemblyAI to convert podcasts to text. This allowed him to listen faster and copy relevant information. He listened to two podcasts daily, using the AI tool to support his research and learning. [21:59] Jim mentions that his goal was to become a better leader and human by capturing insights from podcasts. He collected detailed notes and summaries from nearly 400 leaders and wanted to use them to improve himself. Instead of manually going through all the data, Jim decided to use an AI tool called My askAI, which let him upload his data and ask it questions. This AI tool gave him access to responses based solely on the podcast insights he provided, helping him quickly find answers and insights from the podcasts without having to remember which specific episode they came from. [25:45] Jim uses an AI tool called My askAI to explore his podcast notes and ask questions about leadership. He asks about topics like effective leadership, managing conversations, and tips for new leaders. The tool pulls responses from the nearly 400 leaders he studied. The tool combines podcast texts into documents and sometimes provides shorter answers, but Jim can request longer or simpler explanations. Though not perfect, Jim values the tool's speed and variety of insights. It helps him improve his questioning skills. [29:30] Jim shares using AI tools. He uses them to research leadership insights from podcasts and in his new business, Citizen Engineers, which he started in 2023. He and his business partner prioritize work-life balance and use AI tools to speed up tasks like writing policies and answering business questions. Jim uses AI tools like ChatGPT, My askAI, and Photoshop for different tasks in his business. He tests various tools and shares his findings on his blog. He mentions that he sees AI as a partner in his work and continues to explore how it can help his business. [32:42] Jim shares insights from 400 podcasts that shaped his business, emphasizing the importance of putting humans at the center of work. He learned from guests like Donato Tramuto and Dr. Ciela Hartanov that compassion and care for employees are key. Jim noticed that guests often focus on business goals without stressing compassion for employees. As an engineer, Jim initially didn't focus on compassion, but now values it as essential. In his business, Citizen Engineers, compassion is a core value. They aim to create a workplace that supports employees while still running a successful business. [34:48] Jim initially used AI tools to improve himself as a leader, but he decided to share the benefits with others. He hopes the tool ...

Siobhan McHale led a radical seven-year culture change project that transformed her organization from the lowest-performing bank in Australia to one of the highest-performing and most globally admired banks in the world. This gave Siobhan an insider role and a different perspective on culture change, which led to her book, The Insider’s Guide to Culture Change. Siobhan provides an overview of how to best measure change, what to do if you feel powerless in an organization, and how to be an effective catalyst to improve culture. Key Takeaways [3:00] Siobhan noticed that a lot of organizational change and literature was written from an outsider’s perspective. She wanted to write a book on how to make a change from within. [4:10] Culture is often framed for employee experience, but culture is much more than that. It’s about impact. [5:30] Middle management feels powerless about creating lasting change within an organization, but change can happen at all levels. [7:30] Siobhan shares cultural differences between how leadership is led in North America vs. Australia. [13:40] People are running low on energy, and passion projects can be great ways to revitalize yourself. However, we first need to define ourselves and the various roles we have in our life. [18:30] Siobhan was led down this path of culture when she was fired by an organization for going “too fast.” [21:30] Change is not someone else’s responsibility, it’s yours. Instead of empowering your employees to “change,” it’s about framing it around a goal and bringing accountability to everyone involved. [25:15] It goes back to: People help support what they create. [29:00] You can measure change by defining key metrics early in the beginning. For example, you can measure employee engagement, customer satisfaction, financials, and sustainability.[31:10] We all have a mental map of our roles, but it’s time we update that. You don’t want to operate just on a functional basis, you want to keep modifying and improving the culture so that it's healthy, vibrant, and adaptable. [34:40] A sign of a good culture is when, if there is a position available, thousands of people are trying to apply. Quotable Quotes “Culture change is led at all levels.” “It doesn’t matter where you are, you can start to shape the culture in your organization. You don’t have to wait for it to be instigated from the top.” “It’s not so much about empowering your employees, but about framing the goal and not co-creating the pattern where change is someone else’s responsibility.” “Can you measure culture? No, you can’t measure the patterns of the culture, but you can measure the impact it has.” “If you do change right, your part of the business will start to navigate its way through this crisis.” “Ultimately, culture is in service. Culture is not in competition with strategy. Culture enables strategy.” Resources Mentioned Siobhan’s website & book: The Leadership Podcast is Sponsored by: Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Click to learn more. Free downloads of on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more.

Kwame Christian, ESQ. is an attorney, meditator, and the author of the best selling book, Finding Confidence in Conflict: How to Negotiate Anything and Live Your Best Life. His book is an Amazon Best-Seller and has helped countless individuals overcome the fear, anxiety, and emotion often associated with difficult conversations through a branded framework called Compassionate Curiosity. Kwame walks us through how to leverage emotions to effectively bridge the gap between negotiation and conflict. Kwame is also the host of the world’s most popular negotiation podcast, Negotiate Anything. Kwame’s TEDx talk, Finding Confidence in Conflict, was the most popular TEDx Talk on the topic of conflict in 2017, and has been viewed over 150,000 times.Kwame also serves as a negotiation and conflict resolution professor at The Ohio State University’s Moritz College of Law. The Dispute Resolution Program at Moritz is the top ranked dispute resolution program in the country. He is also a professor in Otterbein University’s MBA program. Prior to practicing business law and founding ANI, Kwame worked at the Kirwan Institute doing civil rights work. While at Kirwan, Kwame focused on criminal justice and health equity. Key Takeaways [4:25] When you travel abroad to new and exotic locations, it can really test your negotiation abilities as you haggle for items you want at the market. [8:45] Kwame’s book, Finding Confidence in Conflict, can be used in high-level stressful business negotiations as well as trying to communicate effectively with family. [10:05] Whether we like it or not, we are not thinking machines. We are feeling machines that happen to think. Emotions play a big part in everything we do. [11:25] Most times when people fail at negotiation, it’s because they didn’t address the underlying emotional issues. [14:10] The “natural” human doesn’t want to engage in conflict. [16:20] Conflicts break down because there’s a developed “me vs. you” narrative. [20:55] When addressing conflict or a difference in opinion, it’s important to first recognize the emotions in ourselves as well as the emotions in others. [25:35] Kwame shares his thoughts on diversity and inclusion and what we need to be doing better to bridge the gap. [27:15] Everyone needs time to process their emotions to effectively communicate what they’re feeling. However, men often do feel comfortable saying words like ‘disappointed’ or ‘sad.’ [29:15] Sometimes you need an outside perspective to help you dig deep within yourself in a way that you can’t do by yourself. This can be a trusted friend, coach, or therapist. [29:55] When it comes to the way women negotiate and the literature out there, Kwame recognizes we’re asking women to fend for themselves when we should all be advocating for them. [36:45] You’re not going to be able to overcome your own biases unless you have a bit of self-awareness, and take the time to create solutions for them. [43:25] Listener challenge: Use the Compassionate Curiosity Framework: Acknowledging and Validating Emotions. Getting Curious with Compassion. Engaging in Joint Problem Solving. Quotable Quotes “The best things in life are on the other side of difficult conversations.” “Our emotions are going to get the first shot of interpretation of anything.” “We’re working against our psychology when we just say, ‘I’m going to pretend I don’t have any emotions.’” “You can’t overcome a problem if you don’t know there’s a problem.” “Strengthen the foundation of your business by ensuring all employees feel heard, supported, and honored.” Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast is Sponsored by: Cultivate Grit. Amplify Action. Investing in yourself isn’t selfish. Click to get gritty! Free downloads of on Delegation, Time Management, Sales, and more.