Raising The Bar on Leadership

Building a diverse and inclusive workplace: Shaniqua Davis | Founder & CEO, Noirefy

In this episode, Shaniqua Davis, the Founder & CEO of Noirefy, a diversity advancement platform that connects diverse professionals with high growth companies, discusses how Noirefy was born out of her own encounters with bias during a job search. Shaniqua talks about how they consult with companies to build out structures to help tear down the barriers to a more diverse and inclusive workplace.

Designing the employee experience: Elles Skony | Head of People, XSELL Technologies

Elles Skony was recently brought on as the Head of People at XSELL Technologies, a fast growing company that uses Artificial Intelligence to transform the way businesses interact with their customers. In this episode, Elles discusses her process for building her people department and walks us through her three pronged action plan. 

Hiring for will: Monica Royer | Founder & CEO, Monica + Andy

In this episode, Monica Royer, the founder and CEO of Monica + Andy – a company that provides organic essentials for kids and babies, along with kids’ classes and events for new and expecting parents in their Guideshops around the country and virtually, talks about how she and her team pivoted their business successfully during the COVID pandemic. Monica believes it’s key to hire the right people and embrace a humans-first culture in order to meet the challenges. Monica also talks about her personal mission to empower other female entrepreneurs and young girls to reach their potential through The Monica + Andy Girls Foundation.

 

Why psychological safety matters: Dr. Amy Edmondson | Novartis Professor of Leadership, Harvard Business School

In our very first live podcast, Dr. Amy Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School and foremost expert on Psychological Safety, talks about why trust, candor and psychological safety are integral for a high performance team and culture, and why this concept is gaining such momentum as a key component in the future of work.

Build trust with your team: Peter Lynch | Head of People & Culture, Cardinal Group Companies

Peter Lynch, a noted Fortune 500 executive, TEDx Speaker, and performance coach, joined Cardinal Group Companies as the Head of People & Culture to help them build a culture that embodies the future of work. Peter talks about the first two steps to take when leading a new team and highlights the importance of owning your own weaknesses as a way to be a more powerful leader.

Growing and gifting with intention: Jonathan Legge | Co-Founder and CEO of &Open

Cultivating a gifting strategy that builds bridges between organizations and their customers is hard, and is what inspired Jonathan Legge to start &Open. In today’s episode, Co-Founder and CEO Jonathan Legge talks about how they bootstrapped their company and grew it purposely and organically by hiring slowly, hyperfocusing on their numbers, and staying true to their values and mission.

Change is the only constant: PJ Bouten | Co-Founder & CEO, Showpad

In this episode, PJ Bouten, Co-Founder and CEO of Showpad, recognized a need to empower sales and marketing teams to deliver a better buyer experience. Since 2011, PJ has helped build a global company with more than 1,000 customers in 50 countries and grew the organization to 350 team members. But when the pandemic hit, he was faced with difficult decisions in order to save the company as a whole. PJ talks about the importance of finding a great co-founder, investing in your managers, and treating your people with compassion and empathy.

A plan for crisis: Tim Schumm | Founder & President, Lucas James Talent Partners

Tim Schumm, the founder and president of Lucas James Talent Partners, started and grew the organization to a team of 32 people in just 20 months– then COVID hit. Tim shares the step by step process he took to lead his team through this crisis, what it takes to build a culture of feedback, and the daily practices he follows to make sure he shows up at his best for his team and his family. 

Building a roster of mentors: Matt Kunkel | Co-Founder & CEO, LogicGate

In this episode, Matt Kunkel, the co-founder, and CEO of LogicGate, discusses the importance of mentors and relationships. Matt co-founded LogicGate, a Chicago based SaaS platform which operationalizes regulatory, risk, and compliance programs for organizations, just over 4 years ago and has quickly grown it to 120+ employees and raised $35 million.

Matt discusses the critical role mentors played in his growth, his focus as a leader in this time of crisis and what he’s doing to help his team feel more in control and more informed in this time of uncertainty.

A new model for a new world: Jack Altman | CEO & Co-Founder, Lattice

In this episode, Jack Altman, CEO and Co-Founder of Lattice, a performance management and employee engagement platform, talks about why the employee experience is a company’s biggest asset and how management’s role evolves as an organization grows. Lattice, in just four years, has grown from startup to a growth stage business with over 150 employees and 15,000 plus customers. Jack shares how he’s evolved as a leader, how the role of HR has changed to a revenue and strategy center, and why the CEO and Chief People Officers’ roles are a lot alike.