Leadership NOW with Dan Pontefract

Leadership NOW with Dan Pontefract

Dan Pontefract is an award-winning author, leadership strategist, and culture change expert. Dan's podcast explores all aspects of leadership, organizational culture, purpose, and professional development. Dan is the best-selling author of five books: WORK-LIFE BLOOM, LEAD. CARE. WIN., OPEN TO THINK, THE PURPOSE EFFECT, and FLAT ARMY. A renowned speaker, Dan has presented at four different TED events and also writes for Forbes and Harvard Business Review. Dan is an adjunct professor at the University of Victoria, Gustavson School of Business, and has garnered more than 20 industry awards over his career. Previously, as Chief Envisioner and Chief Learning Officer at TELUS—a Canadian telecommunications company with revenues of $14 billion and 50,000 global employees—he launched the Transformation Office, the TELUS MBA, and the TELUS Leadership Philosophy, all award-winning initiatives that dramatically helped to increase the company’s employee engagement to record levels of nearly 90%. Prior to TELUS, he held senior roles at SAP, Business Objects, and BCIT. He is honoured to be on the Thinkers50 radar list.

Episodes

Ron Tite: Purpose Is A Growth Strategy

December 6, 2025 • 37 mins
Purpose has become the corporate word of the decade, yet in many organizations it behaves more like a slogan than a strategy. In this Leadership NOW conversation, I sit down with Ron Tite, author of "The Purpose of Purpose," to explore what changes when leaders treat purpose as a true engine of growth rather than a glossy story for the website. We dig into the tension between what organizations claim to stand for and what people a...
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Dr. Megan Gerhardt On Gentelligence And Leading Across Generations

November 25, 2025 • 39 mins
Dr. Megan Gerhardt joins Leadership NOW to unpack Gentelligence, her research-driven approach to leading an intergenerational workforce. We talk about why the narrative around generations has been so negative and how chronocentrism quietly convinces each age group that its way is the only right way to work. Megan explains how Gentelligence reframes age differences as a form of intelligence rather than a headache and why standards ...
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Serve the Customer’s Customer with Executive Coach Shakeel Bharmal

November 10, 2025 • 37 mins
Shakeel Bharmal lays out a practical playbook for relevance and performance. Begin with the customer’s customer to escape your own lens and create value that sticks. Coach as your default leadership stance—“Leadership is 80% about being a coach.” Make strategy a conversation that welcomes challenge and builds a stronger team, not just a document—“The real opportunity is digging into the genius in the room.” Use AI to deepen t...
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James Root of Bain & Company - Designing Work Around Six Archetypes

October 14, 2025 • 37 mins
James Root of Bain & Company unpacks "The Archetype Effect"—six distinct motivations that show up across roles, industries, and countries—and why a one-path ladder misses most of the value. We explore how to design work around what people actually care about, not what old systems assume. We get practical: keep the ladder for Strivers while building credible paths for Artisans, Explorers, Givers, and Pioneers. We also push back on ...
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CEO Victoria Tomlinson on Unretirement, Age Inclusion, and Older Workers

September 29, 2025 • 34 mins
Victoria Tomlinson, chief executive of Next-Up, FRSA, BBC Expert Woman, bestselling author, TEDx and international speaker, explains how to value and invest in 50+ talent before and after retirement. We explore the Three R’s—recruitment, retention, redundancy by age—succession done properly, tech confidence vs. capability, and intergenerational teams. Victoria’s track record spans EY’s leadership team, 30 years at Northern Ligh...
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David Liddle on Rewriting People and Culture

September 26, 2025 • 49 mins
David Liddle argues that legacy grievance and disciplinary procedures corrode trust, suppress performance, and institutionalize fear. In this conversation, the TCM Group and People and Culture Association founder outlines a practical reset: retire retributive processes in favour of an integrated resolution framework, build genuinely predictive People and Culture capability, and own the AI agenda with integrity. We cover his Seven...
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Christa Haberstock on Being Bookable as a Speaker

July 18, 2025 • 39 mins
What does it take to go from “nice-to-have” to non-negotiable? In this episode of Leadership NOW, Dan Pontefract sits down with Christa Haberstock—founder of See Agency and Bookable Speakers, and author of Become a Bookable Speaker. Together, they unpack what it means to lead with an “obvious advantage”—the kind of value that gets you rebooked, respected, and remembered. From her early days selling keynote talent on 100% commis...
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Maria Franzoni on Bookability and Leading in the Speaking Industry

June 24, 2025 • 40 mins
Maria Franzoni has booked Neil Armstrong and Liza Minnelli—and mentored hundreds of speakers in between. In this episode of Leadership NOW with Dan Pontefract, she explains what separates the truly bookable speaker from the rest, and how those same principles apply to leadership, business, and long-term impact. We explore how speaker bureaus are evolving in an AI-enabled world, what event organizers actually want, and why celebrit...
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Mandy Gill on Grit, Goals & Getting Back Up

June 18, 2025 • 39 mins
What do ultra-marathons, workplace distractions, and failed goals have in common? Mandy Gill. In this candid episode of Leadership NOW with Dan Pontefract, Mandy shares her journey—from overcoming anorexia to guiding leaders through resilience and workplace wellness. Her book "Reset with Resilience" is a blueprint for bouncing forward through setbacks. We explore her signature “catch it, check it, change it” method, the psychology...
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Jennifer Fondrevay on Fixing the Human Side of M&A

