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Lyt når som helst, hvor som helst 

Dave Stachowiak

Leaders aren’t born; they’re made. Many leaders reach points in their careers where what worked yesterday doesn’t work today. This Monday show helps leaders thrive at these key inflection points. Independently produced weekly since 2011, Dr. Dave Stachowiak shares insights from a decade of leading a global leadership academy, plus more than 15 years of leadership at Dale Carnegie. Bestselling authors, proven leaders, expert thinkers, and deep conversation have attracted 50 million downloads and over 300,000 followers. Join the FREE membership to search the entire leadership and management library by topic at CoachingforLeaders.com

Coaching for Leaders

Sebastian Wernicke: Data Inspired

For over 20 years, Sebastian Wernicke has guided organizations around the world to harness the power of data and AI to achieve breakthrough transformation. His three acclaimed TED Talks have reached over 5 million viewers. He is the author of Data Inspired: Building an Organizational Culture of Inquiry for Lasting Transformation (Amazon, Bookshop)*.

We all have more access to data than ever. That means we should be making better decisions than we ever have before, yes? If only it were that simple. In this conversation, Sebastian and I explore who you can actually use all that data to make better decisions.

Key Points

 • Data initiatives don’t necessarily fail, but often do something worse: make your organization stay the same.

 • Better data does not automatically result in better decisions. An organization also needs the cultural maturity to be swayed by the data.

 • Nobody makes decisions that look like the logical decision-making processes we see in books. In addition, the emotions we put into decisions are actually critically helpful.

 • During uncertainty, more data tends to make us more uncertain. Once we’ve decided something, we tend to discount contrary data.

 • Decisions are rarely made entirely by one person and heavily influenced by the team or organization’s culture.

 • Leaders can help integrate helpful data by saying things like, “I’m looking for data to tell me where I am wrong.”

 • Bringing in structure such as written notes or memos before or at the start of meetings can help data be considered before we discount it.

Resources Mentioned

Data Inspired: Building an Organizational Culture of Inquiry for Lasting Transformation • (
Amazon • , 
Bookshop • )*

Interview Notes

Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).

Related Episodes

How to Involve Stakeholders in Decisions, with Eric Pliner • (episode 586)

How to Change People’s Minds, with Michael McQueen • (episode 676) – contradictory data not swaying people

How to Lead Engaging Meetings, with Jess Britt • (episode 721)

Discover More

Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

801: How to Make Better Decisions With Data, with Sebastian Wernicke

Stephanie Evergreen: Build a Data Culture

Stephanie Evergreen is a data visualization and design expert. She has trained future data nerds worldwide through keynotes and workshops, for Fortune 500 clients like MasterCard and Facebook and mission-aligned clients like the United Nations, the Boys and Girls Club, AARP, and The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium. She has three books and a popular blog on data visualization.

Data: we’ve all got tons of access to it these days. But perhaps almost too much – how do we actually make sense of it and then communicate clearly with it? In this conversation, Stephanie and I explore how a leader can best use data to make their message land.

Key Points

 • Many of us are overwhelmed by access to data, but lots of leaders find that much of the data isn’t actionable for increasing performance.

 • Because dashboards attempt to answer many questions, they often result in doing a poor job of highlighting a key message or insight.

 • Instead of showing every data point you’ve ever collected, use smart formatting to highlight the single thing your team needs to know.

 • Decide in advance what the key message of a slide, chart, or presentation should be. Then, design for that clear message.

 • Answer the burning question that your audience is likely asking.

 • Leaders set the tone for transparency with data that isn’t good news. Encourage and reward hearing the honest story to establish a culture where truth is shared and addressed.

Resources Mentioned

Build a Data Culture • by Stephanie Evergreen

Why Data-Packed Meetings Miss the Mark (And What to Do About It) • by Stephanie Evergreen

Related Episodes

Performance Measurement That Gets Results, with Stacey Barr • (episode 419)

The Way to Influence Executives, with Nancy Duarte • (episode 450)

How to Respond When You Don’t Have Resources, with Laura West • (episode 699)

Discover More

Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

800: Make Your Message Clear, with Stephanie Evergreen

Today is the FINAL day to apply for the Coaching for Leaders Academy.

Are you at an inflection point? Apply to the Academy by the of the day today, Friday, September 11th.

FINAL Day to Apply for the Academy

Dave shares four words that detail what’s different about leaders who consistently get better – and even THRIVE – and those who don’t.

Are you at an inflection point? Apply to the Coaching for Leaders Academy by Friday, September 11th.

