Kerry Siggins Podcast

Transparent Leadership: How To Do It and Why It Matters

Transparent leadership matters. Why? Because it helps to build trust and create a positive work culture. When leaders are transparent, they are open and honest about their actions and decisions, which helps to foster transparency among team members and throughout the organization.
In this week's episode of Reflect Forward: Advice From a CEO, we talk about transparent leadership and I share tips on being more transparent and avoiding common pitfalls.
When there is more transparency among team members, they tend to have better communication, collaboration, decision-making, and a greater sense of accountability and responsibility. Additionally, transparency can help prevent misunderstandings and conflicts and create a more positive and inclusive work environment.
So how can leaders be more transparent?
There are several ways that leaders can be more transparent in the workplace:
Communicate openly and honestly: Leaders should be open and honest about their actions and decisions and communicate clearly and transparently with team members.
Practice transparency in decision-making: Leaders should be transparent about how decisions are made and involve team members in the decision-making process whenever possible.
Share information: Leaders should be open and transparent about relevant information to the team or organization and ensure that team members have access to the information they need to do their jobs effectively.
Be approachable: Leaders should be open to feedback and suggestions from team members and be willing to listen to and address any concerns or questions that team members may have.
Set an example: Leaders should model transparent behavior and encourage transparency throughout the organization by being open and honest in their actions and communication.
What are some pitfalls leaders make when being transparent?
Over-sharing: Leaders need to be open and honest, but it's also important to be mindful of what information is appropriate to share. There may be some confidential or sensitive information, and leaders need to be careful not to over-share or disclose information that could harm the organization or individuals.
Being too vague: Leaders should be transparent and open, but they must be clear and specific in their communication. If leaders are too vague or ambiguous in their messaging, it can lead to confusion and mistrust.
Not following through: If leaders make promises to be transparent, they need to follow through on those promises. If they fail to do so, it can erode trust and undermine their credibility.
Question of the Week
"Have you ever changed your mind as a leader? How do you do it without losing face?"
Absolutely! I think the willingness to change your mind is one of the most important attributes of a leader. We must continually challenge our thinking and seek the best information to develop accurate assessments and opinions. More accurate beliefs lead to good decisions. And making good decisions is what leadership is all about.
If you want to read a great book on the power of changing your mind, check out Persuadable: How Great Leaders Change Their Minds to Change the World. And listen to the whole episode to learn more!
Follow me on Instagram or LinkedIn.
Subscribe to my podcast Reflect Forward on iTunes
Or check out my new YouTube Channel, where you can watch full-length episodes of Advice From a CEO!
And if you are looking for a keynote speaker or a podcast guest, click here to book a meeting with me to discuss what you are looking for!

Mastering Leadership & Marketing with Wanda Toro Turini

Guest: Wanda Toro Turini, also known as Dr. Wanda or THE Nerdy Girl Entrepreneur, is a dynamic entrepreneur, inventor and the host of the Rock-It Fuel Podcast. As Founder of Bull's Eye Innovations (BEI), Wanda's mission is to incubate innovative ideas and transform them into profitable and sustainable businesses. Wanda's most recent focus is launching Ketchwords.com, powered by her proprietary texting platform, ecoFiles. Ketchwords enable experts to finally connect with "Anonymous Fans" that are sitting in their audiences and nurture them into happy Clients.
Background: During this episode, Wanda shares how she has evolved as an entrepreneur, learning to let go of the need to do everything. You can't scale if the business revolves around you! She gives great advice on planning your year with your significant other, both personally and professionally. We talk about the need for boundaries and why it's important to say no more often.
Wanda also shares the story of how she came up with the idea of Ketchwords. She first used Ketchwords to connect with all of those Anonymous Fans in her audiences. She used her marketing skills to master the tool and massively boost the ROI of every appearance.
Wanda sings in a rock and soul band in her spare time and is an acclaimed actress in NY/NJ children's and musical theater productions. She is a powerhouse and mother of two who took a unique and tumultuous journey to get to where she is today. She loves to share the solutions she creates and the stories of her challenges with the desire to inspire people NEVER to say never.
How to Find Wanda:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wanda.turini
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wandatoroturini/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wandaturini/
Rock-It Fuel Podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rockitfuelpodcast
Rock-It Fuel Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rockitfuelpodcast/
Website: www.ketchwords.com
Follow me on Instagram or LinkedIn.
Subscribe to my podcast Reflect Forward on iTunes
Or check out my new YouTube Channel, where you can watch full-length episodes of Advice From a CEO!
And if you are looking for a keynote speaker or a podcast guest, click here to book a meeting with me to discuss what you are looking for!