May 7, 2025 • 39 mins
When companies go through a merger or acquisition, most leaders obsess over financials and spreadsheets. But according to Jennifer Fondrevay—founder of Day1 Ready and author of Now What?—the real failure happens when leadership ignores people. In this episode of Leadership NOW, we explore what really drives post-acquisition chaos, the arrogance of deal-making, and why culture buddies and pre-mortems are essential to getting it ri...
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Ageism is Hurting Your Organization with Maureen Wiley Clough

April 19, 2025 • 35 mins
Maureen Wiley Clough, seasoned technology leader and host of the podcast It Gets Late Early, joins Dan Pontefract on Leadership NOW to discuss the overlooked yet costly issue of ageism in today’s workplaces. Clough highlights why age diversity isn’t simply an ethical responsibility but a strategic advantage. She dismantles harmful myths about older employees’ technological capability, cost, and adaptability, and provides actionab...
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CEO Gary Officer Wants Organizations to Stop Ignoring Older Workers

April 9, 2025 • 38 mins
Gary Officer, President and CEO of CWI Labs, joins Dan Pontefract on Leadership NOW to discuss why organizations repeatedly overlook older workers—and why it's strategically and socially damaging. Officer explains how ageism impacts organizational productivity, innovation, and culture. He debunks common myths around older employees' technological skills, health care costs, and salary expectations, offering compelling insights and...
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Author Faisal Hoque on Preserving Humanity in the Artificial Intelligence Era

April 5, 2025 • 36 mins
In this insightful episode of Leadership NOW, Dan sits down with entrepreneur and acclaimed author Faisal Hoque to discuss the transformative power—and hidden perils—of artificial intelligence. Drawing from his latest book, "TRANSCEND: Unlocking Humanity in the Age of AI," Faisal explores why the greatest leadership challenge today is balancing AI’s vast potential with human judgment, ethics, and dignity. Faisal and Dan dive deep ...
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75-Year-Old Founder Rose Fass Wants Leaders to Stop Ignoring the Messy Middle

March 26, 2025 • 37 mins
Rose Fass, founder of Fass Forward Consulting Group and former CTO at Xerox, joins Dan Pontefract on Leadership NOW to discuss why organizations repeatedly overlook the crucial layer of middle management. Rose reveals the critical role of the "messy middle" in translating strategy into execution and why senior leaders must meaningfully engage rather than ignore these vital managers. She explains how genuine, unscripted conversatio...
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Author Kevin Eikenberry Wants Leaders to Stop Clinging to Habit

March 17, 2025 • 36 mins
Rigid leadership is failing us—especially now. On this episode of Leadership NOW, Dan Pontefract speaks with bestselling author and leadership expert Kevin Eikenberry about his latest book, "Flexible Leadership: Navigate Uncertainty and Lead with Confidence." Eikenberry argues persuasively that leaders trapped in habitual thinking or overly reliant on personality labels miss opportunities to adapt effectively in today’s complex wo...
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The Expertise and Knowledge Crisis with Dr. Richard E. Clark

March 12, 2025 • 41 mins
In this episode of Leadership NOW, we delve into the critical issue of knowledge loss within organizations. When seasoned employees retire or depart, they often take invaluable tacit knowledge with them—expertise that isn't documented in manuals or training materials.​ Join us as we explore the insights of Dr. Richard Clark, Professor Emeritus at the University of Southern California, who has dedicated his career to addressing thi...
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Dr. Keith Keating on Why L&D Is Failing and How to Fix It

March 5, 2025 • 46 mins
Learning and Development (L&D) teams are at a crossroads. Too many still operate as order takers, delivering training on request without questioning whether it’s the right solution. Dr. Keith Keating, Chief Learning and Development Officer at BDO Canada and author of "The Trusted Learning Advisor," believes this outdated mindset limits impact and credibility. In this episode of Leadership NOW with Dan Pontefract, Keating explains ...
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Are Leaders Ready for an Aging Workforce? Featuring CEO and Author Avivah Wittenberg-Cox

February 21, 2025 • 34 mins
The workforce is aging, but many leaders are still acting as if nothing has changed. On this episode of Leadership NOW with Dan Pontefract, CEO and author Avivah Wittenberg-Cox, a global expert on gender, generational shifts, and longevity, unpacks what organizations must do to stay ahead. She explains why age diversity is a leadership blind spot, how demographic shifts are reshaping talent strategies, and what wise leaders are ...
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Death to the February Fiasco: Why Annual Performance Reviews Must Go

February 20, 2025 • 23 mins
In this blunt, zero-guests, and entertaining episode of Leadership NOW, Dan Pontefract unleashes his frustrations on the outdated practice of the annual performance review. He traces its historical roots, explains why it hurt engagement and innovation, and offers a better path forward. If you are tired of cramming twelve months of work into a single, awkward meeting, tune in for Dan’s pointed critique and practical alternatives ...
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Liberian Peace Activist and Entrepreneur Fatu Kaba and the Importance of Storytelling

February 19, 2025 • 36 mins
Storytelling shapes leadership, builds trust, and creates lasting change. On this episode of Leadership NOW with Dan Pontefract, Fatu Kaba, a Liberian peace activist, entrepreneur, and author, shares how storytelling became her most powerful tool. From surviving civil war to advocating for marginalized voices, she discusses how truth-telling challenges systems, fosters inclusion, and strengthens leadership. Fatu explains why lead...
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