Episodes

  • 10 Joanna Piros: Communicating During A Crisis
    Nov 24 2022

    Communicating In A Crisis

    In today’s episode with communications consultant and trainer, Joanna Piros, we’ll explore how a leader’s desire for perfection creates missed opportunities for authentic and timely communication. Joanna shares 3 critical steps for leaders who want to lead with heart during a crisis. Plus, Joanna shares a pivotal personal story of speaking up for her family at a young age.

    00:14 – Introduction

    01:05 – How business leaders can endear themselves to others with open and honest communication in a crisis

    02:19 – Communicate frequently

    05:04 – Make it about your audience

    07:09 – Give yourself permission to show up with vulnerability

    08:16 – You can’t persuade people without trust

    10:54 – How to speak on camera 12:08 – Joanna’s personal evolution

    12:51 – Curating stories to connect with audiences

    13:46 – Thrive or survive depends on your strategy

    15:24 – Connect with Joanna Piros

    About Joanna Piros

    Joanna Piros has coached and trained over five-thousand, nine-hundred and forty-three people to light up a room, inspire teams or get that job or promotion. Joanna is a trainer, coach and consultant passionate about your success.

    After many years as a journalist in radio and television, Joanna teaches public speaking, communication skills and media relations, in a variety of settings. She work with individuals and with groups to create customized workshops. Her client list includes every industry and profession from senior executives, cabinet ministers, mayors, celebrities and NHL draft picks to scientists, lawyers and exotic dancers.

    Perhaps you’ve been passed over for plum projects, tanked in the interview or received performance reviews that question your presentation and communication skills.

    Joanna can be all yours through her online coaching platform that makes it quick, easy and inexpensive to get professional feedback on your next important conversation.

    Joanna believes great speakers aren’t born; they are made by coaches that turn real people into TED talkers. No matter how anxious you are in the spotlight, or good you are in front of an audience, Joanna Piros can help you go bigger and get better. Be a compelling leader. Get the dream job. Inspire action. (Source: https://www.joannapiros.com/about/)

    Thank you for tuning in to the Leader Lounge Community podcast. If you enjoyed this episode today, be sure to hit follow and share with your friends and community.

    Links To Additional Resources

    Joanna Piros’s website: https://www.joannapiros.com/

    Joanna’s free course: ACE Q&A Preparation Game will help you dominate your next interview

    Joanna Piros Free Consultation: unbouncepages.com/joanna-piros

    Joanna Piros LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannapiros/

    Joanna Piros on YouTube

    Joanna Piros on Twitter: https://twitter.com/joannapiros

    Joanna Piros on Facebook: /https://www.facebook.com/PirosPresentationCoach/

    Follow Leader Lounge Community on Spotify Follow

    Leader Lounge Community on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leader_lounge_community/

    April Qureshi’s leadership website: https://aprilqureshi.com

    April Qureshi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/april-qureshi/

    Read April’s books on Amazon: http://booksbyapril.ca

    Book April to speak at your event: http://aprilspeaks.ca

    April Qureshi’s Linktree: https://linktr.ee/aprilqureshi

    Transcript available at: LeaderLounge.Community

    Originally broadcast in May 2020 at the Lead From Within Summit

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    17 mins
  • 09 Alan Stevens: The Science and Art of Reading People
    Oct 20 2022

    In today’s episode with Alan Stevens, we’ll explore the science and art of reading faces and the benefits of building communication skills and trust in your relationships, even if you’ve just met someone for the first time.


    00:13 – Introduction

    00:47 – How face reading helps us engage with people on their level thinking and processing information

    05:23 – Alan demonstrates how it works

    04:09 – Assessing traits if you’re starting out

    06:55 – Knowing yourself first

    08:16 – Improve your influence and engagement

    11:32 – How micro expressions would have saved Julius Caesar

    12:42 – People follow people not companies

    14:31 – Building bridges in challenging relationships

    19:05 – The importance of watercooler conversations

    25:02 – Campfire Project

    27:15 – Building bridges with the Men Too movement


    About Alan Stevens


    Alan Stevens is an International Profile and Communications Specialist. He is regularly featured on National TV, Radio and in the World’s Press, profiling the likes of our leading politicians, TV and sports stars as well as Britain’s Royalty.


