The Modern Manager

Mamie Kanfer Stewart
  • 4.9 (341)
  • Management
  • Weekly

Practical management skills you can use this week. Host Mamie Kanfer Stewart helps managers close the gap between knowing what good management looks like and actually doing it. Each week brings either a short solo lesson with one tool you can use right away, or a conversation with an expert on topics like feedback, difficult conversations, delegation, meetings, strategic thinking, team culture, collaboration and using AI at work. Get new episodes and one-page takeaways by email: https://www.themodernmanager.com

  1. 1d ago

    432: How Tone of Voice and Body Language at Work Shape Your Message with Gina London

    Your body language at work sends messages before you say a word. A flat face while you listen, a phone on the desk, a slouch in a meeting: your team reads all of it, and it can quietly undercut your intention. Former CNN correspondent Gina London shows how to match your face, posture, and appearance to the values you hold, so you communicate by design instead of by default, without feeling fake. Guest Bio From Farmland, Indiana, to boardrooms around the world, Gina London has spent her career helping people find their voice. A former CNN correspondent and Emmy-winning journalist, she is founder and CEO of Language of Leadership, Ltd., and advises leaders across nearly 60 countries on communication, leadership, and influence. Gina is an adjunct professor at University College Cork, a columnist for The Irish Independent, and author of Amplify You: How to Power Up Your Connections in an AI World. Conversation Topics (00:00) Why you're never not communicating at work(05:36) Active listening: what your face, phone, and posture say(12:42) Authenticity at work: matching your values to your body language(17:13) What to wear at work: dressing for culture and respect(21:05) Professional appearance: polished, not fake(24:53) A great manager's lesson in psychological safetyConnect with Gina London Free guide, Network with Confidence: https://pages.ginalondon.com/network-with-confidenceWebsite: https://ginalondon.comBook: Amplify You: How to Power Up Your Connections in an AI World, available at ginalondon.com, Amazon, and Barnes & NobleLinkedIn: https://ie.linkedin.com/in/ginalondonInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/theginalondonFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheGinaLondon/Additional Resources: ✨ Read the full transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cMUKheY93vRvsLJ_B2Y8D1OYuTtVKc3bCHA9O4L6rgg/edit?usp=sharing  ✨ Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadershipwithmamie/ ✨ Visit my website for more: https://www.themodernmanager.com/ ✨ Subscribe to my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7jhYz8b16g1SsLia4EhO5w?sub_confirmation=1 🎓 Build your management skills with our short mini courses for managers: https://www.themodernmanager.com/courses Join my newsletter to get episodes delivered directly to your inbox: https://www.themodernmanager.com The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast that helps you close the gap between knowing what good management is and actually doing it. Follow The Modern Manager on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode! #BodyLanguage #ActiveListening #ExecutivePresence #CommunicationSkills #NonverbalCommunication #Leadership #ManagementTips #PsychologicalSafety #ProfessionalDevelopment

    432: How Tone of Voice and Body Language at Work Shape Your Message with Gina London

  2. Oct 27

    431: How to Delegate Without Micromanaging: Define What Done Looks Like

    Learning how to delegate without micromanaging starts before you hand anything off. You ask for something that feels perfectly clear, and it comes back reasonable, thoughtful, and not at all what you wanted. The problem usually isn't the other person. It's the details you never said out loud because they felt obvious. Learn the four parts of a successfully done statement, see a real request rewritten, and get specific about the result while leaving the how to your team. 🎓 Go deeper with the mini course on delegation: https://themodernmanager.com/successfullydone Conversation Topics (00:00) Why the handoff moment decides what you get back(01:38) Why your delegation feels clear but isn't (the curse of knowledge)(03:59) The four parts of a successfully done statement(05:14) Example: rewriting a vague delegation request(06:06) How to delegate without micromanaging(07:30) How to practice delegating clearly this week Additional Resources ✨ Read the full transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/177GnaN8XmjkrtuDvz5EyV1KVykwnO1sdUr16JdfYqeg/edit?usp=drive_link  ✨ Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadershipwithmamie/ ✨ Visit my website for more: https://www.themodernmanager.com/ ✨ Subscribe to my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7jhYz8b16g1SsLia4EhO5w?sub_confirmation=1 Join my newsletter to get episodes delivered directly to your inbox: https://www.themodernmanager.com The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast that helps you close the gap between knowing what good management is and actually doing it. Follow The Modern Manager on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode! #HowToDelegate #Delegation #Micromanagement #Leadership #ManagementTips #NewManager #ClearCommunication #TeamProductivity #ModernManager

