The Impact of Leadership^® Podcast

Dr. Michaela O’Donnell is back with us today. And for this conversation I focused on her personally.
Not her book or really even the work she does at the Max De Pree Center for Leadership.

We all know people that seem to be made of something different-they’re killin’ it in every area of life.

If you looked at Michaela’s accomplishments you’d think the same of her, so I asked her if she’d be willing to demystify things for us about her personal life.

Where does she fail? How can she do so much and what is she learning?

You’re going to need to listen back to this one.

Please enjoy Dr. Michaela O’Donnell freeing you from having to do it all.

This is part two on The Enneagram with The Impact of Leadership’s 1st guest contributor, Ashley Buenger.

In part one we cover an intro to the Enneagram and numbers 3, 7 & 8-The Aggressive Stance.

In part two we cover the 2nd two sets of stances; numbers 2, 4 & 9, and 1, 3 & 6. 

Perspective and empathy are vital in leading with excellence. We’re all flawed and we need leaders who know themselves and desire to understand those in their care.

The Enneagram is a tool to help us know ourselves and those around us better and our guest today is going to unpack its value for us.

Ashley Buenger is a life coach, a writer, a wife & mom and has studied and used the Enneagram for years.
She’s driven to connect people to their life’s mission and overcome obstacles along the way.

She’s also our 1st guest contributor at IOL!

“Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.” Nelson Mandela

Willie Jude II, M. ED. is the Vice-Chancellor of Advancement at The University of Wisconsin Parkside. He’s also a husband, the father of 3 daughters, a member of a huge loving family, and a man of conviction, integrity, and depth of character.

Willie is one of the people you want to help steer the future of a university.
Hear about the early influences and the winding career path that led him to executive leadership in higher education.

In this episode, we’re bringing together two big topics: Passive Income & Productivity. 

We all want to walk to the mailbox and see envelopes that contain money vs the bills we expect. And it’s possible to have that be your experience.

You know the feeling of being on a treadmill; you’re sweating but going nowhere. Ever feel like that in your personal or professional life? You’re active for sure but productive…not so much. 

Enter our guests: Nina and Mitch Ferraro. After eight years as business partners in real estate, they now have passive income that exceeds their monthly living expenses. On top of that, Nina launched a company focused on productivity.

Too much stress and the tool will look strong but be brittle under the surface. Too little heat and you’ll be using much more force to get the metal to take shape. And it’ll ultimately fail under pressure as well.

Let’s get into it; the intro to “Tempered Resilience: How Leaders Are Formed in the Crucible of Change.”

We made it through Covid and started settling in to the new rhythm. Then people began quitting. The Great Resignation is another exhausting round in the fight as a leader.
We’ve got your back.
This episode is practical, encouraging, funny and will remind you that you’re not alone.
It sucks when great people leave, hear how a small business owner is fighting back.

(We’re also running a contest, check episode notes to get in on it)

Joseph O’Connor, author of Coaching the Brain; Practical applications of neuroscience and coaching and also Introducing NLP; Psychological Skills for understanding and influencing people.

“Transformational leadership” is a catchy phrase, but what does it take to be a leader who sees transformation? Anyone can motivate a group of people for a moment, but how do you see lasting change in your culture at work? 

The principles laid out in this episode have been proven over the last 5,000 years. William Deck of MindBusiness LLC distills them down into about 25 minutes.

We cover a ton in this episode. The “American Dream”, family business, career progression, motherhood & guilt, women in STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics), mentorship, and pushing beyond your comfort zone. 

Ayesha Ahmed is the General Counsel and member of the Executive team at Nexus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a wife, a mom, and is passionate about creating a work environment that promotes mentorship and healthy balance. 

Oh, and she’s fun to be around.

Michaela O’Donnell believes you were made for work that matters. And she can help.
According to Forbes, the average American works between 48-52 years before retirement.
Your work should matter. Listen to hear where to start.

You’ve heard it said, “leaders are readers” but has anyone ever explained to you why? Jeff Brown is the guest and lays it all out for us in this episode.  

Jeff teamed up with Jesse Wisnewski to write “Read to Lead: The Simple Habit That Expands Your Influence and Boosts Your Career”. Read to Lead offers both the why and the how of developing a personal reading plan that will help build a successful career. It gives practical advice on how to read and retain more, learn new skills, and turn your knowledge into influence. 

This is a personal story about a topic that’s riddled with stigma, on a public platform. And it’s perfectly timed. Stephani Bradshaw is the Director of Sales Management at CCB Technology and in the Summer of 2021 she recognized that a battle for her mental health was underway. Hear how she approached her family, colleagues, fears, therapy, work/life balance & lessons she learned along the way.

If you have ADHD you know how alienating it can be. Dr. Tamara Rosier understands how ADHD affects every aspect of your life. And the lives of those you love. In this episode, Tamara brings humor, practical examples and strategies for navigating emotions and life with ADHD. Her message is clear: Your Brain Is Not Broken.