Manager Mojo with Steve Caldwell

      Anthony Iannarino               Where are You Taking the Team Under Your Charge?  As a leader, you are responsible for sales, one way or another. In fact, nothing happens in business until a sale has been made. So, are you achieving the income goals, sales goals, or any other big goal you are responsible for? Are you eating their lunch, or are they eating yours? As a leader, it is imperative that you set specific targets and goals for the team to achieve. Each team member must clearly know their responsibility and what expectations have been set for them. The sales process offers great examples of the value of leaders setting direction, determining targets and clarifying goals. Let the team know what they are responsible for achieving and set each individual up for success. Known for his expertise in the sales arena, Anthony Iannarino returns to the Manager Mojo podcast to discuss how to Eat Their Lunch: Winning Customers Away From Your Competition. If you are a leader, this is one episode you

      Fred Halstead                 Are You a Good Listener?  Be honest. Are you a great listener? Have you mastered the art of asking powerful questions? Do you show respect to team members by delegating and holding them accountable for results? One of the measures of good leadership is the number of successful people who are the result of your leadership. Showing respect for team members and helping them achieve success comes from focused listening of what they desire in their career, asking powerful questions to draw out their best, challenging them through delegation and then holding them accountable for results. It is a life-long challenge for leaders to continually improve their listening skills while developing their ability to ask impactful questions. In this podcast, Steve talks to Fred Halstead, author of Leadership Skills that Inspire Incredible Results, to get his insights on how to recognize weaknesses in listening, questioning, delegation, accountability and more, and how to create im

      Elise Auxier               How is Energy Affecting Your Leadership? Every one of us has a ‘tank’ of energy, both positive and negative. What will you choose to do with yours? It is not woo-woo when I say that everything is made up of energy. It was a discovery of Albert Einstein. As leaders, we should be taking responsibility for not operating out of habit or default, and begin making choices (using our energy) that positively impact our teams, the business, our families and everyone around us. With the responsibility to lead, we have accepted the responsibility of uplifting and doing right by those who follow us. How can you affect everyone around you in a positive way? Elise Auxier joins Steve in this podcast to discuss the various levels of energy, recognizing them and learning to master the positive use of energy.   Learn more about Elise Auxier and understanding energy by visiting her website.     Click here to check out our newest leadership development tool – LEAD – Leadership Ed

        Warren Berger               Perfect the Art of Asking Beautiful Questions  You are a leader. You’ve earned that position because of what you know and how you implement that knowledge. People come to you for answers. Having the answer is great, but so is having the confidence and humility to admit when you don’t. It is impossible to know everything in today’s complex world, but it’s not impossible to find answers to everything when you learn to ask great questions. Successful leaders and business executives need to keep learning. They search for the thing they don’t know and learn to rely on thoughtful, beautiful questions to gain information and arrive at conclusions. One of the best ways to make good decisions, a critical responsibility of leaders, is relying on asking good, insightful questions. Be the leader who approaches every moment of every day with a big (invisible) question mark in front of you. Ask. Learn. Gather data and decide. You will become a more valuable leader and what you

      John Hinkle               SHIFT Happens – Prepare for Your SHIFT and Get on the Path YOU Desire Any day is a good time to make a change, yet we routinely look at a New Year as the opportunity to reflect on what we want in life and to make plans for changes in the coming year. Is it time for you to consider a SHIFT in your life? You are a leader in a demanding position of responsibility. Though that can be very gratifying, it can also lead to re-evaluation of what you want in life. Life challenges also happen during that career, and while the job may be fine, life may be calling us to take ownership and responsibility. Issues such as a divorce or death of a loved one can create moments of reflection and the need to consider new paths. SHIFTs are bound to happen in every one of our lives, so grab yours with gusto. Begin this new year by considering the important elements of your SHIFT and get on the path of the life you love. Start with this podcast.   To connect with John Hinkle and learn mor

