Aim Higher: The podcast with purpose

3 price tags for leadership clarity (with Kary Oberbrunner)

On this episode of "Aim Higher," Skip speaks with longtime friend Kary Oberbrunner--author, coach, and speaker who helps people and organizations clarify who they are, why they're here, and where they're going so that they can share their message with the world. Skip and Kary delve into the topic of clarity and why it can be something people seemingly avoid, even while saying they value it so much. Why can clarity be so frightening, especially for leaders? Kary says it's because, "Once you have it, you're dissatisfied with anything less." This isn't a discussion for the faint of heart and it's not an easy topic. Come prepared to do some hard thinking.

Becoming ICONIC (with Scott McKain)

In this episode, Skip talks with Scott McKain about his Forbes Top 10 Pick, "ICONIC: How Organizations and Leaders Attain, Sustain and Regain the Ultimate Level of Distinction." Scott is the author of four #1 business bestsellers on Amazon and has delivered over 2000 presentations in 36 countries. Their discussion about moving past distinction -- being top within your industry -- to becoming a true icon that stands out across categories is a must-hear conversation for leaders looking to stretch the boundaries of success.

How to communicate with IMPACT (with Patrick Donadio)

Patrick Donadio, MBA, is a Certified Speaking Professional and Master Certified Coach who teaches others how to lead more effectively, communicate clearly, present more powerfully, and positively impact the lives of others. In this interview, Skip and Patrick break down some of the lessons from Patrick's book, “Communicating with IMPACT," a process he's developed to help leaders improve interpersonal and organizational communications skills. Listen in to learn how to be more focused and mindful about all your communications and reap some compelling leadership rewards. 

How to develop a courageous culture (with Karin Hurt and David Dye)

In this episode of "Aim Higher," Skip talks with leadership development experts Karin Hurt and David Dye about their most recent book, "Courageous Cultures." In their first book, "Winning Well," they set the stage with lots of practical advice on creating a business while, as Karin says, "maintaining your soul." Their new book builds on that, helping leaders create a strategic framework to leverage your most important assets: employee knowledge and innovation. Why are your people holding back their best ideas? And what's preventing you from acting on them? Listen as Skip, Karin, and David ask -- and answer -- some tough questions about the benefits of creating courageous conversations with your employees. 

What I learned, as a CEO, from contracting COVID-19

When Skip was diagnosed with COVID-19, his initial thought as CEO was to be transparent about it to his team and employees. That was one thing he'd learned long ago: the importance of honesty in building bridges and maintaining clear communications. But throughout his illness and recovery, Skip also made discoveries about openness, appreciation, and vulnerability. This has been a challenging year for us all. But in the end, as Skip says, it offers us all lessons in shared humanity, because the whole world has been impacted. Listen in for some very personal, yet still practical thoughts on what leaders can take away from this difficult experience. 

The importance of being an approachable leader

In the previous episode of "Aim Higher," Skip and his panel discussed how you can cultivate approachability as a leadership skill. In this follow-up, the group talks about why this is an absolute necessity for successful leaders. Ask yourself: why do you think a good leader needs to be approachable? Employee engagement? Transparency? Sharing ideas? Whatever your reason, Skip says -- and his leadership experts agree -- that it's all about building bridges. Listen in and renew your commitment to building a culture of approachability today.

How to be a more approachable leader

Skip and his guests often discuss qualities of leadership that you can work on by yourself; organization, planning, delegation... even gratitude can be something you reflect on personally. The thing about approachability, though, is that it's entirely dependent on other people's perceptions. In this episode of "Aim Higher," Skip and his panel of leadership experts discuss ways that you can chip away at habits that might make you unapproachable, and then get proactive about this vital leadership component.

Decide to dream (with Bob Rathbun)

Legendary sports announcer and author Bob Rathbun has been observing successful athletes, coaches, teams, and leaders for decades. In this interview, Bob shares some great tips from his remarkable career on how to do well yourself and inspire others on their journeys. One of the most important things, Bob says, is to start with a dream... but then find someone who can teach you the steps. That way, once you make a decision, you can "be ready for what comes with it."

How to get the most out of feedback

Most of us say we want to improve our performance, and most employees report that they want more feedback from their managers. But very few of us actually prepare for (or are trained in) how to receive feedback well. In this episode of "Aim Higher" Skip and his panel of leadership experts go over some lessons they've learned in how to be more effective "feedback takers." They also reflect on 7 tips Skip has for getting better at it yourself. Are you ready to get some feedback on your feedback skills?

How to excel at giving employee feedback

As a leader or manager, you're going to be called on to give feedback more often than most people. How can you make sure that the critiques, comments, and assessments you provide to your team are helping them improve as much as possible? In this episode of "Aim Higher," Skip and his panel of leadership experts explore this vital skill and dig into some very necessary--and sometimes thorny--issues you'll need to address if you want to create a culture where sound, solid feedback is part of a culture of continuous improvement and excellence.