Inspired Wisdom Podcast

Knocking on Heaven's Door: An unwelcome truth

Life was Good

We had high expectations for 2018 and it started off so well. Or so I thought.  A few years before, we bought a new house in the Oakland Hills. We were close to family, made new friends and were settling into our favorite activities. Mark was playing golf a couple times a week, had a close relationship with his brother, and we had a new puppy that kept him in smiles.

A Sudden Change In Interests and Attitudes

By mid-January, I noticed something was off. Suddenly, Mark was not enjoying the activities that brought him joy most of his life. He lost interest in golf. He didn't want to go to dinner or out with family. He came down with frequent colds and general feelings of malaise. 

Slowly and Then Suddenly

By our 22nd anniversary in mid-June, Mark wasn't eating and he had lost nearly twenty pounds. I was worried. He went to the doctor in early June but their treatment was not having a positive impact. Then in early July, I took Mark to the emergency room. As we sat in the ER, we made plans to take the trips we had put off for a couple of years. For the first time, we were scared.

That day, Mark was diagnosed with stage 4 gastric cancer. We couldn't believe it. Suddenly, we were faced with the inevitable truth, Mark's end date was too close.

If you knew your end date, what would you do differently? 

In this episode, I will share how my husband and I coped with the unwelcome news of his cancer diagnosis and very quick death.   

John King, Rogue Scholar, Thought Leader, Teacher on Tribal Leadership

John King, co-author of the NY Times #1 Best Seller "Tribal Leadership"

Welcome to Part II of my interview with John King.

John is an Internationally recognized as a senior teacher, coach, and program leader. John’s executive clientele have been featured on all major television networks and in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and Forbes.

John is on Faculty for CELA at American University in Bulgaria, the Middle East Leadership Academy (MELA) in the Gulf Region, and the Southeast Asia Leadership Academy (SEALA). He delivers The Cultural Map, Triads and Strategy, for the University of Arizona, Southwest Leadership Program (SWLP). John is Professor Emeritus at the Moscow International Leadership Academy (MILA). 

In Part I, John discussed how he pivoted from professional dancer to writing and publishing TV and movie scripts. With a natural talent for leadership and training, John pivoted again to a career with Landmark Education followed by 13 years teaching at the graduate level at the University of Southern California.  Please listen to Part I for more on John's career path.

In Part II, John discusses the origins of Tribal Leadership and the model. For John's bio and links to resources mentioned during this episode, please go to the Inspired Wisdom website.

 

John King Best-Selling Author on Tribal Leadership

John King is the co-author of The New York Times  #1 best-selling book titled Tribal Leadership. This book changed the trajectory of thinking about Organizational Culture.

The premise is simple in theory – every organization is composed of tribes – naturally occurring groups of 20-150 people. However, few organizations have a repeatable roadmap for leveraging natural groups to build thriving and resilient leaders and organizations.

I first heard about John and Tribal Leadership at a conference where I heard Tony Hsieh, the CEO of Zappos and the bestselling author of Delivering Happiness, present with John. I was a huge fan of Zappos and impressed by how Tony held John is such high esteem.

John has many talents and successes … too many for one episode of Inspired Wisdom. Therefore, I have split our interview into two parts.

In Part I, John will share his experiences as 

• A professional dancer for 13 years on TV, film, and theatre
• Author: John directed, wrote and sold TV shows and movies in Los Angeles
• Coach and Trainer: John reinvented his career and leveraged his experience as a performer by leading programs for Landmark Education

During his time with Landmark, John met Dave Logan. Over the next 13 years, John

• co-wrote two books with Dave, The Coaching Revolution, and Tribal Leadership
• Taught for 13 years at USC Marshall School of Business, School of Public Policy, and Annenberg School of Communication

In Part II, John will go into more detail on the Tribal Leadership model and his working internationally with global organizations.

John’s full bio and show notes are on the Inspired Wisdom website.

 

Short Bio

John is an Internationally recognized as a senior teacher, coach, and program leader. John’s executive clients have been featured on all major television networks and in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and Forbes.

John is on Faculty for CELA at American University in Bulgaria, the Middle East Leadership Academy (MELA) in the Gulf Region, and the Southeast Asia Leadership Academy (SEALA). He delivers The Cultural Map, Triads and Strategy, for the University of Arizona, Southwest Leadership Program (SWLP). John is Professor Emeritus at the Moscow International Leadership Academy (MILA). 