      Krister Ungerboeck               Your Words Can Create a Highly Engaged Team  The words you choose are having a significant impact on the people you lead. Are you choosing words that will inspire others to follow you? Struggling leaders should examine their words, assess where they come from and how they may be putting a damper on the people who follow them. Just like everyone else, leaders default to the words of those who influenced them from a young age. The words we speak to others are often an echo of the words we are speaking to ourselves, and those words were initiated by our original leaders. When we grow up hearing negative words, we often speak negative words ourselves. Examine your words, determine where they come from and how you can select words that will inspire those around you. Become the leader whose words transform others to want to follow you.   Learn more about Krister Ungerboeck and his newest book, The Language of Leadership: Words to Transform How you Lead, Live and Lo

      Dr. Donna Hicks               Are You Valuing Dignity in the Workplace? As a leader, what is more important – dignity, respect or trust? Actually, that is a trick question. While respect and trust must be earned, dignity is inherent in every human being. It does not need to be earned. So the big question is, are you respecting the dignity of everyone in your organization? When leaders don’t treat others with dignity, their respect for you will be undermined. Every human being is vulnerable to having their dignity hurt, and dignity be violated when we try to ‘look good’ and ‘save face.’ We undermine respect when we don’t come clean and tell the truth. Dignity is important and it is important for leaders to understand their role in it. If you want to be the manager with mojo whose people feel valued, you owe it to yourself to listen to this podcast.   Learn more about Dr. Hicks and the books she's written about dignity, including her newest, Leading with Dignity– How to Create a Culture that B

      Richard Sheridan               Imagine the Possibilities: Less Contemplating, More Acting We all begin our careers eager to change the world, ready to bring all the amazing things we have to offer. And then we are hit with quality issues, blown budgets, and missed deadlines and realize this isn’t going like we imagined. Plus, we are ‘led’ by a management that has instituted a gazillion rules designed to reduce our screw-ups. Leaders are afraid we will make bad choices and don’t trust us. The mojo is sucked right out of the room. Leaders should be stoking the fires of creativity, imagination, energy, invention and integration, igniting the fire within each member of the team to come to work excited to offer their best. Where did we go wrong? Maybe you’ve forgotten what joy looks like. Steve chats with the CEO of Menlo Innovations, winner of the When Work Works ward for 11 straight years.   You can connect with Richard Sheridan on Twitter and LinkedIn, and learn more about Menlo Innovations by

      Dr. Kristen Sosulski               Data Visualization is a Valuable Tool for Leaders Understanding financials is a critical responsibility of the manager and leader. You also must be able to communicate the value of those numbers effectively. Too often presentations will be planned to educate, inform and gain consensus, but end up being dull, boring and confusing. Not enough time is spent giving thought to the value of the information in order to gain agreement and move ideas forward. How well do you understand the numbers that are driving your business? How well can you communicate the value of that information to those who do not understand yet have a role in helping ideas come to fruition? If you are in a position of leading others to desired outcomes, of presenting ideas and gaining support, or to educate and inform others of the success your team is having, it is incumbent to understand the importance of data visualization and how it plays a role in the success of you and others.   Lear

      Sharon Sayler               What Affect are You Having on the Response You are Getting? Do you understand what your body language is saying? While we often think of the eloquence of a great communicator, the best communicators are even more aware of what they don’t say, at least with words. They use non-verbal communication intentionally and understand how body language is perceived. Body language also comes into play when needing to have difficult conversations, a regular requirement of the leader and manager. If you find yourself delaying these conversations, the better question to ask is ‘How can you be prepared for them?’ How can you approach these conversations successfully? If you are having difficulty with others, this podcast could provide clues of what you may be doing that encourages conflict. Get body-language savvy now.   You can learn more about Sharon Sayler and her work by clicking here, and take advantage of her body language gift offer by clicking here.   Check out her book,

