Leading What Matters Most

In this episode of Leading What Matters Most, Phil sits down with Leslee Wills, Vice President of People and Corporate Affairs at Bimbo Canada, to discuss the crucial role of leadership in fostering a supportive and resilient workplace culture. Leslee shares insights from her extensive experience, highlighting how companies can prioritize employee well-being while navigating change and growth. She explores the strategies Bimbo Canada has implemented to strengthen employee engagement, build trust, and create a sense of purpose across all levels of the organization. Phil and Leslee also delve into the importance of empathy in leadership and how leaders can cultivate environments where people feel valued and motivated. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in building a people-centered culture within their organization. Tune in for actionable takeaways that can help leaders make a meaningful impact in their teams and beyond.

In this episode of Leading What Matters Most, Phil welcomes Frederik Pferdt, former Chief Innovation Evangelist at Google and author of "What's Next Is Now: How To Live Future Ready." Frederik shares his insights on cultivating a future-ready mindset, emphasizing the power of intentional choices in shaping one's destiny. He introduces five key dimensions for living "future ready": optimism, openness, curiosity, experimentation, and empathy, and discusses how leaders can model and encourage innovative thinking in their teams. Frederik also explores the concept of creating a culture of innovation through organizational rituals and the importance of unlocking one's unique "Dimension X" superpower. Throughout the conversation, he offers practical advice for developing a more adaptable, creative approach to work and life. This episode provides valuable strategies for thriving in an uncertain future, whether you're an executive driving innovation or an individual seeking personal growth.

In this episode of Leading What Matters Most, Phil welcomes bestselling author and storytelling expert Kindra Hall. Kindra reveals how leaders can harness the power of storytelling to build trust, convey messages more effectively, and shape organizational culture. She introduces concepts like the "storyteller's triad" and explains why stories are biologically wired to capture audience attention. Kindra offers practical advice for crafting impactful stories, discusses how storytelling needs may differ across leadership levels, and explores how stories can bridge generational divides in the workplace. This insightful conversation provides leaders with actionable strategies to become more compelling communicators through the art of strategic storytelling.

In this episode of Leading What Matters Most, Phil speaks with Steve Dennis, author of "Leaders Leap" and a renowned thought leader on business strategy and innovation. They discuss the critical importance of aiming higher and moving faster in today's rapidly changing business environment, exploring why incremental improvements are often insufficient in the face of disruption. Steve shares insights on overcoming ego, ignorance, and fear to drive meaningful change, and provides practical advice on cascading transformational changes throughout an organization. Drawing from his extensive experience in retail and consulting, Steve offers a pragmatic perspective on building a culture of experimentation and agility, emphasizing the importance of vulnerability and seeking outside expertise. Phil and Steve delve into the mindset shifts and concrete actions required for leaders to transform their organizations and thrive amidst disruption.

In this episode of Leading What Matters Most, Phil speaks with Tania Boler, the founder of Elvie, a pioneering femtech company creating innovative products for women's health. Tania shares the inspirational story of how her personal experiences, including the loss of her mother at a young age and struggles with her own health issues during pregnancy, motivated her to disrupt the tech industry and develop transformative solutions that address long-neglected issues in women's health. Tania provides insight into the challenges of being a first-time founder, such as having to educate investors on the massive need and market potential for femtech products. She also discusses the intentional steps she took to build a passionate, mission-driven company culture focused on empowering women through technology. Additionally, Tania opens up about the importance of work-life balance, the evolution of leadership needs as a company scales, encouraging innovation at all levels, and Elvie's philanthropic efforts to increase access to its groundbreaking health products globally. Overall, it's a candid conversation that showcases Tania's pioneering vision for transforming women's lives through pioneering femtech solutions.

In this inspiring episode, Phil speaks with Tara Chklovski, CEO and founder of the global tech education nonprofit Technovation. Since 2006, Technovation has welcomed over 130,000 children, parents, and mentors from more than 100 countries to participate in their programs, fostering the next generation of innovators. Tara shares the powerful story behind Technovation's origin and her mission to bring the most powerful technologies, tools, and teaching methods to underserved communities so children can solve problems in their communities. She walks through Technovation's core program, where teams of girls identify community problems, develop tech-based solutions, build prototypes, create business plans, and pitch their startups. You'll hear incredible examples of the innovative apps the girls create to tackle issues like gender inequality, pollution, and quality of life for the elderly. Tara also discusses the research-backed strategies Technovation uses to build girls' self-efficacy and leadership skills. Listen to learn about Tara's philosophy on cultivating a culture of innovation, her approach to engaging partners and mentors across diverse cultures, and how you can get involved as a judge, mentor, or donor. This is an enlightening conversation about empowering the next generation of female tech leaders and innovators.

