• 747: How to Get Out of a Rut, with Anne-Laure Le Cunff
    Sep 1 2025
    Anne-Laure Le Cunff: Tiny Experiments Anne-Laure Le Cunff is an award-winning neuroscientist, entrepreneur, and writer. She is the founder of Ness Labs and author of its widely read newsletter, a researcher at the ADHD Research Lab, and an advisor for the Applied Neuroscience Association. She is the author of Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World*. We all get into a rut sometimes. Once we notice we’re in one, our tendency is to work really hard to get out of it. In this conversation, Anne-Laure and I explore how starting with something tiny is often the better bet. Key Points SMART goals assume we know exactly where we’re heading. Most of the time, that’s not clear. A tiny experiment focuses on outputs instead of outcomes. To build more comfort with uncertainty, find one small place to experiment. Our brain uses growth loops to constantly adjust our trajectory. We don’t go in circles; we grow in circles. Improving growth isn’t about knowledge or skill, it’s thinking about your thinking, questioning your responses, and knowing your mind. A simple, 5-minute tool is Plus Minus Next. It surfaces what’s working, what’s not, and your next steps. Resources Mentioned Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World* by Anne-Laure Le Cunff Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes How to Become the Person You Want to Be, with James Clear (episode 376) How to Change Your Behavior, with BJ Fogg (episode 507) How to Create Space, with Juliet Funt (episode 540) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.
    Show More Show Less
    29 mins
  • Stop What’s Holding You Back, with Anna Bellini
    Aug 27 2025
    Dave speaks with Anna Bellini, an alum of the Coaching for Leaders Academy, on how to stop a behavior in order to move forward. Applications to the Coaching for Leaders Academy will open the first week of September. Visit the Academy page to request an early invitation.
    Show More Show Less
    18 mins
  • 746: How to Make Small Talk with Executives, with Lorraine K. Lee
    Aug 25 2025
    Lorraine K. Lee: Unforgettable Presence Lorraine K. Lee is passionate about helping ambitious professionals go from invisible to unforgettable in the modern workplace. She is recognized as a LinkedIn Top Voice in workplace communication and presence and spent over a decade as a founding editor at top tech firms like LinkedIn and Prezi, where she worked on core products including the LinkedIn Daily News module and LinkedIn Newsletters. She is the author of Unforgettable Presence: Get Seen, Gain Influence, and Catapult Your Career. Small talk. We all love to hate it – and we also know that most of us will end up in small talk with someone who’s got a lot of influence. It may be an executive or an external stakeholder. Either way, handling it well can open up doors. In this conversation, Lorraine and I detail how to make small talk go better. Key Points Small talk is the starting point before a deeper relationship. Most opportunities for executive small talk are predictable. Preparation will help you speak well. Set the tone with positive energy. Rather than dominating the interaction or passively reacting to it, thread your conversations so each party shares equally. At the office, be ready with a sentence or two about who you work with and what you’re working on. Relationships and outcomes are more memorable than titles. At social events, share a hobby or interest and ask about theirs. Keep questions open-ended as you would with a friend. Have a topic ready to go for quick interactions. Sharing a thought about a book or podcast that relates to your organization is a useful resource to have at the ready. Review your go-to topics regularly so that you always have a relevant conversation topic. Resources Mentioned Unforgettable Presence: Get Seen, Gain Influence, and Catapult Your Career by Lorraine K. Lee Lorraine's weekly newsletter Lorraine's career tips on LinkedIn Learning Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes Executive Presence with Your Elevator Speech, with Tom Henschel (episode 316) How to Talk to People Who Intimidate You, with Shandy Welch (episode 706) A Key Tactic for Way Better Conversations, with Alison Wood Brooks (episode 717) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.
    Show More Show Less
    39 mins
  • Building Team Visibility, with Mel Rivera
    Aug 21 2025
    Dave speaks with Mel Rivera, an alum of the Coaching for Leaders Academy, on how she built visibility for her team. Applications to the Coaching for Leaders Academy will open the first week of September. Visit the Academy page to request an early invitation.