      Jakob Heuser               Train Managers Before They Become Bad Bosses You are losing good talent because of bad bosses. It’s a 50-year old problem that isn’t correcting itself. So, why aren’t you training them? Budgets don’t seem to be the issue, as many who can afford it simply choose not to. Each organization needs skilled managers at every level, yet nearly all disciplines promote top performers into management positions with no training and expect them to be successful. Compute 75% of the total salary cost of the managers who have left your organization. That is what it is costing you to replace the people you lose. Is it worth the financial strain and the headaches? As a leader, it is your job to help people be successful. Stop ignoring this responsibility and take action so that future successful managers won’t become bad bosses instead. This podcast will get you started.   Learn more about Jakob Heuser and check out some special assessment tools and resources he's set aside for list

      Christy Hoskins             Is Your LinkedIn Profile Glam or Spam?  How effectively are you using LinkedIn as a platform to fulfill management needs, to seek career opportunities, or both? When used correctly, LinkedIn can be a partner to help advance your career in numerous ways. It can be used to find great candidates for open positions. When you get involved and get to know others, it can help further your career. A good way to get started is by focusing on your profile and making sure it represents you accurately and professionally. Otherwise, it could be suggesting that you are spam! A former chief marketing officer and SVP of strategy, Christy Hoskins now consults executives on branding and leveraging social media for business growth. She shares her knowledge of effectively using LinkedIn in this podcast.   Learn more about Christy Hoskins by visiting her website.  You can also connect with her on LinkedIn.     Click here to check out our newest leadership development tool – LEAD

      Jeffrey Shaw               Are You Speaking Their Lingo? As a leader, clarity of communication is critical, yet have you ever felt like employees weren’t hearing you? Understanding the emotional triggers of employees is important for a leader. Have you wondered why sales aren’t as high as you expect? You are probably not speaking the correct lingo. Tuning in to the language of your ideal customer means you are speaking their lingo. Bergdorf Goodman, the exclusive department store, is successful because they speak the language of their customers. Jeffrey Shaw discovered Bergdorf’s language when he had a struggling business and didn’t know how to speak in a way his customers could hear him. That changed and so did the bottom line. Jeffrey and I had an intriguing conversation of how he went about uncovering customer (and employee) lingo and how you can do that too!   Check out Jeffrey Shaw's book, Lingo: Discover Your Ideal Customer’s Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible, by clic

        Dave Sanderson               Do You Want to be in Control or In Charge? It was a normal day. He flew a lot, yet wasn’t supposed to be on this plane. From experience he knew there were multiple engines, so the fire on the wing didn’t excite him. Now he can say he was on the plane that was the “Miracle on the Hudson.” While floating in the river, his first instinct was to get the heck out of there! And then he heard his Mother’s voice (who had previously died) say, “If you do the right thing, God will take care of you,” so he knew he needed to help others. Dave Sanderson was one of the miracles that became known as the “Miracle on the Hudson.” He now considers that traumatic situation a blessing. He learned lessons and applies them to his life. Do you need a personal catastrophe before realizing there are some changes that should be made in your life? If you desire to be a better leader, spouse, parent, son/daughter, sibling, friend, listen to Dave’s harrowing yet uplifting story of how a piv

        Michael Lombardi               What the NFL can Teach Leaders in Business Whether you love sports or not, there are a lot of leadership lessons to be learned. You see, sports aren't just the games. Sports provide examples of excellence, persistence, tenacity and leadership. Any sports team that has been remembered over time has exhibited all of these characteristics and more. The players must surpass others in their determination to remain the best at what they do. This requires keeping their bodies and skills at peak levels. It requires understanding how to execute what they work so hard to build with precision and brilliance. Michael Lombardi has spent a career in the NFL having the opportunity to engage with some of the best in and on the field – Bill Walsh, Al Davis and Bill Belichick to name few. He learned about great work ethics, developing character, understanding the importance of the details and relentless self-improvement. Building a great organization requires daily focus and nu

