Closing The Gap With Denise Cooper

Season 4 is about to launch. Denise Cooper, host of Closing the Gap talks about the personal lessons she's learned while ascending the corporate ladder. They include Be clear on the Goal, Activate and inspire through storytelling and Turning potential into performance. Do you remember when you realized you were a leader? This is the one question you should ask and hear how it shapes your views. Finally, Denise answers a question from a listener and lets you know how you can get your questions answered too.

In this week's episode, we will be revisiting a fan-favorite episode with Laura Fredricks. Ever wonder why some people can ask for something and get it while others struggle? What if there's a formula that could improve your odds of getting a raise, increasing donor giving, or getting a promotion or job? Laura Fredricks, based in New York City, is the Billion-Dollar ASK-Maker Powerhouse. As an attorney-turned-philanthropic advisor, Laura Fredricks knows how to ask. She comes from a seasoned career in industries best known for making the most high-profile asks—law and philanthropy—and is the first to merge strategies from both professional sectors into a mainstream practice – THE ASK©.

In this week's episode we are revisiting an interview with Carla Carlisle, Mental Health Champion, Author & Speaker. When we talk about work/life balance seems like employees are expected to get it right and managers have little to do. What would be different if we recognized we live integrated lives? There's no leaving our personal life at the door. What kind of workplace is needed to achieve high performance and support the needs of high performing employees. My guest Carla Carlisle shares a very intimate story of her journey to find work life integration for herself and her team. Be sure to check out her upcoming book for children coping with the emotional stresses of adoption, My Big Notebook: It's About Me with a Little Help from my Friend JC. Preorders open soon at carlaacarlisle.com

Nathaniel “Nat” Alston has a successful track record of success by handling subtle but offensive comments, actions and stereotypes that keep us from achieving executive levels. Our conversation is filled with practical suggestions for black Americans to develop mental awareness, a psychological game plan, and an increased level of business savvy in order to negotiate the minefield of the white work world. Listen to get at least 4 things you can do to do to stay on career track. Included are commonsense scenarios and real-life solutions that will help every marginalized person handle gutless bosses, overbearing and hateful colleagues or being the only minority or women in an all-white workplace. Got questions, contact me at info1@rllessons com If you like what you’ve heard, share it. If not, comment below and share.

During this week's episode, we are revisiting the 3 biggest life lessons our guest Robert Gerst has learned throughout his life. Robert “Bob” Gerst has been a senior executive for over 25 years and an adjunct professor for about as long. In this podcast, he shares his guiding principles and how he used them to stay at the top of his game, even as if life. Robert “Bob” Gerst is currently the VP, Human Resources at John I. Haas. Bob grew up on an Iowa farm and, over his life, has traveled the world. From the data-rich world of Las Vegas gaming to one of the world’s leading real estate enterprises Jones Lang LaSalle to brewing beer and teaching new leaders what it means to be a principle led person, Bob tells a wonderful story of his life, lessons learned, and the 3 questions everyone must answer if you want a successful career.

Every single one of us makes our decisions based on the emotions behind them. Even the most analytical of us. This is because it happens on a subconscious level. In fact, most people cannot name the emotion they're experiencing in the moment or tell you why they're experiencing it. On this episode, Emotional Intelligence Coach, Noble Gibbens will share what you can do. Don't let the big beard & tattoos fool you - Noble is pure positive energy & passion! He brings 23 years' experience as an entrepreneur and international keynote speaker to help corporate clients, entrepreneurs, leaders & influencers get their emotions working for them, not against them. Noble's Site www.eqforentrepreneurs.com Noble's Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eq-for-entrepreneurs/id1497445408

As we return to work after a year-long quarantine, leaders, employees, and HR professionals are finding it's not business as usual. So much was lost for so many. Too many leaders haven't been taught how to deal with grief in the workplace. What boundaries and expectations should we have for how people handle and express grief? What if you're struggling with being with co-workers who are in a depression because they lost someone near and dear to them. We all tend to hold on to grief. It’s awkward and uncomfortable to talk about. We feel like we might be judged especially if we tell other people how much we are hurting because of our losses. Kevin Ringstaff, Founder and CEO of and Grieving@Work, spent my days talking and grief and educating people on supporting friends, family, and co-workers through their grief. Listen in as Kevin, and I offer insights and solutions to help you respond in a supportive way. You can reach Kevin at HTTP://www.grievingatwork.com/

