The Modern Manager

Some of the best leadership lessons don't come from business books. Throughout history, different cultures have developed wisdom for how we can interact with and lead others. By exploring what different cultures value, we can identify insights into what might help us be better managers today.
Dr. Joel A. Davis Brown is an attorney, executive leadership consultant, and author of The Souls of Queer Folk. Drawing on lessons from LGBTQ+ cultural values and decades of leadership consulting, he helps organizations build more inclusive, perceptive, and human-centered leadership practices.

In this episode, we explore how the unique values of the LGBTQ+ community offer a powerful blueprint for transformational leadership. We’ll discuss how you can integrate these human-centered insights into your own team culture to create a more inclusive and effective workplace.

Conversation Topics
(00:00) Introduction
(02:34)  Why Joel started researching LGBTQ+ culture and leadership
(06:19)  How the research worked: 15 values sorted into 9 meta-themes
(09:45)  Overview of the meta-themes: justice, authenticity, verve, interconnectedness, creativity, fluidity, resilience, somatic awareness, perceptiveness
(12:52)  Authenticity: internal alignment before external behavior
(14:57)  Verve: internal exuberance versus charisma
(18:12)  Non-binary thinking: rejecting either/or decisions
(22:55)  Somatic awareness: what your body tells you about your work
(26:57  Two great managers Joel’s worked for
(33:06)  [EXTENDED EPISODE] Building these values into team culture, not just individual leadership
(39:28)  [EXTENDED EPISODE] Perceptiveness: situational awareness and reading the room

📚 Additional Resources:

✨ Read the full transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1z2kdQnqMCcz92rq31pnfzOMH4O9df6rqYddUXwlvtg0/edit?usp=drive_link 
 
✨Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadershipwithmamie/ 

✨Visit my website for more: https://www.mamieks.com/ 

✨ Subscribe to my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7jhYz8b16g1SsLia4EhO5w?sub_confirmation=1 
Keep up with Dr. Joel A. Davis-Brown.

- Connect with Joel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelanthonybrown/

- Follow him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joelabrown/ 
- Visit the Pneumos website: https://www.pneumos.com/

Join my newsletter to get episodes delivered directly to your inbox: https://www.themoddernmanager.com
The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast for rockstar managers who want to create a working environment where people thrive and great work gets done.

Follow The Modern Manager on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode!

#Leadership #TeamCommunication #WorkplaceCulture #LeadershipDevelopment #InclusiveLeadership #Teamwork #WorkStyles #ManagerSkills #PsychologicalSafety #EmotionalIntelligence #LeadershipTips #Collaboration #WorkplaceCommunication #FutureOfLeadership #TheModernManager

Hitting the goal doesn’t always mean the project was a success.

A project can finish on time, hit every target, and look like a clear win on the dashboard while quietly burning out the team, damaging trust, or leaving the same problems waiting to happen again.

In this episode, I explain why outcomes alone don’t tell the full story of project success and introduce three measures every manager should consider: the outcome, how the work got done, and what the team learned. You'll discover how to distinguish between a win you can repeat and one that may be costing you future success.

You'll also learn why the way your team achieves a goal matters, how learning can change the value of both wins and failures, and how to evaluate whether your team is better positioned to succeed next time.

By the end of this episode, you'll have a practical framework for measuring success beyond the dashboard and building a team that can deliver strong results again and again.

Conversation Topics
(00:00) Why hitting the goal doesn't always mean the project was successful
(01:00) The problem with measuring success by outcomes alone
(02:00) Why a win today can quietly cost you the next one
(03:00) The three components of project success
(04:00) Measure #1: Did you achieve the outcome you set?
(04:00) Measure #2: How effectively did the team get the work done?
(05:00) Measure #3: What did the team learn that can improve future performance?
(06:00) [Extended Only] How to explain an unsustainable win to a boss who only cares about results 
(07:00) [Extended Only] How to own a missed goal without losing the value of what you learned

📚 Additional Resources

✨ Read the transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Sp9sEhxynY8oS_glRYpJhV0UmMU5HTQ4z3RVStGBoD0/edit?usp=sharing 

✨ Follow me on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/leadershipwithmamie/ 

✨ Visit my website for more:
https://www.mamieks.com/ 

✨ Level up your skills:
https://themodernmanager.com/replaybundle 

✨ Subscribe to my YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7jhYz8b16g1SsLia4EhO5w?sub_confirmation=1 

Join my newsletter to get episodes delivered directly to your inbox: https://www.themoddernmanager.com
The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast for rockstar managers who want to create a working environment where people thrive and great work gets done.