    The Newcastle Herald describes Alan Stevens as “The Mentalist meets Dr. Phil “ and as "The leading authority in reading faces, globally" by the UK Guardian. He is an authority in reading people; what they are not saying, what they are attempting to conceal and how they are likely to behave in given situations. All of this through recognising the unconsciously leaked indicators of concealment and deceit as well as the indicators of a person’s conscious preferred behaviours and personality.


    He has been a founding board member of a number of charities, Zone Supervisor for the Surf Life Saving Association and Club Captain of Nobbys SLSC. Teaching his skills in the US, Europe and Asia, he has been a guest speaker for the Australian Technical Analysts Association, the National University Singapore and the Option Traders Club of Singapore. He has taught FOREX trading and The Psychology of Trading here and overseas. He also introduced sound & colour therapies in Singapore Schools for students with ADHD. Alan is also a Free Mason, a member of the Hunter Youth Mentoring Collaborative and a past Rotarian.

    Thank you for tuning in to the Leader Lounge Community podcast. If you enjoyed this episode today, be sure to hit follow and share with your friends and community.


    Links to additional resources

    Alan Stevens’s website: https://www.alanstevens.com.au/

    Alan’s free course: How to Persuade and Influence Behaviours of Others

    https://alanstevens.thinkific.com/courses/Free-Course

    Alan Stevens’s podcast: https://www.alanstevens.com.au/media/

    Alan Stevens Speaker Pack: https://www.alanstevens.com.au/speaker-pack/

    Alan Stevens LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/readingfaces/

    FaceProfiler on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/FaceProfiler

    FaceProfiler on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/face_profiler/

    FaceProfiler on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReadingFaces/

    Follow Leader Lounge Community on Spotify: http://leaderlounge.community

    Follow Leader Lounge Community on Instagram:

    https://www.instagram.com/leader_lounge_community/

    April Qureshi’s leadership website: https://aprilqureshi.com

    April Qureshi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/april-qureshi/

    Read April’s books on Amazon: http://booksbyapril.ca

    Book April to speak at your event: http://aprilspeaks.ca

    April Qureshi’s Linktree: https://linktr.ee/aprilqureshi


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    34 mins
  • 08 Deborah Connors: 5 Ways To Disrupt Your Team And Build Resilience
    Sep 30 2022

    In this episode, we’ll learn from Deborah Connors of Well-Advised Consulting how teams can intentionally disrupt themselves to innovate and reinvent how they work together to change the workplace conversation. and talk with where Deborah helps teams and organizations.

    00:13 – Introduction
    01:09 – Deborah’s personal journey with Parkinson’s disease
    02:49 – Importance of disrupting yourself many times in your life

    04:09 – Complacency is not good for business
    05:20 – Questions to help your team reinvent itself
    06:10 – Social connections at work
    09:14 – 3 things to help people flourish at work
    10:21 – Increasing positivity for creativity and innovation
    12:36 – Practising mindfulness in teams
    14:07 – Hidden powers of personal and professional growth
    15:34 – Prevalence of wellness in organizations
    18:46 – Dr. Barbara Fredrickson and loving kindness research
    19:56 – Guidelines for taking breaks and working from home
    22:27 – Research on the 52-minute work hour

    About Deborah Connors

    Deborah Connors speaks internationally in the workplace and at conferences, both in-person and online. She is a captivating speaker, storyteller and workplace coach. From starting Canada’s first annual conference (The Better Workplace Conference) to authoring “A Better Place to Work: Daily Practices That Transform Culture”, she has distilled the knowledge of hundreds of thought-leaders, combining it with her own leadership experience to provide practical advice on organizational and team practices to create environments that allow for more creativity, innovation, engagement and fun. Deborah teaches leaders to radically shift workplace culture so that people can flourish.

