The Edge of Leadership

Courage, justice, wisdom, humanity, transcendence…are such virtues just nice-to-have elements of a leader’s development or the indispensable building blocks of a successful career? Michael and Gregg are joined by Dr. Toby Newstead, a scholar at the Tasmanian School of Business and Economics, Management, to explore some thorny questions: Do you need to be a good person to be a good leader? How does a leader develop character?  

In this not-to-be- missed episode Dr. Hannes Leroy, professor of leadership development at the Rotterdam School of Management, joins Michael and Gregg to discuss his somewhat radical thoughts on authenticity and leadership. As this spirited conversation evolves, Dr. Hannes challenges us with the question: “Is much of our popular leadership development just happy-making?’

Read the MIT Sloan Management Review article

Is sharing one’s deep personal beliefs, values and feelings a prerequisite to developing as a leader or just the facilitator/coach’s desire for “pastoral power”? Have we created a pervasive culture of confession? To what end? Are we grooming leaders or compliant subjects? Dr. Nicole Ferry of the Copenhagen Business School joins Michael and Gregg in a conversation that tackles these thorny questions.

Our guest, Dr. David V. Day, is one of the true icons of leadership research. With decades of work shaping the field, he pulls no punches—arguing that much of what passes for “leadership development” today isn’t grounded in real science. From overused assessments to flimsy models, Dr. Day challenges our industry to raise its game. If you care about what actually works in developing leaders, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss. 

A must-read! David’s latest book. Developing Leaders and Leadership: Principles, Practices, and Processes     

Michael and Gregg continue their conversation with Dr. Eva exploring the dramatic shifts needed in today’s LD programs, the pressing need for collective leadership training and the deep-rooted propensity to lead based on how others look.

Our guest, Dr. Nathan Eva and his colleagues recently published a ground-breaking paper entitled “An Inconvenient Truth: A Comprehensive Examination of the Added Value (or Lack Thereof) of Leadership Measures”, that challenges the underpinnings on many of our industry’s most popular models and development programs. Are leadership styles virtually indistinguishable? Do the associated assessments essentially measure popularity? Should we scrap these programs and focus on a handful of leadership behaviors that actually produce tangible results?  

We know intuitively that performance feedback is a key element in accelerating the development of leaders, but is it worth it? It is often time-consuming, poorly delivered and demotivating. In this episode, Michael and Gregg discuss this perplexing dilemma with Dr. Ken Nowack and Dr. Sandra Mashihi, authors of the recently published book, Performance Feedback Strategies: Driving Successful Behavior Change.

On this powerful episode of The Edge of Leadership, we’re joined by the legendary Prof. Henry Mintzberg, who doesn’t hold back in his bold critique of political and corporate managerial incompetence. Get ready for a no-holds-barred discussion as Mintzberg takes aim at the likes of Elon Musk and President Trump, exposing the dangers of arrogance in leadership.

How do you become a great executive coach? For over 20 years iCoach Global has been the premier training program helping new coaches get their start. In this episode we hear from one of iCoach Global's founders; Jeremy Robinson, and a recent alum of the program Veronika Shiroka, who share the philosophy and approach of this unique experience.  To learn more about iCoach Global visit: icoachglobal.com. 

Are exclusive development programs the answer? Drexel University’s Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) has been graduating women leaders for thirty years. Are they moving the needle? Michael and Gregg discuss this challenging question with Dr. Nancy Spector, Executive Director of ELAM. 

Gregg and Michael are joined by author, researcher and educator Eduardo Briceno to discuss the ideas behind Growth Mindset, its frequent misunderstandings, and what he's uncovered about The Performance Paradox. Are we working on the right things, in the right way, to improve, learn , and grow?

In this episode, Gregg has a spirited, insightful conversation with Michael as he moves from his role as CLO of New York Life to an independent consulting practice. In this uniquely candid discussion, Michael shares his perspective on several of the most challenging and contentious issues facing the leadership development community.

In this episode, Michael and Gregg have a wide-ranging conversation with Kimberly Kleiman Lee who, after a sterling career with GE, has created her own firm that coaches and trains leaders to, sometimes radically, change the words they use to have a significant, lasting impact on others. 

In this unique episode, Michael and Gregg take a deep dive into the business of management/leadership development and information. They are honored to be joined by Dan Oswald, CEO of Simplify Compliance. Dan is a veteran of the learning and education space and has extensive experience in both M&A and leading the growth of associated enterprises.   

Gregg and Michael are joined by Bill Berman, PhD, executive coach, psychologist, and organizational consultant to discuss his recent book (written together with George Bradt), Influence and Impact. What’s an overlooked key to executive success?, and is it as simple as understanding what the organization really needs from you?

In this episode Mind Gym Co-Founder and President Seb Bailey shares insights into the growing organizational interest in “wellness”, and the role leaders play in shaping a healthy workplace.

Joining Michael and Gregg to discuss this question are Gary Mangiofico, Academic Director & Chair of Pepperdine University’s MSOD program, and Chris Crosby, President &CEO of The Leadership Institute of Seattle. 

Bill Gardner and Geoff Scales are two of the leading leadership development coaches and facilitators in the business today. In this podcast, Michael and Gregg have a conversation with two deeply experienced professionals who have spent the past three decades implementing great practices in the fields of leadership and organization development.   

Gregg and Michael speak with renowned leadership guru Professor Jay Conger about the myths and realities of “leadership potential” and how organizations can effectively develop early-career talent to lead. 

Dr. Robert Simari, a distinguished clinician, scientist, educator and leader has written a fascinating book entitled A Prescription to Lead: How Medical Training Prepares America’s Physician Leaders. In this episode, Michael and Gregg engage with Dr. Simari in a unique conversation about the confluence of medical training and leadership development.

In this episode of The Edge of Leadership, Gregg and Michael are joined by Marshall Goldsmith, who shares insights from a lifetime of executive coaching at the highest levels, and discusses ideas from his latest book The Earned Life.

Michael and Gregg welcome Josh Ehrlich to this inaugural episode of our podcast series. The question we will explore is this: is mindfulness a serious dimension of leadership development or just a passing psychological fad? Josh argues that the way, possibly the only way, leaders can develop the capability to thrive in today’s demanding environment is to change the way they think. He asserts that leaders in all walks of life need to stop, reflect, and focus their energies. This is what he calls “mindshifting”.