What To Do When an Employee Opens Up About Mental Health

During this week’s episode of Reflect Forward: Advice From a CEO, I discuss what to do when an employee opens up about mental health.
As a people leader, you will occasionally have to help people work through emotional trauma, personal situations and past baggage. And let’s face it, with mental health being such a significant issue in today’s society, we can’t expect our employees, teammates, and colleagues to leave their personal lives at home. How we behave at work is influenced by happenings at home and our mental health, and we want to show up as our whole selves. And while engaging in these talks might be difficult and uncomfortable, I have found that you can help your employees by leaning into these conversations.
During the episode, I share how I mentally prepare for emotional conversations on mental health and personal issues. You should also familiarize yourself with options the employee might have, such as paid time off, the use of an Employee Assistance Program, etc. I also talk about the power of asking questions and why I think it’s important to understand their situation so you know how to help. Most people want to be understood, even if it’s embarrassing to admit what’s happening. I also discuss the importance of boundaries and how to ensure you don’t play the role of a therapist.
Mental health crises are going to be part of the ongoing norm. It’s a major issue in our society right now, and we as leaders cannot stick our heads on the ground and say, “It’s not my problem; they just need to deal with it outside of the workplace.” People spend most of their time at work and need support from their leadership and companies to endure tough times. Everybody can use a little bit of help from time to time, and sometimes that little bit of help is all they need to move through it and come out the other side stronger.
Question of the Week
This week’s question came from Justin Skinner, who hosts The Professional Failure podcast. He asked me, “What do you do when you find yourself really angry, upset, or annoyed about a situation? He appreciated my answer, so I thought I should share it with you!
The number one thing I do when I am getting annoyed at a situation or somebody or angry or upset is to stop and tell myself three different possible stories about what’s actually happening rather than assume that my judgment or assessment is true. We humans are so good at thinking that we know why people are doing the things they do, and we are so sure that we understand a situation, and often, we are wrong. Have a listen to find out more!
Follow me on Instagram or LinkedIn.
Subscribe to my podcast Reflect Forward on iTunes
Or check out my new YouTube Channel, where you can watch full-length episodes of Advice From a CEO!
And if you are looking for a keynote speaker or a podcast guest, click here to book a meeting with me to discuss what you are looking for!

Self-Aware, Empathetic Leadership w/ Emma Giles

Guest: Emma Giles emulates self-aware, authentic leadership. Emma is one of the founders of SoWork, a product that helps digital-first teams do great work, no matter when they work or where they work from.
Emma leads product development and works directly with SoWork customers who are leaders of organizations trying to navigate the digital-first work shift. Prior to founding SoWork, she dropped out of a PhD from Harvard/MIT in computational neuroscience to build a business, spent a year at Khan Academy creating free medical content for medical students, and scaled data initiatives for the WHO.
Emma has a unique perspective on how the landscape of work is evolving, what leaders and their teams are struggling with, and how to solve the most pressing challenges with technology. She lives on Vancouver Island with her husband (also a SoWork co-founder), where she spends time hiking and running ultramarathon.
Episode in a Tweet: Leadership is such a privilege because you get to sit in all these interesting seats and then use your perspective to help your team run with the ball and succeed.
Background: I love this 100th episode of Reflect Forward: Conversations on Leadership, where Emma Giles and I talk about empathic leadership. Emma is incredibly thoughtful and has developed self-awareness as few leaders have. During the interview, Emma shares how her time as a crisis counselor and a scientist shaped her views on leadership and helped her navigate the curve balls of founding a start-up throws at you. Emma talks about how she has developed deep self-awareness and how she models empathetic leadership within SoWork.
Emma calls herself a raging generalist, which resonates deeply with me. We talk about generalists' impact on a team and company and how we've both learned to embrace our generalist natures. Emma cares deeply about working with humans, bringing them together to solve complex problems innovatively, and navigating an early-stage start-up's immense strains and pains without killing themselves or each other. I know you'll love this interview as must as I do! Have a listen and let me know what you think!
How to find Emma:
Company
https://www.sowork.com/
Link to Emma's virtual office; stop by and say hi:
https://invite.sowork.com/join/LORXIqKyza04v9Gp64u9?
user=slKoXZJsG6UGpK3uEU48d6hVwHy2&room=soworkofficewinter
Social Media
https://twitter.com/Emma_K_Giles
https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmakgiles/
Follow me on Instagram or LinkedIn.
Subscribe to my podcast Reflect Forward on iTunes
Or check out my new YouTube Channel, where you can watch full-length episodes of Advice From a CEO!
And if you are looking for a keynote speaker or a podcast guest, click here to book a meeting with me to discuss what you are looking for!

