Omar L. Harris is back!!! And, we're excited to have him talk about his new book, "Be a J.E.D.I. Leader, Not a Boss." In this episode, we talk about how J.E.D.I. leaders are the right fit for building diverse organizations, representing multi-cultural clients, focusing on strengths and identifying the "brutal truths." Oh yeah, and we'll tell you exactly what J.E.D.I. stands for...

On this week's episode, Hile and I tackle two of the foundational elements of emotional intelligence (EQ): emotional self-awareness and empathy. Countless books and articles have been written about these skills and Hile helped me realize something that I had not thought of...there are really just two sides to the same coin. We explore how leaders high in these skills can manage themselves and others in more effective ways. And, we discuss a handful of tips and tricks to help you build your emotional self-awareness and empathy.

What drives you to work harder and persevere longer? What activities or behaviors drain you and leave you feeling depleted? What is motivation and why might it be important for us to consider as leaders? Hile Rutledge joins me this week to answer these questions and more while sharing some exciting news about his firm's new offering, the DRiV assessment. DRiV is a scientifically validated development tool that enables you to capitalize on individual and collective drivers to help your people become better leaders, stronger team members, and more satisfied, productive employees. In short, it helps you understand the WHY behind the WHAT.

You are a successful sales rep and you've exceeded your quota every month that you've been with your company. In fact, you're the highest ranked rep in the country. What's next for you? Sales management? Not so fast...Peter Oliver author of "Making the Climb - From Salesperson to Salesmanager" joins us this week to talk about the book, his biggest mistake as a new manager, the key question to ask yourself when considering a management position and (my favorite topic recently) the role of humility when leading others. Click here to connect with Peter on LinkedIn to see if he can help your sales team!

This week, Hile and I talk about one of the best CEOs of the last 40 years, Katharine Graham. We use the 2017 movie "The Post" as a backdrop where Graham (played by Meryl Streep) wrestles with the complexities of taking a company public, testing the first amendment and proving she can lead with a Board that initially sees her as incapable. We talk about her growth as a leader, her courage, how her values came into play and how she processed an agonizing decision.

It is probably fair to say that at one point in time or another, we have all contemplated some of the following questions: Who am I? What is my purpose? What do I want to be when I grow up? After years of working with professionals across the globe, Leslie Ehm, stumbled on a number of principles that she believes can help answer these questions. In this week's show, we talk about her new book, "Swagger - Unleash Everything You Are and Become Everything You Want." We talk about how her book is different from most self-help writing, why people feel the need to hide their true selves, why finding your Swagger is NOT arrogant, some of the common Swagger blockers and how finding your truth actually serves the greater good.

In 1986, the film Hoosiers was released and told the story of a small high school in Indiana where the boys basketball team defies the odds with a new coach to make a run at the state title. It's the classic David & Goliath story and it's loosely based on a real high school in the mid-1950s. Hile and I use the movie to talk about how the coach led this small team (it only had 7 players) against state powerhouses, a town that wanted the coach to be fired and a star player who wasn't on the team. We talk about admitting mistakes, resilience, compassion and listening to the team.

Many people suffer from depression on a daily basis. The hard part is learning to live with it. Getting up and getting moving can seem like an insurmountable chore. You know you need to be productive but your brain just won’t cooperate. Getting It Done When You’re Depressed, offers 50 strategies to break the cycle of inactivity that so often accompanies depression. These strategies are practical and easily applicable for anyone trying to lead a lifetime of productivity, regardless of your mood. Author, speaker and expert, Julie Fast, joins me to talk about her book and why it is so important for people with severe depression.

Hile and I are still interested in being a little more like Ted Lasso - one episode was not enough! In this episode we chat about courage, self-awareness, purpose and psychological safety. We also dig into a couple of our favorite Lasso quotes and the "big idea." (Hint: We both agree on what it is and why it's so important for leaders!) If you haven't watched Ted Lasso on Apple TV+, get to it!

Do you have Zoom fatigue? Are you just tired of meeting, altogether? In this week's episode one of the best facilitators I have ever witnessed joins us to share his secrets to getting rid of the "meeting monsters." Brian Tarallo, Managing Director Lizard Brain Solutions, talks about how online meetings can actually be BETTER than those that are in-person (and I agree!) with just a little bit of effort. Please join us for some useful tips and tools to make your meetings great as we discuss his new book, "Surviving the Horror of Online Meetings - How to facilitate & manage meeting monsters."

Have you watched the Apple TV+ show about an American football coach who is hired to manage a Premier League soccer club in the UK? Hile and I liked it because it was funny, emotional and entertaining. And, we realized that it was chock-full of leadership lessons. So, we decided to dedicate an episode (ok, 2 episodes!!!) to discussing what lessons we think Ted Lasso can teach you. In this episode, we talk about receiving feedback, soliciting ideas, being vulnerable and the importance of engaging at all levels of the organization. What's your favorite Ted Lasso lesson? Spoiler alert: We talk about specific scenes, characters and outcomes. You may want to watch this 10-episode series before you listen...or listen to the podcast then watch it with an eye on learning!

