Under the leadership of head football coach Gus Malzahn, the Auburn Tigers are back in the national conversation. In five seasons as head coach, Gus has led the Tigers to a 45-22 record, a SEC Championship, and an appearance in the 2013 BCS National Championship Game. On this episode, we talk about how he was able to orchestrate one of the biggest turnarounds in college football history, what it takes to change a program’s culture, and the importance of setting big goals while embracing the little details.
An overflowing email inbox. Pointless meetings. An endless to-do list. Does this describe your life at work? It’s time to shift your mindset from busyness to thoughtfulness by embracing whitespace. Juliet Funt is the CEO of WhiteSpace at Work, a training and consulting firm that helps organizations, their leaders and employees reclaim their creativity, productivity and engagement. On this episode, she talks about the big difference between activity and productivity, the four thieves of productivity, and the huge cost of our culture of busyness at work.
The nature of work is shifting. More people do their job virtually or remotely than ever before, the gig economy is booming, and more companies are using freelance and contract workers. Shannon Miles is the co-founder of BELAY Solutions, a virtual staffing solutions company that is ranked #1 on Entrepreneur’s Top Company Culture list in the small company category. She’s also the author of The Third Option which explores how you can live and work on your own terms without sacrificing career or family. On this episode, we talk about the shift towards a virtual workplace, practical tools for teams working remotely, and advice for leaders who want to create a more flexible work environment for their employees.
If you enjoy this episode and are interested in experiencing Belay’s services yourself, you can get 50% by visiting belaysolutions.com/mollyfletcher.
Why do some groups add up to be greater than the sum of their parts while others end up to be less? In his new book, The Culture Code,New York Times bestselling author Daniel Coyle goes inside some of the world’s most successful organizations to examine how great cultures are built and sustained. On this episode, we talk about the three skills that generate collaborative cultures and learn how leaders can use these tools to build strong cultures inside their own organizations.
What can the game of football teach us about life and leadership? Everything. Arizona State University football coach Herm Edwards has experienced every facet of the game as a player, ESPN analyst, and coach. Herm has an incredible way of wrapping up decades of leadership lessons from the football world and applying them to our own lives. On this episode, we talk about the difference between people who are interested and those who are committed, what it means to lead with integrity, and why success is sometimes harder to handle than failure. This one is a playbook for leaders in any field.
Bob Goff is the New York Times best-selling author of Love Does. After practicing law for 25 years, Bob gave up his law firm to focus on writing, speaking, and his humanitarian work. He’s the Honorary Counsel to Uganda and the founder of Love Does, a nonprofit organization that works to provide educational opportunities in post conflict zones throughout the world. On this episode, we talk about his new book, Everybody, Always, and what it means to love without limits, live without fear, and dream big.
What if we could feel less busy while getting more done? In her new book, Off the Clock, time management expert Laura Vanderkam says: it’s possible! Her TED Talk, How to Gain Control of Your Free Time, has been viewed more than 5 million times and she’s been featured in The New York Times, Fast Company, and Fortune. On this episode, Laura shares the seven principles that will help you get more done without feeling overwhelmed. Start your clocks, these next 30 minutes will have you re-thinking how you spend your time.
Moments have the power to awaken us, elevate us, and change us, yet many of the defining moments in our lives are the result of accident or luck. In his new book, The Power of Moments, Dan Heath teaches us how we can create more magical moments in our lives. On this episode, we talk about how unlocking the power of moments can transform everything—from customer service to employee experience to our families. Moments matter, and we have the power to create them.
With his infectious energy and unbridled enthusiasm, Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney has everyone taking notice of the Tigers. Under his leadership, Clemson won the national championship in 2016 and has appeared in the College Football Playoffs three consecutive years. On this episode, Dabo shares his inside-out approach to leadership, the defining moments in his own journey, and how he’s built a team culture rooted in love, discipline and service.
As the chief talent officer of Netflix, Patty McCord helped create the company’s famous “culture deck”—a 124-page document that went viral and has been shared over 20 million times. Sheryl Sandberg called it “the most important document to ever come out of the Valley.” In her new book, Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility, Patty teaches how to build high-performance cultures. Great teams are not created with incentives, procedures, and perks, she says. The best thing leaders can do is get rid of the cumbersome systems for managing people. On this episode, we talk about the biggest mistakes HR leaders make, the truth about what motivates employees, and how to practice radical honesty in the workplace.
Passionate about creating great teams, Patrick Lencioni helps leaders and organizations improve teamwork, clarity and engagement. The founder and president of The Table Group, Patrick is the author of 11 books which have sold over 5 million copies. His work has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Fortune and Inc., and the Wall Street Journal called him “one of the most in demand speakers in America.” On this episode, Patrick talks about the five dysfunctions that inhibit teams from reaching their potential. Learn how to build trust, embrace healthy conflict, commit to a goal, hold each other accountable, and get results.
When you see No. 48 ripping around the track with Jimmie Johnson behind the wheel, chances are he’s headed for Victory Lane. A seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion, Jimmie shares the all-time record with racing legends Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt and is one of the most accomplished professional athletes in sports today. Forbes named him The Most Influential Athlete and ESPN Magazine recently named him No. 4 on their Dominant 20, highlighting the most dominant 20 athletes of the last two decades. On this episode, Jimmie takes us behind the wheel to tell the story of how a kid from California shook up the racing world. We talk about the keys to his sustained success, the team behind him, and what fuels him on his drive for a record-shattering 8th title.
