Aim Higher: The podcast with purpose

Thinking Creatively About Creativity

I’ve been having conversations about creativity and writing with my next guest for almost ten years. Now you get to listen in as we discuss the topic more fully. Andy Havens is a content marketing expert, an adjunct professor of marketing and advertising at the Columbus College of Art and Design (CCAD), and the author of, “The Side Ways,” an urban-fantasy trilogy I very much enjoyed reading. We discuss some of the myths surrounding creativity, definitions and descriptions, and how you can be more creative in any endeavor. If you’ve ever wanted to be more creative or foster it in others, this discussion is a great place to start. 

Quiet Quitting for Leaders

In our last episode, we talked about the concepts of “quiet quitting,” the “death of ambition,” and how they relate to our post-pandemic working world. In this week’s roundtable discussion, my panel of leadership experts and I take it up a level and ask: what can leaders do about quiet quitting? How can you prevent it? How do you recognize the signs? And how do you help restore a team member’s enthusiasm and motivation? As always, we share some thoughts about the broader trend, but then get into specific, actionable ideas that you can bring back to your team.

The Death of Ambition

The term “quiet quitting” has been all over the news. It’s generally used to describe workers who have decided to do the minimum required at their jobs. No “going the extra mile,” no overtime, no volunteering for stretch assignments. In short: no ambition. What are the causes of this trend? Is it really something new, or are we just re-labelling a phenomenon that once might have been called “retiring in place?” Are there generational or geographic differences within the "quiet quitting" cohort? My panel of business experts and I discuss the trend in this episode of “Aim Higher.” We put it into context, talk about causes, and suggest some ways to move forward. 

The Power of Focus

Our world is filled with all kinds of distractions. And we carry the source of many around with us—our smartphones—because they are also necessary for work and great productivity tools. But we also know how important it is to put those distractions aside and focus on what’s important. As Steven Covey said, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” How can we do a better job at that? Join me and my panel of business experts as we talk about how to overcome distraction, find better focus, and even support that value within the teams we lead. 

Taking Leadership Coaching Further

In this, the second of a two-part panel on leadership coaching, we continue with Tammi Spayde, Drew Bordas and Janet Walls, President of Delta Blvd. In the first half of our discussion, we covered some basics: who should get leadership training, what it can do for you, when you need a coach as opposed to a mentor. Now we get into some more advanced topics, including the idea of getting a coach for your entire leadership team. That can be a very different situation and call for a very different dynamic. In addition, we talk a bit about when—or if—it might be time to move on from one coach to another. It’s a great session, and vitally important for anyone who wants to continue improving their leadership skills.   

The Basics of Leadership Coaching

In this first of a two-part panel on leadership coaching, two of our regular guests—Tammi Spayde and Drew Bordas—join me and Janet Walls, President of Delta Blvd, a leadership consulting and executive coaching company she founded in 2007. Together, we get into the basics of leadership coaching: who it is for, how it can help you your leadership development, the difference between coaching and mentoring, and how to include your manager in the process. Sometimes, as leaders and executives, we forget that learning should never cease. We always have something new to discover, about our industries, business, and ourselves. And a leadership coach can help accelerate those discoveries. Listen in for some great practical advice. 

Giving Unforgettable Presentations with Patricia Fripp

Patricia Fripp is an expert on how to give better presentations, and she shares some of her secrets with me on “Aim Higher” this week. She just recently co-authored the book “Deliver Unforgettable Presentations,” and it’s filled with step-by-step instructions on how to become a world-class public speaker. During our talk, she makes the great point that everyone can benefit from being a better presenter, even if you’re just leading a team meeting. How people remember what you say depends as much on your delivery as on the content itself. And Patricia’s advice can help you dramatically improve the way you deliver information. 

The Power of Attitude with Inky Johnson

Today’s “Aim Higher” interview is an absolute must-listen. If you haven’t heard Inky Johnson’s story before, you need to do so now. Coming from a home that, in his words, was “poor in material wealth, but rich in spirit, love, and peace,” he was a rising star in college football, until a life changing injury shattered that path to success. But rather than succumb to despair, Inky went on to finish college, earn a master's degree in Sports Psychology, and become an international speaking sensation. Beyond inspirational, Inky’s story—and his philosophy—are truly motivational. As he says, “The one thing we all have in common is adversity, opposition, and challenge. But we can survive, moment by moment, and then capture peace... and share it.” 

Managing Up Without Sucking Up

We all know the obvious “suck up” type. The obsequious, fawning sycophant who only gives the boss good news, is always complimentary, and who (probably) is disliked by everyone—including the boss. In real life, the distinction between “managing up” and “sucking up” is rarely that black-and-white. How can you be the kind of employee your boss wants and needs without simply slathering on empty praise? Hint: it’s all about honest communication. Listen in as my three leadership experts on this week’s panel share how they like to be “managed up to,” and how you can improve your relationship with your boss without becoming a shallow flunky. 

The Future of Happiness: Revisiting an Important Conversation With Amy Blankston

We're in a difficult, stressful time in the world. That's why it's a good moment to go back and review Skip's interview with  Amy Blankson, bestselling author of “The Future of Happiness.” One of the first guests on "Aim Higher," Amy teaches us how to achieve more happiness even in the midst of difficulty. She is a co-founder of the Digital Wellness Collective and most recently has shared her thought leadership as a speaker at TEDx and as a regular contributor for Forbes on Women, Technology, and Leadership, and as a featured professor in Oprah’s Happiness course.