Podcast
What’s Possible w. Ilene Schaffer
Hosted by Silicon Valley Change · EN
Behind every powerhouse communicator, relationship builder, and resilient leader is a strategic thinker who leads with curiosity and honors wellbeing. Say goodbye to disengagement and team fatigue as we bring you science-backed strategies that will transform not just your leadership style but also your team’s and organization's success. Join Ilene Schaffer and industry leaders as they share tried-and-true methods, empowering insights, and a mission to elevate your leadership game.
40episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
The Go-Giver: Bob Burg on Value, Influence, and Stratospheric Success
1w ago00:40:31Tap to summarizeWhat if success is not about getting more, but giving more value first? In this episode of What’s Possible, Ilene Schaffer talks with Bob Burg, co-author of the international bestseller The Go-Giver, about the five laws of stratospheric success and why they are still deeply relevant for leaders, entrepreneurs, coaches, and professionals today.Bob shares how value, compensation, influence, authenticity, and receptivity can change the way we think about business, leadership, sales, and human connection. He also explains why providing more value than we take is generous and strategic, and why people still do business with those they know, like, and trust.In a world increasingly shaped by AI, digital noise, and transactional interactions, this conversation is a timely reminder that genuine service, authenticity, and relationship-building remain powerful drivers of success.- - - - - - - Learn more about Silicon Valley Change Website | LinkedIn | YouTubeConnect with Ilene Schaffer Website | Instagram | LinkedIn This show is produced and edited by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.
Transcribe →In the Moment: Kami Sip on Managing the Cost of Indecision
2w ago00:12:32Tap to summarizeIn this episode of What’s Possible: In the Moment, Ilene Schaffer continues her conversation with Kami Sip about the hidden costs of indecision, and what leaders can do when a decision cannot be made right away.Kami explains that indecision is still a decision, and when leaders delay without clarity, they often distribute ambiguity, risk, and stress to the people around them. Building on part one, she revisits three common blocks to decision-making and offers practical ways leaders can manage those blocks more intentionally.This short conversation is a practical reminder that, sometimes, leadership is about managing uncertainty clearly enough that others can keep thinking, working, and moving forward.- - - - - - - Learn more about Silicon Valley Change Website | LinkedIn | YouTubeConnect with Ilene Schaffer Website | Instagram | LinkedIn This show is produced and edited by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.
Transcribe →Leading Through Uncertainty: Michael Park on AI, Change, and Human Readiness
3w ago00:47:09Tap to summarizeIn this episode of What’s Possible, Ilene Schaffer sits down with Michael Park, Senior Vice President of Global Partnerships and Channels at ServiceNow, for a conversation about leadership, AI, and how to navigate a world of work that is changing faster than ever.Michael has spent the last five years with AI at the center of his work, including serving as ServiceNow’s CMO and leading the company’s first dedicated AI go-to-market function. In this conversation, he shares what he is learning from the front lines of transformation. Including why leaders need to take action before they have complete certainty, build AI fluency, strengthen domain expertise, and stay deeply connected to human relationships.Together, Ilene and Michael explore what it takes to lead through ambiguity, why gratitude and patience are essential leadership practices, and how organizations can prepare people for AI in ways that are practical, human, and grounded in trust.This episode is especially relevant for leaders, teams, and anyone working in an organization where AI is becoming a larger part of how work gets done, which increasingly means all of us.- - - - - - - Learn more about Silicon Valley Change Website | LinkedIn | YouTubeConnect with Ilene Schaffer Website | Instagram | LinkedIn This show is produced and edited by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.
Transcribe →In the Moment: Kamila Sip on the Hidden Cost of Indecision
4w ago00:13:22Tap to summarizeIn this episode of What’s Possible: In the Moment, Ilene Schaffer sits down with Kamila Sip to explore why indecision is not a neutral act, especially for leaders.Kami explains how stalled decisions at the top can create cognitive, emotional, and performance costs across an entire team. When leaders delay, teams are often left to operate in ambiguity, make fragmented assumptions, and carry the stress of uncertainty. Ilene and Kami unpack why this matters so much for leaders stepping into bigger roles, where quick, data-informed decisions are often expected.This short conversation introduces three common blocks that get in the way of effective decision-making: data anxiety, loss aversion, and accountability avoidance. It offers a practical reminder that understanding why we hesitate is often the first step toward making clearer, faster, and more confident decisions.- - - - - - - Learn more about Silicon Valley Change Website | LinkedIn | YouTubeConnect with Ilene Schaffer Website | Instagram | LinkedIn This show is produced and edited by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.
Transcribe →5 Communication Blunders That Can Stall Your Career and How to Avoid Them with Dr. Laura Sicola
Jun 1800:39:41Tap to summarizeWhat are the communication mistakes that quietly hold leaders back? In this episode of What’s Possible, Ilene Schaffer sits down with executive communication coach, TEDx speaker, and author Dr. Laura Sicola to unpack five common communication blunders that can quietly stall a career, and what leaders can do instead.Drawing on more than two decades of experience coaching Fortune 500 executives, nonprofit leaders, and government agencies, Laura explains how even highly capable professionals can lose influence when they get stuck in the expert’s curse, stay silent in meetings, let their nervous system take over, confuse authenticity with rigidity, or listen only to respond instead of listening to lead.Ilene and Laura explore what it really takes to build authentic authority, executive presence, and stronger communication in high-stakes conversations. This episode is especially relevant for leaders, managers, and ambitious professionals who want to communicate with more clarity, confidence, and impact in a world moving faster than ever.Learn more about how to elevate your leadership here: sicola.info- - - - - - - Learn more about Silicon Valley Change Website | LinkedIn | YouTubeConnect with Ilene Schaffer Website | Instagram | LinkedIn This show is produced and edited by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.