    Thank you for tuning in to the Leader Lounge Community podcast. If you enjoyed this episode today, be sure to hit follow and share with your friends and community.

    Links to additional resources

    Deborah Connors’s website: https://deborahconnors.com

    Read Deborah Connors’s book A Better Place to Work: Daily Practices That Transform Culturehttps://deborahconnors.com/books-news/

    Deborah Connors’s blog: https://deborahconnors.com/blog/

    Deborah Connors’s keynote: https://deborahconnors.com/speaking/

    Follow Leader Lounge Community on Spotify: http://leaderlounge.community

    Follow Leader Lounge Community on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leader_lounge_community/

    April Qureshi’s leadership website: https://aprilqureshi.com

    April Qureshi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/april-qureshi/

    Read April’s books on Amazon: http://booksbyapril.ca

    Book April to speak at your event: http://aprilspeaks.ca

    April Qureshi’s Linktree: https://linktr.ee/aprilqureshi

    Originally broadcast in May 2020 during the Lead From Within Global Leadership Summit at the onset of the global pandemic. My purpose for republishing is that the value of the conversations with leading experts from around the globe is still relevant and will continue to be a touchstone for empowering business and community leaders with innovation and compassion during challenging times.


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    25 mins
  • 07 Jennifer Britton: Remote and Virtual Conversations to Revolutionize Working with Your Team
    Sep 15 2022
    Remote and Virtual Conversations to Revolutionize Working with Your Team

    In this episode, we’ll talk with Jennifer Britton and travel around the globe to learn about technological innovation in remote and virtual work conversations and how to translate autonomy in the field into effective leadership. Technology and the environment in which we work have evolved over the past 30 years, but what hasn’t changed is effect leadership and communication practices.

    00:12 – Introduction
    00:57 – Leading with long-range radio in the 1990’s
    02:09 – Jennifer shares her love of canoeing
    03:04 – Problem solving in remote situations pre-internet
    04:57 – The paradigm shift to the virtual space
    06:45 – Working in a VUCA world
    10:10 – How teams can thrive during change and remain effective
    14:18 – Using your skills of influence and coaching with teams
    16:42 –The power of routine to show up in a big way for others
    22:40 – Removing barriers and boxes to tap into our human spirit
    26:08 – Mindset shift and innovation
    28:35 – How technology can radically transform mental models of the world

    About Jennifer Britton

    Jennifer Britton, MES, CHRP, CPT, PCC, is passionate about helping professionals, teams and organizations thrive in the areas of performance, teamwork and leadership, especially in the remote and virtual space. Building onto a dynamic global career as a Program Director and Manager with the United Nations and International agencies, Jennifer founded Potentials Realized in 2004, an award-winning performance improvement company, with special emphasis on coaching and mentoring skills, virtual facilitation and online learning. Jennifer is the author of five books and co-host of the Remote Pathways podcast, reflecting her almost three decades of experience in working in, and leading teams and organizations, in the global and remote space. Her company provides specialized support and consulting for programming in Group and Team Coaching, Leadership, Mentoring, and all things virtual and remote.

    Thank you for tuning in to the Leader Lounge Community podcast. If you enjoyed this episode today, be sure to hit follow and share with your friends and community.

    Links to additional resources

    Jennifer Britton’s website: https://www.potentialsrealized.com

    Read Jennifer Britton’s Remote Working Whitepaper: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/lgihiv0

    Remote Pathways Podcast: https://www.remotepathways.com

    Jennifer Britton’s Effective Virtual Conversations book: https://www.potentialsrealized.com/our-books.html

    Jennifer Britton’s PlanDoTrack Workbook and Planner: https://www.plandotrack.com

    Follow Leader Lounge Community on Spotify: http://leaderlounge.community

    Follow Leader Lounge Community on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leader_lounge_community/

    April Qureshi’s leadership website: https://aprilqureshi.com

    April Qureshi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/april-qureshi/

