297: Humor as a Leadership Superpower with Kevin Hubschmann

Discover how continuous employee listening can transform your organization’s culture and business results with insights from Nick Montalbine, founder of Inner Voice Analytics and former HR strategist at Nike. In this episode, Nick unpacks actionable strategies to turn employee feedback into performance intelligence, prevent turnover contagion, and create engagement that lasts. "The inner voice exists in all these organizations, and we just sometimes we don't acknowledge it, we don't listen to it because it may take our strategy in a different direction and maybe inconvenient at the time but the repercussions are large by not listening." - Nick Montalbine KEY TAKEAWAYS: -Why traditional employee surveys don't work anymore -Implementing continuous listening techniques -Other ways to get transparent employee sentiment -Early warning indicators you have no idea what your teams really think CONNECT WITH NICK MONTALBINE www.innervoiceanalytics.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickmontalbine/ CONNECT WITH MANAGE SMARTER         Website: https://salesfuel.com/manage-smarter/·         LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/audreystrong/                                               LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cleesmith/ X: Audrey https://x.com/tallmediamaven Lee  https://x.com/cleesmith Connect with SalesFuel      Website:  https://salesfuel.com/        X: https://x.com/SalesFuel        Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/salesfuel/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Audrey Strong and C. Lee Smith celebrate 300 episodes by sharing their top management tips, podcasting secrets, and stories about real business leadership. They discuss show prep, follow-up questions, overcoming imposter syndrome, and building genuine connections. Whether you want podcasting advice, management strategies, or business growth tips, this episode delivers actionable insights and personal experiences from two industry veterans. "It's one of those things where we have these stories that we learn about each individual person. And we work that into the conversation and try to do it early in the conversation as far as what inspired them to do what they do or asking them something that's unique about them. And there's a certain power that's associated with getting to know somebody on a personal level." - C. Lee Smith KEY TAKEAWAYS - How to build a personal, authentic relationship with colleagues - Best strategies for management day-to-day relationships and improving them - Best piece of advice in business we ever got - How a completely random meeting 40 years ago started a long business relationship for us CONNECT WITH MANAGE SMARTER Website: ⁠https://salesfuel.com/manage-smarter/⁠·         LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/audreystrong/⁠   LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/cleesmith/⁠ X Audrey ⁠https://x.com/tallmediamaven⁠ Lee  ⁠https://x.com/cleesmith⁠  Connect with SalesFuel       Website:  ⁠https://salesfuel.com/⁠        X: ⁠https://x.com/SalesFuel⁠         Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/salesfuel/ #Business relationships #Business Networking # Authentic leadership # human side of business Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kate Lowry, CEO, coach, and author of 'Unbreakable: How to Thrive Under Fear-Based Leaders,' shares expert insights on identifying and managing toxic leaders, especially in startups and tech. She offers practical strategies for overcoming fear-driven management styles, boosting innovation, and improving team morale. Listen for actionable advice on workplace culture, employee retention, and navigating toxic workplaces. "The first way is to make sure you never tell them what you actually care about. People like this will try to take away or target the things that are important to you so that they can manipulate you and cause big reactions." KEY TAKEAWAYS: -Latest statistics on how many workplaces have fear-based leaders -Signs to look for that signal you're working under a fear-based leader -Solutions on what you can do to protect yourself and your team -New feedback ideas to help mitigate a fear-based environment CONNECT WITH KATE LOWRY www.katelowry.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherinejlowry/ CONNECT WITH MANAGE SMARTER Website: https://salesfuel.com/manage-smarter/·         LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/audreystrong/   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cleesmith/ X Audrey https://x.com/tallmediamaven Lee  https://x.com/cleesmith  Connect with SalesFuel       Website:  https://salesfuel.com/        X: https://x.com/SalesFuel         Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/salesfuel/ #workplace #badboss #toxicleadership #workplaceintimidation #HR #workplacefear #dysfunctionalboss Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Rosenna Bakari, psychologist and author of "Seven Exits: Leave Behind What No Longer Serves You," explores leadership transformation, emotional clarity, and the power of micro exits to reset and lead with confidence. Discover how self-awareness and letting go of limiting patterns helps professionals build trust, enhance performance, and create more meaningful personal and workplace relationships. "You have to have a rabbit stick for change, right? You have to have some idea of who you want to be. And that's so hard to figure out if you haven't been allowed to be. And so you have to borrow somebody else's sense of being for a while. You can change it at any time." KEY TAKEAWAYS: -Definitions of lack of fulfillment and other signs that you're unhappy -How are you getting in your own way and what to do -What is a micro-exit and how to use it to reset your mindset -Which of the 'seven exits' do most people struggle with, and what impact does it have? CONNECT WITH DR. BAKARI http://transformation.sevenexits.