Sometimes building a team takes time. Building a team that consistently welcomes diversity of thought takes time in many ways. It takes leaders with skill and patience to nurture the kinds of teams that consistently think different. This episode: it’s about time. More information, a transcript, and a place to provide comments can be found at: https://clwill.com/pod/its-about-time Written and Produced: Chris Williams Original Theme written by: John Stephens Additional Music: https://musicbed.com ...
Aug 27, 2020•20 min•Season 2Ep. 210
Building and leading a world-class research organization from scratch is an enormous leadership challenge. Pushing boundaries, attracting talent and managing it as it expands globally takes skill and expertise. This is my conversation with Rick Rashid. More information, a transcript, and a place to provide comments can be found at: https://clwill.com/pod/rick-rashid Written and Produced: Chris Williams Original Theme written by: John Stephens Connect: Facebook: https://facebook.com/theCLWill Twi...
Aug 20, 2020•54 min•Season 2Ep. 209
The struggle for more diversity and inclusion is at its core a quest for more and better ideas, for an array of perspectives, and for a broader reach. The surest way to get that is to embrace a culture that not just welcomes but needs all kinds of people who Think Different. More information, a transcript, and a place to provide comments can be found at: https://clwill.com/pod/think-different Written and Produced: Chris Williams Original Theme: John Stephens Sound Effects: https://zapsplat.com...
Aug 13, 2020•22 min•Season 2Ep. 208
Commercial building projects are one-off translations of ideas and creativity into incredibly complex creations that take years and cost millions. Leading the diverse teams that build them is the architect. This is my conversation with Tim Williams. More information, a transcript, and a place to provide comments can be found at: https://clwill.com/pod/tim-williams Written and Produced: Chris Williams Original Theme written by: John Stephens Sound Effects: https://zapsplat.com...
Aug 06, 2020•52 min•Season 2Ep. 207
Many organizations struggle with the challenges of diversity and inclusion. In this episode we examine the many ways to make a lot of noise and not a lot of progress. Whether it’s on purpose is anyone’s guess, but one thing is sure: it’s not just a job. More information, a transcript, and a place to provide comments can be found at: https://clwill.com/pod/not-just-a-job Written and Produced: Chris Williams Original Theme: John Stephens Additional Music: https://musicbed.com...
Jul 30, 2020•19 min•Season 2Ep. 206
The conversation with Brad Silverberg concludes with a discussion of his move into the world of venture capital. In this third and final episode, Brad shares his thoughts on leadership in a startup, and what the world looks like post COVID-19. More information, a transcript, and a place to provide comments can be found at: https://clwill.com/pod/brad-silverberg-3 Written and Produced: Chris Williams Original Theme written by: John Stephens Additional Music: https://musicbed...
Jul 23, 2020•29 min•Season 2Ep. 205
The conversation with Brad Silverberg continues with a detailed discussion of leadership and vision. In this second of three episodes he shares his management journey and how his passion for personal computing morphed into a passion for the internet. More information, a transcript, and a place to provide comments can be found at: https://clwill.com/pod/brad-silverberg-2 Written and Produced: Chris Williams Original Theme written by: John Stephens Additional Music: https://musicbed...
Jul 16, 2020•47 min•Season 2Ep. 204
Brad Silverberg’s fascinating life in the tech world included leading the creation of Windows 95. In this first of three episodes, he shares the serendipity and persistent vision that built his amazing career. This part one of my conversation with Brad Silverberg. More information, a transcript, and a place to provide comments can be found at: https://clwill.com/pod/brad-silverberg-1 Written and Produced: Chris Williams Original Theme written by: John Stephens Additional Music: https://musicbed...
Jul 09, 2020•48 min•Season 2Ep. 203
In the fifth and final episode on firing we look at how to do a layoff. The pandemic has given us a number of great examples of how NOT to do it. We explore the right way to lay people off, prepare for a fresh start and avoid a mass exit. More information, a transcript, and a place to provide comments can be found at: https://clwill.com/pod/mass-exit Written and Produced: Chris Williams Additional Audio: Inside Edition Original Theme: John Stephens Additional Music: https://musicbed.com...
Jul 02, 2020•22 min•Season 2Ep. 202
Leading Smart Season 2 begins with the first of my conversations with leaders. This inaugural is on leadership in education. All about managing and leading teachers as they work to improve in their craft. This is a conversation with Matt Horvat. More information, a transcript, and a place to provide comments can be found at: https://clwill.com/pod/matt-horvat Written and Produced: Chris Williams Original Theme: John Stephens...
