Inspire Greatness

Join us in this episode of the Inspire Greatness Podcast as we chat with Dr. Yosi Amram, a visionary leader, licensed clinical psychologist, and award-winning author. Dr. Amram has coached over 100 CEOs of large organizations and brings a wealth of experience and insight into the realm of spiritual intelligence. He was also the founder and CEO of two public companies, and his pioneering research in spiritual intelligence has garnered over 1,000 citations. His acclaimed book, Spiritually Intelligent Leadership: How to Inspire by Being Inspired, earned the prestigious Nautilus Book Award Gold Medal.In this enlightening conversation, Dr. Amram shares three proven methods for inspiring greatness in team members:Align personal purpose with team missionFoster a sense of communityLead with graceTune in for invaluable insights and practical tips on fostering a strong and positive company culture.Read the show notes for this episode: https://matttenney.com/Yosi-Amram-on-the-inspire-greatness-podcast/Subscribe to the Inspire Greatness Podcast for more compelling conversations. If you enjoyed this interview, please leave a review to help others discover the value of this content.

In this episode of Inspire Greatness, I interviewed CEO and author Jean Gomes.Jean is the CEO and founder of the research-based consultancy Outside. He is also a Professor of Practice at the University London College Global Business School for Health.With over 30 years of experience, Jean has coached more than 80 CEOs and senior leaders. He has notable expertise in elite sports, including performance coaching for the Women’s Tennis Association and the British Olympic community. He is also the author of the book Leading in a Non-Linear World: Building Wellbeing, Strategic and Innovation Mindsets for the Future.During our discussion, Jean explained his three ideas for inspiring greatness in team members:1. Mindset-driven change is more successful than strategy alone2. Mindset is embodied and amplifies human value creation3. Mindset-building practices increase accountability for outcomesIf you want to read the show notes for this episode, you can find them on my website:https://matttenney.com/Jean-Gomes-on-the-inspire-greatness-podcast/If you enjoyed this interview and would like to hear more compelling conversations like this, be sure to subscribe to the podcast. Also, if you’d like to help others benefit from this podcast, please take a minute to leave a review. Your valuable insights can help the podcast reach a wider audience and assist them in making an informed decision about the value of this content.

In this episode of Inspire Greatness, I interviewed authors Mark S. Babbitt and S. Chris Edmonds.Mark and Chris co-wrote the best-selling book Good Comes First: How Today's Leaders Create an Uncompromising Company Culture That Doesn't Suck.During our discussion, Mark and Chris explained their three proven methods for inspiring greatness in team members:1. Understanding that company culture comes from the top and can’t be delegated2. Transitioning to a culture that equally values respect and results3. Holding leaders and team members accountable for embodying company cultureIf you want to read the show notes for this episode, you can find them on my website:https://www.matttenney.com/mark-babbitt-chris-edmonds-on-the-inspire-greatness-podcast/If you enjoyed this interview and would like to hear more compelling conversations like this, be sure to subscribe to the podcast. Also, if you’d like to help others benefit from this podcast, please take a minute to leave a review. Your valuable insights can help the podcast reach a wider audience and assist them in making an informed decision about the value of this content.

Strong leadership requires effective communication, a high level of trust, and the ability to help team members stretch to achieve goals.In this episode of Inspire Greatness, I interviewed Kelly Roddy, CEO of WOWorks.During our discussion, Kelly explained his three proven methods for inspiring greatness in team members:Effective communicationEmpowerment and trustContinuous learning and developmentAs the president of Schlotzsky’s from 2012 - 2019, Kelly transformed the restaurant into a high-quality eatery, doubling its sales. In 2019, he took over Saladworks, and in 2020, he formed WOWorks, which includes six brands. WOWorks focuses on healthy, flavorful meals and has seen impressive growth with new locations opening across the U.S. and Canada.If you want to read the show notes for this episode, you can find them on my website:https://matttenney.com/Kelly-Roddy-on-the-inspire-greatness-podcast/If you enjoyed this interview and would like to hear more compelling conversations like this, be sure to subscribe to the podcast. Also, if you’d like to help others benefit from this podcast, please take a minute to leave a review. Your valuable insights can help the podcast reach a wider audience and assist them in making an informed decision about the value of this content.

