Ep027: From Busboy to Big Kahuna: Leadership Lessons from Hilton’s CLO Kimo Kippen

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Ep027: From Busboy to Big Kahuna: Leadership Lessons from Hilton’s CLO Kimo Kippen

It’s not every day we get to learn about leadership from a man who started as a busboy and rose to the C-Suite of major hospitality brands like Hilton and Marriott. Today our guest is Kimo Kippen, chief learning officer, global talent development leader, and brand ambassador at Hilton Worldwide, who was awarded the prestigious 2015 CLO of the Year award by CLO Magazine. In his conversation with Halelly Azulay, host of the TalentGrow Show podcast, Kimo defines leadership and shares how to practice authentic leadership, ways to develop your self-awareness, and how to be a better coach to your team members. He suggests ways to navigate the complexity of today’s diverse workforce realities and specific questions you can put to use right away to help you build trust and invoke higher performance from your team. Plus, Kimo reveals the biggest mistake leaders make and suggestions for becoming a better leader (and even networker!).

 

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Ep26: Career Success & Philosophy with Don Watkins

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Ep26: Career Success & Philosophy with Don Watkins

The way we approach our career affects our success and fulfillment, says philosopher, author, and thinker Don Watkins. In his conversation with Halelly Azulay, host of the TalentGrow Show podcast, he discusses common misconceptions and mistakes about career success and what motivates people to high performance. Halelly and Don discuss how to properly view achievement and pride and what is the proper role of money and status in your career decisions. Don discusses the reason why equality is not necessarily the fair way to manage your team (based on insights from his new book, Equal is Unfair). Business performance is not a zero-sum game, so we shouldn't compare it to sports. He also shares the key benefits you can gain by aligning your philosophy and your actions and drops a great action tip that can get you started right away to achieving greater success.

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Ep25: How to be a more engaging communicator

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Ep25: How to be a more engaging communicator

In this solo episode, Halelly Azulay shares seven ways that you can be a more engaging communicator. This episode will help you improve your communication success in every kind of interaction, whether at work, at home, or anywhere else. There are lots of actionable tips and ideas that will help you be magnetic and compelling to those you speak with. These can help anyone, from the most awkward or shy to those who were born with a high charisma level, take their communication skills to the next level.

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Ep24: How to make work more purpose-oriented with Aaron Hurst

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Ep24: How to make work more purpose-oriented with Aaron Hurst

The TalentGrow Show host Halelly Azulay talks with award-winning entrepreneur and author, Aaron Hurst, about how leaders can bring purpose to work and change the very nature of work in the process. Aaron busts three common myths about purpose and describes ways that each of us can identify our purpose. He shares some staggering statistics about the deficit of purpose-oriented workers in today’s workplace and why we should hire for this trait to bring higher performance and better culture to organizations everywhere (plus he suggests exactly how to screen candidates for this illusive characteristic). Aaron also tells Halelly about different purpose types and how leaders can use them, and common mistakes leaders make and how to avoid them. Finally, Aaron shares one highly actionable tip that listeners can take to improve your leadership skills

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Ep23: How to bring creativity to business with Michelle James

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Ep23: How to bring creativity to business with Michelle James

Michelle James bridges creativity and business. She helps leaders rediscover their creativity and apply it in the workplace. In this fast-paced conversation between Michelle and Halelly Azulay, host of the TalentGrow Show, they discuss the path to generating new ways of thinking about your challenges by tapping into your creativity as a leader, team member, and for organizations as a whole. Michelle shares the importance of balancing discomfort with safety, the infusion of improv theater principles into leadership, and how to cultivate more creative employees. She provides a great action tip for reevaluating some of your assumptions and even offers two great free resources to the listeners that can help them bring more of their creativity to work.