Jun 25, 2020•51 min•Season 2Ep. 201
The fourth episode on firing, this time for the hard part: actually firing someone. We explore the do’s and don’ts of firing an individual. How it’s so easy to do it badly, and what it takes to do it right. This time, we’re Pulling the Plug. More information, a transcript, and a place to provide comments can be found at: https://clwill.com/pod/pulling-the-plug Written and Produced: Chris Williams Additional Audio: CNN & MSNBC Original Theme Music: John Stephens Additional Music: https://musi...
Jun 16, 2020•22 min•Season 1Ep. 19
A short announcement about the exciting changes and additional voices coming to Leading Smart with Season Two. It starts in just a couple of weeks, with a new look, new music, and lots of great conversations with smart leaders. More information, a transcript, and a place to provide comments can be found at: https://clwill.com/pod/season-two Written and Produced: Chris Williams Original Theme Music: John Stephens Additional Music: https://musicbed.com...
Jun 09, 2020•4 min•Season 1Ep. 20
In this third episode on firing, we ask a lot of questions. When is performance bad enough to cut your losses? When is a superstar worth having around? What is it about attitude that answers the question? Time to explore Trading Places. More information, a transcript, and a place to provide comments can be found at: https://clwill.com/pod/trading-places Written and Produced: Chris Williams Original Theme Music: John Stephens Additional Music: https://musicbed.com...
May 31, 2020•20 min•Season 1Ep. 18
The exploration into firing continues with a look at the low end. What is magical about the bottom ten percent? How does stack ranking cheat some people out of a good performance review? What exactly is poor performance? This is Bottom Feeder. More information, a transcript, and a place to provide comments can be found at: https://clwill.com/pod/bottom-feeder Written and Produced: Chris Williams Original Theme Music: John Stephens Additional Music: https://musicbed.com Sound effects: https://aud...
May 15, 2020•21 min•Season 1Ep. 17
This episode begins a multipart series on firing, on when and how to let go. The exploration starts with that special person, the amazing performer who appears to be the cornerstone of your project. The Superstar. What’s behind the magic? More information, a transcript, and a place to provide comments can be found at: https://clwill.com/pod/superstar Written and Produced: Chris Williams Original Theme Music: John Stephens Additional Music: https://musicbed.com...
Apr 30, 2020•23 min•Season 1Ep. 16
In the final episode on visions, we take a look at how to use your well-crafted vision. And explore how overheard conversations provide a window into the impact a great vision can have on team effectiveness. More information, a transcript, and a place to provide comments can be found at: https://clwill.com/pod/hocus-focus Written and Produced: Chris Williams Original Theme Music: John Stephens Additional Music: https://musicbed.com Sound Effects: https://zapsplat.com...
Apr 15, 2020•22 min•Season 1Ep. 14
This is a special episode prompted by the Stay at Home orders due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In this episode we explore the movement from centralized headquarters to remote work. And offer several tips and best practices for managing teams at a distance. More information, a transcript, and a place to provide comments can be found at: https://clwill.com/pod/remote-control Written and Produced: Chris Williams Original Theme Music: John Stephens Additional Music: https://musicbed.com...
Mar 31, 2020•23 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Why words matter, especially words you use for your mission and vision. We also explore how wasting words is an easy trap to fall into. In this third episode in the series on vision, we show how to craft a clear, crisp vision for your project. More information, a photo of Hilton’s lighted orbs, a transcript, and a place to provide comments can be found at: https://clwill.com/pod/mark-my-words Written and Produced: Chris Williams Original Theme Music: John Stephens Additional Music: https://music...
Mar 15, 2020•22 min•Season 1Ep. 13
How the greatest business failure of the 20th Century was largely caused by the lack of a good vision. And how success lies in the framework of Mission, Vision, Strategy, and Tactics. This second episode on vision explores how what you say impacts what you do. More information, including a transcript and a place to provide comments can be found at: https://clwill.com/pod/clear-view Written and Produced: Chris Williams Original Theme Music: John Stephens Additional Music: https://musicbed.com...
Feb 29, 2020•23 min•Season 1Ep. 12
A clear, crisp vision is the foundation for a successful project, especially one that involves brainpower workers. And a project with a poor, or no, vision is almost guaranteed to flounder. This episode begins a series on the importance, development, and communication of visions. More information, including a transcript and a place to provide comments can be found at: https://clwill.com/pod/2020-hindsight Written and Produced: Chris Williams Original Theme Music: John Stephens Additional Music: ...
