Join us for a discussion about the importance of core values, building a community and why setting standards for your team is so important. Dave Stachowiak shares how he got into the coaching and leadership space, starting with a 15-year career at the Dale Carnegie training organization. He then pursued a doctorate degree and started the Coaching for Leaders podcast as a side project, which eventually became his main focus.

1. Core Values and Systems

Dave discusses the three core values that have guided his podcast from the beginning: 1) Ensuring the content is useful for leaders, 2) Maintaining consistency by publishing new episodes weekly, and 3) Prioritizing high-quality audio. These values have helped him make tough decisions, like turning down interview requests that don't align with what's most helpful for his audience.

2. Building an Engaged Community

Dave explains his approach to building an engaged community, focusing on a smaller group of Coaching for Leaders Pro members rather than trying to grow a massive following. He values depth of relationships over breadth, and has learned from mistakes like trying to provide too much long-form content that didn't resonate.

3. Lessons from a Mentor

Dave shares stories about a former manager named Rhonda Kurtz, who taught him the importance of setting high standards for excellence and leading by example. These lessons around valuing quality and integrity have stuck with Dave and continue to shape his approach to leadership.

4. Continuous Improvement

Dave discusses a current challenge of adjusting the length of his live events based on feedback from his community. He emphasizes the importance of being open to feedback, acknowledging blind spots, and iterating on processes to better serve his audience, even when it means making difficult decisions.

You can learn more about Dave Stachowiak over at the Coaching for Leaders podcast. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn.

As always, if you have any questions or want to submit a guest for the podcast that you think would be amazing, just reach out to me on the Systematic Leader website, and I’ll do my best to get them on. If you enjoy the interview, please take 30 seconds to rate the Systematic Leader podcast on your favorite platform. Thanks!

Join us as we discuss the challenges of being a work-from-home father and how you can improve your productivity and work-life balance. Thom Gibson is the founder of Work From Home Dads. One of my favorite parts of this interview is the story he shares when he was a teacher and how he got buy-in from his students to help out in the classroom. It’s a perfect Leadership 101 lesson that all leaders can learn from.

Here are the highlights from the interview:

Work-from-home challenges and solutions

We discuss the challenges of working remotely, including the lack of in-person collaboration and the need to balance work and family responsibilities. Thom shares how he has created systems to stay productive and connected, such as delegating tasks to his team and using tools like TextExpander to streamline communication.

Leveraging AI to improve productivity

Thom and Karl explore how AI, specifically tools like ChatGPT, to help leaders and entrepreneurs become more efficient and effective. They discuss strategies for prompting AI to provide tailored solutions, such as asking specific questions one at a time and providing context, rather than just requesting a broad solution.

Thom's background and work-from-home dad initiative

Thom introduces his background as a former teacher and current social media and YouTube strategist at ConvertKit. He also discusses his side project, "Work from Home Dads", which aims to help fathers who work remotely be more productive and present with their families.

Cultivating a lifelong learning mindset

Thom shares how he has developed a passion for continuous learning, drawing inspiration from his mother's example and the teachings of podcasters like Jordan Harbinger. He emphasizes the importance of bringing your passion with you, rather than just chasing your "dream job".

Systematic networking and relationship building

Thom describes a system he has implemented for maintaining relationships and networking, inspired by Jordan Harbinger's "Six Minute Networking" approach. This involves regularly reaching out to contacts, logging interactions, and prioritizing those he hasn't connected with in a while.

You can learn more about Thom Gibson over at Work From Home Dads. You can also connect with him over on LinkedIn and Twitter.

As always, if you have any questions or want to submit a guest for the podcast that you think would be amazing, just reach out to me on the Systematic Leader website, and I’ll do my best to get them on. If you enjoy the interview, please take 30 seconds to rate the Systematic Leader podcast on your favorite platform. Thanks!

Join us for a discussion about how to use storytelling in your business and career. Sean Platt is Founder of Sterling & Stone and Co-Founder Invisible Ink Media. One of my favorite parts of this interview was the framework he teaches to small business owners so that they can sell their services.

Reflecting on storytelling and narrative

Sean shares his background as a writer, noting how his wife encouraged him to start writing and how he discovered the power of storytelling. He discusses the importance of narratives, how they shape our experiences, and how being intentional about the stories we tell ourselves and others can lead to better outcomes.

Applying storytelling to business and leadership

We explore how effective storytelling can be leveraged in business and leadership contexts. They discuss the importance of crafting compelling narratives that resonate with and empower your audience, rather than making yourself the hero. They also touch on the dangers of performative vulnerability or shallow stories.

Niching down in business to capture attention

When you niche down in your business you are able to capture people’s attention. If you write emails and copy on your site that is geared toward everyone you don’t gather anyone’s attention. In this interview he talks about his story telling framework that helps you create content for your niche audience.

Systematizing storytelling and capturing insights

Sean emphasizes the value of being intentional about collecting and cataloging the stories that arise in one's business and life. He suggests regularly reflecting on the "best stories" from a given week or period as a way to build up a robust narrative toolkit that can be applied to various situations.

You can learn more about Sean Platt over at Sterling and Stone. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn.

As always, if you have any questions or want to submit a guest for the podcast that you think would be amazing, just reach out to me on the Systematic Leader website, and I’ll do my best to get them on. If you enjoy the interview, please take 30 seconds to rate the Systematic Leader podcast on your favorite platform. Thanks!