The Enlightened Executive

You may not think of yourself as a performer, but as a leader, your presence is always on stage. 

In this episode of The Enlightened Executive, Susan Drumm interviews culture and storytelling expert Mike Ganino on the hidden performance behind every company culture. From improv stages to executive boardrooms, Mike reveals how unspoken patterns and leadership presence shape what your team believes, repeats, and trusts. 

Together, we...

Most leaders double down on strategy when pressure hits, but what if the real competitive edge lies in creativity? 

In this episode of The Enlightened Executive, I speak with Natalie Nixon, creativity strategist and author of Move, Think, Rest, about why creativity, not control, is the next frontier in leadership. Natalie shares her human-centered framework for redesigning work in the face of burnout, complexity, and hybrid teams.

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You can be brilliant with numbers and still miss the pattern that's holding you back.

In this episode of The Enlightened Executive, financial behaviorist Jacquette Timmons shares the pivotal moment when her longtime CPA asked, "When are you going to stop mortgaging your life?" That one question revealed a blind spot that changed how she approached her business, her money, and her leadership. 

We discuss: 

•     Why blind spots f...

What if your biggest life challenges became the catalyst for your boldest leadership chapter yet? 

Petra Kolber is no stranger to adversity. She's survived cancer twice, pivoted from global fitness icon to mindset coach, and now serves as VP of Mindset for the Daisie Foundation. In this powerful conversation, Petra joins host Susan Drumm to share how midlife became her launchpad, not her slowdown.

Together, they explore:

• Why r...

What does it really mean to lead with authenticity—and how do you know when it's courageous vs. careless? 

In this episode of The Enlightened Executive, host Susan Drumm sits down with Cindy Adams, executive coach and co-founder of The Enneagram in Business Network, to explore one of the most misunderstood leadership traits: authenticity. 

Together, we unpack: 

•     Why "saying it like it is" can sometimes sabotage your impact 
...

What do you do when everything goes sideways?

In this episode of The Enlightened Executive, I sit down with Juliette Kayyem, Harvard professor, former Assistant Secretary at Homeland Security under President Obama, and CNN Senior National Security Analyst.

Juliette shares how today's leaders can build resilience before the crisis hits, and what it takes to make clear, confident decisions under pressure.

We cover:

• The neuroscie...

What if your greatest strength as a CEO is also your biggest limitation?

In this episode of The Enlightened Executive, Susan Drumm sits down with Allison Maslan, aserial entrepreneur, author, and CEO of Pinnacle Global Network, to explore a critical challenge most high-performing leaders face: 

👉 Becoming the bottleneck in their own business. 

Allison has built 10 companies and now mentors thousands of CEOs through her Scale-It Me...

What would you do if you came face to face with the person who murdered your father?

Candice Mama chose forgiveness and in doing so transformed her life and her leadership.

In this episode of The Enlightened Executive Candice shares her journey from deep resentment to peace and the lessons leaders can use to navigate betrayal conflict and personal hardship. 

You will hear how to:

• Recognize the hidden costs of staying in a vict...

What if your biggest leadership mistakes aren't due to poor judgment—but hidden assumptions? 

In this episode of The Enlightened Executive, Susan Drumm speaks with Dr. Alan Barnard, one of the world's top decision scientists and a leading expert in the Theory of Constraints. Together, they unpack why even high-performing leaders make bad decisions—and how to avoid the most common traps that derail clarity and performance. 

You'll d...

Discomfort Isn't the Enemy: How to Lead Through Challenge with Sterling Hawkins 

What if the key to becoming a breakthrough leader isn't more confidence or clarity—but more discomfort?  

In this episode of The Enlightened Executive, Susan Drumm talks with Sterling Hawkins—author, keynote speaker, and founder of the "No Matter What" movement—about why the most effective leaders don't avoid discomfort. They leverage it. 

Sterling sha...

The Power of Boundaries: Unlocking Innovation Through Constraints with Rachel Druckenmiller 

Episode Description: 
What do photographing polar bears in the Arctic and leading high-performing teams have in common? More than you might think. 

In this episode of The Enlightened Executive, Susan Drumm sits down with Rachel Druckenmiller—leadership strategist, keynote speaker, and founder of Avenue M Group—to explore how boundaries and ...

What if the greatest leadership transformation doesn't start with a new strategy—but with a shift in you? 

In this episode of The Enlightened Executive, Daniel McCollum joins Susan Drumm to explore how self-awareness, vulnerability, and intentional growth become the foundation for high-performing teams and thriving organizational culture. Together, they unpack why inner development is no longer optional for executives—and how simpl...

What if the secret to getting more done—and feeling better doing it—wasn't about pushing harder, but pausing smarter? In this episode of The Enlightened Executive, I sit down with internationally recognized Qigong master and author Lee Holden to explore how strategic slowing down can unlock your highest leadership energy. Lee shares insights from his new book, Ready, Set, Slow, and breaks down why ancient wisdom and modern science ...

Does this resonate? For years, I believed leadership was about pushing harder, working longer, and showing up no matter how depleted I felt. It seemed like success demanded constant resilience—never slowing down. But that old narrative, as my guest Jayne Warrilow shared, doesn't create great leaders. It creates burnout. Isolation. Disconnection. Jayne is an entrepreneur and thought leader, and founder of Sacred Changemakers. a glob...

What if the secret to becoming a more effective leader lies not in developing a subject matter expertise and amassing years of experience, but in embracing a simple question: "Why?" In a world where innovation and forward momentum often define success, stopping to question why can be the difference maker for effective and enlightened leaders. I recently sat down with Brandon Fong, host of the globally ranked Beyond Curious podcast,...

High-performing teams don't happen by accident. You can hire the best people, offer competitive salaries, and set ambitious goals—but if you don't intentionally build a strong, aligned culture, your team will never reach its full potential. So, what separates good teams from world-class teams? That's exactly what I explored in my conversation with Jay Rosenzweig, an executive leadership strategist, social impact entrepreneur, and f...

Why does changing old habits always feel like an uphill battle, even when we genuinely want to change? Understanding the science behind our behaviors isn't just a nice-to-have; it's essential for growth. Natalie McVeigh, an executive coach specializing in neuroscience and conversational intelligence, and I dove deep into this enlightening topic. Natalie has dedicated her career to understanding the intricacies of human behavior and...

How does one measure the true value of a leader?  Is it in strategy and profits or does it go deeper and look at empathy, followership and visionary thinking?  I had the opportunity to dive into the world of conscious leadership with Justin Breen, an extraordinary visionary and CEO/Co-Founder of Epic F.I.T. Network, which was recently named one of the Top 5 Masterminds in the world by Business Traveler USA Magazine. Envisioning lea...

What if the key to unlocking exponential growth lies not in (only) maximizing profits, but in genuinely caring for all stakeholders? In a world where businesses prioritize the bottom line, many overlook the transformative power of a mission that serves customers, employees, and the community. Recently I spoke with Philip Wilson, the founder and CEO of Ecofiltro, whose journey from personal crisis to impactful leadership is nothing ...