After discussing leadership strategies and talent development, Phil steers the conversation towards the role of organizational culture and the future of technology-driven learning. Efry elaborates on why he believes culture and leadership have an intertwined, inseparable relationship – leaders set the tone for cultures to evolve, while cultures shape how leaders show up. Drawing from his diverse background, Efry shares thoughts on blending high-tech and high-touch learning, the value of shared experiences and relationship building, as well as opportunities to leverage tech for personalized, adaptable development. The discussion is insightful for anyone managing remote teams or digital leadership programs seeking the optimal balance of human connection and scalable solutions.

This week on Leading What Matters Most, Phil is joined by Efry Ayala-Johnson, Senior Manager of Learning Strategy at United Airlines. With over 20 years of talent development experience, Efry brings a wealth of knowledge in nurturing leaders and designing impactful programs focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion.  As the head of learning strategy, Efry has dedicated his career to helping people thrive in authenticity by embracing values of self-expression and self-identification. On the show, Phil and Efry will discuss Efry's perspectives on mindful leadership, top strategies for talent development, keys for promoting inclusion, and insights into elevating learning programs. Efry will share stories from his diverse career journey as well as details on the work he is leading today at United Airlines during this exciting time of growth. Listeners are in for an enlightening and inspiring conversation about leading with purpose, unlocking human potential, and creating cultures where both people and organizations can soar to new heights.

After discussing Bob's career and insights on talent development, Phil shifts the conversation to the future of leadership. Bob provides his vision for the evolving landscape of leadership, highlighting the capabilities like adaptability, empathy, and continuous learning that will be critical. Phil and Bob also dive into the importance of building trust as a leader. Bob shares thoughts on how leaders can cultivate trust through transparency, accountability, and modeling integrity. He emphasizes the need for leaders to humanize their communication, connect authentically with teams, and follow through on commitments. This forward-focused discussion provides listeners with Bob Tweedie's cutting-edge perspective on where leadership is headed and how leaders can build trust and credibility for the future. Tune into this episode of Leading What Matters Most as Bob and Phil have a thought-provoking dialogue on the leader of tomorrow.

In this week’s episode of Leading What Matters Most, Phil is joined by Bob Tweedie, a veteran talent development leader with nearly 20 years of experience and Head of Leadership Development at Morningstar. Bob has also built high-impact leadership programs at Deloitte and across 12 Blackstone portfolio companies. With a passion for developing leaders at all levels, Bob brings innovation, creativity, and a human-centric approach to his work. He has lived and worked across three continents, leading to his fluency in both English and French. Tune in to hear Bob and Phil’s insights on talent development, designing impactful programs, and leading with heart. You’ll come away inspired and equipped to develop leaders around you.

In part two of their empowering conversation, Chris dives deeper into his leadership philosophy of developing people, not just achieving tasks. He emphasizes the importance of leaders who see their team members as valued resources, not commodities. He shares how at Muskoka Woods, he focuses on understanding emerging Gen Z leaders by utilizing research to build meaningful relationships with teens. Chris tells us about findings on how today's youth view the world, and how we can sensitively connect across generations. He gives examples of small adjustments veteran leaders can make to motivate and inspire Gen Z, while still being authentic. Tune in to learn actionable tips on developing emerging leaders and fostering intergenerational teams from Chris' wealth of real-world experience. Listeners will walk away inspired to see people as their most valuable asset and equipped to guide youth to become the leaders of tomorrow.

