Systematic Leader Karl Staib

Join us for a conversation about being flexible with how you connect and lead people. Maria Maldonado Smith is the Chief Empowerment Officer of MMS Consulting and creator of the Executive Vision Imagery program. One of my favorite parts of the interview was when she explained how to adapt to employees’ personalities will help build our relationship with them.


1. Prioritizing goals through self-reflection


Maria stresses regularly reflecting on true desires to avoid distraction, focusing inward to understand motivations before outward actions. How to communicate with people so they meet us where we are and accept us.


2. Reducing things down to make them manageable


Leaders often struggle to take action on the right things because they are overwhelmed.In this section you’ll learn how you can break things down to smaller chunks so they are manageable. You can make improvements by focusing on the things that matter and making small adjustments as you get feedback from the results.


3. Developing others through understanding motivations


It’s important to set standards for leadership and how people need to meet those standards before they are fired. Understanding each person's motivations beyond work, like family needs, informed Maria's leadership style shift to meet people as individuals through listening and notes.


4. The importance of visualization in goal achievement


Maria explains how daily visualization of goals through personal imagery supports focus and reminds us of our priorities, activating brain areas for motivation and driving us forward.


5. Rapid fire questions


She shares who one of her favorite leaders was in her career and what she learned from him. She also shares her most shared book, favorite podcast and most adored toy as a little girl.


You can learn more about Maria Maldonado Smith over at MMS Consulting. You can also connect with her 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 Dig to Fly 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 an in-depth conversation about leadership challenges and strategies for connecting with your people. Lucy Rowell has 20+ years of corporate leadership experience and now runs her agency. One of my favorite parts of the interview was her story about one of her favorite leaders from her career and why she was so good.


1. Leadership challenges and solutions


Lucy discusses an experience when she struggled as a leader and realized she needed to take action. She then shares how communicating context and being transparent with teams helps overcome challenges even if all members don't fully agree.


It's not about getting everyone to buy in, but about explaining the why, which helps people get on board even if they aren’t in full agreement with the decision.


2. Communication strategies for leaders


Weekly emails from Theresa, Lucy's mentor, helped teams feel connected by sharing wins across departments with a personal touch, teaching the importance of communication style and frequency for engaged followership.


3. Decision-making frameworks for leaders


Considering diverse perspectives helps mitigate blindspots, though not all will fully agree; transparency in drivers and vision aids understanding to get buy-in even from dissenters. Experimenting also helps us learn from inevitable mistakes.


4. Importance of diverse perspectives for leaders


Surrounding oneself with differing thinkers offsets weaknesses and prevents echo chambers, though introverts may need reminders to broaden networks; regular self-reflection further enhances awareness of blind spots.


5. Building self-awareness as a leader


Journaling daily wins and areas for improvement plants seeds for growth, as does clarifying values to make choices aligning with long-term vision. Coaching also aids in recognizing habitual thought patterns.


6. Experimenting and learning from mistakes


Viewing attempts as experiments shifts mindsets from failure to learning, allowing for small tests before committing; even costly errors become growth accelerators when met with self-forgiveness and understanding of ego-stories.


7. Top Recommendations


Learn what books Lucy likes to share with friends and colleagues.


Learn more about Lucy Rowell on the Impactful Authenticity website. You can also connect with her 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 Dig to Fly website, and I’ll do my best to get them on. If you enjoy the interview, please take 30 seconds to rate the Dig to Fly podcast on your favorite platform. Thanks!

Join us for an interview about delivering on expectations inside your business. This conversation was with Jim Stevenson, a founder and international growth consultant. One of my favorite parts of the interview is when he 


Highlights from the interview:


1. Agile methodologies and continuous improvement


Jim explained how agile principles of prioritizing value over process and delivering work iteratively helped transform how he builds organizations. Continuous improvement is key to reviewing whether the work remains optimally directed.


2. Tracking value over activity and delivering early


Jim argued for focusing on outcomes, not outputs, by delivering work incrementally and constantly validating its value. This prevents wasting months on potentially misguided work. Small, frequent deliveries also make course corrections easier.


3. Communication challenges and building trust


Communication difficulties often arise between organizational silos. Jim advocated for regular, informal check-ins to foster understanding and connection across teams. An open-door policy encourages addressing issues proactively.


