In this wrap-up panel episode of "Aim Higher," season three regulars Drew and Tammi join Skip to talk about some of their favorite moments from the past year. While they touch on a variety of high points, one theme becomes apparent: the importance of feedback and continuous communication. This, they agree, is vital for leaders to do themselves and emphasize with teams during the pandemic. They also hope you'll provide feedback on what you liked best about the podcast (and what can be improved!) so that when we come back next season, "Aim Higher" can provide even more value for you on your leadership journey.

Aim Higher: The podcast with purpose

Season 3 wrap-up: staying connected

I'm a huge fan of this week's guest on "Aim Higher," Joann Lublin. Her first book about women business leaders, "Earning It," had insights from 52 women executives, and her latest, just out in 2021, is "Power Moms: How Executive Mothers Navigate Work and Life." I've been reading Joann in the Wall Street Journal for years, as she created its first career advice column, which she wrote until May of 2020. And she shared a Pulitzer Prize at the Journal in 2003 for their work on corporate scandals. I've learned so much from her writing and I know you'll enjoy hearing from her in this episode as much as I did in our conversation. 

"Power Moms" with Joann Lublin

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.

Leadership clarity with Kary Oberbrunner

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.

Becoming an ICONIC company with Scott McKain

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. 

Communicate with IMPACT with Patrick Donadio

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. 

Courageous Cultures with Karin Hurt & David Dye

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. 

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

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.

The importance of being an 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.

How to be a more approachable leader

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."

Decide to dream, with legendary sportscaster Bob Rathbun

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 get the most out of 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.

How to excel at giving employee feedback

What is a "performance culture" and how do you transform your organization to get there? In this episode of "Aim Higher," Skip and his expert panel take on that challenging subject and discuss Skip's "7 Steps for Creating a Performance Culture." From an initial definition, through the importance of communication and internal selling, all the way to celebration... the group brings their insights and real-world examples to this complex question. Listen in for some tips to get started today with your team.

Creating a performance culture

Leadership, by definition, requires at least some minimal level of delegation. Yet we all know leaders who seem to feel as if their success is defined not by how well their team or organization does as a whole, but by their own individual performance. That's an obvious failure of both leadership and delegation. In this episode of "Aim Higher," Skip and his panel take you through his "7 Rules for Successful Delegation." It's a no-nonsense look at a tricky skill set that can mean the difference between being a truly successful leader and a mediocre micromanager. Listen in for some unique tips and down-to-earth wisdom. 

How to delegate effectively

How, as a leader, do you model the benefits of self-confidence without falling into the trap of arrogance? In this episode of "Aim Higher," Skip sits down with his panel of experts to discuss the importance of self-confidence to leaders, both in terms of their own work, and as a leadership skill itself. As Skip says, "Confidence sweeps people to you, arrogance drives people away." Listen closely for some great tips on how culture, gender, body-language, health, and even vocal tone can affect self-confidence and make a difference in your leadership style.  

The importance of leading with confidence

Reach your full potential by joining a conversation with Skip Prichard and his array of guests as they share stories of their own leadership journeys.

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Aim Higher: The podcast with purpose

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