In this episode, Tom Athenour and Mitch Harrison delve into the pressing issue of burnout, exploring its symptoms, personal experiences, and effective strategies for recovery. Mitch shares his journey through burnout and the development of a framework that emphasizes the importance of balancing stress with replenishment.
The discussion highlights the five key areas—Rest, Release, Receive, Recreation, and Relationships—that are essential for maintaining mental health and productivity. They also emphasize the need for leaders to model self-care and create a culture that supports personal replenishment.
Contact Information:
mitch@refillcoaching.com: Refill Coaching: www.refillcoaching.com
Book:
Running on Full: A Plan to Beat Burnout and Replenish Your Inner Tank, by Mitch Harrison
Podcast Sponsor: www.starquestgroup.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/starquest-group/?viewAsMember=true
Tom Athenour: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomathenour/
In this episode, Tom Athenour sits down with Tony Garver, Chief Administration Officer at First Onsite, to unpack how the company pulled off 25 acquisitions in just 2½ years—and what it really takes to make that kind of growth stick.
Tony takes us behind the scenes of their bold M&A strategy, revealing the leadership moves that fueled their success. From aligning cultures and integrating leaders to keeping people front and center, he shares the lessons learned in navigating complexity without losing momentum.
At the heart of the conversation: the power of clear communication, strong feedback loops, and striking the right balance between integration and autonomy. If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to grow fast without breaking what makes your organization great, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.
Contact Information:
Tony.garver@firstonsite.com; First Onsite Website: www.firstonsite.com
Podcast Sponsor: www.starquestgroup.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/starquest-group/?viewAsMember=true
Tom Athenour: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomathenour/
In this conversation, Tom Athenour and Bob Anderson discuss the evolving landscape of leadership amidst unprecedented uncertainty. They explore the developmental challenges leaders face, the importance of mindset shifts, and the necessity of integrating intuition and creativity into leadership practices. Bob emphasizes the need for courageous conversations, the management of polarities, and the significance of shadow work in unlocking potential. The discussion culminates in the idea that leaders must create conditions for breakthroughs and navigate the unknown with a focus on intuition and insight.
Book Resources:
Mastering Leadership: An Integrated Framework for Breakthrough Performance and Extraordinary Business Results by Bob Anderson and Bill Adams
Scaling Leadership: Building Organizational Capability and Capacity to Create Outcomes that Matter Most
Immunity to Change: How to Overcome It and Unlock the Potential in Yourself and Your Organization (Leadership for the Common Good)
Leadership Circle Framework/Competency Model:
Leadership Circle Free Assessment
Podcast Sponsor: www.starquestgroup.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/starquest-group/?viewAsMember=true
Tom Athenour: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomathenour/
In this episode, host Tom Athenour sits down with Shawn McBride, a seasoned couples therapist and counselor, to explore the importance of investing in your personal relationships (couples, marriage, dating) as part of being an effective leader. Shawn shares his journey from a childhood mediator within his family to being a professional counselor, emphasizing the importance of communication and emotional intelligence in both personal and professional realms. Discover practical strategies for leaders to foster healthier relationships at home, ensuring that personal life and leadership roles complement rather than conflict with each other. Tune in for insights on empathy, self-awareness, and the transformative power of intentional connection.
Referenced Books:
His Needs, Her Needs: How to Affair Proof Your Marriage by Dr. William Harley
Communication & Conflict Resolution Workbook for Couples by Shawn McBride
52 Date Night Ideas For Busy Couples by Shawn McBride
40 Days of Conversations with Her: Practical Conversation Starters For The Busy Man by Shawn McBride
Additional Resources Referenced:
Podcast Sponsor: www.starquestgroup.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/starquest-group/?viewAsMember=true
Tom Athenour: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomathenour/
In this conversation, Barry Posner dives into the heart of what makes great leadership tick—championing trust, sparking empowerment, and inspiring others through genuine encouragement. He shares the personal journey that led him into the world of leadership and academia, offering powerful lessons shaped by the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. With passion and clarity, Posner explores the vital role of curiosity and human connection in today’s ever-changing landscape, especially among rising generations. He also gives us a sneak peek into his upcoming book, The Radical Promise (working title), and the bold ideas it brings to the future of leadership.
As a bestselling author, Barry Posner and Jim Kouzes are best known for their many leadership books including The Leadership Challenge in its 7th edition and Encouraging the Heart. For some of his most notable books, check out the following resources.