Transcribe →In the Moment: What Working in Prison Taught Jeff Jacobs About Diversity and Belonging
Jun 1100:14:43Tap to summarizeIn this episode of What’s Possible: In the Moment, Ilene Schaffer continues her conversation with Jeff Jacobs, exploring what his work in prisons revealed about diversity, belonging, and leadership.Jeff reflects on a striking moment of racial separation among inmates and the unexpected insight that followed: people often gravitate toward what feels familiar, not always out of hostility, but out of habit and comfort. From there, he and Ilene dig into what that means for the workplace, where diverse teams often outperform homogeneous ones, but require more intentionality, vulnerability, and trust to truly thrive.This short conversation is a thoughtful look at how leaders can build safer, more honest environments where people feel able to share feedback, challenge assumptions, and belong without creating exclusion.- - - - - - - Learn more about Silicon Valley Change Website | LinkedIn | YouTubeConnect with Ilene Schaffer Website | Instagram | LinkedIn This show is produced and edited by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.
Transcribe →Marcus Buckingham on Why Love Is the Missing Ingredient in Leadership and Business
Jun 400:54:20Tap to summarizeIn this episode of What’s Possible, Ilene Schaffer sits down with renowned researcher, entrepreneur, and bestselling author Marcus Buckingham for a bold and deeply human conversation about leadership, work, and why love may be the most overlooked driver of performance in business today.Drawing from his research, his years at Gallup, and his own experience building and selling a company, Marcus makes the case that love is not soft fluff layered on top of business. It is a real force that drives trust, loyalty, energy, creativity, and results.Marcus and Ilene explore why extreme positive experiences matter more than “pretty good” ones, how leaders can intentionally create more life-giving moments at work, and why small practices like weekly check-ins can have an outsized impact on team performance and human flourishing.This episode is especially relevant for leaders navigating uncertainty, AI, burnout, and fast change, and looking for a more human, evidence-based way forward.- - - - - - - Learn more about Silicon Valley Change Website | LinkedIn | YouTubeConnect with Ilene Schaffer Website | Instagram | LinkedIn This show is produced and edited by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.
Transcribe →In the Moment: What Working in Prison Taught Jeff Jacobs About Trust and Empathy
May 2800:12:40Tap to summarizeIn this episode of What’s Possible: In the Moment, Ilene Schaffer sits down with Jeff Jacobs to explore the powerful leadership lessons he learned while working in maximum-security prisons.Jeff talks about how his time with incarcerated individuals challenged his assumptions, deepened his empathy, and taught him the importance of psychological safety, trust, and genuine human connection. He learned the value of showing up with curiosity, asking thoughtful questions, and respecting the lived experiences of others.This short conversation offers a deeply human reminder that trust begins when people feel seen, heard, and valued, whether inside an organization, in a moment of transition, or in the most unexpected places.- - - - - - - Learn more about Silicon Valley Change Website | LinkedIn | YouTubeConnect with Ilene Schaffer Website | Instagram | LinkedIn This show is produced and edited by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.
Transcribe →Leading Change from the Middle: Adriano Pianesi on Progress, Power, and Participation
May 2100:38:10Tap to summarizeWhat does it really take to navigate organizational change, especially when you’re leading from the middle? In this episode of What’s Possible, Ilene Schaffer sits down with executive coach and professor Adriano Pianesi, who has worked with more than 2,500 leaders across sectors. Adriano shares why change so often feels exhausting, political, and stuck, and why middle managers are far more essential to successful change than they are often given credit for. Together, he and Ilene talk about a practical framework built around Preparation, Power, Participation, and Progress, offering leaders a more strategic and human-centered way to move change forward.This conversation is especially relevant for managers, founders, and professionals who are carrying the pressure of implementation without always having full authority. If you’ve ever felt caught between leadership vision and frontline reality, or blamed for change that isn’t taking root, this episode offers both validation and a concrete path forward.- - - - - - - Learn more about Silicon Valley Change Website | LinkedIn | YouTubeConnect with Ilene Schaffer Website | Instagram | LinkedIn This show is produced and edited by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.
Transcribe →In the Moment: How to Lead Teams When Everything Is Changing with Eric Wong
May 1400:33:37Tap to summarizeIn this episode of What’s Possible: In the Moment, Ilene Schaffer is joined by Eric Wong of Adobe for a conversation about what leadership requires when the ground is shifting fast.They talk about how leaders can guide high-performance teams through uncertainty, rapid change, and pressure without defaulting to rigidity or control.Eric shares why adaptability, storytelling, transparency, and co-creation matter more than ever. And you'll learn why modern leaders need to be “imperfectionists” who stay open, curious, and willing to learn in real time.This episode is especially relevant for leaders navigating fast-paced environments, startup-like pressure, or organizational transformation. And at the end, there’s a short bonus segment with Eric on a topic they realized they couldn’t leave out: trust.- - - - - - - Learn more about Silicon Valley Change Website | LinkedIn | YouTubeConnect with Ilene Schaffer Website | Instagram | LinkedIn This show is produced and edited by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co.
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