Podcast
Sheer Clarity
Hosted by J. Kevin McHugh · EN
The podcast that helps you become a more confident, thoughtful, and successful leader.
In under 30 minutes each week, you’ll get access to more than 25 years worth of conversations and coaching that have been shared with thousands of CEO’s in management retreats, small group sessions, intimate coaching engagements and more. This show will help you find your intersection of business acumen focused on results, self-awareness in the secular setting, and spiritual awakening for your meaning and purpose in this world. Many super-smart and, successful people wield power over others but struggle to eliminate the self-sabotaging behaviors which cause a loss of reputation and influence. So whether you think you’ve been on top of your game for 30+ years, or you’re just starting the long journey to get ahead, Kevin will guide you to be a more confident, thoughtful leader. These powerful stories and institutional experiences will help you get woke, with a healthy mix of emotional intelligence and experiential learning like drum beating, dancing, sweat lodges, and smudging ceremonies, but without the mess, extra noise, or boring corporate training models. These stories will help you connect with yourself and tap into the best you have to offer in order to excel.
14episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Gareth Vaughan - Building a Legacy with Humility (The Northeast Ohio Series)
Nov 19, 202000:41:49Tap to summarizeTaking over the reins of a successful generational company as someone without the family name is a prospect most people would find daunting. Being responsible for carrying on that legacy could even be considered a burden. But that’s not the case for my guest today. For him, an obligation to the employees of the company, to the next generation of leadership, and the legacy of the Higley name is a responsibility he has happily taken on.Today we’re coming at you from right in my backyard in Northeast Ohio with another great leader and friend who I’ve known for over 10 years, Gareth Vaughan. Gareth Vaughn is the President and CEO of The Albert M. Higley Co. He received a BEng in Civil Engineering in 1991 from the University of Trent in the United Kingdom, and in 1993, an M.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Cincinnati. Gareth joined The Albert M. Higley Co. in 2001 as a Regional Manager and was elected President in 2010 and named CEO in 2017. Gareth’s mentorship from Bruce Higley contributed significantly to his leadership style and combined with his values and commitment, he is truly a great example of what it means to be a leader by attraction.In this episode, Gareth and I talk about how the Albert M. Higley Co. has responded to the pandemic, the guiding principles the company is committed to, how Gareth’s childhood experiences propelled him into a high-performance career, what it means to dive headfirst into a brand-new role, battling imposter syndrome, lessons in leadership with humility, and so much more! Key Topics:How Gareth and I have connected over the years (1:22)The evolution of The Albert M. Higley Co. (2:37)The Albert M. Higley Co.’s commitment to becoming a better and more profitable company during the pandemic (5:28)The guiding vision that steers the company during good and difficult times (7:39)Articulating a 20-year plan (9:23)How the company is flipping the concept of making money on its head (10:30)The importance of strong company values (11:10)Gareth’s warning to potential employees (12:14)Gareth’s childhood in Cape Town and London (13:19)The difficult experiences from Gareth’s time in high school (15:18)How Gareth transformed his life from high school into college (16:09)Gareth’s early career and move to Columbus (17:08)The career-changing call from a headhunter (18:06)The surprising request Gareth made while interviewing for a role at The Albert M. Higley Co. (19:01)Diving headfirst into a brand-new role (20:05)The discomfort of becoming president (22:19)Battling imposter syndrome (23:48)Lessons in leadership from Bruce Higley (25:36)Gareth’s approach to building on the existing legacy of The Albert M. Higley Co. (28:50)Why a focus on legacy makes Gareth’s job simpler (30:45)What working with Bruce and Gareth taught me (32:31)The huge impact Bruce had on how Gareth responds to his team (34:00)How Gareth’s mother taught him about strength (36:43)The advice Gareth would give to his 23-year-old self (38:39)And much more!Mentioned in this Episode:The Albert M. Higley Co.Sheer Clarity | Battling Imposter SyndromeSheer Clarity | Starting from a Place of Self-Reflection with Mike Swiger THANKS FOR LISTENING!Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And feel free to drop us a line at kevin@sheerclarity.com. Follow Sheer Clarity on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook!
