Innovating Leadership: Co-Creating Our Future

Guest: Jonathan Reams, Chief Creative Officer

You’ve been through leadership training; why didn’t it work?

Because it wasn’t about you. That’s the conclusion Jonathan Reams – the CCO of Norway’s Center for Transformative Leadership – came to. You’re unique, and most off-the-shelf leadership programs don’t take the time for you to dig deep into yourself to discover what makes you tick as a leader…and as a person. He and host Maure...

Guest: Jeroen van der Veer

Crisis and scandal hit your company. The very first thing you must do: abandon your gut instincts. Blame, downplaying, and delay will all make the situation worse. Then follow the example of guest Jeroen Van der Veer; he became CEO of oil giant Royal Dutch Shell in the midst of a major scandal.

He shares what he learned about navigating through crisis in this episode.

Here's what Jeroen and Maureen cove...

Guest: Theo Edmonds, Culture Futurist®

We explore the declining state of American innovation in this episode, focusing on the pivotal role of wonder and creativity in driving growth and innovation in the workplace. Our guest, futurist Theo Edmonds, has identified the key innovation barriers: fear, frustration, and fragmentation. He also identifies solutions to overcome them. It taps into something he calls “The Wonder Economy.”

.He...

Guest: Michelle Harrison, Global CEO, Verian

Join us in an engaging conversation with Michelle Harrison as she discusses the challenges of balancing leadership responsibilities with family life. Michelle shares her personal experiences, the importance of transparency, and the contextual nature of decision-making as a leader. She also dives into inclusivity, gender issues in the workplace, and the significance of creating an envir...

Guest: Diego Ugalde

What if the key to elite leadership isn’t control, but deep self-awareness and emotional intelligence? In this episode, Maureen Metcalf sits down with retired Navy SEAL, leadership expert, and storyteller Diego Ugalde to explore how authenticity, trust, and inner mastery reshape the way we lead.

Drawing from his experience in high-stakes environments and his personal transformation journey, Diego shares powerful...

Guest: Subhanu Saxena, New Rhein managing partner & former Gates Foundation director

Divisiveness goes beyond politics. It creeps into the workplace, too, sapping your teams. Great leaders know how to unite instead of divide their organizations so all energy is devoted to success. Those leaders also know themselves.

Our guest, Subhanu Saxena, explains that mindfulness is the first step in the self-knowledge the best leaders...

Guests: Mike Hardy, ILA Board Chair, & Steve Killelea, Founder of Institute for Economics & Peace

It happened unintentionally, as if by accident: working in Africa, philanthropist Steve Killelea realized economics and peace are deeply intertwined.

Applying the business and leadership acumen that built his fortune in tech, Steve developed his eight pillars for positive peace. These pillars not only predict the fortunes of ...

Guests: Cynthia Cherrey, CEO of the International Leadership Association

There is no single solution. That truism is hard-won wisdom from the leadership experience of guest Cynthia Cherrey. From both research and practice, she’s learned that the issues leaders face are far more complicated than most of us realize.

That’s particularly true today, with a surge in confusion and chaos cascading from the global and national levels rig...

Guest: Helle Bank Jorgensen, CEO of Competent Boards

Are you ready for a robot on your Board of Directors? That’s just one change some corporate boards are considering. In these turbulent times, boards must change – but what are the best options to ensure your organization thrives?

Helle Bank Jorgensen joins host Maureen Metcalf to provide insights she’s garnered from years of studying boards. She sets the stage by sharing the fu...

Guest: Barbara Kellerman, Founding Executive Director, Harvard Kennedy School Center for Public Leadership

Bad leadership is everywhere, running the spectrum from simple incompetence to outright evil. So why don’t we do a better job of calling it out, if not fixing it?

Guest Barbara Kellerman shares her ideas and solutions, including how this is seen in both the political and corporate spheres. She also discusses the oft-forgotten ...

Guests: Henry Mintzberg & Jonathan Gosling, Co-Founders of One Planet Leadership

What does it take to rebalance society and change the world?

Easy: you…and your leadership. Although that answer is easy, accomplishing change can be hard. Guests Henry Mintzberg and Jonathan Gosling have studied this for decades, and share both the issues and the solutions for rebalancing society. It may be difficult for us as leaders – humans t...

Guest: Dr. Juana Bordas

What do leaders lose as DEI falls out of favor? A lot, particularly the richness of multiculturalism.

The value of multicultural perspectives is almost incalculable, according to our guest, Juana Bordas. The benefits are profound for the business, but stretch deep into our communities, too. In this episode, Dr. Bordas shares the principles that set the foundation for cross-cultural leadership from her book S...

Guest: Bjørn Ekelund

Leading across cultures isn’t easy. Success means very different things depending on where you live. Our guest, Bjørn Ekelund, looks at cross-cultural leadership, including the differences in trust and followership between the U.S. and his native Norway.

In the end, understanding these cultural contexts can lead to true flourishing at work!

Here's what Bjørn and Maureen cover:

1. Why people are more importa...

Guest: Kathryn Goldman Schuyler, Ph.D.

From fostering smiles in the office to mindfulness, your personal practices have a major effect on your team – and your success. In fact, what you do as a person – not just as a leader – can ripple through your organization.

That’s one major takeaway from Dr. Kathryn Goldman Schuyler in this episode. She’s conducted extensive research on “waking up at work” – a greater awareness of workplace...

Guest: Ira Chaleff, former executive director of the Congressional Management Foundation

Tyrants can only rise with our help. And they aren’t limited to heads of state. Family heads, corporate CEOs, a town mayor: any leadership role can have tyrannical qualities. As followers, we make them possible.

And we can push them to a better path.

Our guest, Ira Chaleff, studies followership in-depth. He’s identified five categories of f...

Guest: Seth Casden, CEO & co-founder of Hologenix

From the high-stress, competitive world of private equity to boosting human potential: Seth Casden had an unusual journey of leadership growth. In this episode, he tells that story – and how he met and partnered with inventor David Horinek to found Hologenix. Their innovative work is focused on amplifying human potential using body-generated energy. He delves into his transition...

Guests: Peter Cunningham, Co-founder, & Patrick Sweet, Co-Director, of the Geneva Leadership Alliance

Being a great leader means you can’t lead alone anymore. The leadership paradigm is changing.

In this episode, Maureen speaks with Patrick Sweet and Peter Cunningham from the Geneva Center for Security Policy about the evolving nature of leadership. They explore how leadership is no longer just an individual endeavor, but a col...

Guests: Ryan Redington, Amazon Music GM, & Kara Hurst, Chief Sustainability Officer

An open door is an opportunity – and a risk. Assess that risk a little easier with the one-way and two-way door framework. It’s just one of the tools Amazon uses to innovate better and faster.

In this episode, two Amazon execs explain how and why they innovate in areas outside of the company’s stereotypical retail business: in sustainability a...

Guest: Mike Hardy, founder & former director, Coventry University’s Centre for Peace & Security

Is peace relevant to business?

Absolutely, according to Mike Hardy. Profits and stability arise from peacefulness, yet we relegate its pursuit to nonprofit and government leaders. In this episode, Mike shares both his research and diplomatic experience to show how leaders in all sectors can create, and benefit from, peace and s...