Leading Up: The Work Shift

Join Alan Todd as he sits down with Cynthia Pong, founder and CEO of Embrace Change, a firm dedicated to helping women of color achieve their career goals. Cynthia shares her innovative concept of "career insurance" — steps to ensure long-term career success. They discuss her transition from law to career coaching, strategies for career advancement for women of color, and overcoming systemic marginalization.  Learn more about Udemy Business at https://bit.ly/udemy-podcast.

Alan Todd sits down with David Yeager, Associate Professor of Developmental Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, and Stefani Okamoto, Director of Manager Excellence at ServiceNow. They discuss debunking negative stereotypes about Gen Z, introducing the mentor mindset in leadership, and exploring practical insights from David's book, 10 to 25. Learn how to foster growth, support potential, and apply cutting-edge developmental psychology to inspire emerging leaders. Learn more about Udemy Business at https://bit.ly/udemy-podcast.

Alan Todd as he sits down with Sophie Riegel, a best-selling author, speaker, coach, and mental health advocate. Sophie shares her journey as a young mental health advocate, strategies for optimizing intergenerational relationships, tips for talking about mental health with young people, and how to offer, ask for, and accept help. They also discuss the impact of generational dynamics in the workplace and at home. Learn more about Udemy Business at https://bit.ly/udemy-podcast.

Join Alan Todd as he sits down with Sunny Bonnell, co-founder of the renowned branding agency Motto and co-author of "Rare Breed: A Guide to Success for the Defiant, Dangerous, and Different." In this episode, Sunny shares key lessons from her book, strategies for balancing creativity and business, and the importance of visionary leadership. Learn more about Udemy Business at https://bit.ly/udemy-podcast.

Alan Todd sits down with Dr. Ann Schulte, a versatile executive with a career spanning communications, consulting, higher education, and work-based learning leadership. Dr. Schulte, former Chief Learning Officer at MasterCard and Procter & Gamble, now serves as an academic director at the University of Pennsylvania. They discuss leadership and development, strategic self-awareness, feedback receptiveness, and media literacy in the age of AI.  Learn more about Udemy Business at https://bit.ly/udemy-podcast.

In the premiere episode of Leading Up’s seventh season, Alan Todd sits down with Charles Duhigg, the renowned journalist and author of Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection. Charles shares insights on how mastering the art of super communication can significantly enhance your life in numerous ways — whether at work, with friends, or with family. Learn more about Udemy Business at https://bit.ly/udemy-podcast.

In our final episode of Leading Up’s sixth season, host Alan Todd passes the mic to Udemy CMO Genefa Murphy. Genefa’s conversation with Ian James, Managing Director of McLaren Electric Racing & Team Principal of NEOM McLaren Formula E & Extreme E Teams, centers around how leaders on and off the racetrack can use ideas from McLaren’s culture of excellence to improve their teams’ performance. Listeners will take away lessons from how a team can operate in a no-blame culture even while under pressure, empower every member of the team to share their knowledge, make incremental gains, and put sustainability front and center. Learn more about Udemy Business at https://bit.ly/udemy-podcast.

Stanley McChrystal, General (Ret), Chairman, and CEO of McChrystal Group, knows a lot about what it means to transform a group of ordinary people into a highly calibrated, responsive, and skilled team. The former commander of the US Joint Special Operations Command joins host Alan Todd to discuss the importance of skills training and how the principles of military leadership translate to the private sector.  Learn more about Udemy Business at https://bit.ly/udemy-podcast.

Mark Edwards spent over 25 years as the chief music critic for London’s Sunday Times, so he knows how to capture an audience’s attention. And his new book, “Best Story Wins,” is all about using the ideas of storytelling to communicate better in business. He joins host Alan Todd to dig into what makes a good story, and what your favorite movie might have to teach you about getting ahead at work. Learn more about Udemy Business at https://bit.ly/udemy-podcast.

Starbucks VP of Learning, Leadership, and Cultural Experiences Brandon Carson has witnessed first-hand how different company cultures impact the way teams work together. From his work at major companies like Walmart, Delta, Home Depot, and now the Seattle-based coffee giant, Carson illustrates his own leadership philosophies of unlocking his team’s potential and coaching them to be their best selves. In the second half of the interview with Alan Todd, Carson shares his thoughts on how the GenAI revolution should be managed by Learning & Development leaders, and why a human-first approach is key. Learn more about Udemy Business at https://bit.ly/udemy-podcast.

Deb Tees, Director of Talent & Organizational Capability for Rotary and Mission Systems at Lockheed Martin, has taken a circuitous route to her current position: she has prioritized lateral moves and learning about the breadth of her organization and industry over simply climbing a corporate ladder. She joins Alan Todd to talk about what she’s learned, and how she’s handled culture and adapting to a hybrid workforce at Lockheed Martin. Learn more about Udemy Business at https://bit.ly/udemy-podcast.

Dr. Genefa Murphy, Chief Marketing Officer at Udemy, hasn’t always been a marketer: she spent time in academia and also worked in product. Her path has taken her through a variety of leadership and individual contributor roles, and she credits this varied experience as being crucial to her success.  In this conversation with Alan Todd, Genefa digs into her leadership principles and shares advice with her signature humor and authenticity. Learn more about Udemy Business at https://bit.ly/udemy-podcast.

Dr. Roger L. Martin, named the world’s foremost management thinker by Thinkers50 in 2017, is one of the few leadership thinkers to successfully marry theory and practice in the field. He joined host Alan Todd to dig into the difference between having a plan and an integrated strategy, and how listeners can adopt the Playing to Win framework to make strategic decisions about their own careers. Learn more about Udemy Business at https://bit.ly/udemy-podcast.

Alan Todd sits down with Dr. Jeffrey Pfeffer of the Stanford Graduate School of Business to talk about one of the last remaining “dirty words” of business: power. From this rousing discussion of Pfeffer’s research and his latest book, 7 Rules of Power, listeners will learn the steps they can take immediately to develop their own ability to influence others at work and advance in their careers. Learn more about Udemy Business at https://bit.ly/udemy-podcast.

Dr. Barbara Kellerman is a Fellow and Founding Executive Director at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership, and she’s dedicated to the study of leadership — focusing on the good and the bad. Through her study of leadership on the world stage, Barbara has gleaned insights that can be used by leaders — and, crucially, followers — in the corporate sphere.  Through this interview, listeners will learn about the key tenets of good leadership, and why being a “follower” doesn’t mean you lack power or influence.  Learn more about Udemy Business at https://bit.ly/udemy-podcast.