The Pay-It-Forward Society

In this episode, we are joined by Brian Elliott, an engaging speaker, leadership advisor, and one of Forbes' "Future of Work 50." With an impressive background as a startup CEO and executive at tech giants Google and Slack, Brian brings a wealth of experience to the table. He has also led the Future Forum think tank, focusing on the future of work and helping leaders build better, more flexible teams.In our conversation, we cover:- The challenges and opportunities of leading distributed teams- Strategies for fostering trust and transparency in a remote work environment- The importance of prioritization and decision-making in fast-paced organizations- Cultivating self-awareness and continuous learning as a leader- Creating a culture that celebrates successes and openly addresses challengesKey takeaways from this episode:1. Flexibility and clear team agreements are essential for building inclusive and effective distributed teams.2. Trust is built through a combination of strong relationships and consistently delivering results.3. Leaders must be willing to make tough decisions, prioritize effectively, and ensure transparency across the organization.4. Self-awareness and a commitment to continuous learning are critical for personal growth and success as a leader.5. Embracing a culture of transparency, celebration, and open discussion of challenges is key to leading teams in the new world of work.During the episode, we discussed and mentioned several impactful books, which include:"Team of Teams" by General Stanley McChrystal"The Creative Act: A Way of Being" by Rick Rubin“How the Future Works” by Brian Elliott, Sheila Subramanian, Helen KuppWhere to follow Brian Elliott- LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/belliott/- Future Forum: https://futureforum.com/how-the-future-works/Where to find Romain Jourdan:- LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rjourdan/- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/rjourdan_net- Subscribe to The Pay-It-Forward Society newsletter: https://www.tpifs.comHosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Bryan Liles has been working in tech for almost 30 years with roles at VMware, Digital Ocean, AWS, and more. He is known for being a great technical leader. He is not a people manager. In this episode, I wanted to explore leadership as an Individual Contributor, and Bryan was the perfect guest for this. He believes in helping others at work so that everyone can win. On this episode of the Pay-It-Forward Society, we talk about:The difference between being a boss and being a leader. Leaders help everyone succeed, not just themselves.How you can be a leader in what you do, even if you’re not in charge. Bryan talks about leading in tech by sharing new ideas and ways of working.Bryan’s goal is to improve the people around him. He shows us that when one person wins, it doesn’t mean someone else loses.Ways to make a good impact at work even if you don’t have power or a big title. It’s about setting a good example and encouraging your teammates.Bryan’s own stories about leading in tech. He gives tips for others who want to make a big impact too.Bryan shares his thoughts on how anyone at work can be a leader, showing us that it’s about what you do, not your job title.Bryan mentioned several books during this episode including:- Start with Why by Simon Sinek- Wiring the Winning Organization by Gene Kim and Steven J. Spear- Don't Make Me Think by Steve Krug - Accelerate: Building and Scaling High Performing Technology Organizations by Dr Nicole Forsgren, Gene Kim, Jez Humble- What If? by Randal Munroe----------------------------------------------Where to follow Bryan Liles- X: https://twitter.com/bryanl- LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanliles/Where to find Romain Jourdan:- LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rjourdan/- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/rjourdan_net- Subscribe to The Pay-It-Forward Society newsletter: https://www.tpifs.comHosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this episode of the Pay-It-Forward Society, we sit down with Adrian Koehler, a 0-bullshit coach and co-founder of Take New Ground. Adrian shares his insights into what truly makes a leader effective and how to cultivate a culture of commitment and purpose within organizations. Our conversation reveals:Leadership as a Personal Commitment: Adrian underscores the importance of leaders seeing their role as a personal vocation, far beyond the confines of a job.The Power of Vulnerability: He advocates for vulnerability as a strength, enabling leaders to connect authentically with their teams and foster a culture of trust.Designing Organizations for Impact: Adrian discusses strategies for organizational design that encourage innovation, engagement, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.The Legacy of Leadership: The conversation also touches on the legacy leaders leave behind, emphasizing the significance of making a meaningful difference in the lives of others.This episode is a treasure trove for anyone interested in redefining leadership and organizational success through the lens of purpose and authenticity. ----------------------------------------------Where to follow Adrian KoehlerLinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriankoehler/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adrian.k/?hl=enCheck-out Adrian’s podcast:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-naked-leadership-podcast/id1495058489Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/73ZuLDaxdfhCNYXlmIQy01?si=9a5b25f227f64ae1Where to find Romain Jourdan:LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rjourdan/Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/rjourdan_netSubscribe to The Pay-It-Forward Society newsletter: https://www.tpifs.comHosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

