Leadership Development News

Grace is an open and honest expert, helping leaders simplify their communication and eliminate the divides that exist within organizations. As co-founder of Know Honesty, she guides people toward becoming masterful communicators day in and day out. Having experienced the transformative power of openness and honesty, Grace is on a mission to help others create that same freedom in their own lives. Grace brings her heartfelt approach to every event, workshop, and interaction. She believes deeply that every human being brings a unique perspective to the world and that we all deserve to be heard and respected. With humble roots growing up on a dairy farm to now working with all levels of leadership, Grace has a special ability to ask the right questions to help audiences go deeper and uncover what’s blocking them from creating real communication.

MCC coach Ben Dooley facilitates the bi-weekly “COACHING SKILLS FORUM” telecalls, as well as creator of multiple coach growing experiences--like the “Fast Pass to MasterFull Coaching”—exploring “the Science, Artistry and Performance of our coaching,” and “the Core of our Core Competencies”, all of which (and more) have been helping coaches discover their powerful coaching confidence, power and success, to help you BE the MasterFull coach you are truly here to BE, and that the world needs. And your journey continues to deepen right now.

The Culture Equation®: How to build an intentional workplace culture that powers your strategy and drives growth. Jessica Kriegel is the Chief Scientist of Workplace Culture for Culture Partners, leading research and strategy in best practices for driving results through culture. For 15+ years, Jessica has been guiding global, national, Fortune 100, and other organizations across finance, technology, real estate, and healthcare industries on the path to creating intentional cultures that accelerate performance. As a keynote speaker, Jessica leverages her current research and 15+ years of global organizational culture innovation, providing leaders with the map and tools for how to build cultures that deliver results. In her book, Unfairly Labeled: How Your Workplace Can Benefit from Ditching Generational Stereotypes, Jessica dives into the concept of generational differences'' as an unfair generalization, and offers a roadmap to intergenerational understanding. She is the host of the podcast, Culture Leaders: The Masters Behind Movements, where she and other elite leaders and culture experts confront the dilemmas of today’s organizations and highlights the transformative and winning ingredient: vibrant team cultures.

Jesus D. “Jesse” Hernandez Jr is the Founder of Depth Builder LLC, who helps leaders deepen their communication skills and build trust through their improvement initiatives. Jesse does this by shining a light on their blind spots, and teaching them how to adjust their leadership approach to ensure “buy in” amongst their employees. Experiencing construction business problems from the perspective of an installer, a field leader, a trade contractor, a General Contractor and an owner’s Rep has helped Jesse understand that we are more alike than we are different. Being a witness to people discovering their agency and leaders contributing to that is what brings him fulfillment. His path in the professional space and 7+ years of sobriety has helped Jesse meet people where they are at and get them unstuck. The key is in serving others and helping folks leverage their influence and formal authority in making the work better for the men and women who are doing the work. Jesse’s 5S in Relationships Livestream Experiment revealed to him that there is a gap in connection amongst construction professionals. This led him to co-author the book Lean & Love 5S Love Letters and co-host The NoBS with Jen and Jess Podcast, where he is having imperfect conversations about the human side of work. These efforts helped Jesse appreciate the power of vulnerability. Jesse has also written Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Be where readers can find glimpses of themselves in the stories he shares and discover the path to living up to the promise they are Intended to fulfill. Seeing the impact these works are having have lit a fire in Jesse to help people practice vulnerability and deepen their connection with the folks they spend the most time with. Jesse wants to serve our listeners with the idea that focusing on the person in front of us is the best way to Expand their Influence. The key to this is listening and more specifically asking interested questions. He wants to introduce the listeners two a couple of cheat codes (air time & first response) that they can put into practice immediately.