The Importance of Reflection and Introspection

We should never underestimate the importance of reflection and introspection. Self-reflection is a powerful tool for personal growth and development. When done often, you create a much more intentional and powerful life. But many of us only do it annually, as we approach the new year and think about what went well and what didn’t…in essence, Reflecting Forward. 😊
In this week’s episode of Reflect Forward, I discuss how I came up with the name of my podcast, Reflect Forward, and why frequent self-reflection can help you to better understand yourself and your thoughts and feelings, which can lead to improved self-awareness and self-esteem. Frequent reflection and introspection can also help you to identify areas in your life where you may want to make changes or improvements. This can be especially helpful if you are feeling stuck or unfulfilled in some aspect of your life. Additionally, self-reflection can help you to better understand other people and improve your relationships with them.
I share my plan to journal during the new year, capturing my journey on the path to grow StoneAge to a billion-dollar company and why you, too, should develop a practice of frequent reflection and introspection.
Question of the Week
This week’s question comes from a new manager who said, “I just hired someone and it’s not working. What do you do when it’s obvious that the person you just hired is not the right person for the job?”
Great question. I know the feeling and it’s not a good one. During the episode I share the steps you need to take to handle the situation such as evaluating your onboarding process, letting your manager know, and having a direct conversation with the struggling employee. Have a listen and let me know what you think!
Follow me on Instagram or LinkedIn.
Subscribe to my podcast Reflect Forward on iTunes

How to Involve Your Employees in Strategic Planning

Do you involve employees in strategic planning? Most people think that strategy is a leader's responsibility and not everyone else’s. An employee once told me, “CEOs do strategy; we do the everyday work.” This mindset couldn’t be further from the truth, but it’s prevalent.
When you involve employees in strategic planning, good things happen. First, people begin to understand that strategy is something they do every day and execute it in their daily tasks and project work. Second, they become more engaged in the process because they can ask questions and have a voice.
In this week’s episode of Reflect Forward: Advice From a CEO, I share how we involved our employees in strategic planning this year and the results. Hint: outstanding. We tried something new so every employee could weigh in before we finalized the strategic plan and the feedback was fantastic. We received some excellent ideas to integrate, and everyone appreciated being part of the process.
I also offer tips on thinking and going about strategic planning and ways to involve your employees throughout the process. Vision, buy-in, feedback, discipline, and focus are critical when developing a strategy.
You can follow these tips, even if you aren’t a CEO and your executive leadership doesn’t involve employees in the strategic planning process. Nothing stops you from reviewing company strategy with your team members, getting their opinions and feedback, and engaging them in the process from a team perspective. Great leaders know how to get the best out of their teams and how you lead your team matters. Even if it’s different than how executive management leads, don’t be afraid to try this process. Your employees will appreciate the effort.
Question of the Week
This week's question comes from a friend who asked, “What are you reading now?” I wanted to share this question because I am reading a different type of book. The Premonition: A Pandemic Story by Michael Lewis is a fascinating look at why the world, especially the United States, was so ill-prepared for the Covid-19 pandemic. I’ve learned much about how public health departments and the CDC work. The stories are well told and it’s very insightful. I highly recommend it.
Follow me on Instagram or LinkedIn.
Subscribe to my podcast Reflect Forward on iTunes
Or check out my new YouTube Channel, where you can watch full-length episodes of Advice From a CEO!
And if you are looking for a keynote speaker or a podcast guest, click here to book a meeting with me to discuss what you are looking for!

