Julie Drybrough comes to the Swamp and shares her life wisdom fostering transformation. She is candid about her personal transformational path and how it shapes her coaching and group work. She learned how building a new narrative of trust can produce “magic” and people begin to shine. Hers is a story about how commitment, self-love, service to others and reflection reveal the best of who we can be and the means to navigate the “crunchy stuff.” Julie’s Links: Website: https://fuchsiablueblog.wpc...
Jun 25, 2025•44 min•Season 3Ep. 75
Clif and CK McKenzie come to the Swamp and talk about their generational leadership transition of Watson Furniture. They discuss their different approaches to the work, how they make decisions and how they each lead. Clif has led Watson for a great many years. He didn’t start out loving office furniture. That quickly changed. He sets the high standard for the design and functionality of the Watson products. CK brings his US Naval Academy education and US Marine Corps training flying combat helic...
Feb 27, 2025•48 min•Season 3Ep. 74
Wendy Tyner visits the Swamp to share her wisdom gained from leading philanthropic organizations and building communities. She begins our conversation sharing what she learned teaching children with learning disabilities. We then discuss how she guided three not-for-profit organizations to become significant community assets that support bluegrass music, farms and public lands. She often guided all these projects at the same time. Wendy offers up a portfolio of lessons learned and “grandmotherly...
Feb 18, 2025•44 min•Season 3Ep. 73
Aidan McQuade joins me in the Swamp to discuss his book, Ethical Leadership: Moral Decision-Making Under Pressure and his model “The Cruciform of Agency.” Aidan was born in Northern Ireland and grew up during the period known as “the troubles.” He is wiser for that experience. He has dedicated his life to humanitarian work in some of the most difficult conditions over the last twenty years. Our conversation explores his experiences leading aid organizations and the hard decisions that need to be...
Feb 13, 2025•59 min•Season 3Ep. 72
Benjamin Taylor makes his third appearance in the Swamp and he brings some useful distinctions with him. We discuss the value and importance of understanding the positive and negative dynamics that differentiation and integration have on group dynamics and productivity. But it is not all that simple. There are at least four dynamics at play at any time in your work groups. Benjamin maps these group dynamics and shares moves that you can make to lead, manage and facilitate more effective group-wo...
Feb 05, 2025•42 min•Season 3Ep. 71
Joanne Murphy and Keith Grint come to the swamp to discuss their views on leadership and the effort required to do it well. Joanne and Keith are deeply informed on this topic of leading. Their academic background includes teaching, research and writing. We discuss the differences between command, management and leadership. All three approaches matter and we explore the value of each role. The state of the world calls for more people with the stamina to lead. In this episode, stamina will be supp...
Jan 22, 2025•56 min
Three Horizons: The Patterning of Hope Bill Sharpe visits the swamp and brings his Three Horizon framework for navigating the future. Bill is an independent researcher who helps people work together to create transformational change in the face of an uncertain future. Bill will explain what makes each of the three horizons distinct and necessary for addressing the future. The beauty and significance of the Three Horizon framework is the simplicity of understanding and its ease of use. Bill will ...
Oct 30, 2024•45 min
Elvis Fraser comes to the Swamp to share his commitment to helping non-profit organizations realize greater measurable results from their social impact investments through wise monitoring, learning and evaluation strategies. He and his Sanfoka Consulting team align their strategies to advance social justice and equity in all aspects of their work. Elvis has a rich history of leading and mentoring teams around the world and he brings his wisdom to our conversation. Elvis's Links Sanfoka Consultin...
Aug 07, 2024•51 min•Season 2Ep. 68
Eva Grosman joins me in the swamp to share how her “life factory setting” which is based on hope and courage, has guided her in building the Centre for Democracy and Peacebuilding as well as a community of peacebuilders around the world. Listen close because Eva offers a multitude of specific, actionable moves each of us can take to lead on difficult challenges. Eva’s life work and impact is a model for the potency of personal agency. Eva’s Links Centre For Democracy and Peacebuilding LinkedIn T...
Jul 03, 2024•42 min•Season 2Ep. 67
Nick Ellem comes to the Swamp to share a comprehensive exploration of Adaptive Leadership as well as his journey to teach and help people building adaptive capacity. Nick speaks directly to the reasons why many leadership development programs fall short of expectations. He then introduces his antidote: The Leadership Learning Cycle which is built on four elements: Academy Lab Podium Temple The leadership learning cycle offers an integrated framework for building the range of capacities people ne...
