Learn to Lead Podcast

Why We Started the Learn To Lead Podcast
Learn To Lead is a podcast that explores the world of leadership development and shares stories about the journey we all take learning to lead. On our show, we talk about how people can lead teams more effectively and how organizations can enhance their approaches to developing the leaders of tomorrow. We dig deep and talk to our guests about their own journeys of professional and personal development.
We speak to authors, professors, artists, and business and community leaders about how they developed as a leader and how they are working to develop future leaders.
Latest Episodes
Leadership Lessons
Somi Arian the founder of InPeak, an innovative platform enabling creators and businesses to build using AI and blockchain functionalities. She is an award-winning filmmaker whose documentary, "The Millennial Disruption," won several international awards. She is also the author of Career Fear (and how to beat it) and was honored by LinkedIn with the Top Voices Award. Somi joined us on the show to talk about her upbringing, her leadership journey, and her advice for other leaders. She also talked about the fact that she sits at the convergence of many different transformational technologies and how leaders need to navigate a changing technology landscape.
Navigating The Future
Nicolai Chen Nielsen is a partner at the Super Trends Institute and the author of Return on Ambition and Leadership At Scale. His newest book is entitled From Malthus to Mars. On this episode Nicolai describes the future leaders will need to operate in. We discuss the 8 key mindsets from his newest book and Nicolai also shares his process for book writing and how he organizes his day to excel.
Leading With Vulnerability
Donald Knight is the Chief People Officer at Greenhouse Software. On this episode he gives an inside look at the role of a CPO and how he thinks about the role that vulnerability plays in effective leadership. We also talk about the power of positive tension and what it takes to build high performing teams.
Effective Communication
Brenden Kumarasamy is the Founder and President of Master Talk, a firm focused on helping individuals master the art of communication. He is the creator of the Master Talk YouTube channel with over 30,000 subscribers. On today’s episode we discuss the most important skills for effective communication in the workplace and what individuals can do to enhance their skills in this arena. We also talked about why being open and transparent about your own struggles and challenges can impact your team's morale and productivity.
Learning Through Experience
Rajeeb Dey is the Founder and CEO of Learnerbly, a workplace learning marketplace. He is also the Co-Founder of StartUp Britain, a national entrepreneurship campaign launched by UK Prime Minister David Cameron in March 2011. He was recognised as one of the 1,000 Most Influential People in London by The Evening Standard and was appointed as the world's youngest Young Global Leader (at 26) by the World Economic Forum in 2012. On this episode we discuss the origin story of Learnerbly and Rajeeb’s advice for his younger self. We also talked about the perils of management, and what new managers can do to build trust with their teams.
Understanding Uncertainty
Meridith Elliott Powell is the award winning author of many books including Thrive, Who Comes Next, and 30 Days To Sales Success. On this episode, Meridith shares why she is obsessed with the word uncertainty and why she is so interested as to why business owners react so negatively to the word. She also discusses a critical question she asks clients which is: “are you standing in the way of your own success?”
Overcoming the Pressure of Management
Ian Daley is the founder of Daley & Co, a leadership education and training company that helps new managers build confidence and capabilities so they can deliver better results. He is a writing contributor to Harvard Business Review and the host of The New Leader Podcast. On this episode Ian shares his path to the world of leadership development and why understanding the pressure of management allows him to better empathize with, and help, current managers. Ian also shares some of the skills and approaches that are vital for new leaders to focus on in their pursuit of success.
Advancing Economic and Social Mobility
David Adams is the CEO of Urban Assembly, an education nonprofit that advances the social and economic mobility of communities by offering innovative learning solutions to school districts across the country. On this episode we discuss the role of leadership and what people on the outside need to understand about the intricacies of the educational system. David also shares what he is most proud of during his time at Urban Assembly and how he thinks about decision making.
Making a Positive Difference
Michael Thatcher is the CEO of Charity Navigator which is the largest independent evaluator of US Based charities. Charity Navigator was selected by Reader’s Digest as one of the “100 Best Things about America.” On this episode Michael shares his origin story and what it means to follow your heart, use your head, and take action. Michael also discusses his perspective on the difference between thought leadership and organizational leadership.
Adapting How You Listen
Nancy Duarte is the author of six best-selling books and CEO of Duarte, Inc. For over 30 years, Duarte, Inc. Nancy’s work has been featured in Fortune, Time Magazine, Forbes, and The New York Times. On this episode we discuss how effective leaders can broaden their Influence by focusing on adapting how they listen. Nancy then shares what most people get wrong when it comes to presentations, and what we can do to give more persuasive presentations.
Leadership Demands Courage
Matthew Allen is a Vice President at CVS Health focused on Enterprise Strategy where he operates as a partner with the Chief Strategy Officer. On this episode, Matthew shares his perspective on why he disagrees with the assertion that people are “born leaders.” He also details a broad set of leadership skills that everyone should work to cultivate. Finally he discusses the leadership management quotient, which is a simple formula that has guided successful management of teams in a number of environments.
Trading Perfectionism for Authenticity
Síle Walsh is a coach specializing in leadership and organizational development with a focus on inclusion, performance, and psychological safety. With a background in coaching psychology and organizational development, and over a decade of working with clients in Ireland and internationally, Síle strives to support effective leadership so organizations can be high-performing, inclusive workplaces where people thrive, and great work gets done. Síle is a PhD researcher with Canterbury Christ Church University in Salomons Institute for Applied Psychology exploring inclusive leadership in organizations through a psychological lens. On this episode, we discuss the way Síle approaches curiosity, what initially got her interested in leadership development, and what trends she'd like to see grow and which she's less excited about. She also shares a story about the time she received feedback that inspired her to change how she presents herself online so she is more authentic and accurate to her unique approach to her work.
Learn To Lead is Hosted by Matthew Confer, the Vice President of Strategy at Abilitie
Matt has spoken on the topic of decision making at the TEDx Conference, and on the topic of leadership development at The Learning & Development Executive Summit. His work has been featured by The Association For Talent Development and his recent articles have appeared in Training Industry Magazine.