Feb 15, 2020•20 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Once you’ve decided on that great candidate, the next challenge is convincing them to take the job. Brainpower workers want more than just a paycheck and that makes this much more difficult. In this episode we explore how to land that great brainpower hire. More information, including a transcript and a place to provide comments can be found at: https://clwill.com/pod/soft-landing Written and Produced: Chris Williams Original Theme Music: John Stephens Additional Music: https://musicbed.com...
Jan 31, 2020•22 min•Season 1Ep. 10
One of the challenges of hiring brainpower workers is finding that “perfect fit”. But often when you do, that’s when you should start to worry. In this episode we explore why the perfect fit often isn’t and explore how to insure a great brainpower hire. More information, including a transcript and a place to provide comments can be found at: https://clwill.com/pod/fits-and-starts Written and Produced: Chris Williams Original Theme Music: John Stephens Additional Music: https://musicbed.com...
Jan 15, 2020•23 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Interviewing brainpower workers is the search for intelligence, passion, communication skills, and a thirst for learning. There are lots of ways to do these interviews, but a softer touch is usually the key. In this episode we explore how to get the most from a brainpower interview. More information, including a transcript and a place to provide comments can be found at: https://clwill.com/pod/wonder-why Written and Produced: Chris Williams Original Theme Music: John Stephens Additional Music: h...
Dec 31, 2019•21 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Hiring junior level brainpower workers can be overwhelming. There are simultaneously too many candidates and not enough good ones. Many organizations result to testing and other filters to cope. But this just makes the problem worse. In this episode we look into the limits of testing, and how to source great junior level talent. More information, including a transcript and a place to provide comments can be found at: https://clwill.com/pod/testing-limits Written and Produced: Chris Williams Orig...
Dec 15, 2019•20 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Hiring senior level brainpower workers is much more than posting the job and sifting through the resumes. It’s beyond hiring, even beyond recruiting. It’s hunting. In this episode we look at two examples and see how to develop hunting skills. More information, including a transcript and a place to provide comments can be found at: https://clwill.com/pod/hunting-skills Written and Produced: Chris Williams Original Theme Music: John Stephens Additional music: https://musicbed.com...
Nov 30, 2019•22 min•Season 1Ep. 6
A song from 1944 sets the tone for good employee feedback. Featuring an upbeat cover from 1972, and far too many sandwich metaphors, yet still offers hope for great performance reviews. More information, including a transcript and a place to provide comments, can be found at: https://clwill.com/pod/accentuate-the-positive Written and Produced: Chris Williams Original Theme Music: John Stephens Sound Effects: https://zapsplat.com Accentuate the Positive Music: Harold Arlen Lyrics: Johnny Mercer P...
Nov 15, 2019•21 min•Season 1Ep. 5
First episode of two looking into the annual ritual of performance reviews. This episode focuses on the process, and why it doesn’t have to be painful. If you’re willing to do it all the time. More information, including a transcript and a place to provide comments, can be found at: https://clwill.com/pod/annual-ritual Written and Produced: Chris Williams Original Theme Music: John Stephens Additional Music: https://musicbed.com Sound Effects: https://zapsplat.com...
Oct 31, 2019•23 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Episode 3 – Duck and Cover How a brutal performance review meeting ended with me getting a stapler hurled at my head. And how that lead to one of my most steadfast rules: in the workplace, no surprises. More information, including a transcript and a place to provide comments, can be found at: https://clwill.com/pod/duck-and-cover Written and Produced: Chris Williams Original Theme Music: John Stephens Additional Music: https://musicbed.com Sound Effects: https://zapsplat.com...
Oct 15, 2019•20 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Episode 2 – The Brainpower Age How a simple question about failure of a single project lead to the most important research project of my life. And how that lead to the realization that everything about work has changed in the last few generations. We’ve entered the Brainpower Age. More information, including a transcript and a place to provide comments, can be found at: https://clwill.com/pod/the-brainpower-age Written and Produced: Chris Williams Original Theme Music: John Stephens Additional M...
Oct 15, 2019•20 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Episode 1 – The Hit Man Introducing the Leading Smart podcast - How a job in the car stereo business ended up being mostly about firing people. And how that lead to a lifelong fascination with management, organizations, and team building. More information, including a transcript and a place to provide comments, can be found at: https://clwill.com/pod/the-hit-man Written and Produced: Chris Williams Original Theme Music: John Stephens Additional Music: https://musicbed.com Sound Effects: https://...
Oct 14, 2019•21 min•Season 1Ep. 1