In this episode of Inspire Greatness, I interviewed Robyn Bolton, author and founder of MileZero. Robyn previously worked at Innosight, the consulting firm founded by Harvard professor Clayton Christensen, BCG, and Procter & Gamble, where she helped develop and launch the Swiffer. She is the founder and Chief Navigator at MileZero, a consultancy that helps leaders use innovation to confidently and repeatedly grow business revenue.Robyn is the author of the forthcoming book Unlocking Innovation: A Leader’s Guide for Turning Bold Ideas Into Tangible Results. Her articles and perspectives have been featured in Fast Company, Harvard Business Review Online, The New York Times, and NPR’s Marketplace. During our discussion, Robyn explained her three proven methods for inspiring greatness in team members:Doing the opposite of your instinctsBeing honest about what you are and aren’t willing to doWalking the talkIf you want to read the show notes for this episode, you can find them on my website:https://matttenney.com/Robyn-Bolton-on-the-inspire-greatness-podcast/If you enjoyed this interview and would like to hear more compelling conversations like this, be sure to subscribe to the podcast. Also, if you’d like to help others benefit from this podcast, please take a minute to leave a review. Your valuable insights can help the podcast reach a wider audience and assist them in making an informed decision about the value of this content.

In this episode of Inspire Greatness, I interviewed Debra Corey, Chief Pay It Forward Officer at DebCo HR. Debra is a highly experienced and award-winning consultant, world-class speaker, HR leader, and six-time author who has been named one of the top 101 global employee engagement influencers. She’s had a varied career, working for global companies such as Gap Inc., Quintiles, Merlin Entertainments, and Reward Gateway, where she developed and delivered HR strategies in a rebellious way, pushing the boundaries and challenging the status quo to truly drive employee engagement.Debra’s recent book Bad Bosses Ruin Lives: The Building Blocks for Being a Great Boss is a practical guidebook that helps aspiring great bosses recognize and overcome their bad-boss tendencies through actionable tips, tools, and models, ultimately leading to better management and enriched lives.During our discussion, Debra explained her three proven methods for inspiring greatness in team members:Awareness - Becoming aware of the blind spots and traps we fall into that unintentionally cause us to take on bad boss traits.Acceptance - Looking in the mirror and accepting our own individual bad boss traits so that we can take ownership of them.Action - Taking the right actions and leveraging the right knowledge, skills, and tools to become great and overcome our bad boss traits. If you want to read the show notes for this episode, you can find them on my website:https://matttenney.com/Debra-Corey-on-the-inspire-greatness-podcast/If you enjoyed this interview and would like to hear more compelling conversations like this, be sure to subscribe to the podcast. Also, if you’d like to help others benefit from this podcast, please take a minute to leave a review. Your valuable insights can help the podcast reach a wider audience and assist them in making an informed decision about the value of this content.

In this episode of Inspire Greatness, I interviewed Val Ries, founder of Executive Muse, an executive coaching and management training company. Through Executive Muse, Val coaches and trains high-impact leaders at startups, Fortune 500 companies, and small businesses. Her goal is to help them build powerful micro-cultures, increase productivity, decrease attrition, and improve employee engagement. Val is also the author of the best-selling book Chief Inspiration Officer: How to Lead the Team Everyone Wants to Be On.During our discussion, Val explained her three proven methods for inspiring greatness in team members:1. Inspiring yourself first2. Knowing what your team CRAVEsConnection/collaborationReliabilityAppreciationValue - making impactEffective communication3. Gaining clarity on your real idealIf you want to read the show notes for this episode, you can find them on my website:https://matttenney.com/val-ries-on-the-inspire-greatness-podcast/If you enjoyed this interview and would like to hear more compelling conversations like this, be sure to subscribe to the podcast. Also, if you’d like to help others benefit from this podcast, please take a minute to leave a review. Your valuable insights can help the podcast reach a wider audience and assist them in making an informed decision about the value of this content.

In this episode of Inspire Greatness, I interviewed Claudius Hildebrand, a consultant at Spencer Stuart who specializes in CEO performance and leadership advisory services.Claudius is recognized as an award-winning author and contributes regularly to the Harvard Business Review. His work is often referenced in leading publications such as the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Forbes, and the Financial Times.He is also the author of The Life Cycle of a CEO: The Myths and Truths of How Leaders Succeed, which he co-authored with Robert J. Stark. The book explores the anticipated challenges and successes that CEOs encounter throughout their leadership journey.During our discussion, Claudius explained his three proven methods for inspiring greatness in team members:Planting flags and building roadsGiving up control to be in controlPlaying to win or avoiding to loseIf you want to read the show notes for this episode, you can find them on my website:https://matttenney.com/Claudius-Hildebrand-on-the-inspire-greatness-podcast/If you enjoyed this interview and would like to hear more compelling conversations like this, be sure to subscribe to the podcast. Also, if you’d like to help others benefit from this podcast, please take a minute to leave a review. Your valuable insights can help the podcast reach a wider audience and assist them in making an informed decision about the value of this content.