Andrew Cooper is a globally recognized executive leader and advocate for compassionate business practices. He made history as the first Millennial and Black executive to serve as General Counsel of UPS Airlines, the world's largest logistics airline operating in 220 countries with over 20,000 employees. Cooper’s team played a pivotal role in the success of Operation Warp Speed, the U.S. pandemic vaccine relief effort. Committed to facilitating leadership transformation, he assists organizations in achieving and sustaining high performance. The Ethical Imperative marks Andrew's debut book. Andrew Cooper began writing after migrating with his parents from a single-wide trailer in the deep south to a small island off the coast of Japan. Born in Walterboro, SC, Cooper’s journey to Okinawa would spark a life-long interest in humanity, technology, and the intersection of the two. After receiving his doctorate from Emory University, Cooper joined the legal leadership teams of multiple Fortune 500 companies, serving on an executive staff responsible for overseeing billions in assets and over twenty thousand employees. Cooper would become the youngest and first African American to assume the role at America's largest cargo airline. A patent inventor and lecturer, he settled in Roswell, Georgia, with his wife and daughter. The Ethical Imperative is his first published book. Discover more about his impactful work at Andrew-cooper.com.

Increase Employee Retention by Improving Onboarding, Training, and Succession Planning: Leaders are losing their people at an unprecedented rate due to poor onboarding, inconsistent training, and lack of succession planning. Out of 1000 employees surveyed, 80% said they had a poor onboarding experience. Lack of training can cause a 60% loss of the workforce over a 4 year period due to training gaps, mistakes, complaints, and low morale. Employees will also separate from a company when there is no defined career path or succession planning. Implementing a strong onboarding program increases retention by 82%, and increases productivity by 11%. Proper succession planning increases valuations by 20 - 25%. Companies can be more proactive about retention by implementing three important tools which will shift the course of employee happiness. As an in-demand Executive Coach, dynamic speaker, successful author, and focused and motivating trainer devoted to her craft, Monique Daigneault provides a highly coveted service to corporate leaders worldwide using internationally accepted standards as well as her personally honed methodology. Surviving trauma as a child and embracing Complex PTSD as an adult, Monique developed a unique skill set and process that allows her to advocate for others and guide them through challenging workplace issues. With an indomitable spirit, a results-driven work ethic, and an enthusiastic commitment to performance improvement, she partners with clients from all over the world, providing practical tools to help catalyze change and facilitate evolution in their professional lives. As President and CEO at MD Consulting, Monique is the insightful radio show host of Leading with Intention on the VoiceAmerica business channel and also the author of the newly released book: The Survive and Thrive Toolkit for Leaders by Mango Publishing Group. Monique is an ICF-trained and Master certified coach and has an MS in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. She is passionate about helping leaders shift corporate culture, build business agility, resilience, and influence and facilitate transformation in the organizations they lead.

HORTENSE LE GENTIL is a world-renowned executive leadership coach, speaker, and author. She guides CEOs and senior executives on their journey from hero leaders to human leaders. Guided by 30 years in business, working across industries—including media consulting and advertising—and as an entrepreneur. Hortense was a 2021 and 2023 nominee for the Thinkers 50 Coaching and Mentoring Awards and has been ranked #5 on the Global Gurus list by World Management Global Gurus. She is a certified Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder CenteredTM?coach and a member of MG100 Coaches. Author of THE UNLOCKED LEADER: Dare to Free Your Own Voice, Lead with Empathy, and Shine Your Light in the World (Wiley, September 26, 2023), and ALIGNED: Connecting Your True Self with the Leader?You’re Meant to Be (2019), Hortense is a contributor to Harvard Business Review and ThriveGlobal.com, and has been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, Inc., and Business Insider. She is based in New York.

