Podcast
Connecting to Admired Leadership
Hosted by Admired Leadership · EN
Twice a month, we take 30 minutes to connect leaders to Admired Leadership® content and our Admired Leadership® coaches.
These sessions are specifically tailored for leaders who are craving universal, simple and actionable leadership content. Participants will leave the session with an understanding of Admired Leadership’s behavioral approach as well as valuable insights to implement immediately.
30episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Executive Onboarding and Transitions
Feb 18, 202500:32:07Tap to summarizeEpisode NotesRegister to be part of future conversations in real time hereOr schedule a time to talk directly to our team here Key HighlightsReframe onboarding from orientation to launch: - Focus on strategic priorities and trajectory - Create intentional symbols that demonstrate values - Build relationships with key stakeholdersEverything communicates meaning: - Where leaders spend their time - Who they meet with first - Where they choose to sit - How they structure meetingsBalance quick wins with long-term success: - Slow down to speed up - Listen through smart questioning - Build credibility through small, strategic victories - Avoid major changes before understanding cultureRemote leadership considerations: - Prioritize some in-person time when possible - Multiple short touchpoints better than fewer long ones - Be intentional about communication frequencyNotable Quotes"As a new leader, you own your start, you own your performance, and you own your finish.""The best leaders slow down to speed up.""Four times fifteen is greater than sixty - multiple short touchpoints are more meaningful than one long conversation."Featured SpeakerLisa Colella is a Coach at CRA | Admired Leadership, specializing in executive transitions and organizational communication. She brings extensive experience both implementing and leading executive onboarding programs across various industries.
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Character is Revealed in Success, Not Just Failure
Jan 28, 202500:27:53Tap to summarizeRegister to be part of future conversations in real time hereOr schedule a time to talk directly to our team hereKey HighlightsThe Credibility Equation: Leadership effectiveness comes from both competence (skills and abilities) and character (values and behaviors)While competence is often presumed at senior levels, character must be deliberately demonstratedSuccess provides unique opportunities to showcase character through: - How victories are framed and celebrated - What gets measured and prioritized - The questions leaders choose to ask - How credit is sharedLeadership character differs from personal character and includes elements like: - Degree of collaboration and inclusivity - Approach to accountability - Source and motivation of drive - Level of humility and openness to learningNotable Quotes"Character is not just revealed in times of adversity - those times of success are also great opportunities for leaders and teams to really underscore and reveal character.""Watch the pronouns - there's a big difference between singular credit and group credit.""You can be a leader of high integrity as an individual, but that doesn't necessarily show up in terms of how you display that character as a leader."Featured SpeakerBen Stringfellow is a Coach and Partner at CRA | Admired Leadership with 8 years at the firm and 20 years prior experience as a client and practitioner of the behavioral approach to leadership. Before joining CRA, he held senior operational roles at McDonald's Corporation.
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Overcoming Resistance to Change
Jan 24, 202500:28:23Tap to summarizeRegister to be part of future conversations in real time hereOr schedule a time to talk directly to our team hereKey HighlightsChange is not a curve but a wave - organizations and leaders need to develop skills for continuous adaptation rather than viewing change as a one-time eventCommon mistakes in change management include: - Over-relying on "selling" the change rather than addressing practical concerns - Focusing too much on macro vision while ignoring micro discomforts - Using awareness campaigns and branded merchandise instead of meaningful engagementThe most effective change strategies: - Involve people early through pilots and focus groups - Use peer-to-peer influence rather than just top-down communication - Balance speed of implementation with organizational capacityDifferent organizational levels face unique challenges: - Top leaders must be willing to repeat messages multiple times - Middle managers need to focus on translation and cross-team collaboration - Front-line leaders must balance regular operations with change initiativesNotable Quotes"Change is not a noun, it's a verb - let's get really good at changing.""The most credible people in a change are usually not the senior-most leaders... it's other peer-like people who have gone through it recently.""There's a myth that you can avoid all discomfort, that if somehow you get people excited enough and cheerleading enough that somehow, magically, all issues will go away."Featured SpeakerDiana Hong is an Executive Coach and Partner at CRA | Admired Leadership with over 13 years at the firm. Prior to joining CRA, she spent 10+ years in finance. She specializes in helping organizations and leaders navigate complex change initiatives effectively.
Transcribe →Why Are Some Leaders Praise Stingy?