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Ep22: How to hand-craft your dream job and how to make work better with Chip Joyce

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Ep22: How to hand-craft your dream job and how to make work better with Chip Joyce

Listen to this fascinating conversation with Chip Joyce, CEO & Co-Founder of Allied Talent, about what the essential problem is with workplaces nowadays and his vision for how it could be so much better if we evolved the way in which we view the employee-employer relationships. Halelly Azulay, the host of the TalentGrow Show, first explores the highly unusual and very inspiring way in which Chip created his perfect job when the right job wasn’t simply waiting on some job board (and is it ever?). Then they discuss how managers should craft a professional alliance with their employees to build trust and create value and ways to make incremental positive changes in the world of work. Chip and Halelly talk about how companies and leaders need to get used to being in ‘permanent beta’ mode and iterate constantly, adapting to the needs and information presented by the moment and by the environment. Finally, Chip shares a great, actionable tip that will help you upgrade your leadership effectiveness and even offers a downloadable worksheet to help you implement his suggestion – see the link in the show-notes!

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Ep21: How to be more strategic about networking

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Ep21: How to be more strategic about networking

Networking - it's not a 4-letter word, and it's not just for getting a job or selling stuff. It's a key professional competency for everyone, regardless of your level, role, profession, or industry. In this episode, Halelly Azulay talks to networking expert Lynne Waymon about ways to be more strategic about developing your networking know-how. They review the eight networking competencies and the six trust-building stages, as well as how you can use networking to accelerate your career growth and increase your leadership effectiveness. Lynne offers listeners a chance to get her 40-item online assessment to diagnose their current networking proficiency and how to ratchet it up. Finally, as always, Halelly invites Lynne to share one actionable suggestion that you can use right away to give your networking a booster shot in the arm. Do it!

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Ep20: Create a Connection Culture with Michael Lee Stallard

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Ep20: Create a Connection Culture with Michael Lee Stallard

In this conversation with author Michael Lee Stallard, TalentGrow Show host Halelly Azulay explores the meaning, stories, research, and suggestions in his book, Connection Culture. Mike and Halelly discuss what he means by Connection Culture and why it can be a huge competitive advantage to every leader and organization. They chat about how to create cultures that bring about connection, community, cooperation, and collaboration. He shares ways in which a connection culture impacts health, stress, and the bottom line and how you can begin to create a better connection culture in your organization. And, find out how you can win a signed copy of Michael’s book – there are not one, but two ways to easily win this great book.

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Ep19: 3 leadership lessons I learned from my first year of podcasting: The TalentGrow Show’s 2015 Year in Review

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Ep19: 3 leadership lessons I learned from my first year of podcasting: The TalentGrow Show’s 2015 Year in Review

As I wrap up my first year of podcasting on The TalentGrow Show, I look back and shares my story of how the podcast got started and the three biggest leadership lessons I have learned that can apply to any leader as they think about their goals and their work. I get up-close-and-personal and share the behind the scenes stories, fears, concerns, hopes, and dreams I have experienced as a newbie podcaster and suggest lessons that you can immediately apply and benefit from. I also make a personal request for a couple of tiny, quick favors at the end - will you be one of the listeners who will grant me these easy wishes? Listen, enjoy, respond, and share!

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Ep18: Accelerate your career and build better relationships: How to be a world-class connector of people and ideas like Michael D. Simmons

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Ep18: Accelerate your career and build better relationships: How to be a world-class connector of people and ideas like Michael D. Simmons

Connecting online can be both more or less authentic, depending on your approach. But in the 21st Century, we have many new opportunities to connect with more and different people in a different way than ever before because of how we can create content online. We can leverage these opportunities to share more of ourselves, to be more thoughtful about how we share about ourselves, and build amazing connections and networks. In this episode, Halelly Azulay chats with Michael D. Simmons, an award-winning serial entrepreneur, best-selling author and internationally-acclaimed speaker who is a world-class connector of people and ideas who loves to research, synthesize, and share ideas about building relationships in the 21st century. We also talk about how contexts collide online, creating new challenges for managing our personal brands and calling on us to become more holistic and authentic so that we’re not trying to put up a front or share the wrong things in the wrong contexts. Michael also shares the fascinating concept of the “expert generalist” or “broker” as a massively effective way for professionals to accelerate their career success (by 65%!) and increase their own learning and the value they offer to their employers, employees, and clients. With so many people focusing on being seen as a specialist or expert, this counter-intuitive approach can be a powerful one to consider tapping into.