    Read April’s books on Amazon: http://booksbyapril.ca

    Book April to speak at your event: http://aprilspeaks.ca

    April Qureshi’s Linktree: https://linktr.ee/aprilqureshi

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    34 mins
  • 06 Vicki Shillington: 3 Phases of Successful Change Management
    Sep 1 2022
    3 Phases of Successful Change Management

    Navigating change during times of chaos can challenge even the most seasoned leaders. Fortunately, Vicki Shillington at ThinqShift.com has synthesized change curve theory into a simple three phases model that uses an empathic approach to managing people while keeping the business productive and profitable. The three-phase model outlines the characteristics of the chaos, acceptance and new normal stages with thoughts on how to reduce fear and increase physiological safety to remain proactive and open to opportunity. One thing that remains constant in life is change. And, there’s no right answer. But, having the tools and skills as a leader to know when to push the boundaries and when to ease off and meet people where they’re at can be the difference between surviving and thriving. Clear your desk and silence your notifications for this in depth look at the three phases of successful change management during chaotic times podcast.

    Main topics

    In this episode, we're going to look at ways leadership can effectively help their teams and employees feel safe by reframing their mental models of what compassion and empathy look like at work.

    00:22 - Introduction
    00:27 - Understanding change and how to respond in a way that makes people feel safe during uncertainty
    01:37 – Remember that we’re human beings, not human doings

    03:28 – Chaos phase
    05:36 – Showing high empathy at work
    07:55 – Acceptance phase
    10:24 – Accepting the possibility of possibilities
    13:36 – Staying one step ahead with purpose
    14:31 – Binary approach to business success, from the individual to the collective
    17:11 - Taking care of yourself as a leader
    19:37 - The new normal phase
    21:14 - Capitalizing on opportunities
    25:57 – Focus on what is in your control
    26:45 – Meeting people where they’re at without trying to fix them
    28:35 – New normal at the world level

    Guest bios

    Vicki Shillington, Chief Happiness Officer at ThinqShift. Vicki's expertise is in digital transformation, organization effectiveness and culture shifting. Her sweet-spot is in tackling the underlying culture shifts required for true organizational transformation. She loves to bring the core principles of positive psychology to help shift mindsets and help others learn how to flourish no matter what their circumstances. She orchestrates results and happiness!

    Links to additional resources

    Vicki Shillington’s ThinqShift website: http://thinqshift.com

    Follow Leader Lounge Community on Spotify: http://leaderlounge.community

    Follow Leader Lounge Community on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leader_lounge_community/

    April Qureshi’s leadership website: https://aprilqureshi.com

    April Qureshi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/april-qureshi/

    April’s leadership books on Amazon: http://booksbyapril.ca

    Book April to speak at your event: http://aprilspeaks.ca

    April Qureshi’s Linktree: https://linktr.ee/aprilqureshi

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    32 mins
  • 05 Liam Gillen: A Mindful Approach To Leadership
    Jul 6 2022

    05 Liam Gillen: A Mindful Approach To Leadership

    “What you do speaks so loudly I can’t hear what you’re saying” ~ Liam Gillen

    Rapid change in our environment and the business landscape affects our connection with each other. Take a mindful approach to leadership by connecting one-one in our relationships, listening consciously and giving up our expectations of the other. Communicating to people that they are valued partners in your business shows them respect and honour and allows the other to respond in kind. Trust, empathy and a mindful approach encourages engagement and levels the playing field at work.

    If you enjoyed this episode today, be sure to hit the follow button on the player (• • •) and share it with your friends and colleagues. ~ Big Love, April

    In this episode, we're talking about mindfulness strategies to help you effectively be present in your communication with others.