Do you consider yourself a high achiever? Do you manage high achievers? High achievers - those who are always striving for perfection versus excellence - are motivated differently and if you're not aware of their differences you can burn them out. Surprisingly, most people believe they are high achievers because they work hard. However, hard work doesn't always equal a high achievement. Terry McDougall is an Executive and Career Coach and author of Winning the Game of Work: Career Happiness and Success on Your Own Terms. She works with high-achieving business owners and professionals who are "successful but not satisfied" to help them increase the overlap between their professional success and personal happiness. Terry's research indicates high achievers are paying a high price for their "success" in terms of stress, burnout, health, and relationship problems. Learn what you can do to avoid burning up and burning out at work.

The role of CEO (and CHRO) are probably the two loneliest positions in a company. Both roles rarely have someone they can share their concerns with and explore transforming a business or culture without stirring things up. My guest today Dave Molenda is a self-made man who faced a serious downturn in his business. To survive, he had to convince his employees to embrace the business transformation. What he built was a new community both inside and with his customers. In this episode, listen as he shares how he did it and learned from that experience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices (megaphone.fm/adchoices)

What do you think you would find if you asked the question "When being considered for a raise, promotion, or love what matters more your credibility or your likability? The answer might surprise you. Mitchell Levy interview 100 CEO's to find out what they would say. In his new book Credibility Nation, he found most people, especially leaders have a credibility problem. One that is at the root cause of us working harder, achieving less, and killing our spirit for fun. Listen in as Mitchell and I talk about our search for what it means to be credible. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices (megaphone.fm/adchoices)

Are you feeling overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet the constant demands at work?. 61% of workers are suffering burnout according to Michael Levitte the founder and Chief Burnout Officer of The Breakfast Leadership Network, a San Diego and Toronto-based burnout media firm. Everyone is experiences burnout including you. Leaders, managers, and executives are role models. They set the tone for how employees handle feelings of overwhelm and how to stay focused on what's important. Listen so you can find out what can be done to lower the stress in your workplace so employees can think better, solve more problems, and don't experience extreme burnout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices (megaphone.fm/adchoices)

Should I be myself at work? When we second guess ourselves trying to show up as others think we should, the effort of holding back, thinking, and rethinking our ideas, work even our presences diminishes us. It not only harms us but deprives others of our most precious gifts... our unique perspective. Brilliance comes from a lifetime of experiences, and they help us solve problems, be creative, and convince others to follow our lead. Listen as Dr. Steve Yacovelli and I discuss what it means for LGBTQ and others to step up and show up at work, what managers and HR executives can do to create an environment that closes the gap on inclusion and belonging. Dr. Steve Yacovelli (a.k.a. “The Gay Leadership Dude") is the Owner & Principal of TopDog Learning Group, LLC, a leadership, change management, and diversity and inclusion consulting firm based in Orlando, Florida, USA but with affiliates (“TopDoggers”) throughout the globe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices (megaphone.

Imagine telling your team about upgrading your technology. Everyone is excited and the discussion leads you to believe they know about and can use the upgraded system. However, to know better doesn't mean we do better. The Knowing-Doing Gap means a person can talk about something but can't actually do it. The term was first coined by Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert Sutton, in their book called The Knowing-Doing Gap: How Smart Companies Turn Knowledge Into Action. This phenomenon is one of the main reasons it difficult to know you've hired skilled people and for leaders, trainers and coaches to know measure learning in the workplace. Nanci Appleman-Vassil is the CEO of Apls Group. Nanci is an experienced facilitator, consultant, and executive coach focusing on core competencies in both the corporate and non-profit environment. She consults with companies that want to enhance their effectiveness on the individual, team, or organizational level and is known for quickly assessing skill and organizational gaps, as we