Quiet quitting is a term we spoke about last show, it is taking social media by storm. Recently there have been articles in Fortune, Washington Post, NPR, Harvard Business Review, New York Times, and Linkedin. We will look at additional Emotional Intelligence leadership skills and tools to deal with Quiet Quitting such as your leadership style, trust assertiveness, and feedback. Fortune defines quiet quitting as you’re still performing your duties, but you’re no longer subscribing to the hustle culture mentality that work has to be your life, …So, you’re doing the minimum to avoid burnout.” Today still dealing with pandemic flexibility is the key, people value flexibility as much as a 10% pay increase the Work from Home Research Project found. We will look at: 1) What is behind Quiet Quitting? 2) How Emotional Intelligence leadership can help and 3) Zoom in a few actions that you and your team can take to minimize it.

With Drs. Nadler and Greenberg. “Quiet Quitting” is a term taking social media by storm. Recently there have been articles in Fortune, Washington Post, NPR, Harvard Business Review, New York Times, and LinkedIn. Gallup Research has found that 50% of the US workforce is quiet quitting. Actively engaged employees have dropped to 32% and it is most significant in employees under 35; the Millennials and Generation Z. They found the engaged employees in their research group dropped by 6 pts while disengaged increased by 6 pts. Fortune reported that TikTok user @zkchillin defines “ ‘quiet quitting’ as you’re still performing your duties, but you’re no longer subscribing to the hustle culture mentality that work has to be your life, …So, you’re doing the minimum to avoid burnout.” We will look at: 1) What is Quiet Quitting? 2) What are some of the causes 3) How Emotional Intelligence skills can help, and 4) Actions that you can take to minimize it, like Self-Awareness, Trust, Stress Tolerance, Empathy, and Assertive Skills. For free EI Tools www.emotionalbrilliance.com/academy

Ed Nottingham, Ph. D. (M. S. & Ph. D. in Clinical Psychology, Va Tech) is a licensed psychologist in Tennessee (Health Service Provider) and Mississippi (Clinical Psychologist). After 26 successful years as an independent practitioner in clinical psychology, Ed decided to move from private practice to corporate America. Since 2003, he has worked for large corporations in different positions including leadership consultant/trainer, learning and development partner, HR Advisor, and Leadership Coach. His current position in a Fortune 100 company (HR Project Manager) focuses on helping leaders be more “coach like,” develop a coaching culture and providing programs and workshops for leaders and team members designed to help build emotional intelligence (EI/EQ).

Irena O’Brien is a cognitive neuroscientist with over 30 years of experience in psychology and neuroscience. Initially a chartered accountant, she found the work unfulfilling and returned to university. Her passion for neuroscience was ignited during her first neurobiology course at Concordia University. Irena earned her PhD at Université du Quebec à Montréal (UQAM), where she carried out brain imaging and electrophysiological studies, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at McGill University's Centre for Language, Mind, and Brain. In 2017, she founded The Neuroscience School, offering a Certificate Programme in Applied Neuroscience. This program equips coaches and helping professionals with practical, evidence-based neuroscience tools. Her latest program, Next Level Coaching with Neuroscience, helps students embody their neuroscience knowledge to achieve coaching flow. Students who have completed both programs receive a Certificate of Completion in Brain-Based Coaching.

Steven Gaffney is a leading expert on increasing business profit through change management, honest communication, and high performing teams. An author, speaker, and trusted advisor, Steven works directly with top leaders from Fortune 500 companies like Amazon, Marriott, Allstate Insurance, and even the U.S. government and military. Steven has authored four ground-breaking books: Just Be Honest: Authentic Communication Strategies that Get Results and Last a Lifetime, Honesty Works! Real-World Solutions to Common Problems at Work and Home, Be A Change Champion, and co-author of Honesty Sells: How to Make More Money and Increase Business Profits. He is currently working on two books: Reboot: How to Create and Sustain High Performing Teams, and The 9 Pillars of Sustainable Profitable Business Growth. His latest release, Unconditional Power, is available everywhere. Steven helps leaders across many industries. Some of his clients include: Amazon, Marriott, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, SAIC, Allstate Insurance, BP, World Bank, Congressional Budget Office, Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Department of the Navy, Citigroup, Texas Instruments, NASA, American Cancer Society, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers, Best Buy, and Johns Hopkins University.

Thomas Curran is a professor of psychology at the London School of Economics and author of a landmark study that the BBC hailed as “the first to compare perfectionism across generations.” His TED Talk on perfectionism has received more than three million views. His research has been featured in media ranging from the Harvard Business Review to New Scientist to CNN and he has appeared on numerous television and radio programs. Adam Grant calls Curran “the world's leading expert on perfectionism, and he's written the definitive book on why it's rising, how it wreaks havoc on our lives, and what we can do to stop it.” Daniel Pink says that it “offers a hopeful beacon and a steady path for anyone struggling to find their footing in a world of impossible standards.” • Hear how perfection is growing and why. • How does it relate to procrastination? • How does perfectionism influence decision-making processes and the willingness to take calculated risks? • What strategies can leaders employ to balance their pursuit of excellence with the need to show empathy and understanding toward team members' limitations? For more information: https://www.thomcurran.com/

Carlos Siqueira is an unstoppable force, dedicated to catalyzing positive change as a dynamic author, premier speaker, growth catalyst, podcast host, wealth strategist, and business strategist. He's on a relentless quest to transform lives, aiming to reach 1 Billion lives with his message. Carlos has guided CEOs from burgeoning startups to Fortune 100 giants, including Xfinity, playing a pivotal role in generating billions in revenue through his visionary strategies. Carlos's passion fuels his mission to empower individuals and businesses to scale revenues rapidly, get paid to speak on stages, and master mindset, sales, and high-performance habits. His insights help people overcome life and business obstacles, unlocking their boundless potential. Beyond his transformative work, Carlos cherishes adventure in nature with his daughter, Isabella, and wife, Angie, which enriches his life's journey. He is also committed to philanthropy, and actively involved in initiatives to feed the hungry in his free time.

Aslak de Silva has nearly 20 years of experience as a practitioner and instructor of Han Moo Do martial arts, competing in about 100 full-contact fights and winning the World Championship gold medal in Michigan, USA, in 2000. Martial arts has taught him the importance of leaders being life-long learners and coaching others. Aslak is the CEO of Selfly Store, where they use the latest developments in loT, machine learning, and AI to offer smart vending machines that make grab-and-go food shopping as easy as using your home fridge. Selfly Stores are used by 100+ companies in 22 countries across Europe, and in 2023, Selfly Store was named among the 50 Most Innovative Companies To Watch by CEO Views. Aslak, who was recognized by Chief's Digest as one of the 10 Best CEOs to Watch in 2023 has been leading teams and companies for 15+ years. Before becoming CEO at Selfly Store, he was the CEO of Nordic Business Forum, one of the world's biggest business and leadership conferences, with 7K+ attendees annually from 50+ countries and featuring world-class speakers like Barack Obama, George Clooney, and Steve Wozniak.

Lori Michele Leavitt, also known as “The Pivot Catalyst,” will guide you in each book to your best next steps toward extraordinary momentum, in business and life. Just as she coaches leaders around the world, with this book she will coach you. Lori Michele Leavitt, “The Pivot Catalyst”, has coached, consulted, and trained hundreds of leaders around the world to achieve their objectives and generate extraordinary momentum. She speaks globally on catalyzing momentum, leading, pivoting, and workplace culture change. When she’s not writing in one of her favorite locations conducive to deep thought and creativity, she’s supporting orchestration of Pivots, decision-making, and judgment calls for business leaders and their teams around the world. Her favorite role is as Emily’s Mom. What she hopes leaders who are listening get most from our talk is helping managers lead better, which is necessary for strengthening alignment, gaining momentum, and always being ready to change (even Pivot).

Wendy Leshgold is the co-author of the forthcoming book FAST FORWARD: 5 Power Principles to Create the Life You Want in Just One Year (Matt Holt Books, September 5, 2023). She is co-founder and President of the Fast Forward Group, a professional development and executive coaching company that has transformed the careers and lives of more than 100,000 professionals at leading companies around the world such as Amazon, TikTok, Google, JP Morgan Chase, Ford and more. Wendy has designed a simple and immediately actionable system of Power Principles to help people achieve success and fulfillment in their whole lives. For more information: https://fastforwardgroup.net/

Find out why over 1M people view his TED Talks. Join us, especially if you're in Public Safety for a rare look at how extraordinary experiences shape us, our happiness, wellbeing and performance. Paul J. Zak is a professor at Claremont Graduate University and is ranked in the top 0.3% of most cited scientists with over 180 published papers and more than 19,000 citations to his research. Zak’s two decades of research have taken him from the Pentagon to Fortune 50 boardrooms to the rainforest of Papua New Guinea. Along the way he helped start a number of interdisciplinary fields including neuroeconomics, neuromanagement, and neuromarketing. He has written three general audience books and is a regular TED speaker. His latest book, Immersion: The Science of the Extraordinary and Source of Happiness (2022), identifies the neurologic basis for extraordinary experiences and uses 50,000 brain measurements to show readers how to create high-impact training among other benefits.

Atif is the author of Decision Sprint The New Way to Innovate into the Unknown and Move from Strategy to Action, Atif Rafiq has blazed trails in Silicon Valley and the Fortune 500 for over 25 years. After rising through digital native companies like Amazon, Yahoo!, and AOL, Atif held C-suite roles at McDonald’s, Volvo, and MGM Resorts. He oversaw thousands of employees as a global P&L, transformation, and innovation leader. Rafiq was the first Chief Digital Officer in the history of the Fortune 500, a pioneering role he held at McDonalds, and he rose to the president level in the Fortune 300. He currently sits on the Boards of Flutter / Fanduel ($25bn public company); Clearcover (a fintech provider, ranked on the Fast 500); and KINS Capital ($300mm SPAC). Previously, he’s served on the client council for Snapchat (SNAP), as advisor to Slack (acquired by Salesforce for $20bn) and national board member of Defy Ventures (non-profit serving the formerly incarcerated). While leading business units, teams, and growth for companies, Atif has built a large following as one of today’s top management thinkers. Over half a million people follow his ideas about management and leadership on LinkedIn, where he is a Top Voice, and his newsletter Rewire has over 100,000 subscribers. He’s advised and invested in over 30 startups including Headspace, SpaceX, 23&me, Callisto Media, Bullet Proof Nutrition, CONBODY, Byte Mobile and Salad & Go. He is an active speaker at conferences including MIT Artificial Intelligence Summit, Fortune Reinvent, Cannes Lion, SXSW, CES, Google I/O, Twitter Flight, Web Summit, and more. His work has been profiled in the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Mashable, Forbes, CNET, Tech Crunch, and Fast Company. Atif is passionate about helping companies push boldly into the future. He accomplishes this through Ritual, a software app revolutionizing how teams innovate and problem-solve, and through his work as keynote speaker, Board member, and CEO advisor.

Paul Menzel has had a 45-year career of leading others to top performance. This interview will explore some of his learnings about emotional intelligence, developing himself, his team and creating a great organizational culture. Paul was President and CEO Umpqua Bank Equipment Leasing and Finance and recently retired. He joined Financial Pacific Leasing in 2008 after a 33-year career managing a small ticket leasing portfolio operation in Santa Barbara, California. Paul arranged the sale of Financial Pacific Leasing to Umpqua Bank in 2013, establishing a bank leasing subsidiary operating in all markets of the leasing industry. Umpqua has $22 Billion in assets and Financial Pacific Leasing has over $1.5 Billion in assets, which he helped grow from $250 million. Paul has an MBA in Business Management and was named “Leasing Person of the Year” by Leasing News in 2005. He helped develop the Certified Leasing and Finance Professional program.