    00:02 – Introduction
    01:22 – Understanding that everyone is suffering will level the playing field
    03:22 – The unconscious impact of environment on people
    05:46 – Creating a safe for truth in communication
    08:25 – Where is empathy in marketing going?
    10:52 – How to handicap your business with fear
    13:52 – Running a marathon is infectious
    20:49 – GPD of wellbeing
    22:58 – Pain is a great motivator
    24:14 – Change the world change the experience of yourself
    30:10 – A mindful approach to business planning
    33:22 – Jack Canfield failed the first time
    34:35 – There’s in-joy in stress
    36:23
    What you do speaks so loudly I can’t hear what you’re saying

    Speaker bio

    Liam Gillen has dedicated much of the last fifteen years to being deeply involved in meditation and spirituality, and is passionate about helping people who are seeking a deeper experience of life. He coaches one-on-one and develops and delivers his own workshops and retreats focused on creating and maintaining a mindful approach to living your best life. As CEO of Amrit Yoga Institute, he had the opportunity of bringing his business expertise to the Yoga environment implementing a vision to bring the deep teachings of Yogic philosophy to a broader audience.

    Before that, Liam had an accomplished career as a senior-level executive, consultant, and entrepreneur, with extensive experience in real estate, education, and the hospitality industries. He has lived and worked in many countries around the world. Liam holds an MBA and is an E-RYT500/YACEP Instructor certified in Yoga, Yoga Nidra and Yoga Therapy.

    Links to additional resources: Liam Gillen’s website: https://www.liamgillen.com

    Liam Gillen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/liamgillen

    Liam Gillen on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yogatherapywithLiam/

    Follow Leader Lounge on Spotify: http://leaderlounge.community

    Follow Leader Lounge on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leader_lounge_community/

    April Qureshi’s website: https://aprilqureshi.com

    April on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/april-qureshi/

    April’s books on Amazon: http://booksbyapril.ca

    Book April to speak at your event: http://aprilspeaks.ca

    Get the full transcript at: https://aprilqureshi.com/05-liam-gillen-a-mindful-approach-to-leadership/

    Originally broadcast in May 2020 during the Lead From Within Global Leadership Summit at the onset of the global pandemic. My purpose for republishing is that the value of the conversations with leading experts around the globe is still relevant and will continue to be a touchstone for empowering business and community leaders with innovation and compassion during challenging times.

    Music by UbudPaece

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    39 mins
  • 04 Erin Whalen – #1 Copywriting Secret That Inspires Engagement
    Jun 24 2022

    We’re dishing on the #1 secret to writing marketing copy that engages and inspires action: empathy. Learn from global marketing expert, Erin Whalen, the secret to successful relationship marketing–knowing how to build authentic, personal connections with your ideal clients and customer.

    In this episode, we're going to look at copywriting strategies to help you effectively inject empathy into your marketing copy and reframe your message to focus on your audience during a disruption.

    00:00 - Introduction

    00:55 – How to rethink your marketing during a disruption

    02:58 – The value of offering help without strings attached

    05:47 – Give people what they need to build trust

    08:25 – Where is empathy in marketing going?

    10:52 – Why people buy from companies with purpose

    13:35 – Fear-based marketing and why it doesn’t work

    16:54 – Effective marketing communicates a clear message

    18:00 – One key to effective marketing is to inspire action

    20:55 – Earning community gratitude

    24:43 – Look for opportunities to fill the customer’s needs

    Erin Whalen bio

    Erin Whalen, affectionately known as the Word Wrangler, is a copywriter and digital content strategist whose writing has generated millions of dollars for her clients. She has written for online marketing companies, global software giants, digital marketing agencies, and NYT-bestselling authors such as Jack Canfield and Iyanla Vanzant. Erin believes that the secret to successful relationship marketing is knowing how to build authentic personal connections with your audience. And the key to that? EMPATHY.

    Thank you for tuning in to the Leader Lounge Community podcast. If you enjoyed this episode today, be sure to hit follow and share with your friends and community.

