In today’s leadership spark, Executive Coach Tom Henschel discusses the concept of executive presence and its crucial role in leadership and how it influences how others perceive and trust leaders. The nature of executive presence is diverse, as it varies across industries and organizational contexts.

According to Tom, executive presence encompasses both behavioral aspects and attitude, including confidence, the ability to command a room, and great speaking skills. Leaders often find it challenging to develop executive presence. While executive presence may not directly secure a promotion or job, its absence can hinder progress.

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This episode is sponsored by AvePoint. Take control of your SaaS environment and ensure secure collaboration with AvePoint.

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My guest today us David MacLennan, the Executive Chair and former CEO of Cargill, a global food and agribusiness corporation that employs over 160,000 employees in 70 countries. David shares his journey, from his early days in the company to his rise to the top, and the challenges he faced along the way.

In this conversation, David discusses the importance of followership in leadership. He emphasizes that a title alone does not command respect or followership; it must be earned through credibility, sincerity, and reliability. He also shares his philosophy on leadership, which involves creating a personal connection with those he leads through authenticity and transparency. David believes that trust is the cornerstone of effective leadership, and he strives to earn this trust from his team and the wider organization. 

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This episode is sponsored by: AvePoint

Rapidly reduce costs, improve productivity and make more informed business decisions with AvePoint. With the most advanced platform to optimize SaaS operations and secure collaboration, AvePoint helps you transform your digital workplace and collaborate with confidence. To get started, go to www.avepoint.com and learn how you can advance your digital workplace today.

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In today’s leadership spark, renowned Author Brian Christian and I delve into the creation and challenges of algorithms, emphasizing the distinction between traditional algorithms and machine learning models. We explore how machine learning models are trained using examples and objective functions, highlighting their potential for accuracy and generalization.

Brian also mentions the complexities of AI in fields like aerospace safety and hiring processes. We explore the challenges of balancing automation with human intuition and the risks of biases embedded in algorithms. While cautioning against overreliance on AI, Brian highlights the need for ongoing research, transparency, and ethical considerations in the development and deployment of these technologies.

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In today’s episode spark, I engage in a thought-provoking conversation with renowned Author Brian Christian. In our conversation, we explore the creation of algorithms, from traditional step-by-step code to modern machine learning models. Brian emphasizes the importance of understanding these systems, even for non-technical individuals, as they increasingly shape our lives and decisions. 

Further into our discussion, we dived deeper into real-world examples of AI and machine learning in action, such as medical diagnostics, social media algorithms, and even judicial decision-making. The episode sheds light on the implications and challenges presented by these technologies, urging listeners to be informed citizens in the algorithm-driven world we live in.

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In today’s episode spark, I had the pleasure of chatting with renowned Author Brian Christian. We discussed his latest book, "The Alignment Problem: Machine Learning and Human Values," and why he wrote it. Brian shared how the public conversation around AI shifted in 2014, leading him to explore the intersection of AI and human values.

He highlighted the emergence of technical AI safety as a research field and discussed incidents that underscored the ethical challenges AI presents. Brian also touched on the history of AI and its breakthrough in 2012, along with the power and potential dangers of AI.

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My interview today is with Bruce Avolio, the Director of the Gallup Leadership Institute and a renowned expert in the field of leadership. Bruce has dedicated his career to studying leadership and developing strategies for effective leadership in today's rapidly changing world.

In our conversation, we explore the topic of leadership and how to become a successful leader. Bruce shares his insights on the debate of whether leaders are born or made, and emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and innovation for leaders. He also highlights the growing emphasis on psychological safety in the workplace and the value of authenticity in leadership. We also discuss the different types of leadership, including transactional and transformational leadership, and how each approach can impact employee satisfaction and retention. Bruce shares his research on the impact of CEO approval on board retention decisions and the importance of having a strong core value as a leader.

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In this leadership spark, BJ Fogg, Adjunct Professor at Stanford & Author of Tiny Habits, and I delve into the power of tiny habits, the concept of golden behaviors, and debunk the myth that repetition alone creates lasting habits. BJ shares practical examples and expert guidance on how to design habits that align with your aspirations and motivations.

In our conversation, BJ also shares how to recognize and nurture golden behaviors that have a significant impact on your personal and professional life and the significance of consistency and evolving habits over time. 

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In today’s leadership spark, BJ Fogg, Adjunct Professor at Stanford & Author of Tiny Habits, explains how the Tiny Habits methods can be applied to various aspects of life, including health, productivity, relationships, and even leadership. 

BJ shares insights into the framework of the five-day program, where participants spend just 35 minutes exploring and practicing tiny habits. Moreover, he shares success stories and research insights, highlighting the effectiveness of small steps in creating lasting behavior change. Discover how these small steps can lead to significant growth and expansion, opening doors to personal improvement and achievement.

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In today’s leadership spark, BJ Fogg, Adjunct Professor at Stanford & Author of Tiny Habits, shares his journey from aspiring to be a surgeon to pursuing a doctorate at Stanford, where his focus shifted to habits and behavior change. BJ discusses his research on the pro-social aspects of habits and highlights the significance of finding a balance between achievement and personal fulfillment.

We dived deeper into BJ's book, "Tiny Habits," which emphasizes the power of making small changes in behavior. He shares his own experience of hacking habits and discovering that simplicity and integration into existing routines can lead to lasting change. We discussed how BJ's method has helped many individuals significantly, which led him to teach and coaching others.

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My guest today is Todd B. Kashdan, a professor of psychology at George Mason University, and a leading authority on well-being, curiosity, courage, and resilience. He has published more than 220 scientific articles, his work has been cited more than 40,000 times, and he received the American Psychological Association’s Award for Distinguished Scientific Early Career Contributions to Psychology. He has written 5 books including his latest one called The Art of Insubordination: How to Dissent and Defy Effectively. Todd also founded the Well-Being Lab at George Mason University which has produced over 210 peer-reviewed journal articles on well-being and resilience, psychological flexibility, meaning and purpose in life, curiosity, and managing social anxiety.

The conversation today is fast paced, energetic, and touches on a lot of topics impacting organizations and individuals around the world. We look at how and why people are struggling with well-being, having a voice at work and if that’s even possible in today’s cancel culture climate, if you can really control technology or if technology controls you, and the woke movement and the impact that is having on organizations and individuals including what Todd calls the speed to intolerance.

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Start your day with the world’s top leaders by joining thousands of others at Great Leadership on Substack. Just enter your email https://greatleadership.substack.com/