Follow The Modern Manager on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode!

#Leadership #Management #ProjectManagement #TeamPerformance #GoalSetting #LeadershipDevelopment #PeopleManagement #ManagementSkills #TeamSuccess #TheModernManager

Difficult conversations are rarely difficult because we don't know what to say.

More often, they fall apart because we have the conversation at the wrong time, in the wrong way, or without realizing that the other person is experiencing the situation very differently than we are.

Fortunately, this week's guest shares a practical framework for navigating challenging conversations without creating more conflict. Instead of focusing on "winning" the discussion, you'll learn how to create the conditions for people to listen, collaborate, and move forward together.

Victoria Rennoldson is a global leadership expert, executive coach, and author of Become a Global Leader. She helps leaders communicate across cultures, build stronger relationships, and handle difficult conversations with greater confidence and empathy.

In this conversation, we explore why difficult conversations so often break down, how culture and communication styles shape conflict, and a simple framework that helps leaders replace defensiveness with genuine dialogue and better decisions.

Conversation Topics
(00:00) Introduction
(01:56) Why most difficult conversations fail before they even begin
(05:18) Preparing yourself before addressing conflict
(09:41) The hidden emotional baggage that shapes difficult conversations
(13:27) How culture influences communication, conflict, and feedback
(17:42) Three communication differences every manager should recognize
(22:06) How to avoid misreading what someone is really communicating
(26:11) Practical ways to create safer, more productive conversations
(28:09) [Extended Episode Only] The BRIDGE framework for difficult conversations
(35:02) [Extended Episode Only] How to avoid misunderstandings across different communication styles
(37:13) [Extended Episode Only] Why simple check-ins uncover what meetings often miss

📚 Additional Resources:

✨ Read the full transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GJRsTpWGQWe-Bq0caozgV3uDo-0hkyeXyhy58Jim6NY/edit?usp=drive_link 
 
✨Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadershipwithmamie/ 

✨Visit my website for more: https://www.mamieks.com/ 

✨ Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7jhYz8b16g1SsLia4EhO5w?sub_confirmation=1 
Keep up with Victoria Rennoldson

- Connect with Victoria on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/victoria-rennoldson

- Listen to the Cultural Communication Confidence podcast: https://culturecuppa.com/podcast

- Check out her book Become a Global Leader: https://culturecuppa.com/book

- Visit the Culture Cuppa website: https://culturecuppa.com/

Join my newsletter to get episodes delivered directly to your inbox: https://www.themoddernmanager.com
The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast for rockstar managers who want to create a working environment where people thrive and great work gets done.

Follow The Modern Manager on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode!
#DifficultConversations #LeadershipCommunication #ConflictResolution #ManagerSkills #WorkplaceCommunication #LeadershipDevelopment #CommunicationSkills #EmotionalIntelligence #CrossCulturalCommunication #ManagementSkills #PsychologicalSafety #LeadershipTips

Most onboarding plans focus on helping new hires feel welcome and settled in their role.

But the real purpose of onboarding isn't orientation; it's creating clarity before misunderstandings become habits and before small mistakes turn into difficult performance conversations.

In this episode, I explain why the success or struggles you see three months after someone joins your team are often determined before they even start. You'll learn the difference between orientation and onboarding, why unclear expectations quietly undermine great hires, and the three things every manager should define during the first 30 days.

You'll also discover how AI can help you build a practical onboarding plan in less time, why documenting your team's unwritten rules matters more than you think, and how to reset expectations if someone has already been in the role for weeks or even months.

By the end of this episode, you'll have a simple framework for creating onboarding plans that build confidence, prevent unnecessary feedback conversations, and help new employees succeed from day one.

