In this insightful episode of LoveLeadChange, Simon Phillips and Renée Smith are joined by Jim Conti, who works at a venture capital firm providing HR and operational consulting for their portfolio companies. Jim brings valuable experience in creating people-first cultures and supporting early-stage startups in their growth journey.

Jim shares his perspective on love in the workplace, emphasizing the importance of balancing empathy with accountability. He discusses how his understanding of love was shaped by his family background, community experiences, and professional journey, particularly highlighting the impact of growing up in a strong community environment and his time at Boston College.

Through practical examples, Jim illustrates how loving leadership can transform workplace dynamics. He shares the success of initiatives like "Tuesday Tea," a monthly program where team members could present on non-work-related passions, fostering authentic connections and trust among colleagues. This program became one of their highest-rated activities, demonstrating how simple initiatives can create meaningful workplace connections.

A powerful segment explores Jim's approach to supporting early-stage companies in building their cultures. He emphasizes the importance of clarity in communicating company values and expectations, particularly in areas like work setup (remote vs. hybrid vs. in-office), helping companies attract and retain talent that aligns with their culture.

Jim candidly discusses his own challenges with self-care as a leader, acknowledging his tendency to prioritize others' needs over his own. His reflection on the results of the loving leaders assessment reveals high scores in team care and organizational love implementation, but lower scores in self-care, offering valuable insights for other leaders facing similar challenges.

Looking ahead to 2025, Jim expresses hope for a more balanced employment market where both employer and employee needs are met, and where people can find supportive communities in various aspects of their lives.

Subscribe at this link to get regular emails with proven insights to transform your workplace by leading with love from your hosts Simon Phillips and Renée Smith. https://a-human-workplace.myflodesk.com/love-lead-change-email

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Jim Conti - LinkedIn Profile

Renée Smith - LinkedIn Profile

Simon Phillips - LinkedIn Profile

All Music composed by Adam Phillips

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In this insightful episode of LoveLeadChange, Simon Phillips and Renée Smith are joined by Joanna Zak, Senior Director of Workplace Experience at Sprout Social and a seasoned leader in operations, planning, and people management. Joanna brings over 15 years of experience in fostering workplace cultures that prioritize connection, clarity, and authenticity.

Joanna shares her journey from the nonprofit sector to her current role, where she has helped drive global expansion, implement hybrid work strategies, and create spaces that inspire human connection. She delves into her philosophy of love in the workplace, reframing it as respect, authenticity, and a commitment to fostering environments where people feel seen, valued, and heard.

Through practical examples, Joanna illustrates how intentional leadership can transform workplace dynamics. From leading breathing meditations during tough performance reviews to instituting quarterly “State of Affairs” meetings for clarity and alignment, her strategies emphasize the importance of both structure and empathy. She also highlights a bi-monthly practice of peer recognition that creates emotional connection and momentum, showcasing how even small rituals can have a profound impact on team cohesion and morale.

A powerful segment explores how to lead with love during challenging times, like delivering difficult news. Joanna candidly shares her approach to maintaining authenticity and care, turning tough conversations into opportunities to strengthen trust and resilience. She also offers valuable advice for new leaders, urging them to prioritize active listening, clarity, and building trust as foundational elements of loving leadership.

This episode is a testament to the power of leading with love, especially in today’s shifting relationship economy. Joanna’s wisdom and practical insights will inspire leaders to embrace authenticity, infuse their work with compassion, and prioritize people without compromising results.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and New Year Reflections

04:25 Meet Joanna Zak: A Leader in Workplace Experience

08:45 What Love Means in the Workplace

12:30 Managing with Empathy During Tough Times

17:15 Creating Rituals for Connection and Recognition

22:00 Lessons from Early Leadership Challenges

26:40 Advice for Emerging Leaders

31:10 Building a Relationship Economy with Love

34:25 Reflections and Closing

Subscribe at this link to get regular emails with proven insights to transform your workplace by leading with love from your hosts Simon Phillips and Renée Smith. https://a-human-workplace.myflodesk.com/love-lead-change-email

Connect with the Guest and the Hosts:

Joanna Zak - LinkedIn Profile

Renée Smith - LinkedIn Profile

Simon Phillips - LinkedIn Profile

All Music composed by Adam Phillips

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the Love Lead Change podcast, Simon Phillips and Renée Smith engage with Tatiana Machado-Griffin, an administrative business partner at Sprout Social and author of 'Let's Connect as Humans.' The conversation explores the significance of love in the workplace, emphasizing care, trust, and connection as essential elements of effective leadership. Tatiana shares her experiences transitioning from Brazil to the U.S. workplace, highlighting the challenges of isolation and the importance of fostering relationships. The discussion also delves into the framework of loving leadership developed by David Mead, which includes honesty, humility, and humanity, and the role of recognition in creating a supportive work environment. Tatiana expresses hope for the future, focusing on the power of small communities to drive meaningful change.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Loving Leadership

01:30 The Importance of Love in the Workplace

05:55 Building Connections and Trust

12:06 Challenges in Fostering Love and Trust

17:44 The Role of Recognition and Appreciation

25:42 A Framework for Loving Leadership

31:50 Looking Ahead: Community and Connection

Subscribe at this link to get regular emails with proven insights to transform your workplace by leading with love from your hosts Simon Phillips and Renée Smith. https://a-human-workplace.myflodesk.com/love-lead-change-email

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Tatiana Machado-Griffin - LinkedIn Profile

Renée Smith - LinkedIn Profile

Simon Phillips - LinkedIn Profile

All Music composed by Adam Phillips

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this heartfelt episode of LoveLeadChange, Simon Phillips and Renée Smith sit down with Chris Conley, interim president and CEO of the Metropolitan Planning Council, founder of Abundant Professional, and a pioneer in human-centered design. Chris brings a wealth of experience in fostering compassionate workplace cultures, blending innovative practices with a deep commitment to care and connection.

Chris discusses his unique approach to leadership, starting with how he defines love in the workplace: fully accepting people for who they are while celebrating their unique qualities. He shares how his focus on empathy and curiosity has shaped his leadership philosophy, starting from his early days as a faculty member, where he championed underperforming students who had been overlooked. He draws parallels between his academic and professional experiences, challenging the traditional "high potential" mindset in organizations. Instead, Chris believes in investing in every team member, empowering them to unlock their potential.

Through personal anecdotes, Chris highlights the transformative impact of love in action. From sitting down with each team member one-on-one to build trust, to fostering openness and honesty in team sessions, his leadership style emphasizes connection, inclusion, and curiosity. Chris also speaks candidly about the challenges of leading peers and addressing dysfunction at senior levels, illustrating how vulnerability and persistence are key to fostering collaboration.

A particularly moving part of the episode focuses on Chris's experience of letting go of a senior leader in a loving way. He shares how framing the departure as a matter of fit rather than judgment allowed him to support the individual through the transition and celebrate their contributions even after their exit. This moment underscores Chris's belief in sustaining relationships and maintaining care, even in difficult situations.

Chris also reflects on the importance of creating spaces where people feel safe to express themselves, critique processes, and collaborate on solutions. He describes how these practices, rooted in human-centered design, help organizations navigate uncertainty and embrace change effectively.

This episode is an inspiring exploration of how leaders can revolutionize workplace culture by leading with love, fostering resilience, and prioritizing relationships. Chris's insights will resonate with leaders at every level, encouraging them to embrace vulnerability, empower their teams, and build workplaces where everyone can thrive.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Setting the Scene

03:14 Meet Chris Conley: A Leader in Human-Centered Design

06:09 The Importance of Love in the Workplace

09:00 Building Relationships and Trust

11:50 Navigating Challenges as an Interim Leader

15:08 Letting Go with Compassion

17:51 Creating a Loving Workplace Culture

21:09 Reflections on Impact and Future Aspirations

Subscribe at this link to get regular emails with proven insights to transform your workplace by leading with love from your hosts Simon Phillips and Renée Smith. https://a-human-workplace.myflodesk.com/love-lead-change-email

Connect with the Guest and the Hosts:

Chris Conley - LinkedIn Profile

Renée Smith - LinkedIn Profile

Simon Phillips - LinkedIn Profile

All Music composed by Adam Phillips

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this uplifting episode of *Love, Lead, Change*, hosts Simon Phillips and Renée Smith welcome Julie Schreiber, a world-renowned laughter yoga instructor, mental health counselor, music educator, and advocate for joy in the workplace. As the founder of "Connecting the Pieces," Julie brings unique perspectives on integrating love, compassion, and intentional laughter to create supportive and resilient workplaces. Through her engaging stories, she illustrates how laughter can be a powerful tool for managing stress, building emotional resilience, and fostering connection among colleagues.

Julie delves into her early career as a music educator working in challenging environments, where she was often the only teacher who allowed herself to truly connect with her students' emotional needs. This formative experience taught her the importance of empathy and vulnerability, shaping her belief in love as a guiding principle in her work. She explains how laughter yoga, a practice combining intentional laughter with breathing exercises, can unlock joy and relieve tension, even in high-stress or grief-filled settings. By choosing laughter, she encourages listeners to disrupt negative emotions and reconnect with themselves and others.

The conversation touches on how laughter can serve as a pathway to global peace and unity, an ambition close to Julie's heart as a "Global Laughter Ambassador." She shares a moving story of a grief support group where laughter meditation brought healing to a bereaved family, revealing the therapeutic potential of laughter in moments of profound pain. Julie’s mission is clear: to bring joy to as many people as possible, helping them find levity in life’s challenges.

Julie also shares practical advice for integrating laughter into daily routines to enhance well-being and resilience. Her “Joy Cocktail Shaker” exercise and laughter meditation techniques are accessible tools that anyone can use to lighten the emotional load at work or home. By making intentional choices to laugh, we can cultivate a mindset of positivity and compassion that elevates both personal well-being and team morale.

Join Simon, Renée, and Julie in exploring how intentional laughter can break down barriers, build connections, and transform workplace culture into a space of trust, love, and shared joy. This episode is packed with insights and practical exercises to help you embrace laughter as a means to improve your health, resilience, and relationships in the workplace.

Subscribe at this link to get regular emails with proven insights to transform your workplace by leading with love from your hosts Simon Phillips and Renée Smith. https://a-human-workplace.myflodesk.com/love-lead-change-email

Connect with the Guest and the Hosts:

Julie Schreiber - LinkedIn Profile

Renée Smith - LinkedIn Profile

Simon Phillips - LinkedIn Profile

All Music composed by Adam Phillips

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this engaging episode of the *Love, Lead, Change* podcast, hosts Simon Phillips and Renée Smith sit down with Rick Gage, a seasoned executive leader and current Executive Director of the Center for a Loving Workplace. Known for his transformative approach to leadership and fostering environments that prioritize humanity, Rick shares stories and insights from his 40+ years of experience in roles ranging from operations management to strategic leadership at major organizations.

Rick discusses the pivotal influence of his mentor Nancy, a leader who modeled inclusivity and created a culture that valued each team member deeply. He highlights a powerful process from her team that involved a quarterly check-in where each individual’s growth, challenges, and needs were discussed openly and with respect. This practice left a lasting impact on Rick, solidifying his commitment to fostering workspaces where people feel genuinely supported and valued.

A major theme throughout the conversation is Rick's perspective on love in the workplace. He defines love as “the energy that uplifts and connects,” drawing from the Amare Wave concept by Moshe Engelberg. Rick explains how this energy drives positive change by alleviating suffering, encouraging respect and compassion, and nurturing human potential. He stresses that successful organizations today must move beyond the mechanistic and profit-centered mindsets of the past and embrace innovation, diversity, and the human aspects of work.

The conversation also touches on the challenges Rick has faced in trying to bring compassion to the workplace, especially when operating in profit-driven environments. He shares how cultivating “confident vulnerability” and regular check-ins has allowed him to create more connected teams, dismantling judgment and blame by fostering deeper understanding among team members.

This episode is full of actionable insights, as Rick offers strategies for leaders at all levels to incorporate love into their practices. From individual contributors to senior leaders, Rick encourages listeners to model introspection, cultivate inclusive spaces, and embrace systems that prioritize human connection and growth.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Rick Gage and His Journey

02:26 Defining Love in the Workplace

04:51 The Shift in Workplace Dynamics

08:10 Experiences Shaping Leadership Philosophy

11:57 The Importance of Employee-Centered Conversations

15:20 Impact of Leadership on Organizational Culture

17:15 Challenges in Implementing Loving Leadership

20:01 Creating Human Connection in Teams

21:57 Leadership at Different Levels

24:43 Reflections on a Meaningful Career

26:11 Looking Ahead: Unleashing Human Potential

If you'd like a copy of the Guide we have created to implement Check-Ins in your workplace, just click this link - https://a-human-workplace.myflodesk.com/check-in-guide-podcast

Connect with the Guest and the Hosts:

Rick Gage - LinkedIn Profile

Renée Smith - LinkedIn Profile

Simon Phillips - LinkedIn Profile

All Music composed by Adam Phillips

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Simon Phillips and Renée Smith discuss their new podcast, Love Lead Change. What's it all about? Why they think it is needed now and what they hope to achieve through their conversations, with each other, and with their Guests. Simon and Renée are experienced practitioners of loving leadership and creating cultures within which Love can thrive and Fear is eliminated. They'll be bringing all this experience along with their research and consulting credentials to the fore to find out as much as possible from their Guests about what it takes to make change happen and for Love to become the way that things happen inside all different types of workplaces.

Join in the conversation and get in touch if you know someone who should feature on the show, especially if that person is you!

Connect with the Hosts:

Renée Smith - LinkedIn Profile

Simon Phillips - LinkedIn Profile

All Music composed by Adam Phillips

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.