James Colgan is a seasoned product leader with a track record in tech companies like Rackspace, Microsoft, Slack, and more recently Spendesk. In this episode, he joins us to share his insights on leading through innovation and strategic frameworks. In our conversation, we cover:The essence and impact of the W model in strategic planning: https://review.firstround.com/the-secret-to-a-great-planning-process-lessons-from-airbnb-and-eventbriteTechniques for effective team communication and decision-makingThe role of leadership in driving product-led growthImplementing cultural transformation within tech organizationsKeys to aligning team objectives with organizational goalsThis episode is packed with James' valuable experiences and actionable advice for anyone looking to sharpen their leadership skills in the tech industry.----During the episode, we discussed and mentioned several impactful books, which include:"Empowered" by Marty Cagan"Hit Refresh" by Satya Nadella"The Culture Map" by Erin Meyer"Team Topologies" by Matthew Skelton and Manuel Pais-----Where to follow James ColganLinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesacolganThreads: @sfojamesCheck-out James’s newsletter! https://www.beyondthebuild.ai/?r=2qvebn&utm_campaign=subscribe-page-share-screen&utm_medium=webWhere to find Romain Jourdan:LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rjourdan/Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/rjourdan_netSubscribe to The Pay-It-Forward Society newsletter: https://www.tpifs.comHosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Ryan Johansen is a seasoned leader with a diverse background in tech sales and leadership coaching. Ryan brings a wealth of experience, from navigating the complexities of team management to overcoming personal challenges in his career. The conversation is a blend of personal anecdotes, hard-earned wisdom, and practical advice for anyone in a leadership role. In this conversation, we addressed several topics: First-Time Leadership Challenges Overcoming Burnout Empathy in Leadership Continuous Learning Current Focus: Ryan gives a sneak peek into his latest projects… ----- In our conversation, we mentioned several books: Deep Work" for productivity and reducing screen time,  "Essentialism" for minimalism in the workplace,  "The Upside of Stress" for a different perspective on stress,  "The Happiness Trap" for handling difficult thoughts,  "Crucial Conversations" for leaders seeking guidance on tough discussions,  and "Surrounded by Idiots" for understanding different personality types. ------  Where to follow Ryan Johansen LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanjohansen1/ Website: http://ryanjohansen.live Where to find Romain Jourdan: LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rjourdan/ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/rjourdan_net Website: https://www.tpifs.com to subscribe to the newsletter of The Pay-It-Forward Society!Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Jovonia Thibert, who goes by Jo, joins us to share engineering leadership lessons from her 20 years at Boeing and Amazon. In this episode, Jo shares some key lessons from her experience as a leader: Great leaders show up holistically - they care about their people mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Jo aims to understand where her people are at and meet them there. EQ is as important as IQ. Jo strives for a balance between connecting with people (EQ) and technical expertise (IQ). Zoom out and zoom in intentionally. Jo talks about the need to strategically zoom out to grasp the big picture then zoom back in on critical details. Leaders can get stuck zooming in too much and lose sight of the overall goals. Create mechanisms to move fast enough. Speed is important but safety and quality are non-negotiable. Develop trust and community between leaders. Jo cultivates trust with peers who sharpen each other, not compete. She wants to complement strengths, not combat over territory. Hold people accountable with empathy. Regular check-ins allow Jo to understand what's really happening before acting on underperformance. The goal is learning and improvement, not punishment. Her faith and desire to show love also shape her inclusive, compassionate leadership style. ----- In our conversation, we mentioned several books: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni Escape Velocity by Geoffrey Moore Books by Stephen Covey (such as The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People ) Servant leadership books Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama ------  Where to follow Jovonia Thibert: LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jovoniathibert/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/JovoniaThibert Where to find Romain Jourdan: LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rjourdan/ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/rjourdan_net Website: https://www.tpifs.com Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Vincent Moindrot, CEO of French car rental startup carlili.fr, shares his journey through a leadership crisis.  