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Ep17: Two easy gratitude exercises that will make you happier

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Ep17: Two easy gratitude exercises that will make you happier

This week in the U.S. we celebrate Thanksgiving. Therefore, the TalentGrow Show episode this week is a special one all about gratitude. Did you know that studies show that people who practice mindful gratitude (like keeping a gratitude journal) are 25% happier? In this shorter solo episode, I will teach you how to try keeping a gratitude journal and writing a gratitude letter. These are just two examples of many kinds of habits that you can develop to become more grateful and, as a result, actually become happier.

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Ep16: Mind Hacking Tips and Tricks with Sir John Hargrave: Get the passcode to get super-user-mode access to your mind today!

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Ep16: Mind Hacking Tips and Tricks with Sir John Hargrave: Get the passcode to get super-user-mode access to your mind today!

Have you become "lost in your own mind"? Many of us are so bombarded by distractions (external AND internal) that we find ourselves being controlled by our meandering mind instead of in control of it. I talked with author Sir John Hargrave about lessons he's learned the hard way and shares through his new book, Mind Hacking, about how to develop the ability to go into super-user mode and get an 'admin user' passcode for your own mind. In this fast and funny episode, learn how to regain the lost art of concentration for greater focus, daily habits you can easily cultivate to get control of your daily deluge of to-do's, and hear John's personal story of how he learned this the hard way and why you probably don't need to (if you listen to this podcast and follow his tips). Plus you'll hear how John got the 'Sir' title (but it's not what you think). Check it out and share it with your friends, colleagues, and family!

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Ep15: The Flipside of Leadership: Intelligent Disobedience with Ira Chaleff

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Ep15: The Flipside of Leadership: Intelligent Disobedience with Ira Chaleff

All of us are both leaders and followers. While we often focus on how to lead, author, speaker, workshop presenter and innovative thinker Ira Chaleff has focused his career on the beneficial use of power between those who are leading and those who are following in any given situation. Ira chatted with me about ways in which we can all become more courageous followers and why there are times when we should all choose the path of intelligent disobedience. Taken from the lexicon of guide dog training, Ira introduces the term Intelligent Disobedience to fit our model of leadership and followership in organizations, societies, and families. Based on his latest book of the same name, Ira talks about when we should feel the responsibility – even the obligation – to speak up and push back to those in power, because it is the right thing to do and it helps our leaders avoid big, possibly hurtful, mistakes. And we discuss the important ways in which, as leaders, we can create the kinds of cultures that supports courageous followership. This episode will expand your view of leadership, courage, and living in a principled way and leave you deeply inspired!

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Ep14: Optimize your leadership growth using the triangle of trusted advisors with Jonathan B Smith

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Ep14: Optimize your leadership growth using the triangle of trusted advisors with Jonathan B Smith

Do you sometimes feel stuck or frustrated with your own and your business or team’s growth? Lots of leaders experience this, which is why they need a triangle of trusted advisors, says entrepreneur, author, and EOS Implementer Jonathan B Smith. I chatted with Jonathan about who exactly these three trusted advisors are and how everyone listening needs them. Jonathan shared very practical and actionable advice about how to scale this idea to any situation and budget, and how his new book, Optimize for Growth, can help you assess where to start and how to proceed. We also discussed the most common mistake leaders make and ways to avoid it, and Jonathan’s takeaway tip that you need to implement right away, at your very next meeting, to make a significant positive impact on your effectiveness.

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Ep13: The Coach Approach and Leading from the Discomfort Zone with Dr. Marcia Reynolds, MCC

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Ep13: The Coach Approach and Leading from the Discomfort Zone with Dr. Marcia Reynolds, MCC

In her work around the globe as an executive coach and leadership expert, Dr. Marcia Reynolds has seen some common challenges that leaders face. Halelly Azulay, host of the TalentGrow Show, and Marcia discuss these common challenges and ways to overcome them using a coaching approach. Marcia is one of the world’s leading coaches and a leader in the coaching industry. She shares ideas that can help leaders expand their employees’ capacity to do more and be more and why she suggests they push people into the discomfort zone. You’ll learn why and how to challenge people in ways that create breakthroughs and lead to lasting behavioral change. In the last few minutes, Marcia also provides a practical and actionable tip that every leader (current and aspiring) can use to upgrade their leadership competence.