    431: How to Delegate Without Micromanaging: Define What Done Looks Like

  3. Oct 20

    430: How to Overcome Resistance to Change on Your Team with Tony Chatman

    Want to overcome resistance to change on your team? Start by noticing that the loudest pushback usually isn't the real problem. Hidden resistance often looks like nodding along in the meeting, then quietly sticking to the old way. Expert Tony Chatman explains why change threatens people's sense of identity, how to tell agreement from true buy-in, why the trusted voices on your team matter more than your title, and what AI adoption reveals about the fear of starting over. 💌 Get new episodes and one-page takeaways by email: https://www.themodernmanager.com Guest Bio For over two decades, Tony Chatman has delivered keynotes, training, and coaching that help leaders engineer their way through resistance and deliver results when change can't afford to fail. He has spoken to more than 100,000 leaders and teams in over 100 industries. Tony is a TEDx speaker, a certified speaking professional, the author of The Force Multiplier, and the number one expert on engineering results from resistance. Conversation Topics (00:00) Introduction: Why Resistance to Change Is Inevitable(01:14) Why We Resist: Identity, Comfort Zones, and the Military Base Closure Story(06:32) Hidden Resistance: Spotting Fake Buy-In and Preparing for Pushback(12:54) Opinion Leaders: The Secret to Moving Your Team Through Change(18:51) Communicating Through Change: Listen First, Then Show You Heard(23:07) Why People Resist AI Adoption and How Leaders Can Respond(28:58) Closing: A Great Manager and Where to Find Tony Keep Up with Tony Chatman Website: https://tonychatman.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonychatmanYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TonyChatmanInstagram: https://instagram.com/tonychatmanspeaksFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/tony.chatman.92Facebook (Business): https://www.facebook.com/tonyblueprintTwitter: https://twitter.com/TonyChatman Additional Resources ✨ Read the full transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1u6v4XaPR-JMS5FeKT_fgReUUemwg_jmSK0HGIOt8SC0/edit?usp=sharing ✨ Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadershipwithmamie/ ✨ Visit my website for more: https://www.themodernmanager.com/ ✨ Subscribe to my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7jhYz8b16g1SsLia4EhO5w?sub_confirmation=1 Join my newsletter to get episodes delivered directly to your inbox: https://www.themodernmanager.com The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast that helps you close the gap between knowing what good management is and actually doing it. Follow The Modern Manager on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode! #ResistanceToChange #ChangeManagement #EmployeeBuyIn #Leadership #ManagementTips #TeamLeadership #OrganizationalChange #AIAdoption #WorkplaceCulture #TheModernManager

    430: How to Overcome Resistance to Change on Your Team with Tony Chatman

  4. Oct 13

    How to Figure Out What’s Really Behind a Performance Problem

    It's 4:47 on Thursday, the report still isn't in, and the story forming in your head is that they just don't care. But that story is usually wrong, and it's also the easiest one to tell because it means you don't have to look at anything you did. This episode gives you a three-question framework, person, process, promise, to find where a performance problem actually lives before you walk into a feedback conversation assuming the worst. Conversation Topics (00:00) Introduction: Why "They Just Don't Care" Is Usually the Wrong Story(01:33) The Three Places a Performance Problem Can Live: Person, Process, Promise(04:15) Why Managers Default to Blaming the Person(05:15) The Right Order to Diagnose the Problem: Promise, Process, Person(08:15) Turning Accusations Into Questions That Uncover the Truth(10:30) Your Action Step and Final TakeawayAdditional Resources ✨ Read the full transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Rp0C9sRoPtnHWJ5ZZ_ck_GEFjmbxeSD7lNNoUk76v70/edit?usp=sharing✨ Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadershipwithmamie/✨ Visit my website for more: https://www.themodernmanager.com/✨ Subscribe to my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7jhYz8b16g1SsLia4EhO5w?sub_confirmation=1Join my newsletter to get episodes and key takeaways delivered directly to your inbox: https://www.themodernmanager.com Get the feedback minicourse at https://themodernmanager.com/feedback The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast that helps you close the gap between knowing what good management is and actually doing it. Follow The Modern Manager on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode! #Leadership #FeedbackCulture #ManagementTips #PerformanceManagement #TeamManagement #WorkplaceCommunication #NewManager #LeadershipDevelopment