After asking the question, “What would I do if money didn’t matter?,” Joshua Medcalf dropped out of his Masters program at Duke University, turned down scholarships to law school, and moved across the country to live and serve at a homeless shelter in downtown Los Angeles. From there, he went on to found Train to be CLUTCH, a consultancy whose mission is a heart-first approach to leadership, life skills and mental training. He’s the author of five books, including the bestseller Chop Wood Carry Water. On this episode, Joshua shares the difference between being goal-driven vs. mission driven, the true meaning of mental toughness, and what happens when we confuse what we do with who we are.
Jenn Lim is on a mission to change the way people think about work. She is the CEO and Chief Happiness Officer of Delivering Happiness, a company that she and Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh co-created to inspire passion and purpose in workplaces for a happier world. On this episode, Jenn talks about the science behind happiness, the four components that drive happiness at work, and the reasons why happiness really is good for business.
Timing is everything. So why don’t we pay more attention to the “when” decisions in our lives? New York Times bestselling author Daniel Pink shares the research and surprising takeaways from his new book, When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing.
Dan answers all these questions and more, revealing how we can systematically make better, smarter decisions about our time.
Wake up! Did you know that more than 80% of our waking time is spent on autopilot? Creativity and innovation guru Chris Baréz-Brown is here to help you break free from this trap. He’s helped brands like Nike, Coca-Cola and Sony unleash their creative potential, and now he’s bringing his magic to us with his new book, WAKE UP! On this episode, Chris will inspire you to escape autopilot and embrace a more conscious, creative and joyful life.
As former SVP of Culture & Communications for Southwest Airlines, Ginger Hardage spent 25 years championing the values at the heart of Southwest’s legendary culture. Her new brand, Unstoppable Cultures, is on a mission to help organizations create and sustain cultures of enduring greatness. On this episode, Ginger shares the core values behind “The Southwest Way,” and breaks down how you can build a healthy, strong culture in your own organization.
This special edition of Game Changers with Molly Fletcher features clips and advice from some of our favorite episodes in 2017. Hear from guests like Hall of Fame coaches Geno Auriemma and Tom Izzo, pastor and leadership expert Andy Stanley, bestselling authors Dr. Henry Cloud and Suzy Welch, athletes Chipper Jones and Billy Horschel and more!
Show Notes
Commander Rorke Denver has run every phase of training for the U.S. Navy SEALs and has led special-forces missions all over the world, including the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. The author of the New York Times bestseller Damn Few: Making The Modern SEAL Warrior, Rorke applies Navy SEAL principles to everyday leadership to help individuals and teams perform at their highest levels. On this episode, Rorke takes us behind the scenes of SEAL training and explains what we can learn from the SEALs about leadership, resiliency and teamwork.
What makes great teams great? That’s the question Wall Street Journal deputy editor Sam Walker answers in his new book, The Captain Class: The Hidden Force That Creates the World’s Greatest Teams. His answer surprised everyone, including himself. The secret to winning isn’t talent, coaching, strategy, or money. It is the presence of a singular leader—those who make up Walker’s captain class. But these leaders aren’t the charismatic superstars you might expect. So who are they? On this episode, Sam breaks down the seven characteristics of great leaders and challenges our assumptions of what real leadership looks like.
Named one of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders by Fortune, Dawn Staley is writing the playbook for success… in basketball and beyond. A self-proclaimed “odds beater,” she discovered her love of the game as a kid growing up in the projects of North Philadelphia. From there, the Hall of Famer has found success at every level as a player and coach. As the women’s basketball coach at the University of South Carolina, Dawn led the program to its first national championship in 2017 and was recently named the coach of the USA Basketball Women’s National Team. On this episode, Dawn shares what it took to build a winning culture at South Carolina, the key ingredients of championship teams, and how to develop young leaders.
Where do music’s biggest stars turn when they need a vocal tune up? Mama Jan. Jan Smith is a Grammy-nominated producer and vocal coach to the stars—working with chart-topping artists like Usher, Justin Beiber, The Band Perry, Rob Thomas, Drake, Sugarland, Ciara, and Collective Soul. In all, over 4,000 vocalists, musicians and producers have turned to Mama Jan and Jan Smith Studios for her tough love training and musical expertise. On this episode, Mama Jan shares her insight on talent development, the value of coaching, and how to deliver tough feedback.
Did you know that the average consumer has to hear something 8 times before actually processing the information? StoryBrand CEO Donald Miller helps companies clarify their message and cut through the sea of noise through his proven formula. His simple framework will transform the way you talk about who you are, what you do, and what you offer your customers. On this episode, Don shares insights from his new book Building A StoryBrand, breaking down the 7 elements of storytelling and explaining how you can use each one to effectively communicate your message.
What if there was an easy, fast way make tough decisions? Navigating the daily dilemmas of work and life, business journalist and best-selling author Suzy Welch developed the 10-10-10 rule, a life-changing strategy for making tough decisions. The former Editor-in-Chief at the Harvard Business Review, Suzy is a frequent contributor on The Today Show and hosts her own digital show on CNBC.com. On this episode, Suzy shares how to filter your decisions through the 10-10-10 rule, explains how to align your decision-making with your values, and discusses how Millennials’ ideas about career management are changing the workplace.
What are the essential leadership traits of leaders worth following? Communicator, author and pastor Andy Stanley breaks down the 5 characteristics of next generation leaders. The founder of North Point Ministries, Andy has written more than 20 books and reaches millions of people each month through his sermons, live events, podcast and TV show. On this episode, Andy discusses the three biggest mistakes leaders make, the myth of the well-rounded leader, and his own personal leadership philosophy.