Jan 9, 202500:26:23Tap to summarizeRegister to be part of future conversations in real time hereOr schedule a time to talk directly to our team hereKey HighlightsAdmired Leaders excel at both driving performance AND creating strong followership - a rare combination found in only a small percentage of leadersThe Admired Leadership approach focuses on universal behaviors that: - Can be explained in under 5 minutes - Are immediately actionable - Work across all demographics and industriesOn Praise and Recognition: - Admired Leaders tend to be "praise stingy" but highly effective with positive feedback - They distinguish between general praise and specific positive feedback - When they do give praise, they make it count by being specific and meaningfulKey Insight: The difference between praise and positive feedback is utility - positive feedback tells people exactly what they did well and what to continue doingPractical Application: - Leaders struggling with giving recognition can focus on specific positive feedback rather than general praise - Consider tracking system to ensure giving at least one piece of positive feedback daily - Recognition can extend beyond work to family and personal relationshipsNotable Quotes"Leadership is what you do at the end of the day. It's how you approach a room and the behaviors and routines that you bring into that room.""We're not in the business of changing who people are - we're focused on behaviors that make leaders more effective.""When Admired Leaders praise, they praise the right people in the right way for the right things."Featured SpeakerSuzanne Peterson Ph.D. is an Admired Leadership Coach and Partner. She provides counsel and coaching to senior leaders primarily on Wall Street and other financial services companies.
Transcribe →How The Best Leaders Inspire and Motivate Others
Jan 9, 202500:27:57Tap to summarizeRegister to be part of future conversations in real time hereOr schedule a time to talk directly to our team hereKey HighlightsLeadership Behaviors: - Universal and immediately actionable - Can be explained in under 5 minutes - Work across personal and professional contextsThird-Party Compliments: - Sharing positive feedback about someone to another person - Acts like a "time-release vitamin" - impact happens when it naturally comes back to the person - More powerful than direct praise because there's no "but" attached - Works in both professional and personal contextsImplementation Tips: - Start in low-risk situations - Practice across all areas of life (work, family, community) - Share genuine, authentic observations - Focus on both who people are and what they doCommon Pitfalls to Avoid: - The "crap sandwich" feedback technique (praise-criticism-praise) - Using behaviors as techniques rather than developing them as authentic routines - Trying new behaviors first in high-risk situations - Over-using or forcing the behavior insincerelyNotable Quotes"Leadership is what you do. It's how you approach a room and the behaviors and routines that you bring into that room.""Who we are for our kids the research suggests at times is more important than what we do for them.""Try it on... especially if you're a skeptic, see what happens."Featured SpeakerJohn Cook is an Admired Leadership Coach and Partner. He primarily works with senior executives across organizations from small companies to the largest financial services firms in the world.
Transcribe →How Admired Leaders Communicate Honestly in Times of Uncertainty
Jan 9, 202500:30:08Tap to summarizeRegister to be part of future conversations in real time hereOr schedule a time to talk directly to our team hereKey HighlightsFramework for Managing Uncertainty: - What will definitely happen - What will probably happen - What we don't know yet - What probably won't happen - What definitely won't happenCommunication Principles: - You cannot "not communicate" - everything sends a message - Information vacuums get filled with assumptions, usually negative ones - Higher uncertainty requires more frequent communication - Even "no updates" updates are valuable during uncertain timesBest Practices: - Align leadership team on messaging before communicating - Be transparent about what is known and unknown - Commit to specific timeframes for updates - Treat people like "fully formed adults" - Avoid hiding or staying silent out of fear of misspeakingKey Leadership Insight: - Clarity doesn't mean having all the answers - It means being clear about what you know and don't know - Consider using this framework: "We don't know everything yet, we reserve the right to get smarter and change course, but we won't compromise on [core value]"Notable Quotes"You cannot not communicate - everything you do sends a message.""The higher the degree of uncertainty, the more frequent your communication needs to be.""Don't hide in your office - treat people like fully formed adults."Featured SpeakerCarolynne Thomas is an Admired Leadership Coach and Partner at CRA | Admired Leadership. She specializes in leadership and communication, particularly during times of organizational change and uncertainty.
Transcribe →The Power of Scheduling Conversations Instead of Meetings
Jan 9, 202500:28:53Tap to summarizeRegister to be part of future conversations in real time hereOr schedule a time to talk directly to our team hereKey HighlightsMeetings vs. Conversations: - Meetings are typically transactional, agenda-driven, and task-focused - Conversations are more exploratory, relationship-focused, and dynamic - Both serve different purposes and are valuable in different contextsCharacteristics of Effective Conversations: - Usually involve fewer people than meetings - More question-based than agenda-driven - Follow the energy of discussion rather than rigid structure - Focus on creating shared understanding - Often lead to unexpected insights and connectionsImplementation Strategies: - Assess existing organizational norms before making changes - Take incremental steps rather than dramatic shifts - Be explicit about expectations and intentions - Consider breaking larger groups into smaller conversation clusters - Use conversations as pre-work for larger meetingsManaging Conversation Dynamics: - Carefully select participants based on contribution potential - Stay open to valuable tangents while managing disruptions - Balance loud voices by amplifying quieter ones - Create space for multiple perspectivesNotable Quotes"Leadership is what you do - the actions, behaviors, habits, and routines that you bring into a space.""You can actually get as much if not more done through really good curated conversations than you can in meetings.""Don't ask yourself if you need a meeting or conversation accidentally or subconsciously - think deliberately and strategically about it."Featured SpeakerBen Stringfellow is an Admired Leadership Coach and Partner at CRA. His operational leadership experience with large organizations brings practical, action-oriented approach to leadership development.