What does it take to inspire and lead the next generation? Phil’s first guest, Chris Tompkins, knows a thing or two about inspiring youth. As CEO of Muskoka Woods, a premier Christian youth development organization near Toronto, Chris leads his team in their vision to shape the world by developing young leaders. With over 20 years’ experience guiding youth in various community, school, church and camp settings, Chris offers a wealth of leadership insights. Tune in to hear his thoughts on mentoring teens, fostering growth mindsets, and creating meaningful learning experiences. They'll discuss how Muskoka Woods uses summer camps, school trips, group retreats and leadership programs to empower youth from around the world. His passion for developing young leaders shines through in our conversation about inspiring youth to live purposeful lives. You won't want to miss the real-world wisdom Chris brings to leading what matters most in the lives of teens. Subscribe now so you don't miss our empowering premiere episode of Leading What Matters Most with Chris Tompkins!

In part two of their conversation, Dottie offers up a simple yet profound piece of advice for entrepreneurs in any industry. Phil also asks if Dottie consciously tries to build their belief system into her team at nocci or if she looks for it when recruiting. Dottie explains that she articulates the core values from the outset when people join nocci, emphasizing their importance to the company's vision and culture. Tune in to hear more practical wisdom as Dottie pulls back the curtain on how she focuses first on establishing an empowering belief system and then on developing a like-minded team to put those beliefs into action.

This week, Phil welcomes hospitality visionary Dottie Belletto, founder and CEO of nocci, to Leading What Matters Most. Over her 30+ year career, Belletto has revolutionized event planning and design with her creative vision and impeccable taste. However, Belletto's remarkable influence reaches far beyond elegant tablescapes. She actively gives back by mentoring young women, volunteering in her community, and serving on boards of directors for key institutions related to workforce development and education. Belletto is making a difference on many levels. In this wide-ranging conversation, Belletto shares the secrets of her trailblazing success as well as the unexpected challenges she has faced on her leadership journey. They discuss the importance of company culture, empowering employees, and staying nimble as a small business competing with giant event corporations. This enlightening dialogue provides candid insights from a game-changing pioneer who is leading what matters in business and her community. Tune in to learn from Belletto’s inspirational path and leadership wisdom.

In the second part of Phil’s conversation with Dr. Christopher Bray, founder of the Adaption Institute, Dr. Bray explores how even the smallest interactions with leaders can have an outsized impact. He emphasizes the importance of leaders focusing on building trust and psychological safety within their teams. Dr. Bray unpacks key insights from his research on how leaders can earn trust by being transparent, showing vulnerability, and empowering others. He shares stories of simple but meaningful interactions that fostered stronger connections and unlocked potential in people. Tune in to hear Dr. Bray's perspective on why trust is the foundation for peak performance, how to cultivate it through day-to-day behaviors, and how the most effective leaders make each person feel valued and capable of growth. This thought-provoking discussion provides listeners with practical takeaways to improve their leadership and strengthen relationships.

This week on Leading What Matters Most, Phil is joined by Dr. Christopher Bray, founder of the Adaption Institute. Dr. Bray and his team of experts equip organizations with science-backed solutions for peak performance and change management. As a leading researcher and speaker in cognitive behavioral science and human potential, Dr. Bray has written bestselling books like "Best Job Ever" and led culture change initiatives for top corporations. Tune in as Phil and Dr. Bray discuss the keys to adapting, thriving, and leading through change. Dr. Bray shares his insights on managing stress, optimizing performance, and aligning teams around what matters most. You won't want to miss this inspiring conversation about the human capacity for growth and the art of empowering people to become their best selves, even in challenging times.

In the episode's impactful second half, Victoria and Phil dive deeper into practical ways organizations can advance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. Drawing from her over 20 years of experience, Victoria talks about the measurable impact DEI has on attracting and retaining top talent, especially among younger generations entering the workforce. Additionally, Victoria shares insightful stories from her career about the influence a company's values and culture play in providing fertile ground for DEI initiatives to take root and flourish. She discusses realistic strategies all business leaders can employ to foster an ethical, inclusive environment where diverse perspectives are welcomed and equity and belonging are woven into the workplace culture.

Phil is honored to have Victoria Russell on the show this week. For over 20 years, Victoria has courageously advocated for greater diversity, equity, and inclusion. Nationally acclaimed for her leadership, particularly during times of crisis, Victoria has driven positive systemic change across many fields. Victoria is passionate about cultivating the next generation of leaders. From her decades of experience leading impactful initiatives in diversity, equity and inclusion, crisis management, marketing, and human resources, Victoria has a wealth of wisdom to share. You won’t want to miss the compassionate insight and visionary leadership Victoria demonstrates, this week on Leading What Matters Most.