Problems arise every day, in business, government and non-profit organizations. Unfortunately, leaders often trade 'looking busy' and activity for real progress. Kristen Cox, former Executive Director of the Governor's Office of Management and budget for the state of Utah and recipient of Governing Magazine's "Public Official of the Year" award joins us to talk about a book she co-authored with Yishai Ashlag - "Stop Decorating the Fish - Which solutions to ignore and which problems really matter." Cox and Ashlag use a simple story about a dwindling fish population in the fictional town of Busyville to demonstrate the "Seductive 7" approaches that frequently keep leaders from truly solving big problems. In this episode we dive into the Seductive 7, how framing problems is half the battle, why we should walk away from some problems and how her blindness made helps her think differently.

Hile is back and he is REALLY self-aware!! Or, is he?? Hile and I talk about the importance of emotional self-awareness, how it is related to empathy and how we can learn it from others (even our 20-year old sons!). You will walk away from this episode with several simple, science-backed tools for improving your emotional self-awareness, so please let us know which one makes the most sense for you. Finally, please don't forget to head over to www.OKA-online.com and check out their new assessment, DRiV - learn what drives you and what drains you!

On average, about 4,000 self-improvement books are published each year. Often, they call upon years of extensive research and have wonderful, science-backed tips for improving our lives. In this week's episode, we talk to William B. Irvine, PhD, Professor of Philosophy at Wright State University about his new book, The Stoic Challenge - A Philosopher's Guide to Becoming Tougher, Calmer, and More Resilient. And, while the book is new, the teachings are not. We discuss how the Stoics got it right several thousand years ago. Their goal was to live a life of tranquility and Irvine has done a masterful job of bringing Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus (Bill's favorite, right now) and Seneca back to life with practical, life-changing tips that today's researchers might with they had thought of.

In this episode Hile and Doug dig into some interesting topics like self-awareness, trust, delegation, conflict and curiosity. We argue that there are a handful of essential skills that most leaders will need to be successful and that acquiring these skills builds an upward spiral of improvement. What do you think is necessary to be a good leader in today's world?

Have you ever met an incredibly peaceful, compassionate person who gives you their full attention? Feels good, right? Please welcome Timothy Dukes, co-author of Present Company - Cultivating Cultures of High Performance in Teams and Organizations to the podcast. Within seconds of hearing his voice, listening to his wisdom and contemplating his ideas, you will want to get a copy of the book and dive right in. In this episode, we define "presence," we talk about it's effect on teams, what enables presence and one simple thing we can all do to be present with our colleagues, friends and families, right now.

"What is your favorite movie?" Hile and I pose this question to each other and do our best to find the lessons in our top ten movies. Hile's list includes Tootsie, The Godfather and Field of Dreams. Doug talks about Rogue One, Talladega Nights and Miracle, to name a few. We found courage, transformation, humility, vision and emotional intelligence in our favorite characters. Please join us for a lively conversation, a few surprises and some tips for being a better leader.

What are the most critical aspects of being a great leader? While there are literally thousands of books on this subject, Capt. Mark Brouker takes a stab at this in his new book, "Lessons From the Navy: How to Earn Trust, Lead Teams, and Achieve Organizational Excellence." In this week's episode of Looking for AND, we talk about the "six critical behaviors" that Brouker has identified and we dig into each one. This is probably one of the more practical shows we have had in a while. Please join us as we discuss respect, listening, Colin Powell, culture and (my favorite) humility.

Hile Rutledge is back for another great conversation about leadership! This week, we ponder the question, "Who is your favorite non-fiction leader?" As expected, the answers we both give to this question take us down a couple of different paths. We talk about having a vision, the role of empathy, how execution is critical and the role of growth and learning. We also get into the downside of optimism and how humility just might be in short supply. Please join us for another lively conversation as we explore the AND of leadership. Be sure to check out www.OKA-online.com to check out a new assessment that helps explain what drives us and what drains us. Please also check out www.DRHleadership.com for a wide variety of leadership courses and services.

Dr. Oleg Konovalov wanted to be an explorer when he was a kid. His vision was to investigate this beautiful planet to solve it's greatest mysteries. As Oleg matured and paid attention to his surroundings, he decided to explore something we know less about...people. In his latest book, "The Vision Code - How To Create And Execute A Compelling Vision For Your Business," Oleg writes about the need for a positive, compelling vision, how to develop this vision, what mistakes to avoid and why it will help you, your company and even your family navigate this complex, every-changing world.