Jun 25, 2024•50 min•Season 2Ep. 66
Joanne Murphy, Professor of Inclusive Leadership at Birmingham Business School comes to the swamp and discusses how we can lead inside volatile environments. She brings a lifetime of lived experience on this topic. Joanne was raised in Northern Ireland during the “troubles.” She learned first hand what is required to lead in volatile environments. Joanne is an academic, author and teacher who is committed to helping individuals and organizations build the organizational scaffolding that is essen...
Jun 12, 2024•54 min
Ethan Schutz, President and CEO of The Schutz Company pays a visit to the swamp and shares the history and the work that is The Human Element. Ethan takes us back to when his father, Will Schutz developed his thinking and motivation for helping people develop greater self-awareness, aliveness and candor through telling more truth. Will developed FIRO Theory which has become a fundamental philosophy that has influenced many people inside the world of organizational development. Ethan has led the ...
May 01, 2024•57 min
Jill Hufnagel comes to the swamp and shares her perspective and experience helping people develop leadership capacity. Jill served as guest faculty on the Harvard Kennedy School’s Art & Practice of Adaptive Leadership program and as a senior associate with Cambridge Leadership Associates, along with running her own consultancy JHC&C. In our conversation, Jill discusses the importance of having a clear purpose for leading, how to develop your leadership craft and she offers wisdom on navi...
Apr 24, 2024•46 min•Season 2Ep. 63
Geoff Mead returns to the Swamp to discuss narrative leadership. Often acts of leading begin as a conversation. A conversation that might be internal or conversations with other people. It is important for people who choose to lead, to understand how to craft and use narrative to mobilize people to take action. Geoff helps us understand how to do this work in this episode. Geoff is the founding director of Narrative Leadership Associates, a consultancy focused on the use of storytelling for sust...
Apr 10, 2024•58 min•Season 2Ep. 62
Geoff Mead joins us in the Swamp to explore the significance of the stories we tell ourselves, the narratives we use to guide our life and how they shape our identity. Geoff is the founding director of Narrative Leadership Associates, a consultancy focused on the use of storytelling for sustainable leadership. He is a master guide in the emerging field of narrative leadership and storytelling in organizations. He will share some stories and offer us guidance on how we can adapt our narrative to ...
Mar 25, 2024•56 min
060_Janie Ekberg comes to the Swamp to share her stories of leading across multiple social impact projects. Her story is personal for me because she found a way to mobilize me and get me involved in Camp Siberia and in so doing, change my life and perspective on what it takes to lead without authority. Janie has also changed the trajectory of hundreds of other people in her community and around the world. She comes to share her stories of leading, her insights on how to foster a movement and how...
Mar 06, 2024•46 min
Natalie Trotta comes to the Swamp to share her decision to alter her career trajectory and lead herself in the pursuit of building a wellness community. Natalie’s journey is important because she highlights that leading is always a choice and it can come from anyone and at any time. Natalie models that leading has nothing to do with age or “life experience.” She has made a commitment to use herself to help others while she figures out the small details. Natalie understands that the next steps ar...
Feb 21, 2024•46 min
Maxime Fern and Michael Johnstone are at the forefront of taking Adaptive Leadership out of academia and into boardrooms and learning spaces around the world. They come to the swamp to share their great book Provocation as Leadership: A roadmap for Adaptation and Change. Maxime and Michael have been working in family and organizational systems for most of their careers. They believe provocations are both necessary and helpful to building healthy groups. We discuss what makes up useful provocatio...
Feb 06, 2024•52 min
Lianne Morgan comes to the Swamp and shares her thoughts on the value of following a mindfulness practice. Lianne is a role model for us all. She has a long history of navigating life as a corporate leader. Long enough to know when it’s time to depart and how to make that transition. Today Lianne is a mindfulness coach. She offers wisdom in this episode on how to design a practice of mindfulness, the value of following that practice and how to use your body as a medium for learning and growth. L...
Jan 30, 2024•48 min•Season 2Ep. 57
Ellen Schall of New York University comes to the Swamp and shares her wisdom on how to develop a leadership reflective practice. Ellen’s journey began when she worked in New York City starting as a Legal Aid Society attorney. She moved to New York University in 1992 and it is still her home. She taught the Leadership course: Reflective Practice: Learning from Work. Ellen shares her thoughts on the importance of distinguishing role from self, how to develop a self-reflection practice, her definit...