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosenna-bakari-ph-d-b3120194/ Connect with Manage Smarter and its hosts Website: https://salesfuel.com/manage-smarter/        LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/audreystrong/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cleesmith/ X: Audrey https://x.com/tallmediamaven Lee  https://x.com/cleesmith  Connect with SalesFuel         Website:  https://salesfuel.com/        X: https://x.com/SalesFuel       Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/salesfuel/ #physology #workplaceproblems #careers #careerproblems #workunhappiness #RosennaBakari #SevenExits #careerprogress Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin Hubschmann, founder of Laugh.Events, shares how improv and comedy skills like active listening, adaptability, and self-deprecating humor can strengthen leadership, sales, and workplace culture. Learn to build psychological safety, improve brand voice, and connect authentically for business success. Discover actionable strategies and tips to use humor effectively at work and in team building. "Humor skills and comedy skills, as I refer to them, are actually about soft skills. And that's listening, communication, empathy, thinking on the fly, going off script, reading a room." KEY TAKEAWAYS: -How using self-deprecation in the workplace can build a better culture -Effective use of humor with tough audiences requires patience, active listening, and tailoring your approach to the individual’s openness, rather than forcing jokes -Strategies for using humor effectively with an audience or people who do not readily respond CONNECT WITH KEVIN HUBSCHMANN https://laughrx.laugh.events https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-hubschmann CONNECT WITH MANAGE SMARTER Website: https://salesfuel.com/manage-smarter/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/audreystrong/                                                X: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cleesmith/ X: Audrey https://x.com/tallmediamaven X: Lee  https://x.com/cleesmith  Connect with SalesFuel  Website:  https://salesfuel.com/ X: https://x.com/SalesFuel Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/salesfuel/ #kevinhubschmann #managesmarter #podcasts #businesspodcasts #workplaceculture #workplacehumor #officehumor #teamtrait #AdMall Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dan Tocchini, leadership development expert and author of "The Change Imperative," reveals the secrets to navigating tough workplace conversations and resolving conflict with courage. Dan is also co-founder of TakeNewGround.com. Learn actionable strategies for leaders and managers looking to develop trust, improve communication, and foster high-performing teams. Dan shares practical conflict resolution and leadership tips that can elevate any organization's team culture. "To improve work relationships, ask: 'Here’s what I’m making up about what you said—tell me if I’m wrong.' It opens up honest, judgment-free feedback." - Dan Tocchini KEY TAKEAWAYS -How to openly invite feedback -Reflection Techniques and how to use them -What business metrics will be affected if you avoid conflict. -How to build difficult conversations and conflict resolution into your overall company culture Connect with Dan Tocchini https://takenewground.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/dantocchini Connect with Manage Smarter and its hosts        Website: https://salesfuel.com/manage-smarter/·         LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/audreystrong/             LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cleesmith/ X: Audrey ⁠https://x.com/tallmediamaven⁠ Lee  ⁠https://x.com/cleesmith⁠  Connect with SalesFuel·   Website:  ⁠https://salesfuel.com/⁠· X:  ⁠https://x.com/SalesFuel⁠· Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/salesfuel/ #salesfuel #dantocchini #leadershipskills #difficultemployees #teamsuccess #leadershipadvice #managesmarterpodcast #cleesmith #audreystrong #salescred #sales #teamtrait #admall Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we're tackling a topic that every leader has faced at some point: team commitment. Gain valuable insights on leadership and team dynamics with host Chip Gray. Join us each week for a brand new bonus Extra Point episode. In less than 5 minutes, you'll get additional insights about the psychology of leadership and management from the producers of the Manage Smarter podcast. Find all of the Manage Smarter episodes on ManageSmarter.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Theresa Bassett is CEO of The Diamond Group and an expert in relationship sales. With a background in construction, real estate, and digital marketing, she’s driven over $550M in transactions across various sectors. Theresa’s expertise spans working with Fortune 500 companies like Pulte Homes and GE Aviation, and she’s passionate about helping businesses grow through a proprietary system for sales and marketing. As a thought leader, entrepreneur, and speaker, she also focuses on team development and fostering growth-driven cultures, embodying her Progress = Happiness philosophy. "With the onset of AI and all of the generational things that you've talked about, I think credibility more and more is being challenged... People don't know what to trust. So even more to the point that the personal communication, the interpersonal FaceTime conversations... are even more important because people are looking for transparency, authenticity." - Theresa Bassett KEY TAKEAWAYS -The core principle behind effective relationship selling strategies -How organizations should structure their sales and marketing processes for maximum efficiency and lead conversion -What inbound marketing tip can dramatically improve trust and engagement with potential clients -Maintaining face-to-face interaction is still important in the digital age, especially with the rise of AI CONNECT WITH THERESA BASSETT https://www.diamond-group.co/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/theresalbassett CONNECT WITH MANAGE SMARTER AND ITS HOSTS Website: https://salesfuel.com/manage-smarter/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/audreystrong/                                                https://www.linkedin.com/in/cleesmith/ X: https://x.com/tallmediamaven  https://x.com/cleesmith  Connect with SalesFuel  Website:  https://salesfuel.com/ X: https://x.com/SalesFuel Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/salesfuel/ #sales #relationshipselling #theresabassett #salestips #salesfuel #salescred #cleesmith #audreystrong #salesAI Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm Chip Gray and this week, we're talking about the traits that truly make a candidate stand out in the hiring process. Gain valuable insights on leadership and team dynamics with host Chip Gray. Join us each week for a brand new bonus Extra Point episode. In less than 5 minutes, you'll get additional insights about the psychology of leadership and management from the producers of the Manage Smarter podcast. Find all of the Manage Smarter episodes on ManageSmarter.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we're talking about a topic that's crucial for any leader aiming to empower their team: trust. Gain valuable insights on leadership and team dynamics with host Chip Gray. Join us each week for a brand new bonus Extra Point episode. In less than 5 minutes, you'll get additional insights about the psychology of leadership and management from the producers of the Manage Smarter podcast. Find all of the Manage Smarter episodes on ManageSmarter.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices