What is the difference between blame and accountability in leadership? Often these two things are either used interchangeably or confused altogether. We know that we are all responsible for what we do, and that we can trace results or lack of them to what we do when we work together. But people react differently depending on how a leader describes …

What can a leader do about being isolated? When you’re a leader, you get fewer inputs from the people around you because “you’re the boss,” and fewer of those inputs you do get are honest, so fewer are actually that useful. There isn’t the shared suffering and connection that there is in the less isolated ranks, and to be blunt, work gets a little …

What is the role of forgiveness in leadership? We know that forgiveness is supposed to be a good thing for us personally, we learn “forgive and forget” when we are young, and maybe some of us have been through that. But what about when you are a leader in business - how does forgiveness affect your leadership and your business results? In this epis…

Have you ever wondered about the happiness and fulfillment that comes from being a leader? Most of what we talk about here and most of what. you find in leadership guidance and coaching is how to deal with the problems and challenges of being a leader. This is natural and really just a fact of life. There are only garages for broken cars, and most …

What place does humility have in leadership? This week we discuss three different viewpoints on what humility means to leadership, how it affects a leader’s outcome and what can go wrong with it. Each of has a different view on the question: Positions: Mike: “It’s impossible to grow and mature as a leader without humility.” Shaun: “There’s a very f…

Do you need a title to be a leader? Many people often don’t have the formal power as a leader and wonder what they can do to help themselves, help others, or make the business better. Others have a title, but may struggle with having enough influence to make progress. Our new format: each of us takes a position on our topic, discusses it, and takes…

Our culture often says that leaders should be the smartest person in the room - any room. This puts a lot of pressure on a leader to not hire someone who is smarter or more skilled in certain ways. To do so is a mistake, for the employee, the leader, and the business. David, Shaun and Mike discuss what stands in the way of making the best hiring de…

Uncertain times increases the amount of stress a leader feels, and creates new challenges virtually every day. The recent pandemic and the threat of economic uncertainty creates an environment for leaders that will require adaptability, patience, and understanding. David, Shaun and Mike discuss ways to deal with uncertainty, how to help yourself an…

Leaders often have predetermined reactions to an employee's failure, request for change, or uncommon success, and many of those reactions weaken the business and the relationships in them. Mike, Shaun and David discuss how leaders' reactions and behavior with employees greatly influence an employee's productivity and satisfaction at work, and how a…

How does a leader communicate expectations successfully? We could all do a better job communicating expectations, and as leaders, those expectations are critical. Mike, Shaun and David discuss the critical role of expectations in leadership, where they go wrong, how we communicate them unintentionally, unsuccessfully and what melting ice caps have …

Your first day as a leader in a new position is a huge opportunity to make moves that will either help or hurt you. Mike, Shaun and David discuss practical approaches to your first day that will help you not only survive, but thrive in your new position. We talk about our own experiences in relation to the ideas that work for someone who is startin…

Why do we hesitate to have tough conversations? All of us have had that sinking feeling that comes from knowing we should have a tough conversation, but we resist. Mike, Shaun and David discuss tough conversations, what makes them hard and ways to approach them so that you get the best benefit for your business and yourself. Quotable: MM: “Sometime…

You can't execute a great strategy with bad culture. What can a leader do to improve it? Mike, Shaun and David discuss culture from a leader's perspective, what culture is, and how a leader can consciously and deliberately act so that business culture thrives. Quotable: DF: “It’s almost as if culture is an employee, or a part of the team.” SP: “Cul…

Huh? Listening well can improve both your performance and the the way your team performs, but it’s a big challenge in leadership - especially in today’s world. In this episode, Mike, Shaun and David discuss those challenges, how not being heard is a both a human and a business problem, and ways to overcome our habits and the influence of technology…

What if you were doing something that was praised all-around but was bad for business, your health, the people around you and your employees? In this episode of Driving Leadership, Mike, Shaun and David talk about burnout: how our culture supports what we do that causes it, how it hurts and practical things that you can do to heal and keep it at ba…

We know hiring is a critical part of leadership - but what does puking, lying, and online dating have to do with it? Shaun, Mike and David discuss the art (and not the science) of hiring, how gut feeling, tests, bias and connection are a part of making a successful addition to your team. Quotable: MM: “Maybe we hire somebody who didn’t work out, bu…

What is a leader in business responsible for and how does it affect your business performance? Shaun, Mike and I talk about the difference between responsibility and accountability, formally and informally measuring responsibility, and how a leader can look at personal responsibility and his or her public responsibility to help employees succeed. A…

How we think about what we do affects our ability to lead, the quality of our decisions, and how effective we are. How can a leader improve his or her mindset? How does your mindset change the way you act? Quotable moments: Shaun: "What you're doing is giving yourself a better chance because you showed up with intention." Mike: "I think our brains …

How does a leader deal with failure - not only personally, but when an employee or a team fails? What can you do in a position of leadership so that you and your team learns, adjusts and achieves more success. Quotable quotes: DF: "A big sign of failure is not accepting that failure is a part of life." SP: "We look up at successful people because t…

There is more to diversity than the legal definitions in business. How can you and your company benefit from considering different types of diversity?David Foster, Mike Metcalf & Shaun Peet

What does leadership affect in business, and how can you start practicing it? Meet Mike, Shaun and David for a conversation on the practical aspect of leadership, failures and how leadership affects business results.David Foster, Mike Metcalf & Shaun Peet