Transcribe →Mike Swiger - Developing Emotional Intelligence through Self-Reflection
Nov 12, 202000:39:20Tap to summarizeToday’s interview is with a leader in a non-traditional category who I’ve known for years, Mike Swiger. Mike is the Executive Director of True Freedom Ministries, an evangelical, non-profit organization dedicated to reaching people locked in jails and prisons, the homeless, and those trapped in addiction across Ohio. While a student at Case Western Reserve University, Mike was convicted as an accomplice to a crime his older brother committed and ended up serving 17 years for involuntary manslaughter. While incarcerated, he became a Christian and began the process of preparing himself for a better life once he was back home.In this episode, Mike and I talk about how he ended up in prison and the unconventional path he took into the non-profit world, what you think about when you have the time to examine your own heart, how the pandemic is affecting prisoners, what Mike has learned over the years about leadership, the lessons we can learn from lifers about vulnerability, and so much more!Key Topics:Commonalities between leadership in non-profit and for-profit enterprises (2:00)The True Freedom mission (3:03)The unique path that led Mike to his current role and ministries in the non-profit world (4:30)Why high performers have a hard time prioritizing self-reflection (6:05)How Mike used his time while incarcerated to start to heal and transform himself (7:50)The book that helped Mike gain valuable perspective on himself (8:29)The choice you have in how you respond to your trauma and live your life (9:22)Mike’s spiritual awakening in prison and the clarity it brought him (12:17)Recognizing that you are in control of your destiny (13:36)How the pandemic is impacting prisoners and Mike’s prison ministries (16:10)What the pandemic has taught Mike about leadership (18:28)Being the rock of reassurance for your team (20:41)What we can learn about hope from the Stockdale Paradox (22:34)Recovering from the damaging effects of false hope (23:45)The devastating news that became a defining point for Mike in the early 90s (25:35)Finding joy through extremely difficult circumstances (26:47)How I used my career to guide me during my first prison visit with Mike (30:29)Deep insights from the hearts of lifers (32:01)Heightening connection by stretching your discomfort with vulnerability (34:40)Why you need to ask yourself the difficult questions right now (36:52)How you can get involved with True Freedom Ministries (38:18)And much more!Mentioned in this Episode:True Freedom MinistriesDavid A. Seamands’ Book | Healing for Damaged EmotionsDr. Edith Eva Eger’s Book | The Choice: Embrace the PossibleJim Collins’ Book | Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don'tKeith Alper’s Book | From Like to Love: Inspiring Emotional Commitment from Employees and CustomersSheer Clarity | Loving People and Loving What You Do with Keith AlperTHANKS FOR LISTENING!Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And feel free to drop us a line at kevin@sheerclarity.com. Follow Sheer Clarity on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook!
Transcribe →Keith Alper - Loving People and Loving What You Do
Oct 29, 202000:53:19Tap to summarizeWhen we stop preening and performing, that’s when we open ourselves up to our people and the community around us and embrace the fact that a good leader is one who recognizes it’s not about them. If you’re still wondering what love has to do with leadership, this episode is for you.Keith Alper is the CEO and co-founder of CPG Agency and author of From Like to Love: Inspiring Emotional Commitment from Employees and Customers. With over 30 years of expertise in marketing, branding, business strategy, and event production, Keith has produced events, video/film, broadcast, and major entertainment projects across the world. His uniquely strategic, creative leadership helps steer the agency while leaving room for his love of producing large-scale projects. An active member of the entrepreneurial community, he serves as a high-level strategist, innovator, board member, and consultant for many Fortune 500 companies, CEOs, and executives, as well as large non-profits.In this episode, Keith and I talk about how he’s been able to do what he loves his whole life, meeting his business partner while working at Six Flags as a teenager, how he brings authenticity and a focus on engagement to all his businesses, what loss has taught him about love, why great leaders are those that understand it’s not about them, your five basic needs as a leader, and so much more! Key Topics:Keith’s early dreams of a career in show business (2:55)The single toughest experience of Keith’s life (3:45)How Keith met his business partner of over 35 years (4:54)Why coaching young people is Keith’s favorite aspect of his business (6:09)Being ahead of his time with Geniecast (6:45)How