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Ep12: Developing resilience and positivity with Doug Hensch

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Ep12: Developing resilience and positivity with Doug Hensch

Do you want to become more resilient in the face of all the change and chaos of our daily lives nowadays? On this episode of the TalentGrow Show podcast, executive coach and resilience expert Doug Hensch takes a break from writing his book on resilience to share some of his key tips on how to develop more resilience as a leader, both in yourself and in your team. We discuss Doug’s interesting career journey and major shift (and what book catalyzed a huge change for him), as well as lots of insights and stories that bring to life some of the research from the world of Positive Psychology that you can apply to the world of work. Be sure to check out Doug’s “front door and back door” strategies that he shares at the end of the episode to help you become more resilient, starting today!

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Ep11: How to have better performance feedback conversations that get results with Marnie Green, CSP

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Ep11: How to have better performance feedback conversations that get results with Marnie Green, CSP

It seems that everyone loves to hate on performance reviews and performance management. But the reason is most leaders (and organizations) are simply doing them all wrong. Are you one of those leaders? Find out in my light and fast conversation with Marnie Green, CSP, a leadership development expert, speaker, and author who specializes in performance management and has published two books on the subject. Marnie speaks all over the world, helping leaders improve the quality and outcomes of their performance conversations. Listen to discover the most common mistakes leaders make in performance conversations and specific suggestions for how to avoid or fix them. You’ll also learn the challenges facing many leaders regarding giving ongoing performance feedback and why some employees resist feedback. Marnie shares what the youngest members of the workforce REALLY want and gives a great actionable tip at the end that you can implement in your very next workplace conversation with any employee or peer. Give it a listen and leave a comment with your thoughts!

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Ep10: Communicating as a thought leader through speaking and workshops with Alexia Vernon

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Ep10: Communicating as a thought leader through speaking and workshops with Alexia Vernon

Do you want to enhance your communication skills? Would you like to be known as a thought-leader to accelerate your career and success? Communication and leadership expert Alexia Vernon and I talk about how she has found success doing just that, and how she teaches others to do the same. Learn how to become a better speaker, presenter, and communicator and how to be better as a leader by connecting with your audience and showing your true self in an impactful way. Be sure to check our Alexia's free video training and leave a comment about your insights and feedback.

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Ep 09: Leverage Your Character Strengths with Shannon Polly

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Ep 09: Leverage Your Character Strengths with Shannon Polly

In this episode of the TalentGrow Show, I chat with Shannon Polly, MAPP, ACC, a leadership development consultant and an expert on executive presence and positive psychology. Our light and funny conversation will give you great insights about why character strengths are important and how to leverage them using Shannon’s new book, Character Strengths Matter. You’ll learn about how Shannon blends her acting background with her depth of research into happiness and well-being into her work with organizations like the army and corporations, and her unique ways of teaching people to leverage their strengths and become more productive and organizations more profitable. Shannon shares three great actionable suggestions that can immediately give you results in your performance and happiness, but also information about how you can keep challenging yourself and keep learning from her and others to continue that improvement and keep those great results coming.

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Ep 08: How to be a dynamic communicator with Jill Schiefelbein

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Ep 08: How to be a dynamic communicator with Jill Schiefelbein

Get tons of insights and ideas from this conversation between The TalentGrow Show host, Halelly Azulay, and The Dynamic Communicator, Jill Schiefelbein, for how to improve your workplace communication skills as a leader and team member. Jill shares her own journey from teen motivational speaker to university instructor, to media coach, to keynoting and her current role helping businesses solve problems through dynamic communications. Jill and Halelly discuss ways to build trust, increase credibility, and avoid damaging your credibility unintentionally. Jill describes how you can create commitment on your team by communicating in a way that is supportive, proactive, authentic, genuine, and transparent. She diminishes the fear many leaders have around being vulnerable and sharing credit. Jill also shares the counter-intuitive secret to getting promoted and the key technique she used to teach athletes to prep them for media interviews that can help corporate leaders create team commitment and generate better results. Take a listen!

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