Leadership Biz Cafe with Tanveer Naseer

Are you striving for the elusive “work-life balance” and finding it’s not quite working?In this episode of Leadership Biz Cafe, I welcome back my friend, and fellow leadership expert (and Canadian) Dan Pontefract to discuss his book, “Work-Life Bloom: How to Nurture a Team That Flourishes“, where he argues work-life balance is a misleading and at times harmful concept.As Dan puts it, work and life aren’t opposing forces, but distinct entities that interact and influence one another.Over the course of our conversation, Dan and I discuss:Why the concept of work-life balance is flawed.The four work-life personas of his “Work-Life Bloom” model.The importance of trust, belonging, and feeling valued at work to employees thriving at work.Why agency is crucial to empowering employees.Tune in to learn more about Dan’s Work-Life Bloom model with its four different personas that shape our work and life selves, and why we need to let go of trying to find that work-life balance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever thought about your leadership values?Understanding what your values are – of what matters to you and how you want your employees to view your leadership is critical to not only helping your employees understand your motivations, but to creating clarity during times of uncertainty and change.That’s why for this Leadership Espresso Shot I want to share a three step process to help you identify what your leadership values are, how to put those leadership values into action, and how to communicate your leadership values to your team and solicit feedback.Tune in to discover how defining your leadership values can empower you to lead with clarity and purpose. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I spoke with GiANT co-founder Jeremie Kubicek about his book “The Communication Code” and the communication framework he developed with his business partner Steve Cochram to help people become more effective communicators.The “Communication Code” framework involves applying five key “code words” – care, celebrate, clarify, collaborate, and critique – that can help transform how we interact with others by helping us shift the focus from what we’re trying to say, to what those we lead need to hear from us.What’s important for us to understand is that effective communication is about more than just transmitting information – it’s about understanding and meeting the expectations the other person has in that moment. As Jeremie pointed out during our conversation, we tend to make assumptions about what other people want, when we should be taking the time to understand their true expectations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the questions I get asked a lot by leaders after one of my keynotes is – how do drive growth and success when you have to work under a controlling boss? How do you get them on board with your initiatives when they only seem to like their ideas or those from their ‘inner circle’?So for this instalment of my Leadership Espresso Shot series, I share 3 measures I’ve shared with leaders who are grappling with how to move initiatives they want to get done while working for a controlling boss.If you’re in such a situation, hopefully listening to this episode will help you understand how you can continue to succeed and grow, in spite of whatever obstacles and issues your controlling boss puts in your way.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A troublesome and persistent issue facing organizations today is their inability to develop and promote women to leadership positions where they can play a key role in the decision-making process.But as my guest in this episode of my Leadership Biz Cafe podcast points out, this doesn’t mean there aren’t things women can do to make the case in their organization to promote them into leadership roles.Shelmina Abji is a former IBM vice-president, philanthropist, angel investor, and active gender and racial equality advocate.I invited Shelmina to join me on my show not only to share her inspiring story of growing up in a rural village in Tanzania to being one of the first visible minority women to hold the position of vice-president at IBM, but to talk about her book, “Show Your Worth: 8 Intentional Strategies For Women To Emerge As Leaders At Work."Just as she does in her book, Shelmina shares a powerful, empowering, and honest message for how women – and in particular visible minority women – can address the current obstacles – both within the organizations and themselves – that impede their ability to, as Shelmina puts it, “create higher levels of value at your maximum capacity.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever had a workday where you were so busy that the time flew by, but you didn’t really accomplish anything? The sad reality is that you’re not alone.One study found that 42% of employees spend half of their workday on busywork.Another study by Visier found 43% of employees spend more than 10 hours a week on “productivity theatre” work – essentially, tasks that make them appear to be busy, but which aren’t critical to the organization’s long term objectives.So what can leaders do to put a stop to busywork and help employees focus on work that really matters?A good place to start is to get clear about what tasks are critical to your ability to achieve your goals today and in the weeks ahead, and which tasks are as useful as watching paint dry.So for this edition of my “Leadership Espresso Shot” podcast series, I share a simple, but powerful strategy that will help you to not only identify and banish busywork, but develop a laser-like focus on those tasks that will drive value creation and growth for the organization. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’ve had the distinct pleasure of speaking to so many incredible and world-renowned experts on my “Leadership Biz Cafe” podcast, and I’m elated to now include Dr. Marshall Goldsmith to that list.Marshall has been recognized as the #1 executive coach in the world, two-time Thinkers50 #1 leadership thinker in the world, not to mention being a New York Times bestselling author whose books have sold over 3 million copies and been translated into 32 languages.All of which is to say that you’re in for a real treat with this episode as Marshall brings so much wisdom, insight, and thought-provoking ideas over the course of our conversation about his books, “The Earned Life: Lose Regret, Choose Fulfillment” and “Triggers: Creating Behavior That Lasts”.In fact, I’d encourage you to be ready to take notes as Marshall not only offers so many revealing ideas on how to reframe how we approach work and our lives, but he even gives a coaching session during our conversation directed to both you the listener and myself to help us do and be better.Without question, this episode will be one of the highlights of my podcast as it’s filled with inspiration, laughs, and moments that challenge us to recognize how we can become that better version of who we can be. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As team lifespans continue to shorten as a result of both layoffs and employee leaving for opportunities elsewhere, leaders are having to deal with another growing issue in today’s evolving workplaces: specifically, how do you ensure team harmony when everything – including the make-up of your teams – is in flux?In this Leadership Espresso Shot, I share three important strategies that leaders can use to foster team harmony through promoting collaboration, trust, and a sense of shared purpose within your team, no matter how often members of your team change. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the face of rising levels of workplace anxiety and burnout, there’s a natural tendency to consider building resilience as being the key to keeping such mental health issues at bay.But my guest for this episode of my “Leadership Biz Cafe” podcast argues that resilience is not enough and what’s needed instead is building our mental strength.Scott Mautz is a former Procter & Gamble senior executive, faculty member at Indiana University’s Kelly School of Business for Executive Education, and the author of four books, including his latest “The Mentally Strong Leader: Build the Habits to Productively Regulate Your Emotions, Thoughts, and Behaviors”.(He’s also a very good friend of mine who I enjoy spending time talking about leadership and the challenges leaders face leading today’s organizations.)As Scott points out during our discussion, mental strength is about your ability to regulate your emotions, thoughts and behaviours so you can successfully overcome whatever challenges you face, and help your team achieve its goals.So how can we build our mental strength? In his book “The Mentally Strong Leader”, Scott describes six habits that are key to building your mental strength and he shares several strategies for each on how you can do this.And as if that wasn’t enough, Scott was kind enough to offer listeners a free 60 page ebook that will help them begin the process of developing these habits of a mentally strong leader.This is without question one of my favourite interviews of the year about one of my favourite books I read this year. So give this episode a listen and do yourself a favour and pick up a copy of Scott’s latest book. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One situation every leader needs to be ready for is when a crisis hits your organization. Unfortunately, most leaders are ill-prepared and lack proper experience to know how to best address a crisis in such a way that allows the organization to pivot while still staying true to their long-term goals.Fortunately, my guest in this episode of Leadership Biz Cafe has developed a pragmatic leadership model that leaders can employ to not only ride out the storm, but come out stronger on the other side.Eric McNulty is the Associate Director of the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative at Harvard University, and Instructor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. He also teaches graduate-level courses on leadership, negotiation, and conflict resolution at Harvard, as well as several executive education programs at MIT and Harvard.Eric joins me in this episode to talk about his latest book “You’re It: Crisis, Change, and How to Lead When It Matters Most” and the research-based, leadership framework that can not only help leaders be better prepared for any future crisis, but develop a mindset to transform crisis situations into opportunities to evolve and grow your organization. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Whether you’re a sports fan or not, there’s no denying there’s something special about watching the Olympics. No doubt a big draw is the immediacy of knowing who the winner will be.Instead of months, it only takes a matter of days to discover which athlete will end up rising up to the top to clinch the gold medal.But there’s another reason why I enjoy watching the Olympics and that is the real-time examples and reminders of what it takes to succeed.Of what drives us to push ourselves to the fullest of our abilities, knowing that for many there’s a slim chance of even landing on the podium.So in celebration of the start of the Paris Summer Olympic Games, I wanted to share this edition of my Leadership Espresso Shot series where I share four leadership lessons inspired by the Olympics that will help you to ignite your team's performance.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this latest episode of my Leadership Espresso Shot series, I share a simple process that even the busiest leader can apply to tap into the power of reflection to gain a better sense of context and awareness for what needs to be done to drive organizational growth and success. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you’re feeling like things are getting more negative each day, the sad fact is you’re not alone.From our social media feeds to news outlets, we’re exposed to unprecedented levels of negativity that are impacting not only our mental health, but fuelling a rising tide of divisiveness that is fracturing our social and political norms.So what can be done about this? How do we replace this growing tide of negativity with a grounded-in-reality positivity that drives success and fuels collective growth?According to my guest in this episode, the key is to take control over how we see the world by focusing on what’s going well and where we can have a meaningful impact.Anthony Iannarino is a best-selling author and sales leader with over 20 years’ experience selling and leading sales forces in the staffing industry.In this episode, I speak with Anthony about his new book “The Negativity Fast – Proven Techniques to Increase Positivity, Reduce Fear, and Boost Success” and how we can change our mental outlook so we can engender more positivity, gratitude, and a compelling vision for what we can achieve in the months and years ahead.It’s a fascinating conversation covering the latest findings from neuroscience and psychology, along with some intriguing advice like the best way to overcome negativity is to become a hydra (yeah, you’ll have to listen to this episode to understand what that’s all about). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the biggest challenges – and at times, headaches – you’ll have as a leader is having to deal with an employee who’s under-performing.Of course, it’s not just leaders – we’ve all had experience working on teams where there was one person who wasn’t doing their part to help carry the team’s load.As employees, it’s easy for us to be annoyed and frustrated with these colleagues of ours. But as a leader, it’s your responsibility to help struggling employees to improve their performance.But with so many demands and tasks on their plate, how can leaders address the problems one struggling employee creates for their team?In this latest instalment in my Leadership Espresso Shot series, I share lessons inspired from work I did to revive a rose plant in my garden that reveal how you can help a struggling employee improve their performance to once again become a valued member of their team. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is one of the interviews for my "Leadership Biz Cafe" podcast that I couldn't wait to share - my interview with Stanford professor and all-around great guy, Bob Sutton.Bob is an organizational psychologist, Stanford professor, and best-selling author of “The No Asshole Rule”, “Good Boss, Bad Boss”, and “Scaling Up Excellence”.My conversation with Bob revolved around his latest book, “The Friction Project: How Smart Leaders Make the Right Things Easier and the Wrong Things Harder”, and this simple question - why are some organizations able to effortlessly adapt and transform to meeting changing market conditions, while others seem to be held back by the very processes that are meant to help get things done?Based on 7 years of research, Bob discovered that it all comes down to learning how to be a "friction fixer" who understands the difference between "good friction" and "bad friction".While I was (obviously) expecting Bob to be an incredibly insightful and well-informed guest on organizational culture – I hadn’t expected to laugh as much as Bob and I did before, during, and after we went on the air.Listening to this episode, it’s hard not to feel an undercurrent of warmth over the course of the episode, which gives this episode a lovely feel-good mood paired alongside fantastic insights and hilarious stories about how leaders can become “friction fixers” to improve the way their organization works.And at the end, Bob shares with me one of the best and kindest compliments I've ever received about my work. If only there was a way to hang an audio clip up on the refrigerator door....In other words, come for the laughs, stay for thought-provoking ideas you’ll learn in this engaging conversation. Noteworthy links: Buy Bob’s book “The Friction Project” on Amazon*Learn more about Bob’s work: https://www.bobsutton.net/Read Tanveer’s article mentioned during the episode: "Encouraging Your Employees To Reach For The Moon" https://tanveernaseer.com/encouraging-your-employees-to-reach-for-the-moon/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The arrival of Spring often brings to mind the idea of renewal and new beginnings. And it’s not surprising when we see trees waking from their winter slumber to transform their spindly branches into luscious clouds of green foliage. Or when we see spring flowers like tulips emerge from the ground, erupting into this dazzling display of bright yellows, reds, oranges, and whites. But there’s another common sight that evokes the arrival of Spring – the Canada geese flying in their distinctive V-formation across the sky. Watching this seasonal migration happen from my backyard brought to mind three important reminders of what leaders should be focusing on to ensure their employees succeed in their collective efforts. And it’s these three springtime leadership reminders that serve as the inspiration for this episode of my Leadership Espresso Shot series. As much Spring brings us a sense of hope for what this year might bring, I hope you’ll take a moment to listen to this episode to learn what you can do to ensure a successful outcome from your shared efforts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There’s no question that being an effective communicator is critical to succeeding at leadership. But as my guest in this episode of my “Leadership Biz Cafe” podcast points out, a leader’s ability to express the right kind of appreciation to their employees is key to driving employee growth and success. Dr. Paul White is a psychologist, author, and speaker who “makes work relationships work.” His work has been featured in Business Week, CNN, Entrepreneur, Fast Company, Fortune, and the New York Times. Along with Dr. Gary Chapman, Paul is the coauthor of the best-selling book, “The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace”, which has sold over 550,000 copies and has been translated into 25 languages. Over the course of this episode, Paul and I talk about how leaders can improve their ability to express appreciation to their employees by exploring some of the following topics: · Understanding why appreciation is different from recognition and why both are needed to inspire and motivate employees.· Exposing the two false assumptions most leaders make about appreciation and what studies have revealed as the key benefits that come from expressing appreciation.· What are the Five Languages of Appreciation and how do they manifest in the workplace. There’s even a hilarious moment in my conversation with Paul where we talk about some of the unbelievably ridiculous measures some leaders made to show appreciation to their employees – each of them true stories that employees shared with Paul. Trust me when I say you’ll want to hear about them!And as Paul mentioned at the end of this episode, if you email him at yesdrpaul@gmail.com with the subject heading “Leadership Biz Cafe”, he will send you a number of FREE resources that will help you better understand these Five Languages of Appreciation and how you can start communicating them in your workplace. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the common themes around leadership that I’m asked to speak on for a keynote or a corporate training workshop around is how can leaders create conditions that inspire employees to show up and deliver their best.As a point out in these talks, a key ingredient to making such conditions is defining a vision that helps to inspire purpose in your employees and with it, drive success over the long-term.So in this edition of my Leadership Espresso Shot series on my “Leadership Biz Cafe” podcast, I want to share two stories that reveal three critical steps leaders need to take to create a vision that inspires a sense of shared ownership amongst your employees that will strengthen their commitment and drive to overcome whatever stands in their way to achieving these shared goals. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“The real job of leadership is the chance to sincerely, passionately, excellently elevate human lives. And the best businesses are very mission-driven and purpose-centered.”This is just one of many brilliant and thoughtful insights Robin Sharma shares in this latest episode of my “Leadership Biz Cafe” podcast.I can’t tell you how excited I am to share this episode with you. When I started this podcast almost 14 years ago, I never thought I’d be speaking with someone like Robin Sharma about leadership.Robin is one of the top leadership and personal mastery experts in the world. In fact, many of the world’s top organizations have sought his advice and guidance, including Nike, FedEx, Microsoft, Unilever, GE, and PwC.Robin is also the author of several #1 international bestsellers, including The 5AM Club, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, and The Leader Who Had No Title. His books have been translated into more than 92 languages and dialects, making him one of the most widely read authors alive.Robin joins me on my podcast to talk about his new book, “The Wealth Money Can’t Buy – The 8 Hidden Habits to Live Your Richest Life” and some of the valuable lessons he shares about how we can lead a more fulfilling and rich life, as well as transforming the way we look at and approach our leadership.I was so inspired reading Robin’s book that while I was travelling for work, I decided to take on one of the personal challenges Robin encourages readers to embrace to build one of those eight forms of wealth he describes in his book.So what was Robin’s challenge I took on? And what did Robin say after I told him what happened to me when I did this challenge?To find out, you’ll just have to listen. And trust me, there’s so many other reasons I’d encourage you to bookmark this episode to listen to and be inspired for how you can lead and live better. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’ve spoken with many highly successful people over the course of career and there’s one interesting characteristic I’ve noticed they all share in common.Each of them exudes this quiet confidence about themselves and their abilities.And to repeat, not just confidence, but quiet confidence, meaning they don’t try to be the smartest person in the room or the one who gets all the attention. And yet, when they speak, you can sense this sense of assuredness and inner peace about who they are and what they can do.Naturally, most of us would love to be like these successful people – not just because of the level of success they’ve achieved, but because of that quiet confidence they exemplify.So what’s their secret? How did they achieve this quiet confidence? Is it because of their success? Or could it be their sense of confidence gave rise to their success?Well, recently, I delivered a morning keynote followed by an afternoon workshop to almost 1,000 leaders from a healthcare provider in the US and I realized that one of the exercises I shared with these leaders reveals how anyone can develop their own sense of quiet confidence.It comes down to transforming that inner voice in our mind from that noisy, negative self-talk, to one that encourages and challenges us to fulfill our true potential.As this idea wasn’t part of the leadership workshop I gave, I decided to develop into something to share in this latest episode of my Leadership Espresso Shot series.More specifically, in this episode, I share four simple steps you can put into practice right now that will help you stop negative self-talk and replace that inner voice with one that these successful leaders have – an inner voice that believes in your ability to succeed and thrive in fulfilling the purpose of why you do what you do.It’s a ten minute journey of self-exploration and discovery that I know you’ll derive a lot of benefit from. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.