Jan 16, 2024•44 min•Season 2Ep. 56
Tracey Camilleri and Samatha Rockey come to the Swamp and bring a treasure trove of research based thinking that leverages both the art and science necessary for building successful groups. They share their recommendations from their new book: The Social Brain: The Psychology of Successful Groups. We discuss the Dunbar Number, the value creation that comes from investing time and energy in fostering belonging and forming bonds that lead to bigger results. Samatha and Tracey are committed optimis...
Jan 04, 2024•53 min
Martin Thomas and Mick Yates, two friends I admire, come to the Swamp to share their encore stories and second acts. Both men returned to university late in their professional careers and that decision changed the trajectory of their lives, the focus of their commitments and how they have chosen to make a difference as they conjure up second acts and most likely, third and forth acts. All of us will learn a few things about how to design a life well lived. Links Martin Thomas LinkedIn Call4Chang...
Nov 29, 2023•51 min•Season 2Ep. 54
Episode 053_ Nick Conigrave brings to the swamp his marriage of deep leadership study with the pragmatism needed to help people build their capacity to lead for greater impact. You will hear Nick’s passion for helping people as he shares the range of approaches he uses to construct leadership programmes and coaching strategies that are useful to all. Nick is a true bricolage of leadership development. Nick’s Links LinkedIn profile 6 Team Conditions Leadership as a learning activity Leading Syste...
Nov 16, 2023•42 min•Season 2Ep. 53
Episode 052_ Joanne Flinn visits the swamp to discuss how company directors can integrate the environmental, social and governance agenda inside their organization and thrive. Joanne is the Chair of ESG Institute and the author of Greensight: The Sustainability Guide for Company Directors. She discusses the challenges of the ESG agenda as well as ideas for implementation. Joanne’s Links LinkedIn Book ESG Institute Thanks for listening. Send me your feedback I want to thank my great team that hel...
Oct 18, 2023•41 min
Episode 051_ Tom Tyner comes to the swamp to share his decision to help preserve public lands for future generations. He shares his decision to leave his position as legal counsel to a global bank, move his family from San Francisco to the Seattle area and dedicate his time and expertise to secure parklands, forests, range land and wilderness for future generations. Tom’s a humorist guy so he holds our interest as he shares his lessons and his wisdom on life and leading. Tommy, the trees, the ha...
Oct 10, 2023•45 min•Season 2Ep. 51
Anne-Fleur Goll joins me to share her story of a call to action on climate change that started small and then suddenly it was big and global. Anne-Fleur balances being a climate consultant on the Deloitte Sustainability team with her climate activism. She has learned a few things on how to create and sustain a movement as well as how to manage and balance these dual roles and take care of herself. Anne's Links LinkedIn HEC Speech Thanks for listening. Send me your feedback I want to thank my gre...
Sep 27, 2023•54 min•Season 2Ep. 50
Karin Zastrow comes to the Swamp and she arrives with over twenty years of first hand experience working as a leader. Our conversation starts when Karin is tasked with designing her organization’s leadership development strategy. Without a budget. Immediately we come to understand that her unique combination of persistence, curiosity, and action is ideally suited for this challenge. Her hard work leads to the development of Direct Leadership. Karin details how she discovered the power of leading...
Sep 20, 2023•47 min
Joe Badman joins me in the swamp to share his passion for working with public service individuals and teams. Joe discovered early in his career that he was quite good at helping teams collaborate and solve messy problems. Through this work, he unearthed his passion to help improve people’s lives. We all rely on our local governments to deliver high quality services. Joe and his team help organizations build the capacity to both perform at a higher level and be more self-reliant in the process. W...
Sep 13, 2023•48 min•Season 2Ep. 48
Nyuon William is an accomplished lawyer and advocate for peace, gender equality and human rights. She joins us to share her journey growing up in the midst of Sudan’s civil war, being raised by parents who advocated and supported her education and her development path to becoming a lawyer. Her specialization includes reforms for women’s equality, as well as the youth, peace and security agenda. As a lawyer, Nyuon is a role model for women both inside her country and around the world. She uses he...
Sep 06, 2023•43 min•Season 2Ep. 47
J erilyn Brusseau offers evidence that one woman, with a vision to heal can change the lives of thousands of people. Her story begins with heartbreak when she learns that her brother, Dan Cheney, was shot down and killed in Vietnam just 15 days after he arrived in the country. In that moment, Jerilyn joined nearly 60,000 other American families who lost family members in a war that would last almost 20 years. Almost immediately Jerilyn understood that there were also Vietnamese families sufferin...
Aug 30, 2023•48 min•Season 2Ep. 46