Resources:
Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations (7th Edition)
The Truth about Leadership: The No-fads, Heart-of-the-Matter Facts You Need to Know
Encouraging the Heart: Igniting Purpose and Providing Meaningful Recognition (2nd Edition)
Everyday People, Extraordinary Leadership: How to Make a Difference Regardless of Your Title, Role, or Authority
Podcast Sponsor: www.starquestgroup.com
In this conversation, Tom Athenour discusses the integration of improvisational skills into leadership practices with improv actors Michael Flusche and Austin Hines. They explore how improv can enhance teamwork, creativity, and communication in the workplace. The discussion covers fundamental improv principles, the importance of trust and support in teams, and how to create a safe space for ideas. They also demonstrate improv techniques and share insights on navigating challenges and embracing failure as a learning opportunity.
Resources:
Website: www.curtisneedsaride.com
Sponsor:
Website: www.starquestgroup.com
In this episode, Tom Athenour speaks with Gordy Curphy about his work and research on how we as leaders can more effectively build high performing teams. During the discussion, Gordy shared the eight interrelated components that need to be addressed to create the conditions for team success. Those eight components include:
For more information on the eight components of Gordy’s “Rocket Model” framework, visit his website as noted below.
Resources:
Website: www.curphyleadershipconsultants.com
Sponsor:
Website: www.starquestgroup.com
In this episode, Tom Athenour speaks with Jess Kindler about his extensive career in leadership within the mining industry and beyond. They discuss the evolving landscape of global business, the importance of customer-centric leadership, and the need for agility in response to rapid changes in technology and market dynamics.
Jess shares insights on how leaders can effectively navigate challenges, meet their teams where they are, and foster a culture of curiosity and accountability. The conversation culminates in practical advice for emerging leaders on embracing change and taking ownership of their roles.
Resources:
Website: www.hutanhujan.com
Paul Monahan has spent years working with amateur and professional golfers and athletes to perfect the inner game or what we call the mental side of performance. As the mental game coach for one of the largest golf instruction communities in the country, Paul's focus is on helping his clients overcome the inside-game challenges that show up during practice and play. Paul recently published his first book entitled The Most Important Game: Play Better. Struggle Less. Enjoy More.
Regardless of whether you play golf or not, you’ll find this episode most insightful as Paul shares his reflections on how we can see the game of golf—and perhaps the game of life—in fresh ways. In addition to working with golfers and athletes, he is an executive coach who works with senior leaders, teams and organizations to improve their performance in the workplace.
Paul’s Book, The Most Important Game: https://www.amazon.com/Most-Important-Game-Better-Struggle/dp/1998315002
Website: https://www.paulmonahan.com/
Youtube: https://youtube.com/@PaulMonahanCoach?si=aov2boB5QOg8Mx0e
Recently I had the opportunity to connect with Ann Betz, a neuroscience and leadership expert. I met Ann a number of years ago while going through my executive coaching program. Not only was she a great coaching facilitator in the program, but I was most fascinated by her research and graduate studies around integrating neuroscience into the practice of leadership. Today she is considered one of the top neuroscience and coaching experts in the field which is why I wanted to talk with her about this topic.
In addition to her consulting work, she is the lead author of the book: Integration, the Power of Being Co-Active in Work and Life, and has published numerous articles on the subject of neuroscience and coaching. Ann speaks internationally on neuroscience, leadership and, and she excels at making the complexities of the brain come to life with depth, humor and simplicity.
During our discussion, we spent some time focusing on how we can better work with stress, tension, and uncertainty that challenge our work environments daily. From our conversation, I noted several interventions (or neuroscience “hacks” as she calls them) that we can use for ourselves and with others.
1) Don’t suppress your emotions. You can’t just bury your emotions because they will show up in other ways that may not be helpful. One suggestion is to reach out to others and voice, put words to your emotions. Our neurological system will settle down simply by sharing what’s going on emotionally with someone else. Hack #1: Reach out to others (or to your inner circle) and express what’s going on internally, and don’t just stuff them and hope they go away.
2) Look for ways to “control” your environment by changing things up. If you’re feeling stressed when you get to work or even when you get home, you may want to change your commute route – make it more interesting. If you’ve been working long hours in your office, change up your external environment by visiting a new coffee shop, a new bookstore café, whatever. Our brains crave certainty, stability and control. We don’t have a lot of control over certain things, but what we do have control over is our immediate external environment. Hack #2: Change up your environment or your routine.
3) Ask more questions of others. This leadership practice helps you and others calm down. When asking questions, you activate the thinking area of the brain (vs. the emotional area). By virtue of asking more questions leaders can calm others down and get them to manage their own emotions more effectively. Hack #3: Ask more thoughtful questions.
4) Shift your perspective. Challenge yourself and others to see situations, circumstances, problems through a different lens. We can shift our own perspective by asking ourselves, “How can I look at this differently? What is the big picture here?” Also, we can ask questions to others to challenge them to see things differently. For example, “How might the customer see this situation? What’s another way to approach this problem?” Hack #4: Challenge yourself and others to look at things differently.