If you live, you will face tough times. Before they happen, you think you'll be able to overcome any adversity, and then it happens. There are hundreds of self-help books telling you how to get back up after falling, but as a leader, how to help your team in simple ways that help. Listen to learn how; as a leader, you can ask one question to refocus your team to deal with and overcome adversity. Listen, if you are faced with a setback that has you stuck to learn what you can do to get moving. Connect with Dr. Carolying Colleen on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolyncolleen/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolyncolleen/) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices (megaphone.fm/adchoices)

You want to be a remarkable leader. It's a tall order given today we are faced with a divided nation and workforce. Employees have more choices - to work or not. More and more they want a say in the business, the culture, and career choices. Executives and HR professionals are looking for answers on how to maintain a productive workplace in the face of political and social unrest. What if we defined great leadership as one who is a skilled mentor? How would that change your view of a leader? Ian Chisholm, Co-Founder Roy Group, is on a mission to change how we think about and develop leaders. In this podcast, we talk about the biggest mistakes most leaders make and how those mistakes actually reduce their effectiveness. Listen as we share insights on having tough conversations, build stronger commitments to work, and how to redefine leadership for changing times. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices (megaphone.fm/adchoices)

Miriam Senft, or "Mim," as she's known to all, is a force of nature and is on a mission to change the way most people envision the value of HR. 2020 has taught everyone - management and employees - a company's workplace policies and culture matter. Work enables our lives. It doesn't define it, and 2021 is seeing employees find other options. Mim and I talk offer several proven ideas on how to measure the performance of your benefits, wellness, and engagement efforts. leaders. Mim Senft has over 20 years of corporate experience in project management, benefits design, and wellness program strategy and implementation. She specializes in working with companies to evaluate current programs and resources for gaps and efficacy, take a more strategic approach to integrate them into a cohesive offering for employees, and developing a culturally specific project plan with measurable goals. She is a certified as a Worksite Wellness Specialist through the National Wellness Institute; has her GBA group benefits designatio

Thinking about changing careers? Ever wonder how an interviewer decides who a good candidate is? What does it mean when a hiring manager says, "I know it when I see it?" It's estimated that most people will have 4 career changes over their lifetime. Zainab Ali shared her lessons when she decided it was time to pivot from corporate recruiting to award-winning film producer. It's easy to tell someone to get another job, but it is harder to change or pivot away from a successful career. Zainab used her skills, know-how, added persistence, and a few other things to find success, fulfillment, and happiness in the next chapter of her life. This episode offers tips on how to change careers and then stay the course when things get hard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices (megaphone.fm/adchoices)

We can't be heard, seen, or be relevant if our voices and presences are too small. Unfortunately, too many women leaders were taught how to amplify their presence, power, and performance at work without being labeled as bossy. Too often, we are waiting to be invited in. Eliza VanCort says, "Claim Your Space, Raise Your Voice." Eliza shares what she's learned as a teacher, actor, and mentor about being an unapologetic Space Claimer. In her new book, A Woman's Guide to Claiming Space. Follow Eliza on her amazing journey to help women learn how to step up, show up and speak up to be heard, powerful and accomplished. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices (megaphone.fm/adchoices)

The topic of changing a culture is all over the place. It seems to be on the agenda of every executive, CEO, HR, and DEI professional. It's a $500 Billion industry and we've been talking about a leader's role and impact on culture. So what's missing? How do we help people change and what's does the leadership development industry need to do that will make a measurable impact. Colin D Ellis is the author of Culture Fix: How to Create a Great Place to Work and Culture Hacks: 26 Ideas to Transform The Way You Work. Colin has over 20 years of real-world experience leading, teaching others how to lead change and is sharing his experience with you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices (megaphone.fm/adchoices)

Working virtually has challenged everyone. What lessons can we all take away from 2020 that will keep us motivated and inspired in virtual spaces? How have recruiting, on-boarding, and running meetings been affected? Nicole Greer shares with us the best practices for motivating your team, engaging people virtually and answers the question "how can we connect and strengthen relationships when we don't meet?" Connect with Nicole on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-greer-b57945b/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-greer-b57945b/) and listen to her on iTunes on her podcast Vibrant Leadership https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/vibrant-leadership-podcast/id1544479087?uo=4 (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/vibrant-leadership-podcast/id1544479087?uo=4) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://megaphone.fm/adchoices (megaphone.fm/adchoices)