The Sync Leadership Lab

Great leadership isn’t about having all the answers or fixing every problem yourself. Great leadership is about building trust, creating a safe place for openness and critique, and helping others grow into their potential. Dr. Elizabeth Carr joins today to share lessons from her 22-year career in dental hygiene education and leadership, including why listening before acting, recognizing your own triggers, and repairing relationships after difficult conversations can transform how you lead. She shares why just because you can do something better or faster yourself doesn’t mean you always should.Elizabeth reflects on the leadership mistakes that shaped her, from moving too quickly to stepping in to fix work delivered by her team rather than allowing others to learn and grow. She calls this the “tyranny of I can do better” and explains how coaching, delegation, and a growth mindset has helped her become a more effective leader. It is also explored how leaders can balance accountability with psychological safety and why trust gives people the confidence to take risks. Elizabeth is bringing these lessons into her next chapter of her career through leadership development, coaching, and education.For leaders looking to put these ideas into practice, Elizabeth offers a simple framework: lead with your whole body; your feet, ears, heart, and hands. Be present with your team, listen to understand rather than respond, show genuine appreciation, and model the behaviors you expect from others. Leadership means resisting the urge to rescue every situation and instead creating an environment where people feel safe enough to learn, take ownership, and grow.Follow Elizabeth Carr on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-carr-dha/Follow Suken on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sukenjain/Email Suken at: [email protected] Sync Solutions Website: https://www.synergysyncsolutions.com/This episode was brought to you by Pivot Ball Change.

To celebrate the 50th episode of The Sync Leadership Lab, host Suken switches into the guest seat as his wife, Hetal Jain, turns the tables and asks the questions. Suken reflects on what he has learned through 50 conversations with his guests, why he took a chance on creating the podcast, and what he is most proud of along the way. At the heart of the conversation is a lesson that has continued to shape his own leadership journey: getting comfortable doing the uncomfortable.This special episode pulls back the curtain on the person behind the podcast, including Suken’s winding professional journey and the transitions that ultimately led him from corporate life to entrepreneurship. He shares how a layoff became a catalyst for creating the Sync Leadership Lab, what he has learned from building a business, and how adaptability has been a constant throughout his career. Suken also talks about his lifelong passion for sports and the athletes who have influenced his leadership perspective, including Kobe Bryant and his “Mamba Mentality” and Muhammad Ali’s ability to pair confidence with kindness. Hetal asks Suken some hard-hitting questions submitted by listeners before ending the episode with a special twist on the Leadership Corner.Today’s celebratory 50th episode offers a reminder that growth often happens when you are willing to step outside your comfort zone. Suken’s journey highlights the value of embracing change and staying adaptable, being willing to take a chance before you have everything figured out, and how with a wonderful support system like his wife, Hetal, and their children, dreams can become reality. And perhaps the biggest lesson from 50 episodes is that leadership is not about having all the answers…it’s about staying true to who you are, opening your mind to possibilities and growth, and being willing to learn alongside the people you lead.Follow Suken on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sukenjain/Email Suken at: [email protected] Sync Solutions Website: https://www.synergysyncsolutions.com/This episode was brought to you by Pivot Ball Change.

Leadership growth rarely happens when everything is comfortable. Sometimes it comes from saying “yes” before you feel completely ready. By putting in the extra effort, or believing strongly enough in your path to keep going when things get difficult, anything is possible. Dave Fechtman, CEO of Velocity Advisory Group, today’s guest, talks about resilience, perseverance, leadership, and what it takes to build something that lasts. One of the biggest takeaways is Dave’s advice to have a point of view and become an expert on something. Especially essential for emerging leaders, developing expertise, volunteering for opportunities, and intentionally building relationships can create opportunities that might not otherwise come your way.Dave shares the very real story behind building Velocity Advisory Group, including the moment when his company was down to just $17, credit cards were maxed out, and he had to choose between gas and groceries. That moment became a catalyst, but perseverance alone wasn't enough. Dave had to change his pricing, expand beyond his local market, stay flexible and creative, and continue adapting until he found a formula that worked. Dave also elaborates on belief, putting yourself in situations where you can get “lucky,” staying uncomfortable, and adapting to rapid changes like COVID and AI. Dave explains why empathy can be both a leadership superpower and a challenge, and gives us a first look at his upcoming book on executive team alignment.If you're an emerging leader, find something you can become an expert in and develop a clear point of view. Don't just attend - volunteer, serve on a committee, or pursue a board role and become part of making things happen. When opportunities stretch you, don't let imposter syndrome convince you that you're not ready; trust that you can and will figure things out. And remember, working harder doesn't mean working endlessly. Dave's challenge is to lean in when the moment calls for it, stay curious, and remain uncomfortable enough to keep learning and adapting.Follow Dave Fechtman on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davefechtman/Velocity Advisory Group Website: https://www.velocityadvisorygroup.com/Follow Suken on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sukenjain/Email Suken at: [email protected] Sync Solutions Website: https://www.synergysyncsolutions.com/This episode was brought to you by Pivot Ball Change.

Intentional leadership requires us to slow down enough to reflect, understand ourselves and the people around us, and make decisions with purpose. Matthew Adam and Andrew Davies, two experienced leadership and organizational development professionals from the UK, join host Suken to explore what it really means to lead with intention and how to develop that skill. Throughout the conversation, the importance of creating alignment around a shared vision and understanding how our actions impact the people and organizations we lead is stressed. Andy shares his perspective on intentional leadership and why building reflection into decision-making can help leaders move beyond the pressure-driven, reactive patterns that often dominate the workplace. Matthew also introduces his 5x5 Model® of Relational Leadership that can help organizations create the conditions for high performance.That insight of intentional leadership only creates value when we do something with it. Matthew and Andy have both seen how easily leadership training, retreats, and great ideas can become a memorable experience that never actually changes what happens back at work. They discuss the importance of creating a clear next step, following up on commitments, and building systems that turn learning into action. That philosophy is at the heart of Zen•ith Intentional Executive Leadership Retreats, a research-informed experience designed to give leaders the space to disconnect from the noise, reflect on how they lead, develop new perspectives, and return to their organizations with a plan. Rather than simply adding more information, the retreat sojourns intentionally balance learning with reflection, mindfulness, and time to allow new ideas and connections to take hold. Whether you are leading a team, an organization at high level, or navigating your own leadership development, sustainable results come from being intentional about how you learn, reflect, and put that material into action. Matthew and Andy’s work with Zen•ith is a great reminder that leadership development is not simply about gaining more knowledge, but is about creating meaningful change that carries forward into the way we lead every day.Links & Resources:Zen•ith Intentional Executive Leadership Retreat Website: https://www.zenithexecutiveretreats.co.uk/Follow Matthew Adam on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-adam1/Follow Andrew Davies on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-davies-consulting/Follow Suken on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sukenjain/Email Suken at: [email protected] Sync Solutions Website: https://www.synergysyncsolutions.com/This episode was brought to you by Pivot Ball Change.

In this episode, Suken provides a comprehensive mid-year check-in, exploring current trends in AI, change management, psychological safety, and leadership burnout. He shares personal updates, insights on leadership development, and practical advice for achieving goals in the second half of the year.keywords: Leadership, AI, Change Management, Psychological Safety, Burnout, Mid-Year Review, Leadership Development, Personal Growthkey topics:AI as change managementBalancing automation and human elementsPsychological safety as a performance leverBurnout among middle managersMid-career reinvention and personal growthLeadership development programsRetreats and transformational experiencesSetting and adjusting goals mid-year