How to Improve Your Workplace Culture w/ Gustavo Razzetti

Gustavo Razzetti is the CEO and founder of Fearless Culture, a culture design consultancy that helps teams do the best work of their lives. For more than 20 years, Razzetti has helped leaders from Fortune 500s, startups, nonprofits, and everything in between on every continent but Antarctica.
Gustavo is also the creator of the Culture Design Canvas, a framework that thousands of teams and organizations worldwide use to map, assess, and design their culture. In addition to his consulting work with clients, Gustavo regularly speaks with leaders and teams about culture change, teamwork, and hybrid workplaces. His coaching and tools have helped countless executives and teams develop work environments where people collaborate to accelerate individual and collective performance.
A prolific writer and author of four books on culture change, Gustavo’s insights have been featured in The New York Times, Psychology Today, Forbes, BBC, and Fortune, among others.
Background: Most organizations don’t lack ideas, talent or resources; instead, they lack a conducive culture where employees are encouraged to collaborate, take the initiative and experiment beyond perceived limitations. Imagine what your company could achieve with your teams optimized to bring their best effort and ideas to the table. Helping build these kinds of cultures is what Gustavo Razzetti is all about.
During our conversation, Gustavo and I discuss how to improve your workplace culture by creating safe spaces for people to speak up. We talk about why leaders need to develop self-awareness and seek honest feedback from their teams. Gustavo shares his thoughts on fairness in the workplace, especially in hybrid and remote work situations. And finally, he shares why he wrote his latest book, Remote, Not Distant, as a roadmap for leaders to build a culture that thrives in a hybrid workplace.
You will take away all kinds of insights in his fun and dynamic interview. Please listen and let me know what you think!
How to find Gustavo:
https://www.fearlessculture.design/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gustavorazzetti/
Follow me on Instagram or LinkedIn.
Subscribe to my podcast Reflect Forward on iTunes
Or check out my new YouTube Channel, where you can watch full-length episodes of Advice From a CEO!
And if you are looking for a keynote speaker or a podcast guest, click here to book a meeting with me to discuss what you are looking for!

How to Run an Effective Meeting

Who doesn’t hate pointless meetings with awful agendas and no clear purpose? I know I do. And if you’re like us at StoneAge, you have too many meetings. We work hard to ensure our meetings are an effective and good use of everyone’s time – even if we still are in too many meetings.
In this week’s episode of Reflect Forward: Advice From a CEO, I talk about how I think about my meetings and set up agendas that drive the outcome I am looking for from the meeting.
Here are some things to consider when setting the agenda.
What is the purpose of the meeting? What do you want to accomplish? Specifically state this on the agenda
What topics do you need to cover? What information or context do you need to provide before the meeting so everyone is prepared?
What questions can you ask that will help people prepare for the meeting? Put these questions on this agenda. Pro tip: don’t have too many questions; doing so bogs people down and prolongs the meeting.
Who should be at the meeting? My rule is no more than ten people. If you have more than ten attended, it’s almost impossible for everyone to contribute. If people attend only to get information, you don’t have an effective communication process.
Finally, think about how long the meeting needs to be. Don’t schedule it for an hour if 45 minutes is enough to get through the agenda. Discussions tend to take the allotted time, whether they need to or not. And avoid the temptation to assign time allotments to each agenda item; this rigidity can stifle ideation and dialog. Instead, make sure you don’t have too many agenda items.
Question of the Week:
This week’s question comes from someone who heard me share my story on stage, and he asked, “How do you find the courage to share your story in front of so many people?”
Simple answer. I’ve learned that when you share your story with vulnerability, you inspire people to share their stories and potentially change their lives. And when you talk about your flaws, it makes it safe for people to admit theirs.
Follow me on Instagram or LinkedIn.
Subscribe to my podcast Reflect Forward on iTunes
Or check out my new YouTube Channel, where you can watch full-length episodes of Advice From a CEO!
And if you are looking for a keynote speaker or a podcast guest, click here to book a meeting with me to discuss what you are looking for!