In this episode of Inspire Greatness, I interviewed Jen Thornton, founder and CEO of 304 Coaching. 304 Coaching is a business consulting company that helps organizations by expanding the positive impact of progressive leadership.During our discussion, Jen explained her three proven methods for inspiring greatness in team members—understanding how social change drives the evolution of leadership, developing the ability to self author, and becoming a creative leader, rather than a reactive leader. If you want to read the show notes for this episode, you can find them on my website:https://matttenney.com/jen-thornton-on-the-inspire-greatness-podcast/If you enjoyed this interview and would like to hear more compelling conversations like this, be sure to subscribe to the podcast. Also, if you’d like to help others benefit from this podcast, please take a minute to leave a review. Your valuable insights can help the podcast reach a wider audience and assist them in making an informed decision about the value of this content.

In this episode of Inspire Greatness, I interviewed Genevieve Piturro, founder of Pajama Program, a nonprofit that helps children facing adversities have the tools they need for better bedtimes.She’s also the author of Purpose, Passion, and Pajamas: How to Transform Your Life, Embrace the Human Connection, and Lead with Meaning, a book in which she describes her journey of listening to and following her true calling.During our discussion, Genevieve explained her three proven methods for inspiring greatness in team members: listening to your heart voice, being a cheerleader for those on your team, and realizing that, "It's not the power of one that changes things; it's the power of one another that moves mountains and moves people."If you want to read the show notes for this episode, you can find them on my website:https://matttenney.com/genevieve-piturro-on-the-inspire-greatness-podcast/If you enjoyed this interview and would like to hear more compelling conversations like this, be sure to subscribe to the podcast. Also, if you’d like to help others benefit from this podcast, please take a minute to leave a review. Your valuable insights can help the podcast reach a wider audience and assist them in making an informed decision about the value of this content.

In the latest episode, I had an insightful conversation with Sunil Rajasekar, the CEO of Billtrust. Billtrust is a cutting-edge financial services organization that provides cloud-based software and comprehensive payment processing solutions. Their goal is to enable finance teams to drive growth and to provide guidance and inspiration to businesses.Sunil brings over 20 years of experience in the business software industry. Before leading Billtrust, he was the President of Mindbody, a prominent experience technology platform serving the fitness, wellness, and beauty sectors. Prior to that, Sunil held key roles as a General Manager at eBay and the CTO of Lithium Technologies. Additionally, he actively invests in and advises startups.During our conversation, Sunil delved into his personal journey, sharing how he grappled with leadership challenges as a VP and how he realized the importance of adopting a leadership mindset as he transitioned to senior leadership. This realization ultimately led him to develop the 8 tenets of leadership, which define his aspirations as a leader and provide support to other leaders within his organization.If you want to read the show notes for this episode, you can find them on my website:https://matttenney.com/sunil-rajasekar-on-the-inspire-greatness-podcast/If you enjoyed this interview and would like to hear more compelling conversations like this, be sure to subscribe to the podcast. Also, if you’d like to help others benefit from this podcast, please take a minute to leave a review. Your valuable insights can help the podcast reach a wider audience and assist them in making an informed decision about the value of this content.

In this episode, I talked with Kendra Davenport, CEO of Easterseals.Easterseals is a disability services organization that envisions all people having choices and opportunities to reach their potential. Since 2022 Kendra has served as President and CEO of Easterseals and has also held other leadership positions at organizations such as Operation Smile, the Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation, and Africare.In this episode, she’ll share how her tendency to be a control freak caused her all sorts of problems while she was serving as chief of staff at Africare and how she solved those problems and went on to be very successful as a leader, now serving as the CEO of Easterseals.  If you would like to read the show notes on this episode you can find them on my website:https://matttenney.com/kendra-davenport-on-inspire-greatnessIf you enjoyed this interview and would like to hear more interviews like this, be sure to subscribe to the podcast.Also, if you’d like to help other people benefit from this podcast, please take a minute to leave a review.By sharing your thoughts, you’ll help the podcast reach more people and help them decide whether it might be of value to them.

