LeaderSight: Leading Others By Managing Self

Erik Thompson

Welcome to LeaderSight- where we believe leadership is a people game.  One that can be played by anyone, anywhere…because leadership is action by any party that helps your group meet its adaptive challenges. We bring you successful leaders who have something special, leadership wisdom- and put them in a position to share that with you, unfiltered. To offer you their insight, foresight, and maybe even some 20/20 leadership hindsight to help you on your leadership journey.

Episodes

  1. 12/14/2023

    Leadership Lessons from a Soul Explorer: Interview with Sara Byers

    Episode Three: Sara Byers, Co-Owner and President, Leonardo's Pizza “Sharing Love Through Pizza” isn’t just new branding for her family business, but also Sara’s philosophy of life. How does viewing the world as literally made of love translate to business success?  Sara says, “Love is everything.”Why does leading with authenticity and honesty resonate with so many business teams today?Sara explores the power to connect with employees, customers, and the community, and finds that its source is in the “unspoken.”Erik interviews Sara Byers, Co-Owner and President, Leonardo’s Pizza. After an 11-year career around the US with Gap, Inc., Sara returned to Vermont to join her family’s business, Leonardo’s Pizza. Sara is co-owner and President of the company, which has locations in VT and ME. Sara serves as Board Chair at the Vermont Business Roundtable and as Board Vice Chair at Champlain College. In recent years, she has served on multiple boards, including the Lake Champlain Chamber of Commerce, LUND, and the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts. She has been appointed to multiple state initiatives, including the Governor's Opioid Coordination Council and the Capital Debt Affordability Advisory Committee. Sara is honored to have received numerous community awards including an Honorary Doctorate of Commerce Degree from Champlain College, the Catherine McAuley Award from Mercy Connections, a Health Building Block Award from the United Way of Northwestern VT, and the Rising Star Award from the Lake Champlain Chamber of Commerce. Outside of her professional roles, Sara is a wife, mother, poet, and soul explorer.

  2. 10/12/2023

    Leadership Presence: Interview with Mari McClure

    Episode Two: Leadership Presence Interview with Mari McClure “As a CEO, I have found the relationship between responsiveness and presence hard to reconcile. It has almost felt like, when I am very present, I am not very responsive. And when I’m really responsive, I am not very present.  Being self aware about it …  I have prioritized presence.””The most strategic thing I do is stay engaged with our customers.”“Whether talking to a board member, a customer or a line worker who works for us, I know I am present when I hear both what they say and how they feel.”Erik interviews Mari McClure, President and CEO of Green Mountain Power (GMP), a clean energy company featured this week in the NYT (Vermont Utility Plans to End Outages by Giving Customers Batteries) because of its pioneering programs to reduce costs and carbon, while increasing reliability. GMP made Time’s list of “100 Most Influential Companies” and Fast Company’s “Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in North America.”  Mari stepped into her current role at the start of 2020 after years with GMP leading transformational work across the company, building strong teams, and motivating employees to serve customers. Prior to her time at GMP earned her law degree from the University of Buffalo School of Law in 2006, where she was captain of the women’s basketball team from 1997-2001.  Tune in to learn how Mari’s underdog team beat powerhouse UNC. Recognized as a transformational leader, Mari discusses pushing limits and questioning the status quo. “I’ve never thought to myself that I reached my full potential. It was always motivating for me to think there was more in life for me to find, to get better at. There was always more out there in the world - I have always felt that way at GMP, too … a drive to continually find new things and get better.”

About

Welcome to LeaderSight- where we believe leadership is a people game.  One that can be played by anyone, anywhere…because leadership is action by any party that helps your group meet its adaptive challenges. We bring you successful leaders who have something special, leadership wisdom- and put them in a position to share that with you, unfiltered. To offer you their insight, foresight, and maybe even some 20/20 leadership hindsight to help you on your leadership journey.