Four Words That Set Successful Leaders Apart

Aiko Bethea: Anchored, Aligned, Accountable

Aiko Bethea is the Founder and CEO of RARE Coaching & Consulting, a leadership development firm that partners with Fortune 100 companies, nonprofits, and global organizations to build accountable, values-driven cultures. She is listed as #3 on the list of Top Executive Coaches of 2026 by the Industry Leader and has spent over a decade coaching C-suite leaders across industries, and served previously as deputy director at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. She is the author of Anchored, Aligned, Accountable: A Framework for Transcending BS and Transforming Our Lives and Work (Amazon, Bookshop)*.

I have seen so many activities over the years to help leaders clarify their values. I have built some of them myself. And most of them, including the ones I’ve built, miss a big question: what do those values actually mean? In this conversation, Aiko and I explore that question in detail to help us all do a better job of staying grounded.

Key Points

 • In an era of information everywhere, it’s more challenging than ever to engage our inner awareness.

 • An anchor keeps a ship in place during the storm. Our values do the same for us as leaders.

 • Values aren’t just decorative. Simply naming a value doesn’t tell us much about what it means.

 • Explore the behaviors that come out of labels we use for values. Those behaviors help us better align with others – and ourselves.

 • A value label may mean one thing to one person and something entirely different to someone else. Curiosity will help you uncover what really matters to people.

 • Beware naming values that are simply aspirational. Instead, zero in on what is actually true for you.

Resources Mentioned

Anchored, Aligned, Accountable: A Framework for Transcending BS and Transforming Our Lives and Work • by Aiko Bethea (
Amazon • , 
Bookshop • )*.

Interview Notes

Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).

Related Episodes

Leadership in the Midst of Chaos, with Jim Mattis • (episode 440)

How to Discover What Others Value, with Joe Hart • (episode 616)

The Way to Build Collective Power, with Ruchika T. Malhotra • (episode 759)

Discover More

Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. Go beyond the podcast to find the right ideas and apply them with confidence inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

799: How Leaders Stay Grounded, with Aiko Bethea

Academy alum Jen Quammen joins Dave to share how she prioritized showing up at her best when taking on a major leadership role.

Are you at an inflection point? Apply to the Coaching for Leaders Academy by Friday, September 11th.

How to Show Up at Your Best, with Jen Quammen

Pam Manfredo Curtis: The Origin of a Leader

Pam Manfredo Curtis is an executive coach and Founder and President of Manfredo Curtis Associates. Her coaching approach involves mining the hearts and souls and childhoods of her CEO clients so they can reach their full potential—to lead authentically, to achieve extraordinary results, and to forge deep, emotional connections, both professionally and personally. She hosted SiriusXM’s Corner Office Confidential and is the author of The Origin of a Leader: Transforming Family Patterns into Leadership Power (Amazon, Bookshop)*.

All of us get blocked, and when we do, our tendency is to set aside or sometimes to run away from our emotions. Today’s guest invites us to do the exact opposite so we can actually tap into our leadership power. In this conversation, Pam and I explore how to learn more about yourself and to use that insight for good.

Key Points

 • A significant predictor of how you show up as a leader is your childhood.

 • As you learn about yourself, you realize that everyone else already knows these things about you.

 • Create an emotional timeline by drawing a line from birth to today and highlighting the highs and lows of your life’s events.

 • It’s significant what shows up on your timeline – and also how the length of the highs and lows relate to each other.

 • When you understand how childhood impacts your leadership and who you are as a human being, you see how it affects an essential need as a leader: power.

 • By creating a timeline, you will be motivated to change in positive ways, see connections you’ve never seen before, and have more empathy for yourself and others.

Resources Mentioned

The Origin of a Leader: Transforming Family Patterns into Leadership Power • by Pam Manfredo Curtis (
Amazon • , 
Bookshop • )*

Interview Notes

Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).

Related Episodes

The Way to Be More Self-Aware, with Tasha Eurich • (episode 442)

Discover Who You Are, with Hortense le Gentil • (episode 459)

How to Discover Self-Awareness Through Enneagram, with Ian Morgan Cron • (episode 605)

Discover More

Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. Go beyond the podcast to find the right ideas and apply them with confidence inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

798: How to Get Unblocked, with Pam Manfredo Curtis

Olivia Fox Cabane: The Charisma Myth

Olivia Fox Cabane is one of the world’s leading authorities on the science of charisma and the bestselling author of The Charisma Myth, which has been translated into 27 languages. Previously Director of Innovative Leadership for Stanford StartX, Olivia has lectured on charisma, leadership, and innovation at Harvard, Yale, MIT, the Marine War College and the United Nations. She has been featured in The New York Times, The Economist, and The Wall Street Journal and has recently released the revised version of The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism (Amazon, Bookshop)*.