In this episode we talked with former Weather Channel VP and author, Louis Gump.Louis is the former head of CNN Mobile as well as the former VP of mobile at The Weather Channel. During his time with these organizations, he was responsible for several innovations within both companies, and is responsible for shepherding both The Weather Channel and CNN into becoming two of the most visited mobile destinations in the U.S.In this episode, Louis is going to share about his time as the head of Mobile at the Weather Channel when he faced what seemed to be an impossible deadline to ship a product.If you would like to read the show notes on this episode you can find them on our website, Business Leadership Today:https://businessleadershiptoday.com/louis-gump-on-the-business-leadership-today-podcastIf you enjoyed this interview and would like to hear more interviews like this, be sure to subscribe to the podcast.Also, if you’d like to help other people benefit from this podcast, please take a minute to leave a review.By sharing your thoughts, you’ll help the podcast reach more people and help those people make a decision regarding whether this podcast might be of value to them.

In this episode I talked with global entrepreneur, two-time author, speaker, investor, and adviser, Henry PeniixHenry is the co-founder and executive chairman of Soaak Technologies, an organization that aims to optimize health and wellness by using a whole-person approach that includes brain mapping, thermal imaging, pathogen testing, and more.In this episode, Matt and Henry discuss the struggles of securing funding as a young entrepreneur as well as how adversity taught Henry to shift his focus in communication towards creating mutual benefit for all parties involved.If you would like to read the show notes on this episode you can find them on our website, Business Leadership Today:https://businessleadershiptoday.com/henry-penix-on-the-business-leadership-today-podcastIf you enjoyed this interview and would like to hear more interviews like this, be sure to subscribe to the podcast.Also, if you’d like to help other people benefit from this podcast, please take a minute to leave a review.By sharing your thoughts, you’ll help the podcast reach more people and help those people make a decision regarding whether this podcast might be of value to them.

In this episode I talked with Devan Kline, the Co-Founder and Visionary of Burn Boot Camp.Founded in 2012, Burn Boot Camp is a fitness organization that focuses on empowering women.As of now, they have over 350 locations all of which operate to achieve the goal of a world where women love themselves today and are inspired by who they'll be tomorrow.In this episode, Matt and Devan discuss the importance of self-awareness as a leader and understanding your strengths, weaknesses, and limitations. Along with this, they also discuss adversity and how your organization reacts to adversity can be an indicator of the culture you have built.If you would like to read the show notes on this episode you can find them on our website, Business Leadership Today:https://businessleadershiptoday.com/devan-kline-on-the-business-leadership-today-podcastIf you enjoyed this interview and would like to hear more interviews like this, be sure to subscribe to the podcast.Also, if you’d like to help other people benefit from this podcast, please take a minute to leave a review.By sharing your thoughts, you’ll help the podcast reach more people and help those people make a decision regarding whether this podcast might be of value to them.

In this episode I talked with Alyssa Thach, founder and CEO of Pierpoint.Alyssa has over  20 years experience in recruitment and has delivered talent solutions that have increased revenue growth for Fortune 500 companies worldwide.Within Pierpoint, Alyssa has implemented a people-first approach that builds loyalty, resulting in 94% client retention and 91% internal staff retention for Pierpoint.In this episode, Matt and Alyssa discuss how organizations can create opportunity out of the natural ebb and flow of your company and the importance of being a continual learner.If you would like to read the show notes on this episode you can find them on our website, Business Leadership Today:https://businessleadershiptoday.com/alyssa-thach-on-the-business-leadership-today-podcastIf you enjoyed this interview and would like to hear more interviews like this, be sure to subscribe to the podcast.Also, if you’d like to help other people benefit from this podcast, please take a minute to leave a review.By sharing your thoughts, you’ll help the podcast reach more people and help those people make a decision regarding whether this podcast might be of value to them.

In this episode I talked with Steve Fields, the founder and CEO of FieldsLaw.Steve Fields founded Fields Law Firm in 2001 and focused primarily on Personal Injury law. Steve found success in this area due to unique approaches to marketing and quickly grew into other areas such as Workers’ Comp, Debt Settlement, and Disability Benefits.In this episode, you’ll learn a little bit about Steve’s innovative approach to quickly growing a law firm from the ground up, going from one employee to over 100 in just a few years.If you would like to read the show notes on this episode you can find them on our website, Business Leadership Today:https://businessleadershiptoday.com/steve-fields-on-the-business-leadership-today-podcastIf you enjoyed this interview and would like to hear more interviews like this, be sure to subscribe to the podcast.Also, if you’d like to help other people benefit from this podcast, please take a minute to leave a review.By sharing your thoughts, you’ll help the podcast reach more people and help those people make a decision regarding whether this podcast might be of value to them.