Julian Assange lit the spark for Geniecast (7:50)Don't build the pipeline, build great content (9:34)Using Geniecast to combat Zoom fatigue (10:36)The messages I’ve been getting about creating video content (12:07)Key elements of good content (13:53)How engagement is driving how we communicate (14:45)The need to genuinely connect with yourself first (15:59)Working on your mind, body, and soul as a daily practice (18:55)Why great leaders are those that understand it’s not about them (20:26)How Southwest Airlines embodies love at every level of their company (21:15)The exponential value of hiring people who love their job (23:09)Why I use the voice dialogue model for self-development (23:56)Being the kind of leader who genuinely loves their people (25:15)Recognizing that you can’t save every employee (26:47)Why doing good for your community is a power driver for your company (28:05)Leadership lessons from the CEO of Carnival, Arnold Donald (30:23)The obstacle you create when you’re focused on performing (33:13)When I started waking up to what love means (34:30)Why it’s important to take a day off to escape (36:45)Keith’s evolution as a leader (38:14)Why diversity and inclusion are vital for all companies (41:13)What we can learn from Ken Frazier, CEO of Merck, and Randall Tucker, Chief Inclusion Officer at Mastercard (42:44)The five basic needs for every leader (46:25)Why I’m talking to you (47:11)The advice Keith would give to his 25-year-old self (50:31)And much more! Mentioned in this Episode:GeniecastCPG AgencyYoung Presidents’ Organization (YPO)Keith Alper’s Book | From Like to Love: Inspiring Emotional Commitment from Employees and CustomersSheer Clarity | Why Leaders Must Move from Push to Pull Leadership with Toby LaVigneDan Sullivan | Strategic CoachThe Executive Leadership Council THANKS FOR LISTENING!Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And feel free to drop us a line at kevin@sheerclarity.com. Follow Sheer Clarity on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook!
Transcribe →Navigating Negative Feedback
Oct 16, 2019Tap to summarizePositive feedback is important in affirming and reinforcing when people are doing things well, but it doesn’t necessarily teach you about what you need to do to get better. That’s where negative, or constructive, feedback, comes in. Today we’re back with Part 3 on the topic of feedback and we’re taking a deeper look at the not-so-easy second dimension of feedback: negative feedback.On your path to sheer clarity, I believe mastering negative feedback is essential - both how to give it and how to receive it. But while most people would agree constructive feedback is vital for growth, the reality is that in most corporate contexts, the higher up you go in the hierarchy, the more insulated you are from negative feedback. Unfortunately, if you aren't sending the signal to people that you are open to negative feedback, you're operating in a suboptimal way without important data.In this episode, Mathew and I look at how to break through the barriers associated with negative feedback. We discuss how you can create an environment where people are comfortable giving you constructive feedback, the inner work you need to do to be able to benefit from constructive criticism, the elements that need to be in place for negative feedback to be well-received, how you can help your team members to recognize the benefits of constructive feedback, and much more!Next week we’ll be covering issues clearing, where I’ll share my model for handling feedback conversations when they get really dicey. As always, we’d love to hear from you! What has been your most recent experience with negative feedback or constructive criticism? Did you get defensive? Did you already have a good foundation in place to receive or give the feedback? Send us your comments and experiences by email or through the form on our home page.Key Topics:The two main problems leaders have with constructive feedback (1:35)How constructive feedback fits into the sheer clarity model (2:18)Why you should always seek out constructive criticism (3:58)The benefits of negative feedback over positive feedback (4:29)The question I want everyone listening to ask themselves (6:09)Mathew shares his reaction to a recent experience with negative feedback (6:52)The difficulties of getting negative feedback at the top of the organizational hierarchy (9:04)How to manage the natural defensive reaction to negative feedback (10:15)Why all your direct reports should be able to give you feedback (11:54)The connection between emotional intelligence and a successful system of feedback (12:26)The two kinds of negative feedback I’ve identified (14:06)My latest encounter with negative feedback about my behavior (14:59)Creating a strong foundation for giving constructive criticism (17:22)A sample of workplace scenarios where people need feedback (17:47)</...
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