    How to Figure Out What’s Really Behind a Performance Problem

  5. Oct 6

    428: How Grateful Leaders Build Teams No One Wants to Leave with TJ Sweet

    Some days, gratitude feels like something for people with calmer inboxes. Someone dropped the ball, you're three meetings deep, and "thank you" is the last thing on your mind. But gratitude that only shows up on easy days never shows up at all. Learn what grateful leadership really looks like, how to appreciate the team member you struggle with, why a pizza party can backfire, and the one question that reveals how each person wants to be recognized. We could all use a bit more gratitude, so this one’s for you. Guest Bio TJ Sweet is a keynote speaker, author, executive coach, and host of the Living The Sweet Life podcast. He helps leaders and high performers reconnect with what matters most so they can win at work without losing what matters at home. Through powerful storytelling and practical tools rooted in connection, gratitude, and purpose, TJ has impacted more than 10,000 leaders across 48 countries. His message is simple: connection changes everything. Conversation Topics (00:00) Introduction: Why Gratitude Feels Optional on Hard Days(01:09) What Grateful Leadership Really Means(04:47) How Gratitude Turns Scarcity into Ambition and Abundance(11:50) Navigating Team Members You Struggle to Appreciate(15:17) Building a Culture of Personalized Appreciation(22:30) Taking Your Gratitude Practice to the Next Level(26:47) Closing Stories: Gratitude in Action at Work and HomeAdditional Resources ✨ Read the full transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pWCw68mo2xN5C6-fqN1gdk_g5eXumJzi7QEBSDQUwx0/edit?usp=sharing  ✨ Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadershipwithmamie/ ✨ Visit my website for more: https://www.themodernmanager.com/ ✨ Subscribe to my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7jhYz8b16g1SsLia4EhO5w?sub_confirmation=1 Keep up with TJ Sweet Website: https://tjsweet.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thetjsweet/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetjsweet/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetjsweet YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thetjsweet TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thetjsweet Podcast: Living The Sweet Life with TJ Sweet: https://tjsweet.com/podcasts/ Email: tj@tjsweet.com Join my newsletter to get episodes and key takeaways delivered directly to your inbox: https://www.themodernmanager.com The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast that helps you close the gap between knowing what good management is and actually doing it. Follow The Modern Manager on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode! #Leadership #GratefulLeadership #EmployeeAppreciation #WorkplaceCulture #ManagementTips #EmployeeEngagement #TeamCulture #PeopleFirstLeadership #Gratitude #TheModernManager

    428: How Grateful Leaders Build Teams No One Wants to Leave with TJ Sweet

  6. Sep 29

    427: The Meeting Portfolio Every Manager Needs

    Planning an agenda feels like it takes forever, so too often, we skip it or do it poorly at the last minute. But that’s often because we treat each meeting like we’re starting from scratch. Instead, what if you perfected your weekly team meeting, brainstorm session or any other type of meeting you hold regularly and then just used that same agenda structure again so meeting prep becomes fast and easy? That’s called creating a meeting portfolio. This episode breaks down exactly how to design a meeting once, so it works every single time you use it. Conversation Topics (00:00) Introduction: The Hidden Cost of Winging Your Meetings(01:06) What Is a Meeting Portfolio? (Episode Overview)(01:36) Why Most Managers Reinvent Every Meeting From Scratch(02:23) Building the Core Template: Name, Purpose, and Structure(03:57) Adding Pre-Work to Complete Your Template(05:01) Iterating Until Your Meeting Design Actually Works(05:38) Your Action Step: Build and Use Your First Template(06:44) Closing Thoughts and RecapAdditional Resources ✨ Read the full transcript: 427-transcript✨ Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadershipwithmamie/✨ Visit my website for more: https://www.themodernmanager.com/✨ Subscribe to my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7jhYz8b16g1SsLia4EhO5w?sub_confirmation=1Join my newsletter to get episodes and key takeaways delivered directly to your inbox: https://www.themodernmanager.com The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast that helps you close the gap between knowing what good management is and actually doing it. Follow The Modern Manager on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode! #Leadership #ManagementTips #MeetingCulture #TeamManagement #Productivity #WorkplaceCulture #MeetingDesign #LeadershipDevelopment