In this episode we talked with Garry Ridge, the former CEO of WD-40.Garry has 25 years of experience as Chairman and CEO of WD-40 Company. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of San Diego, where he teaches the principles and practices of corporate culture in the Master of Science in Executive Leadership program.Garry’s philosophy on company culture is based on Aristotle’s quote – “Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.” Turning that into action, he believes that all leaders can create a workplace where you go to work each day, make a contribution to something bigger than yourself, learn something new, feel safe, are protected, and are provided freedom by a set of values and go home happy!Join us as we discuss with Garry his tenure as CEO of WD-40. Listen to Garry share how he prioritize building a culture that could help WD-40 grow into a global brand. Learn Garry’s insights into how leaders can make employees excited about coming back into the office.If you would like to read the show notes on this episode you can find them on our website, Business Leadership Today:https://businessleadershiptoday.com/garry-ridge-on-the-business-leadership-today-podcast/If you enjoyed this interview and would like to hear more interviews like this, be sure to subscribe to the podcast.Also, if you’d like to help other people benefit from this podcast, please take a minute to leave a review.By sharing your thoughts, you’ll help the podcast reach more people and help those people make a decision regarding whether this podcast might be of value to them.

In this episode we talked with Rachel Rider and discussed how leaders can excel through the relationships they create and maintain.Rachel is a Columbia University certified executive coach with over a decade of coaching experience.  She started as an HR Business Partner responsible for developing and coaching leaders and teams at Bloomberg, she then went on to specialize in leadership coaching at AppNexus (since acquired by AT&T) and Digital Ocean, the third-largest hosting company in the world.Since then, Rachel has founded Mettaworks, an executive coaching firm dedicated to relieving the suffering of all sentient beings.She is also the author of Who You Are is How You Lead, which shares the exact, step-by-step process she uses to help her clients excel in their professional relationships.Join us as we discuss with Rachel how leaders can excel through the relationships they create and maintain. Hear Rachel discuss how building relationships with others starts with the relationship you build with yourself. Listen to Rachel discuss that while the mind is a powerful tool it needs to be kept in check. Learn the practice of visualizing thought patterns and how it can help you learn about yourself.If you would like to read the show notes on this episode you can find them on our website, Business Leadership Today:https://businessleadershiptoday.com/rachel-rider-on-how-leaders-can-excel-through-the-relationships-they-create-and-maintainIf you enjoyed this interview and would like to hear more interviews like this, be sure to subscribe to the podcast.Also, if you’d like to help other people benefit from this podcast, please take a minute to leave a review.By sharing your thoughts, you’ll help the podcast reach more people and help those people make a decision regarding whether this podcast might be of value to them.

In this episode we talked with Dr. Wanda T. Wallace and discussed how leaders can delegate effectively and leverage the expertise of their team.Dr. Wallace is a speaker as well as the founder and managing partner of Leadership Forum, a business consulting firm that focuses on changing the world by changing the way we communicate at work.With a Ph.D in Psychology as well as a rich background in education and leadership training, Dr. Wallace maintains a diverse skill set and knowledge base that enables her to expertly coach leaders on how to better understand and communicate with team members.Dr. Wallace is also the author of the book You Can't Know It All: Leading in the Age of Deep Expertise, which covers the transition from being an expert within a team to being a leader of a team full of individuals with varying expertise.Join us as we discuss with Dr. Wallace how leaders can delegate effectively and leverage the expertise of their team.. Hear Wanda discuss the importance of setting up boundaries and asking questions as you begin the delegation process. Listen to Dr. Wallace explain why it is important that leaders don’t “ditch and desert.” Learn why the common practice of leaders doing it all themselves is not only inefficient for the leader but demotivating for team members as well.If you would like to read the show notes on this episode you can find them on our website, Business Leadership Today:https://businessleadershiptoday.com/dr-wanda-t-wallace-on-how-leaders-can-delegate-effectivelyIf you enjoyed this interview and would like to hear more interviews like this, be sure to subscribe to the podcast.Also, if you’d like to help other people benefit from this podcast, please take a minute to leave a review.By sharing your thoughts, you’ll help the podcast reach more people and help those people make a decision regarding whether this podcast might be of value to them.