      Ken Larson               Leaders Must Get in Position to be in Position Are you in position to be in a position for success? As a leader, you have the ability to see the big picture and to think strategically. Often that type of thinking doesn’t lend itself to easily being able to see the first step toward getting to that picture. Maybe you need to hire a new COO. Contacting a head-hunter and looking for a replacement probably isn’t your best first step. Being able to achieve an end result requires taking a step back to review what is necessary to make it happen. For many of you, that will involve painstaking, detailed thinking. If you need the team to be in a position to achieve success, be sure to get them in the position they need to be in first. Stop jumping around. Get in position to be in position, and you’ll be the leader everyone consults when success is the end goal.   You can learn more about Ken Larson by visiting his website and going to is profile on LinkedIn.     Click her

      Chip Conley               Wisdom is One of the Most Valuable Components of Leadership Wisdom is one of the most valuable components any leader can possess – good judgment, unvarnished insight, and emotional intelligence are some of wisdom’s attributes. Do others consider you authentic, willing to say what is on your mind, and candid without sugar-coating insight? The people who choose to follow you want your shared wisdom, graciously helping them to develop theirs. Why are owls considered wise? Because they listen. Listen to others and help them learn and grow in their current path by offering the wisdom and insight you have gathered over the years. Be a powerful mentor and ‘modern elder’ who is willing to share as well as learn. Never stop learning about what fascinates you. It will keep you young and full of life and allow you to develop one of the most valuable components of leadership – wisdom.   Learn more about Chip Conley by visiting his website or connecting with him on Twitter.  You

      Jennifer Fondrevay               Understand The Human Side of Mergers & Acquisitions  We leaders throw the term around like we’re high financiers – “M&A.” The reality is that mergers and acquisitions aren’t only about the numbers. There is a human impact, and too often that isn’t taken into consideration or it is not given the consideration that is due. You think nothing is going to change? Think again. It already has the moment M&A is mentioned, and your people know it. More mergers fail than succeed, and the ill-considered impact on employees is a big reason. The only thing we have in business is trust and credibility. If you give those up during the current M&A project, you’ve given up everything. Don’t undermine the trust you’ve built in the team. Understand the human impact of mergers and acquisitions.   Learn more about Jennifer Fondrevay and pre-order her new book, Now What? A Survivors Guide for Navigating and Thriving Through Acquisition, by visiting her website.  You can also conne

      Don Barden               Do You Share the Traits of the Top 1%?  In every aspect of life, there seems to be that Top 1%, those who have achieved success beyond what is considered ‘normal.’ While we all work hard and try our best, we wonder what makes them ‘so lucky.’ Were they born with it? Did they have special parents or someone in their life who taught them? Did they know the right people? The answer is no to any of that. The Elite 1% aren’t lucky. They put in the time and effort to reach a high level of performance, and the characteristics that define them cut across race, culture, language, industry, and any other category you want to look at. There is common ground upon which these individuals are focused. If you want to know what qualities you share or what qualities you may want to learn, tune into this podcast to hear how it is done.   Learn more about Don Barden and his work by emailing him directly at the address mentioned in the podcast.     Click here to check out our newes

      Lucas Conley               The Importance of Long-Term Thinking in a Short-Term World Business (and careers) seem to have been relegated to short-term thinking. A three-month view for profits is the norm, so decisions are made to support the next bottom line. What happened to valuable long-term thinking? Is that even done any more? Yes, it is. And make note – it is usually done by the most successful leaders and businesses. Long-term thinkers know the result they are looking for, so they act more quickly when decisions must be made. They are clear on their ambition to go the distance, and they are passionate about the vision to get there. They clarify and share the passion and values with team members to rally support. They know what will separate their business, and they remain relevant with the times. Why are you doing what you are doing, and what about that will leave the world a better place? Consider that as you listen to this podcast.   Learn more about Lucas Conley and The Legacy Lab,