Conversation Topics
(00:00) Why the real onboarding work begins after a candidate accepts the offer
(01:56) Orientation vs. onboarding: the difference most managers miss
(03:45) Why unclear expectations create future performance problems
(06:13) Step #1: Define what success looks like at 30, 60, and 90 days
(07:18) Step #2: Teach the unwritten rules that every team follows
(08:49) Step #3: Explain how to work effectively with you as a manager
(09:41) How AI can help you build a stronger onboarding plan in minutes
(10:18) [Extended Only] How to re-onboard an employee when things aren't going as planned 
(11:44) [Extended Only] A simple conversation that resets expectations without creating defensiveness 
(13:00) [Extended Only] Why a "fresh start" can rebuild confidence and improve performance 

📚 Additional Resources

✨ Read the transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1it3sq2F1DMg7SaFcJY68HAbo9Kxgi2Pz_nvEYLBNwKg/edit?usp=sharing

✨ Follow me on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/leadershipwithmamie/ 

✨ Visit my website for more:
https://www.mamieks.com/ 

✨ Level up your skills:
https://themodernmanager.com/replaybundle 

✨ Subscribe to my YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7jhYz8b16g1SsLia4EhO5w?sub_confirmation=1 

Join my newsletter to get episodes delivered directly to your inbox: https://www.themoddernmanager.com
The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast for rockstar managers who want to create a working environment where people thrive, and great work gets done.

Follow The Modern Manager on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode!

#Leadership #Management #Onboarding #NewManager #PeopleManagement #EmployeeOnboarding #LeadershipDevelopment #ManagementSkills #FutureOfWork #TheModernManager

Most managers know they should spend more time thinking strategically. The problem is that strategy often gets crowded out by urgent tasks, endless decisions, and the pressure to solve today's problems.

But strategic thinking isn't just about setting long-term goals. It's about creating the space to explore possibilities, challenge assumptions, and help your team think beyond what's immediately in front of them.

Fortunately, this week's guest shares a practical approach to developing strategic thinking, creating compelling visions of the future, and leading conversations that generate better ideas rather than rushing to premature solutions.

Howard Teibel is the founder of Teibel Education and an expert in leadership development, organizational strategy, and team effectiveness. For decades, he has helped leaders and organizations build cultures where people communicate more effectively, think more strategically, and navigate change with greater confidence.

In this conversation, we discuss why strategic thinking is often misunderstood, how leaders can create a compelling vision that inspires action, and why slowing down conversations is often the key to generating better ideas. We also explore how moods influence team performance and what managers can do to help teams stay productive when emotions threaten to derail progress.

Conversation Topics
(00:00) Introduction
(02:12) Why strategic thinking is more than long-term planning
(05:41) Creating a compelling vision of the future
(10:06) How vision shapes what organizations believe is possible
(16:38) Helping teams think strategically together
(18:47) Why strategic conversations often collapse into action planning
(22:14) The difference between debating ideas and exploring them
(25:06) What great leaders and partners do differently
(28:31) [Extended] Why knowing what to do isn't enough to change behavior
(29:30) [Extended] The hidden role moods play in team performance
(32:44) [Extended] How to recognize and shift unproductive moods in meetings
(35:40) [Extended] A simple exercise to create more intentional team conversations

📚 Additional Resources:

✨ Read the full transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UiIcgN4YcpNc0fAHakdjK_DZBCmb4N2io6xjX_2ZQso/edit?usp=sharing 
 
✨Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadershipwithmamie/ 

✨Visit my website for more: https://www.mamieks.com/ 

✨ Subscribe to my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7jhYz8b16g1SsLia4EhO5w?sub_confirmation=1 
Keep up with Howard Teibel

- Connect with Howard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/howardteibel/ 
- Visit Teibel education here: https://teibelinc.com/ 

Get episodes and key takeaways delivered to your inbox when you join my newsletter at
www.themodernmanager.com

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The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast for rockstar managers who want to create a working environment where people thrive, and great work gets done.

Follow The Modern Manager on your favorite podcast platform so you won’t miss an episode!

#StrategicThinking #LeadershipDevelopment #TeamLeadership #LeadershipSkills #DecisionMaking #OrganizationalLeadership #ExecutiveLeadership #BusinessStrategy #LeadershipCommunication #ManagementSkills #TeamEffectiveness #FutureThinking #LeadershipMindset #OrganizationalDevelopment #TheModernManager