Charisma. We all notice leaders who’ve got it. Many of us wish we had more of it. Good news though – like so many leadership skills we talk about on this podcast, you can get better at it. In this conversation, Olivia and I explore how almost anyone can improve their charisma.

Key Points

 • Charisma is a skill that you can learn and practice.

 • While some people have natural strengths for charisma more so than others, people are not simply born charismatic. Many just start young.

 • You don’t have to be naturally outgoing. You can be a very charismatic introvert.

 • Presence + Power + Warmth = Charisma

 • Power is the “Can you move mountains for me?” question. Warmth is the “Would you want to move them for me?” question. Presence is the “Are you aware of which mountains I need moved?” question.

 • A small amount of improvement can make a big difference on how you are perceived.

Three quick tips to improve your charisma:

 • Lower the intonation of your voice at the end of your sentences.

 • Reduce how quickly and how often you nod.

 • Pause for two full seconds before you speak.

Resources Mentioned

The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism • by Olivia Fox Cabane (
Amazon • , 
Bookshop • )*

Interview Notes

Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).

Related Episodes

Six Ways to Recover From a Bad First Impression, with John Corcoran • (episode 169)

The Way to Make Sense to Others, with Tom Henschel • (episode 518)

How to Make a Better Impression on Camera, with Mark Bowden • (episode 643)

Discover More

Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. Go beyond the podcast to find the right ideas and apply them with confidence in Coaching for Leaders Plus.

797: How to Improve Your Charisma, with Olivia Fox Cabane

Academy alum Dev Baldwin joins Dave to share how he leveraged the power of learning from peers.

Are you at an inflection point? Apply to the Coaching for Leaders Academy by Friday, September 11th.

The Power of Learning from Peers, with Dev Baldwin

Simone Stolzoff: How to Not Know

Simone Stolzoff is an author and journalist who explores big questions about work, meaning, and identity. A former design lead at the global innovation firm IDEO, his work has been featured in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and on the TED stage. He is the author of How to Not Know: The Value of Uncertainty in a World that Demands Answers (Amazon, Bookshop)*.

I’m not sure about you, but I very much dislike uncertainty. And yet, basically the job of leadership is to not only deal with it but to help others thrive in the midst of it. In this conversation, Simone and I explore how to build your tolerance for uncertainty so you can lead much more effectively.

Key Points

 • We love certainty and our tolerance for uncertainty is decreasing due to the internet, smartphones, and AI access.

 • Organizations with higher uncertainty tolerance tend to be more innovative and adaptable.

 • We assume unwavering confidence breeds credibility, when in fact, research shows that those who admit what they don’t know are perceived as more credible.

 • Professional athletes have the same threshold for pain but a higher pain tolerance. We can develop a similar tolerance for uncertainty.

 • Find your anchor points. By knowing the key boulders you can hang onto in a storm, you are vastly better able to weather uncertain times.

 • Build to learn. Progress depends on uncertainty.

 • Row through the fog. Maintain faith that you will discover the next step by continuing to row.

 • Sometimes what we feel is most uncertain is actually more certain than we realize.

Resources Mentioned

How to Not Know: The Value of Uncertainty in a World that Demands Answers • by Simone Stolzoff (
Amazon • , 
Bookshop • )*

Interview Notes

Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).

Related Episodes

How to Lead Better Through Complexity, with Jennifer Garvey Berger • (episode 613)

Notice Disruption and Innovate Through It, with Steve Blank • (episode 761)

The Counterintuitive Secret to Creativity and Focus, with David Epstein • (episode 789)

Discover More

Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

796: Build Your Tolerance for Uncertainty, with Simone Stolzoff

Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed
Bonni is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, Dean of Teaching and Learning and Professor of Business and Management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, she was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. Bonni is the author of The Productive Online and Offline Professor: A Practical Guide*.
Listener Questions

 Margaret is wondering what resources we’d recommend for her team to identify different communication styles.
 Jeff asked us what steps we might take to help someone increase their confidence.
 Christopher mentioned a prior episode and is seeking our advice on what to do when challenging authority is ignored.

Resources Mentioned

 GO Team Resources by Susan Gerke and David Hutchens
 Creative Acts for Curious People* by Sarah Stein Greenberg
 Emergent Strategy* by adrienne maree brown
 StrengthsFinder
 Dignity: Its Essential Role in Resolving Conflict* by Donna Hicks

Related Episodes

 How Teams Use StrengthsFinder Results, with Lisa Cummings (episode 293)
 How to Lead an Offsite, with Tom Henschel (episode 377)
 End Imposter Syndrome in Your Organization, with Jodi-Ann Burey (episode 556)
 The Way to Make Struggles More Productive, with Sarah Stein Greenberg (episode 569)

Discover More
Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

587: Enhancing Teamwork and Confidence, with Bonni Stachowiak

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