4. Leadership lessons from mentors


Key mentors taught Jim sales, introduced agile practices, and how to prioritize outcomes. Adopting new strategies requires patience and educating skeptical colleagues over reprimanding them. Learning happens gradually when people feel heard.


5. Learning from mistakes and improving processes


Jim admitted to botching a client deal due to overreliance on experience over process. He now has stricter onboarding procedures to catch funding issues earlier. Success stems from acknowledging errors to continuously enhance one's work.


You can learn more about Jim Stevenson over at Founder and CEO of Bletchley Group. 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 Dig to Fly website, and I’ll do my best to get them on. If you enjoy the interview, please take 30 seconds to rate the Dig to Fly podcast on your favorite platform. Thanks!

Join us for a conversation about using data to tell better stories. John Linford co-founded Deckability, a company that helps leaders tell better stories using data. One of my favorite parts of the interview was when he shared how he thinks about personal and career growth so he continues to develop his career and leadership skills.


Highlights from the interview:


1. Overcoming obstacles through feedback


John details how seeking constant feedback from his mentor helped him improve, though ego can get in the way of receiving criticism. Regular reviews are key to growth.


2. Storytelling in pitch decks


John explains the importance of establishing an emotional connection by addressing a real problem before introducing solutions. Conflict draws people in, as no one wants to hear about perfect lives.


3. Implementing systems for improvement


Karl stresses implementing review processes to catch issues before losing clients. Systems are needed to dissect problems and make informed decisions, not just try different strategies. Honest self-examination is paramount.


4. Cultivating a growth mindset


John pushed past comfort zones by seeking difficult roles outside his core strengths. Manifesting a vision 20% beyond current reality ensures continuous growth. Forcing functions like failures spur change.


5. Finding discipline through forcing functions


John's willingness to take career risks led to compressed learning and rapid growth. Aiming high and accepting discomfort ensures one exceeds expectations through discipline and passion for challenging oneself.


You can learn more about John over at Deckability. 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 Dig to Fly website, and I’ll do my best to get them on. If you enjoy the interview, please take 30 seconds to rate the Dig to Fly podcast on your favorite platform. Thanks!

In this interview, you'll learn about the core foundation of developing SOPs and processes so you can streamline your team and company. I was interviewed by a student, and at first, I thought it was a fun interview and that I would never share it. But then, as I listened to it, I realized that it's important to share the foundation of SOPs and processes. We don't talk enough about creating standards in a company and how to remove friction to get better results.

Join us for an interview about career frameworks to level up your business. Callum Borchers is a Wall Street Journal columnist specializing in career research, advice, and ideas. One of my favorite parts of this interview is when he explains how to use






Highlights from the interview:






1. Work-life balance and mental health benefits






Callum discussed the changing workplace in light of the pandemic, with companies now offering better mental health benefits but still expecting high availability from employees. He explains why he thinks these perks aren’t going away any time soon.






2. Measuring success and setting expectations






Callum advised setting clear metrics for evaluating decisions to avoid biased assessments, using coaching as an example where expectations like profits must be set upfront.






3. Taking breaks to avoid burnout






Callum recommended scheduling breaks like exercise classes to reset, while Karl advocated disconnecting outdoors; both aim to prevent overload and its consequences like poor health. They also discuss the importance of blocking your calendar to focus on taking care of yourself.






4. Self-reflection and decision-making frameworks






Callum stressed knowing one's self-critique tendencies to craft useful journaling, while Karl valued reflection's role in connecting with others and considering different views. A key takeaway from this part of the interview is why successful people journal and what framework they use to grow their skills.






5. Creating autonomy while avoiding fear of failure






Callum noted the need to clarify expectations and leeway to feel confident in decisions and not fear quick removal, important for developing culture. It’s important to have these difficult conversations so everyone is on the same page.






6. Long-term vision and job security concerns






Callum suggested communicating a multi-year strategic direction to give stability amid the whiplash of the past years in the labor market and economy. It’s about understanding your standard for success.






7. Recommendations






Callum recommended Agassi's autobiography to help illustrate the importance of finding passion in life, and they thanked each other for the insightful discussion on leading well.






You can learn more about Cal over at the column On the Clock (Wall Street Journal link). 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 Dig to Fly website, and I’ll do my best to get them on. If you enjoy the interview, please take 30 seconds to rate the Dig to Fly podcast on your favorite platform. Thanks!