Vincent reacted poorly when cash flow issues required layoffs. He abruptly fired staff without empathy. This destroyed employee trust and led to 50% turnover. With coaching, Vincent rebuilt trust through weekly reconnect meetings and transparent communication. He learned to align actions with values instead of perceived business needs. This experience taught Vincent the importance of vulnerability, authenticity and courage in leadership. He focuses on clearly conveying Carlyle's vision and improving communication as the company scales. Vincent's story offers a cautionary yet hopeful tale of losing trust rapidly through poor leadership decisions, then gradually regaining it by recommitting to transparency. A great lesson of humility, redemption, and continous improvement. Vincent credits Let My People Go Surfing by Patagonia's Yvon Chouinard and The Pyramid of Clarity framework for providing leadership inspiration. Where to follow Vincent Moindrot: LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vincentmoindrot/ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/Vincent_M Where to find Romain Jourdan: LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rjourdan/ Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/rjourdan_net Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Want to learn how to craft a compelling vision and rally your team? Tune into this insightful conversation with Bill Brown, an accomplished HR leader with 30 years of experience. Bill shares his wisdom on demonstrating compassionate leadership, defining an impactful vision through vivid storytelling, and driving a culture of accountability by setting clear expectations. You'll hear Bill's tips on bringing diverse perspectives into the workplace to connect business strategy with the employee experience. He stresses the importance of listening, following through, and sparking intrinsic motivation in your team. Bill also discusses his new book on company culture along with recommending must-read books by Simon Sinek, Reed Hastings, Julie Zhuo and more. If you're looking to inspire your team and elevate the employee experience, don't miss this episode. How to get in touch with Bill Brown? https://www.linkedin.com/in/tpcbill/ https://www.thinkpeopleculture.com/ [email protected] Books/authors mentioned: Start with Why by Simon Sinek The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek No Rules Rules by Reed Hastings The Making of a Manager by Julie Zhuo The Execution by Larry Bossidy Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Meg Brennan has over 20 years of experience driving strategy and operations for top technology companies. She shared her unique perspective on leadership combining strategic thinking, operational excellence, and a passion for developing people. Meg described her zig-zag career path starting in sales and working across various functions like enablement, product management, and partner marketing. A key moment was joining Riverbed as Director of Operations where she had excellent managers who saw her potential and provided opportunities to develop into a VP. Having an executive coach helped Meg shift from being a manager focused on control to being a true leader. Her coach taught her to "step into the gap" in conversations by defining the problem and solution without taking on all the work. This helped Meg learn to think bigger about the company instead of just her own team's needs. As an introvert, Meg gains energy from small groups and data analysis. She had to learn the confidence to make faster decisions. Meg believes leaders need both visionary extroverts and data-driven introverts to make thoughtful choices. Extroverts provide inspiration while introverts supply helpful analysis. Meg champions bringing more women into technology even though it can be lonely as a woman leader in tech. Men need to help by taking on diversity work, checking biases, and proactively mentoring women. Meg remains optimistic that even small actions by "good guys" can drive change. Providing clarity, through constant communication on priorities, is vital to empower teams. Eliminating conflicting goals lets people align to a shared mission. Meg emphasizes the importance of hiring different thinkers and not just people like yourself. Diversity of thought leads to better ideas and solutions. The name of the book I could not remember during the recording is Move Fast and Fix Things  Meg recommended Quiet: The Power Of Introverts and Multipliers Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this episode of the Paid-It-Forward Society podcast, I reflect on my journey as a leader. I also share my aspirations for the podcast, and the community I am building. This time, it is as if I interviewed myself. I discuss the challenges I've faced, the importance of communication and team dynamics, and highlight some of the inspiring guests who have appeared on the show. I also reveal my plans for the future, including launching a newsletter and creating a community space for listeners. This is the beginning of Season 2, I am very excited by what's coming next! Join me as we explore leadership and learn from each other's experiences. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.