    Show More Show Less
    21 mins
  • 745: How Music Can Help Us Lead, with Mort Sherman
    Aug 18 2025
    Mort Sherman: Resonant Minds Mort Sherman is the retired Senior Associate Executive Director of the American Association of School Administrators, known for his visionary leadership as a superintendent dedicated to elevating academic standards and promoting equitable education. Throughout his career, he championed initiatives that addressed achievement gaps and empowered communities to foster inclusive, impactful learning environments. He is the author, along with his daughter Sara Leila Sherman, of Resonant Minds: The Transformative Power of Music, One Note at a Time. So many of us love music, and it’s often at the core of a lot of our personal lives, celebrations, and emotions. But we don’t often think about how we can leverage its power at work. In this conversation, Mort and I explore how music can help us set the tone for better leadership. Key Points One way to nurture our teams and ourselves is a continual call for leaders, and music is an avenue we don’t often consider. Using music as mindful action, coupled with executive function skills, supports the habits of successful leadership. Start meetings with music or mindfulness exercises for collective focus, productive discussions, and creative outcomes. Create team playlists to build community. Combine playlists with meetings to help support trust and respect. Use music to reinforce a message or theme, tied to the needs of the moment. Resources Mentioned Why Cooks Cook from The Bear Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes The Power of Leadership Through Hospitality, with Will Guidara (episode 688) How to Better Manage Your Emotions, with Ethan Kross (episode 719) What Leaders Should Learn from Taylor Swift, with Kevin Evers (episode 739) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus
    Show More Show Less
    39 mins
  • The Power of Starting Small, with Erann Lincoln
    Aug 14 2025
    Dave speaks with Erann Lincoln, an alum of the Coaching for Leaders Academy, on how she started small to build stronger relationships with her team. Applications to the Coaching for Leaders Academy will open the first week of September. Visit the Academy page to request an early invitation.
    Show More Show Less
    16 mins
  • 744: Where Being Selfish is Better, with Jenny Wood
    Aug 11 2025
    Jenny Wood: Wild Courage Over an 18-year career at Google, Jenny Wood grew from entry-level to executive, most recently leading a large operations team that helped drive billions of revenue per year. In 2021, she started a passion project within Google called Own Your Career, which grew to one of the largest career development programs in Google’s history. Her work has since been featured in Harvard Business Review, Entrepreneur, and Forbes, and she’s now the author of Wild Courage: Go After What You Want and Get It*. Leadership is about serving others – and it’s also ensuring that we take care of ourselves along the way. Sometimes leaders over-index on helping their organizations and teams, to their own detriment. In this conversation, Jenny and I explore where being a little more selfish might actually be better for everyone. Key Points Selfish redefined means having the courage to stand up for what you want. People want to join a winning team, even if they don’t say that out loud. Guilt is natural, but always caving to it is self-defeating. Don’t do work that’s not actually promotable. There’s no prize for an empty inbox. A belief like “I owe it to them,” may signal an over-commitment to the organization. They will not love you back. Appreciate truth when you get it, but don’t sign up for a burned-out boss. It’s inefficient to always be in the lead. Draft in another leader’s wake. Resources Mentioned Wild Courage: Go After What You Want and Get It* by Jenny Wood Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes Align Your Calendar to What Matters, with Nir Eyal (episode 431) The Ways Leadership Can Derail Us, with Bill George (episode 596) The Path to More Joy in Work and Life, with Judith Joseph (episode 734) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.
    Show More Show Less
    40 mins
  • 743: How to Teach Your Expertise to Others, with Roger Kneebone
    Aug 4 2025
    Roger Kneebone: Expert Roger Kneebone directs the Imperial College Centre for Engagement and Simulation Science and the Royal College of Music–Imperial College Centre for Performance Science. He researches what experts from different fields can learn from one another, including a creative team of clinicians, computer scientists, musicians, magicians, potters, puppeteers, tailors, and fighter pilots. He is the author of Expert: Understanding the Path to Mastery*. Many leaders get into the roles they have because they are the experts in their work. But once you’re leading, the work is less about being the expert and more about teaching your expertise to others. In this conversation, Roger and I explore how to get better at doing this well. Key Points Experts don’t often recognize that they are experts. A characteristic of many experts is a dissatisfaction with where they are and an awareness that they could do better. Experts should notice what’s missing and what would be most helpful to the less experienced person. Effective teachers zero in on one thing at a time, even if they notice many areas for improvement. Passing along expertise is not just the skills themselves but the perspective of why each skill matters. Land in the zone of proximal development. The skill should neither be too easy nor too difficult. Resources Mentioned Expert: Understanding the Path to Mastery* by Roger Kneebone Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes Help People Learn Through Powerful Teaching, with Pooja Agarwal (episode 421) The Art of Mentoring Well, with Robert Lefkowitz (episode 599) How to Handle High-Pressure Situations, with Dan Dworkis (episode 701) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.
    Show More Show Less
    37 mins