James Elfer from London Uses Science and Creativity to Transform Work

James Elfer Joins us from London, UK

James is the founder and director of MoreThanNow; a behavioral change agency that uses science and creativity to transform the world of work. Their mission is to show that when we look beyond short-term profits, we can create a better workplace for everyone.

It's why James and his team partner with clients who share their belief in social purpose.

"We're here to push the boundaries of what that can achieve. After all," says James, "the workplace is not an island. Large organizations are deeply interconnected with our society and they reflect and influence the world outside. They can be both - a force for good and an engine for growth."

James will share with us his thoughts on:

• Disruption in the workplace – what does it mean really?
• The advantages of going on a digital detox
• Purpose-driven organizations
• Self-determination theory and purposeful work
• The Inclusion Lab: An alternative to Unconscious Bias Training

For additional notes on this interview with host, Cynder Niemela, along with links and resources mentioned, please go to InspiredWisdom.Us

 

 

 

Paul Breloff from Mumbai, India is Transforming how Talent meets Opportunity

Paul is the Co-Founder and CEO of Shortlist, a recruiting technology startup transforming how talent meets opportunity in emerging markets.

 

Paul Breloff, CEO & Co-founder Shortlist

With a law degree from Yale and experience in microfinance and impact investing, Paul has advised major corporations on access to finance issues globally.

Working across India and Kenya, Paul and his co-founder have grown Shortlist to 60 full-time employees in just 2.5 years.

Shortlist is on a mission to unlock professional potential and it does so by combining technology, data, and a human touch to source and screen great job-seekers for growing, purposeful companies across India and East Africa. 

You will find Paul’s bio and resources mentioned during our interview at Inspired Wisdom.

Marilyn O'Hearne, author, Breaking Free From Bias

Marilyn O'Hearne on Breaking Free From Bias

Marilyn O’Hearne is a master certified coach, speaker and author of Breaking Free from Bias. Coaching since ’98 and in 28 countries, Marilyn says it is impossible to not work interculturally! 

Marilyn has been fascinated with culture and committed to peace since age 9. This lead to her coaching leaders from the United Nations since 2013.

"Awareness of our biases is not enough." Marilyn will discuss with us her 6-step IMPACT process companies use to break free from bias and boost their bottom line.

Marilyn will discuss with us her 6-step IMPACT process to break free from bias and boost the bottom line.

For more about Marilyn O'Hearne and show notes, please go to Inspired Wisdom.

Musings on Mastery with Andrew Nemr, Master Tap Dancer, Ted Fellow, Millennial

 Master Tapper Andrew Nemr

The New York Times described Andrew Nemr as a “masterly tapper”. Today, he is considered one of the most diverse tap dance artists. An international performer, choreographer, educator and speaker, Andrew:

• mentored with Savion Glover and Gregory Hines
• has played with Grammy Award-winning musicians across multiple genres
• danced at the
  • opening ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival
  • the Jerry Lewis Telethon
  • Winter Olympics Arts Festival
  • Nijinsky Awards in Monaco

To name only a few of his awards. On Inspired Wisdom, I’ve added show notes, links to Andrew's bio and several videos of Andrew tapping.

Tap emerged about 150 years ago. It’s an American melding of African and European percussive dance traditions. 

I didn’t know this history when I was a kid watching musicals from the 40’s with Sammy Davis Jr., Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Eleanor Powell, James Cagney and Ginger Rogers. In the movies, the characters experienced personal challenges. But, their love of dance and song helped them put life into perspective. Finding solace in music and dance during troubling times is a common theme for the artists on the Voice, So You Think You Can Dance and World of Dance.

Artists of all kinds inspire me to think about life from different perspectives and in a more holistic way. In business, we tend to spend a lot of our workday - heck years - in left brain activities. Meetings have agendas, we have roles and responsibilities, and processes and protocols.

Like dance and music, these rules of engagement serve a purpose. Yet, many of us also have a yearning to discover our creative voice and develop it during our workday.

Andrew says that “dance is not about technique, it’s about life and how dancing is a part of it.”

Andrew will share with us his personal journey 

• of self-expression and self-discovery
• from taking his first dance class at 3 years old and how that inspired his life-long love and commitment to tap
• his experience mentoring with Gregory Hines and Savion Glover

Finally, Andrew shares with us how trust, play, and fun impact his relationships and his performances with others. He also gives us advice on values, decision-making, and leading others.