    Links to additional resources

    Erin Whalen’s website: http://erinwhalen.com

    Get Erin’s free copywriting masterclass and learn The Secret to Writing Copy that Inspires Engagement & ACTION: https://erinwhalen.com/masterclass/

    Join Erin Whalen’s 12-week WordPower Academy to learn how to write your best copy ever! https://wordpoweracademy.com/

    Follow Erin Whalen on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erinwhalenwashere/

    Follow Leader Lounge on Spotify: http://leaderlounge.community

    Follow Leader Lounge on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leader_lounge_community/

    April Qureshi’s website: https://aprilqureshi.com

    April on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/april-qureshi/

    April’s books on Amazon: http://booksbyapril.ca

    Book April to speak at your event: http://aprilspeaks.ca

    Episode transcriptions

    Get the full transcript at: https://aprilqureshi.com/04-erin-whalen-1-copywriting-secret-that-inspires-engagement/

    Originally broadcast in May 2020 during the Lead From Within Global Leadership Summit at the onset of the global pandemic. My purpose for republishing is that the value of the conversations with leading experts around the globe is still relevant and will continue to be a touchstone for empowering business and community leaders with innovation and compassion during challenging times.

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    28 mins
  • 03 Dr Patrick Williams - Getting Naked With Your Clothes On
    Jun 8 2022

    Getting Naked With Your Clothes On Keywords: #selfcare #vulnerability #leadership #maasai Dr. Patrick Williams shares how to model and foster authentic leadership with vulnerability and without judgment by getting naked with your clothes on and leadership lessons learned with a Maasai family during a three-week trek in Tanzania. In this episode, we'll share some ways that leaders can model authenticity and vulnerability, and lessons learned from tribal Africa. 00:50 – How to get beyond trauma and help people reinvent their lives 04:23 – The best leaders develop leadership in everybody 0 5:29 – Getting naked with your clothes on 08:14 – Modelling vulnerability as courage 10:53 – Becoming resilient, become agile 14:09 – The coach approach for leaders 15:03 – Leader lessons from the Maasai people 18:57 – Reverse mentoring 22:55 – Value of picking up the phone 26:07 – Twenty years in the future Dr. Patrick Williams Bio Dr. Patrick Williams is a psychologist turned Executive Coach (HP, IBM, Kodak) Philanthropist and Educator. He explains his professional journey as “My life is an adventure driven by curiosity. I’ve always wondered why people think, act and react to experiences in diverse and unexpected ways... Why some are amazingly resilient while others get stuck, and even lock themselves up in self-created prisons. After 15 years as a practicing therapist, Dr. Williams became one of the coaching industry’s founding pioneers and took up his metaphorical machete, and began trailblazing the coaching industry and built “Coaching the Global Village" to deliver the power of the coach approach to communities of all sizes, in developing nations. He is a writer, speaker and author of his 7th book, "Getting Naked (With Your Clothes On)."
Dr. Williams has worked with countless business leaders, professionals, coaches, Navy SEALS, incarcerated and paroled inmates, and citizens in resource-poor locations. He is a founding member of the International Coach Federation, an inaugural recipient of its Circle of Distinction Award, a Master Certified Coach, a Board Certified Coach, a Coach for the US Navy SEAL Future Fund, and a member of the Forbes Coaching Council. Links to additional resources Books by Dr. Williams: https://www.amazon.com/Patrick-Williams/e/B001H6KXOY Dr. William's website: https://drpatwilliams.com Patrick's masterclass: http://www.consciouslivingmastery.com Follow Leader Lounge on Spotify: http://leaderlounge.community April Qureshi’s website: https://aprilqureshi.com April on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/april-qureshi/ Books by April on Amazon: http://booksbyapril.ca Book April to speak at your event: http://aprilspeaks.ca Originally broadcast in May 2020 during the Lead From Within Global Leadership Summit launched at the onset of the global pandemic. My purpose for republishing is that the value of the conversations with leading experts around the globe is still relevant and will continue to be a touchstone for empowering business and community leaders with innovation and compassion during challenging times. Full Transcription is available at: https://aprilqureshi.com/03-dr-patrick-williams-getting-naked-with-your-clothes-on/ Thank you for tuning in to the leader lounge community podcast. If you enjoyed this episode today, be sure to hit follow and share with your friends and community.

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    28 mins