    427: The Meeting Portfolio Every Manager Needs

  7. Sep 22

    426: How Tiny Habits Rewire Your Identity with BJ Fogg

    Most of what happens in a workday, from how you open a meeting to how you respond to bad news, runs on autopilot. Habits, not decisions, are doing the heavy lifting. Behavior scientist BJ Fogg explains why willpower fails, why "bad habits" aren't really the enemy, and how one tiny action, done consistently, can quietly reshape how you see yourself as a leader, teammate, and person. Guest Bio BJ Fogg, PhD, is a behavior scientist at Stanford University, where he founded the Behavior Design Lab. In addition to his research, Fogg teaches industry innovators how human behavior really works. He created the Tiny Habits Academy to help people around the world. He is the author of the New York Times bestselling book, Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything. Find out more at BJFogg.com and TinyHabits.com. Conversation Topics (00:00) Introduction: Meet BJ Fogg, Habit Design Expert(01:06) How Habits Quietly Run Your Workday(04:15) Building New Habits vs. Breaking Old Ones(07:40) A Gratitude Habit in Action: BJ's Own Example(11:23) How Small Habits Reshape Your Identity(18:43) The Power of "Shine": Celebrating Small Wins to Make Habits Stick(24:15) Coaching Your Team's Habits Through Specific Praise(28:43) Closing Thoughts: Lessons from a Great Manager Additional Resources ✨ Read the full transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_f7ADen1bpZN0FM21os0kTtb5GgQ_aSDAegwKCkNGA4/edit?usp=sharing✨ Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadershipwithmamie/✨ Visit my website for more: https://www.themodernmanager.com/✨ Subscribe to my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7jhYz8b16g1SsLia4EhO5w?sub_confirmation=1 Keep Up with BJ Fogg Website: https://www.bjfogg.comTiny Habits: https://www.tinyhabits.comBehavior Model: https://www.behaviormodel.orgLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bjfogg/Social: @bjfogg on most social platformsTraining: Learn Fogg Behavior Design directly from BJ at bjfogg.com/training Join my newsletter to get episodes and the one page takeaways delivered directly to your inbox: https://www.themodernmanager.com The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast that helps you close the gap between knowing what good management is and actually doing it. Follow The Modern Manager on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode! #Leadership #TinyHabits #BehaviorChange #ManagementTips #WorkplaceCulture #HabitFormation #TeamLeadership #PersonalDevelopment #ManagerLife #EmployeeEngagement

    426: How Tiny Habits Rewire Your Identity with BJ Fogg

  8. Sep 15

    425: 4 AI Tools I Use Every Single Day (And the Friction They Remove)

    Most AI tools promise to make you more productive, but few actually remove the friction hiding in your daily grind. This episode breaks down four AI tools used every single day, not for the novelty, but for the real bottlenecks they eliminate: typing, email triage, meeting notes, and building the small tool you always wished existed. If you want less busywork and more bandwidth for the parts of management that actually matter, this one's for you. Conversation Topics (00:00) Introduction: Becoming Obsessed with AI Tools(00:44) The Core Idea: Removing Friction, Not Just Adding Features(01:59) Wispr Flow: Ditching Typing for Dictation(02:53) Shortwave: Taming Email Overload with AI Sorting(04:18) Granola: Meeting Notes That Write Themselves(05:30) Replit: Building Custom Apps Without Coding(07:12) What These Four Tools Have in Common(07:33) Your Challenge This Week & Closing Thoughts Additional Resources ✨ Read the full transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1u3xuVepkPpSSdju0--Kgu4M8U4qetYczr1h7MmCKGrY/edit?usp=sharing✨ Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadershipwithmamie/✨ Visit my website for more: https://www.themodernmanager.com/✨ Subscribe to my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7jhYz8b16g1SsLia4EhO5w?sub_confirmation=1✨ Check out Wispr Flow: https://wisprflow.ai/r?MAMIE12✨ Check out Granola: https://join.granola.ai/t/e74nryr4pc✨ Check out Shortwave: https://www.shortwave.com/✨ Check out Replit: https://replit.com/refer/mamieks Join my newsletter to get episodes delivered directly to your inbox: https://www.themodernmanager.com The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast that helps you close the gap between knowing what good management is and actually doing it. Follow The Modern Manager on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode!  #Leadership #ManagementTips #AIforManagers #Productivity #ArtificialIntelligence #WorkSmarter #ManagementSkills #FutureOfWork #TechTools #TimeManagement

    425: 4 AI Tools I Use Every Single Day (And the Friction They Remove)
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4.9
out of 5
341 Ratings

About

Practical management skills you can use this week. Host Mamie Kanfer Stewart helps managers close the gap between knowing what good management looks like and actually doing it. Each week brings either a short solo lesson with one tool you can use right away, or a conversation with an expert on topics like feedback, difficult conversations, delegation, meetings, strategic thinking, team culture, collaboration and using AI at work. Get new episodes and one-page takeaways by email: https://www.themodernmanager.com

Information

  • Creator
    Mamie Kanfer Stewart
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    440
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Modern Manager
  • Show Website
    The Modern Manager

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