5) Practice mindfulness. It has been proven that those who have a mindfulness practice are better able to anchor into the present moment and calm their systems down – and it doesn’t have to be a close your eyes mindfulness practice. It could be just sitting still, walking outside, breathing in and then breathing out more slowly. Hack #5: Breathe in and then take a deep, slow breath out.
If you’re curious about learning more about the intersection of neuroscience and leadership, check out Ann’s consulting website and/or grab her book.
References:
Website: https://www.beaboveleadership.com/
Ann’s book: Integration: The Power of Being Co-Active in Work and Life
Ann’s book on ICF Competencies
Amanda Blake's book is Your Body is Your Brain
For this episode, I had the opportunity to connect with Mara Swan who is currently an Operating Partner with Stonepeak, a leading alternative investment firm that invests in companies around the world.
During our conversation, I asked Mara what she thought were the most important leadership capabilities needed to be effective in today’s world. She quickly responded with leaning into change and driving performance. And so, that was our launch pad for our discussion on change and performance.
A bit about Mara Swan. She is currently an Operating Partner with Stonepeak, and her strategic role is to focus on talent. Prior to Stonepeak, she was an executive with ManpowerGroup, a $20B global workforce solutions company with over 30,000 employees across 80 countries. During her time at Manpower, she was responsible for Strategy, HR, Marketing, PR & Communications, ESG, Thought Leadership, Risk Management, and the Right Management brand.
Prior to ManpowerGroup, Mara was Senior Vice President of Global HR at MolsonCoors Brewing Company.
Today, in addition to Stonepeak Mara is on several private and public boards and provides guidance on HR strategy, talent and leadership.
Jon is President and General Manager of Epiroc USA, a global company that serves the
mining, construction, and infrastructure industries. During this episode, Jon shares how he
and his leadership team led their organization through a transformational culture change
that has resulted in becoming one of the top performing companies within the Epiroc
organization as well as being recognized by USA Today as one of the best places to work in
America.
Some of what you’ll learn is how Jon and his team embraced a new strategic vision and
mission, and then invited the entire organization to be active participants in shaping their
journey forward. In this interview, Jon shares how they communicated the vision, what
organizational changes were made, how they had to change their approach around people
leadership. What’s amazing about this journey is how their organization persevered and
continued to make tough choices despite the challenges and difficulties surrounding the
changes.
Jon will remind all of us that it does matter how we show up as leaders, and that we need to
continually upgrade our leadership playbook because what worked before may no longer
be relevant today.
Feeling tired, emotionally exhausted, and frustrated with not being able to move things
forward? If you can relate, you’re not alone. During this episode, John and Tom discuss how
we all can create a more fulfilling and healthy life, while also becoming a more effective
leader, partner, parent and human being!
A brief introduction to John’s story. In 1987, John was a curious nine-year-old boy. Playing
with fire and gasoline, John created a massive explosion in his home and was burned on
100% of his body. He was given less than a 1% chance to live. John's epic story of survival
has never felt more relevant than today given all the challenges we face.
Today, John is the author of the #1 National Bestselling books ON FIRE and IN AWE. John is
also the host of the top-rated Live Inspired Podcast and speaks all over the world.
Consistently described as “the best speaker we’ve ever had,” John’s emotional story-
telling, unexpected humor and authenticity make each presentation unforgettable.
Originally Published on November 8, 2024
In this episode, Sam and Tom discuss how leadership is changing and what leaders need to
know to navigate the uncertainties of our future reality. As CEO of Vistage, Sam leads the
world’s largest CEO coaching and peer advisory organization for small and midsize
businesses, with more than 45,000 members in 30+ countries. He has a global view and
perspective on what’s changing in the business environment, and what the best leaders
are doing differently to be successful.
In addition to hearing about what trends he’s seeing within their CEO network, Sam will
share his leadership successes and failures, and what he considers to be the most
significant differences between good leaders and great leaders.
Originally Published on September 10, 2024
In this episode, Jason and Tom explore how Jason was given the opportunity back in April of
2019 to lead a team or squadron of 80 people into a combat situation in the Middle East.
The original assignment was to take over the squadron and be ready for deployment. The
timeframe to prepare was about 12 months; however, conditions changed rather quickly
after taking command of the squadron and their timeline to get prepared for deployment
changed from 12 months to six weeks. The squadron did deploy successfully but the team
development work over that six week period wasn’t without its challenges, mistakes and
emotional tension.
If you’re interested in learning how Jason and his team pulled together their squadron to be
combat ready under extreme time constraints, then you do not want to miss this episode.
Originally Published on August 15, 2024