Systematic Leader Karl Staib
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- Business
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Leaders need processes and systems to make good decisions. The Systematic Leader podcast interviews leaders (CEOs, Authors, and Enterpreneurs). They share their best frameworks so you can make better decisions in your business.
“Developing the habit of mastering the multiple models which underlie reality is the best thing you can do.” Charlie Munger
I interview experts in their fields so you can learn and apply their frameworks to your business.
Hi, I'm Karl Staib. The creator of the Dig to Fly method and author of Bring Gratitude. I struggled for years with making quality decisions because I didn't have a system in place. Once I developed routines that worked for my personality type that's when my business took off.
I hope you enjoy the podcast and if you have any questions, just reach out at DigtoFly.com.
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Insights from Dennis Dowdell on Building Self-Sufficient Teams
Join us for a conversation about building a team that thrives with and without you. Dennis Dowdell is a best-selling author of Maximize You. One of my favorite parts of the interview is the story of how he trains people to replace him.
1. Leadership principles and frameworks
Dennis shared frameworks for leadership like knowing what comes next, importance of tasks, and utilizing available resources. Effective leadership is about performance, not position.
2. Developing leaders through systems and processes
Dennis explained his tell-show-do system for training others through demonstration and practice. Regular check-ins and encouragement build competence and confidence over 90 days.
3. Building confidence through competence
Trainees learn by teaching, deepening their skills and replacing Dennis. Continuous growth happens through challenging roles like training others.
4. Transitioning to a new phase of work
At 74, Dennis launched Maximize You to share his experience developing leaders worldwide. Marketing himself is challenging without previous support systems. He hired coaches to refine his processes.
5. Assumptions that enable leadership
Dennis assumes people do what makes sense to them and want to grow, make a difference and avoid failure. By focusing on others' potential, one can accomplish more than believed possible through encouragement.
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! -
Stronger Relationships through Adaptable Leadership with Maria Maldonado Smith
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! -
Connect, Communicate, and Lead Your Employees with Lucy Rowell
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! -
Close Communication Gaps with Jim Stevenson
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! -
Leadership Lessons for Transformative Storytelling with John Linford
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! -
The Foundation of SOPs and Processes in Business
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.
Customer Reviews
So good!!
This podcast episode featuring Christopher Littlefield is an absolute gem for anyone navigating the complexities of leadership and workplace dynamics. Littlefield's insights are not just practical; they're transformative. His emphasis on self-awareness and mindset is like a guiding light in the fog of workplace frustration. I highly recommend this podcast to anyone seeking to thrive, not just survive, in the modern workplace.
Intimate and Real
I love how Karl engages with his guests. The questions he asks and what he shares creates a very intimate, very real conversation. My favorite way to learn!
Interesting and Actionable
Whether through engaging interviews or sharing his own processes, Karl showcases a multitude of perspectives that help make an impact. Most importantly, the broad range of ideas covered are always presented in ways that are both interesting and actionable!