If you want to engage your creative side at work and play, I know you will enjoy my conversation with Master Tapper, Andrew Nemr.

Please let me comments at Inspired Wisdom.

 

Cynder Niemela

Host of the Inspired Wisdom Podcast

Executive Coach, Vikki Brock, PhD on Living Your Active Legacy

Executive Coach Vikki Brock on Coaching in the Middle East

Vikki Brock joined Boeing in Seattle right out of college. Vikki took advantage of the many opportunities to learn and grow her career at Boeing. She was the first woman the company sent to the executive MBA program. In 1994, Vikki left her 21-year career at Boeing to launch her consulting and coaching practice. 

Vikki joined the nascent coaching industry and was introduced to Thomas Leonard, founder of CoachU and the International Coach Federation (ICF). She completed her coaching certification at CoachU and was among the first cohort to earn her Master Coach Certification (MCC) from the ICF in 1998.

Curious about the origins of coaching, Vikki went on to earn her Ph.D. in Coaching and Human Development. She went on to publish the most comprehensive history of coaching to date in her book the Sourcebook of Coaching History.

This program is for you

• if you are a coach and want to hear more about the origins of coaching from a pioneer of the coaching industry
• If you do business in the Middle East or you manage people from Asia, Vikki will share her experience of working in Kuwait
• if you would like to know more about coaching and how to select a coach for your business

Please check Inspired Wisdom.us for speaker notes, links and handouts for this episode with executive coach, Vikki Brock.

Entrepreneur and Cyclist, Sinartus Sosrodjojo joins us from Indonesia

Sinartus Sosrodjojo, Jakarta, Indonesia

Indonesia is a beautiful and vast archipelago that is the size of the US from the east to the west. Bali, New Guinea, and Java are among the more commonly traveled and familiar places in Indonesia. Here are just a few facts about Indonesia: 

• Jakarta is the capital with a population in 2014 of over 10 mm.
• In the early 21st century Indonesia was the most populous country in Southeast Asia and the fourth most populous in the world.
• Many don’t realize that Indonesia is also 89% Muslim.

When Sinartus was in 3rd grade his parents asked him if he’d like to go to boarding school in CA. Excited by the prospect of a plane ride, Sinartus responded with an enthusiastic YES.

Sinartus went on to complete high school and then college in CA before returning to Jakarta in 2000 as a photojournalist.

Sinartus is currently focused on the intersection of customer engagement and employee engagement with digitalization, data analysis, and good business processes.

If you want to do business in Indonesia, you have Indonesians on your team, you are looking for your next travel destination … or you like to learn about different cultures … you won’t want to miss my conversation with Sinartus.

Sinartus will share with us what he learned about

• adjusting to life as a student in the US
• returning home to Indonesia and feeling like a foreigner in his own country
• pivoting his career as the digital world replaced print media
• lessons learned as an entrepreneur with everything on the line
• distinctions between western and eastern cultures and its impact on education, cultural norms and business
• what Indonesians are learning as they watch current US political arena
• travel tips

Beverley Wright, Coaching Sales Teams at IBM - Part 2

Coaching Sales Teams to High Performance

Beverley Wright held leadership and coaching roles at IBM for over 30 years.

Beverley successfully transitioned from her role as an individual contributor to climbing the leadership ladder in marketing and sales. In the late 90’s she pivoted again and gained expertise in coaching sales teams and executives. 

In Part II of her interview with Cynder Niemela, host of the Inspired Wisdom podcast, she shares her role in coaching the lowest performing sales team into the highest performing team in a short period of time.

Today, Beverley continues to work with leaders and helps them become more people-centered while achieving professional and personal goals. 

You won’t want to miss my interview with Beverley Wright if you are a

• high-energy, successful salesperson and you now find yourself leading a sales team
• entrepreneur and want to shape your leadership brand as a team leader
• business owner and you want effective methods for building a high-performance team

Subscribe to Inspired Wisdom on iTunes and Google Play

 

 

Inspired Wisdom

Cynder Niemela, MA, MBA is an award-winning author and internationally recognized expert in executive coaching and developing global teams. An American growing up in the Middle East and Europe, Cynder leverages her international experience working in the Middle East as one of a few women permitted to work in Saudi Arabia. First, as a marine biologist followed by years of developing leaders and teams for Saudi-ARAMCO.  Mission: Interview people from 100 countries who are working with heart and mind for positive social impact.