Transcribe →What Level of Trust You Experience With Team Members
Jan 9, 202500:29:08Tap to summarizeRegister to be part of future conversations in real time hereOr schedule a time to talk directly to our team hereKey HighlightsFive Levels of Trust: - Initial rapport and first impressions - Consistency and reliability - Competence and expertise - Emotional safety and vulnerability - Deep mutual reciprocity and shared goalsBuilding Trust: - Trust is not all-or-nothing - Different relationships require different types of trust - Trust must be built intentionally and strategically - Trust becomes more resilient with depth and breadthBest Practices: - Show genuine curiosity about others - Track and follow up on important details - Focus on understanding others' motivations and goals - Create opportunities for reciprocityCommon Challenges: - Avoiding "manufactured" or inauthentic relationship building - Building trust when it doesn't come naturally - Recovering from broken trust - Balancing professional and personal connectionsNotable Quotes"Trust is not all-or-nothing - there are different levels and types of trust for different relationships.""The head is a terrible place to keep things - being disciplined about relationships shows you care.""Think about feeding relationships like a balanced diet - you need variety and depth to build resilience."Featured SpeakerDiana Hong is an Admired Leadership Coach and Partner at CRA | Admired Leadership. She primarily focuses on helping leaders build authentic relationships and develop effective leadership styles.
Transcribe →Pecking Order of Culture and Strategy and Talent
Jan 9, 202500:29:45Tap to summarizeRegister to be part of future conversations in real time hereOr schedule a time to talk directly to our team here Key HighlightsLeadership Policies and Culture: - Policies act as powerful symbols of organizational values - Example: Including cultural behaviors in performance evaluations - Hybrid work policies reflect cultural priorities around collaboration - Every policy decision communicates organizational valuesEffective Leadership Communication: - Leaders must be goal-oriented in communications - Everything communicates something - even silence or inaction - Style should match the situation and relationship - Balance between powerful and attractive communication stylesCultural Pillars vs Company Values: - Values are foundational beliefs - Cultural pillars are the behavioral expressions of those values - Pillars show how values should be lived day-to-day - Culture is only as strong as leadership's tolerance for misalignmentBuilding Strong Culture: - Culture is built through daily choices and behaviors - Not about perks but about consistent leadership actions - Requires intentional, ongoing practice - Must clearly connect policies to business needs and valuesNotable Quotes"There's no way to not communicate, and there's no way to not have a culture. Everything you say or do, or don't do, is communicating something.""Culture can only be as strong as the degree to which leadership tolerates any misalignment to it.""It's not about the fancy ping pong tables - it really comes down to the day-to-day choices of leadership and team members."Featured SpeakerLisa Colella is an Admired Leadership Coach at CRA | Admired Leadership. She has extensive experience helping organizations align their policies, communications and culture.
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The Type of Change People Most Support
Jan 9, 202500:29:58Tap to summarizeRegister to be part of future conversations in real time hereOr schedule a time to talk directly to our team here Key HighlightsChange Management Framework: - Traditional change curve comes from grief literature - Change is better viewed as a wave rather than a curve - Focus on building adaptable skillsets that transfer across different changes - Success comes from co-creation rather than top-down implementationEffective Communication During Change: - Balance between over and under-communication - Use "best case/worst case/reality" framework - Maintain consistent communication cadence - Be transparent about what is known and unknownAction Steps for Leaders: - Categorize what can be directly controlled vs influenced - Identify what are problems (solvable) vs dilemmas (must be managed) - Create opportunities for team members to co-create solutions - Build transferable change management skillsCommon Pitfalls to Avoid: - Over-communicating without sufficient details - Under-communicating and allowing rumor mills to develop - Making unrealistic promises about control over outcomes - Treating change as a one-time event rather than ongoing processNotable Quotes"Change is a wave, not a curve - there's always another change coming.""The change people most adopt is the one they're co-creating.""If you end up getting bored with a message, it's probably the right amount of times you're repeating it."Featured SpeakerDiana Hong is an Admired Leadership Coach and Partner at CRA | Admired Leadership. She specializes in helping leaders navigate organizational change and development.
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