The Power of a Values-Based Business w/ Lisa Morton

Guest: Lisa Morton understands the power of a values-based company. Lisa is the CEO and founder of Roland Dransfield, one of Manchester, England's most established communications agencies. For the last 24 years, Lisa has worked to forge meaningful, lasting business relationships that create both business growth and social impact alongside her team of award-winning strategists, journalists, creatives, digital, and social media specialists. Now with a London office and a partnership with an LA-based agency, of which the founder is a former Roland Dransfield team member, Lisa is continuing to expand Roland Dransfield and explore new paths for growth.
Lisa's commitment to purpose-driven work is exemplified by Roland Dransfield's "We Built This City" podcast. This podcast series hears from Mancunians, born, bred and adopted, who put their heart into Greater Manchester. The podcast has been nominated for Best Business Podcast by the prestigious British Podcast Awards. It celebrates stories of determination, loyalty, and diversity across culture, arts, politics, sport, music and business.
Episode in a Tweet: When you focus your team and company on values, you can get through almost anything. Values give you and your team a clear sense of purpose and something to rally around.
Background: Twenty-five years ago, it became apparent to Lisa that the only way to work somewhere with suitable goals and values as an enterprise was to start it herself. Almost immediately, her talent for creating relationships became apparent when Manchester suffered a devastating bombing. Lisa got involved heavily in rebuilding the city center and, over the years, has played a large part in helping to regenerate neglected parts of the city center to create the new key "pillar" neighborhoods that make up the city. As a result, Lisa has been at the forefront of the response to crises in her community. Her commitment to social impact in the business community has driven her to help others do the same.
During this inspiring episode, Lisa shares how rebuilding Manchester helped her understand the power of values and how shared values bring people together. Lisa shares how her company transformed when they got really clear on their values. Called the Roland Dransfield Way, fifteen principles help Lisa and her team holds themselves accountable for building an exceptional company built on purposeful relationships. My favorite is "plant trees you'll never see," which describes the goal of leaving things in a better place out of respect for those how to follow you. There is no doubt Lisa is building a values-based company that is loved by everyone who works for her.
I know you'll enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Have a listen and let me know what you think!
How to find Lisa
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisamortonrdpr/
https://www.rdpr.co.uk/
https://www.rdpr.co.uk/we-built-this-city-podcast/
Follow me on Instagram or LinkedIn.
Subscribe to my podcast Reflect Forward on iTunes
Or check out my new YouTube Channel, where you can watch full-length episodes of Advice From a CEO!
And if you are looking for a keynote speaker or a podcast guest, click here to book a meeting with me to discuss what you are looking for!

Why it is Important to Understand Your Values

Leadership comes with great responsibility. And if you want to be a transformational leader, you must embody your values, walking the walk, not just talking the talk. That’s why it’s important for you to understand your values.
Research backs the idea that great leaders set a powerful example. As written the Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, researchers wanted to determine how much a leader’s opinions, beliefs, and behaviors could influence their followers. According to the study, “Leaders, whose behavior is visible to followers, are in a particularly powerful position to influence their followers’ beliefs.”
In this week’s episode of Reflect Forward: Advice From a CEO, I share how I once modified my values because I felt shame that “Family” wasn’t at the top. “How can I be a good mother if it’s not my top value?” I questioned myself. But as I matured, I realized that the only way to live an authentic life is to understand your values and make sure that they are indeed yours.
I encourage you to perform the values exercise I outline in the podcast and force yourself to narrow your top values down to three and then one. And then develop a plan for living those values as deeply and fully as possible.
Question of the Week
This week’s question comes from a new employee in a management role who asked me, “KP, do you ever feel guilty delegating?”
The short answer is no because I delegate the right types of activities. We all have a role to play and if I am performing jobs that my team can do, then I am not focused on the big picture, which is the role of the CEO.
Delegating is also how I develop my team; I ask them to take on more significant roles or to run a project to learn new skills and stretch themselves. Delegating also shows your employees that you trust and believe in them.
When you don’t set proper expectations or follow up, delegation can go wrong. The person you are delegating to should understand the desired outcome and the expected deliverables. You need to check in regularly so they can ask clarifying questions or so you can course correct along away.
Check out the full episode for details.
Follow me on Instagram or LinkedIn.
Subscribe to my podcast Reflect Forward on iTunes
Or check out my new YouTube Channel, where you can watch full-length episodes of Advice From a CEO!
And if you are looking for a keynote speaker or a podcast guest, click here to book a meeting with me to discuss what you are looking for!