C-Suite Intelligence
64 episodes - English - Latest episode: 6 months ago - ★★★★ - 24 ratingsCEOs running the world’s top companies don’t start out that way – they pull ahead of their peers with behaviors and practices that make them the “best of the best.” Stephen Miles and the team at TMG coach some of the world’s most successful executives, helping them continuously up their game even as business conditions grow more complex every day. Learn the secrets of the highest performers, and use this intelligence to power your career.
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Episodes
14. High-Performance Coaching – A Conversation with Harley Finkelstein of Shopify
December 19, 2023 11:00 - 29 minutes - 54.8 MBSpecial guest Harley Finkelstein, President of Shopify, joins TMG CEO Stephen Miles to discuss their successful coaching relationship and what an ideal high-performance coaching experience can achieve. For executives and founders who may have never considered executive coaching or are unsure of what a coaching relationship looks like day-to-day, Stephen and Harley illustrate what the very best executive coaching relationship can provide.
13. Re-Engaging Burned Out Employees
December 05, 2023 11:00 - 17 minutes - 31.9 MBEmployees and teams are experiencing burnout across all levels of the organization. Burnout challenges not only workforce engagement, but quality, productivity, and problem-solving abilities. Courtney Hamilton and Christina Woodard discuss the causes of burnout and the strategies to combat it in order to reconnect teams to their company, culture, and meaningful work.
12. Weak Signal Detection
November 21, 2023 11:00 - 22 minutes - 41.2 MBEvery time there’s a threat against a company, there is almost always a weak signal or a whiff of smoke that can serve as an early warning of the risk to the organization. If that threat is dismissed or ignored, the whiff of smoke can turn into a forest fire. Then the organization faces a much bigger problem, with fewer options to solve it. CEO Stephen Miles and Managing Director John Nasr discuss the importance of embedding weak signal detection in the company culture.
11. Building Trust on Your Team and Inside Your Company
November 07, 2023 10:00 - 21 minutes - 39.5 MBWithout trust, there is no shared or mutual accountability, and teams do not have strong enough foundations to accomplish their goals. Yet, many people cannot articulate what they and their teams actually need to do in order to form that trust. Stephen Miles and Maizie Nelson share the 8 ways to build trust on your team and inside your company.
10. Onboarding Into a Senior Role
October 24, 2023 16:00 - 17 minutes - 40.1 MBDerailment rates for executives in transition, particularly in senior level roles, tend to be higher because they don’t always have the proper understanding of the degree of difficulty related to a given transition. Courtney Hamilton and Christina Woodard discuss how to develop an effective onboarding plan for the first year, allowing proper time to connect with stakeholders, build alignment on the mandate, and prioritize your time effectively, among other strategies.
09. Coachability: Getting Serious About Your Own Development
September 26, 2023 10:00 - 19 minutes - 43.7 MBRegardless of raw potential and natural talent, every person who is serious about their leadership development and growth demonstrates coachability. Taylor Griffin and Samantha Smith explore the concept of coachability – openness to feedback and new ways of doing things, and following through with those changes as part of an iterative, ongoing process.
08. The Dark Side of Company Culture: Stasis and Conformity
September 12, 2023 10:00 - 27 minutes - 62.8 MBCulture is most often shaped and fortified on the margin, when leaders must make hard choices. Depending on what they can tolerate, their decisions will either result in a high-performing company culture or one that leads to high levels of conformity and stasis. TMG CEO Stephen Miles and Managing Director John Nasr discuss the criticality of a company’s culture to its longevity and long-term success; and explore the dark side of corporate culture – stagnation that can lead to an organization’...
07. Every Job is a People Leader Job
August 29, 2023 10:00 - 22 minutes - 41.2 MBHR has changed dramatically over the last few years, growing well beyond recruiting and development. Jeff Vijungco – the former Chief People Officer at Rubrik and VP of Global Talent at Adobe, and now Partner at One North Talent – joins The Miles Group COO Taylor Griffin and Managing Director Samantha Smith to discuss the changing landscape of the industry and the needs of today’s Chief People Officers, senior talent executives, and CEOs.
06. High-Performing Leadership Teams: Raising the Bar and Lowering the Cost of Coordination
August 15, 2023 10:00 - 24 minutes - 44.2 MBFrustration among leaders is mounting when it comes to the overall effectiveness and collective performance of their leadership teams. Amplified by the shift to the virtual world, the transition has lowered shared context while increasing the default to individual executives executing in their own lanes. As a result, companies and leadership teams became more vertical and less horizontal, decreasing the sense of team, and increasing the cost of coordination. CEO Stephen Miles and COO Taylor G...
05. Performance and Purpose – An Interview with Tom Williams of Parker Hannifin
August 01, 2023 10:00 - 24 minutes - 44.7 MBSpecial guest Tom Williams discusses key issues CEOs are facing today – and will face tomorrow. Executive chairman and former CEO of Parker Hannifin, the multi-billion-dollar, Fortune 250 global leader in motion and control technologies, Tom joins TMG CEO Stephen Miles to discuss leadership challenges such as driving productivity during high inflation, performance optimization, and utilizing AI.
04. Ask for Advice, Not Feedback
July 18, 2023 10:00 - 14 minutes - 26.2 MBEmployees crave feedback on how to improve their performance, but according to workplace surveys, most say they don’t get it. Taylor Griffin and Samantha Smith suggest asking for advice, not feedback. Advice changes the content from backward-looking and often negative to something that is forward-looking and framed in a more constructive, developmental manner.
03. The Preparedness Playbook for Leadership in Difficult Times – Part 2
July 05, 2023 10:00 - 19 minutes - 35.5 MBThe world is less predictable – for many leaders and people inside companies, it’s hard and stressful. TMG CEO Stephen Miles and featured guest, Oracle EVP Rob Tarkoff, continue their discussion about how best to lead in stress events; the importance of “high context” leaders; building organizational capacity; and using resilience as a learning opportunity.
02. The Preparedness Playbook for Leadership in Difficult Times – Part 1
June 20, 2023 10:00 - 22 minutes - 41 MBTMG CEO Stephen Miles invites a special guest, Oracle EVP Rob Tarkoff, to explore the preparedness playbook for leaders in difficult times. In this first of a 2-part series, they share their thoughts on performance leadership, rethinking basic assumptions, the necessity of triangulation, the importance of high content friction and low behavioral friction, and more.
01. The Case for Change: Building Operating Models and Cultures That Are Flexible and Adaptable
June 06, 2023 10:00 - 22 minutes - 40.5 MBCEOs and executives are facing a tsunami of real-time change – at a pace and velocity never seen before. Stephen Miles and Taylor Griffin discuss the leadership tools needed in today’s environment to create flexible and adaptable companies and cultures, so that change is something leaders can take on successfully and with confidence.
C-Suite Intelligence Returns for Season 3
May 31, 2023 11:00 - 1 minute - 2.57 MBThe go-to podcast for high performers and aspiring leaders is back for a third season. Hear CEO Stephen Miles, COO Taylor Griffin, and top executive coaches at The Miles Group and their special guests discuss how to thrive through impending recession and systemic inflation, how to build operating models that are flexible and adaptable, why ultimate high-performing leadership teams reduce friction, and more.
19. Low Friction Leadership
February 14, 2023 12:00 - 22 minutes - 41.2 MBOne of the most important elements of being a high performance, high growth executive is identifying ways to reduce behavioral friction. These “low friction” leaders line up to stakeholders’ preferences and styles. Stephen Miles and Taylor Griffin discuss common examples of behaviorial friction, and explain how low friction leadership can lead to exponential growth and create leadership opportunities for executives.
18. It’s What You Learn After You Know It All: How Founders and High-Growth Executives Can Scale Their Own Leadership and Stay Ahead of Thei
January 31, 2023 12:00 - 16 minutes - 30 MBMost founders and executives are so deeply immersed in their business model and products that they forget about themselves – their own personal growth as a leader. Everybody talks about business growth or the exponential growth of an organization, but personal growth is just as important, say Stephen Miles and Taylor Griffin. The research is clear that when a founder can effectively scale with the company, shareholder returns tend to be high. There must be commitment to personal growth. It’s ...
17. The New Leadership Toolkit: From Potential to Performance
January 17, 2023 12:00 - 31 minutes - 57 MBEven though they can be inspirational, motivational, and passionate, many Silicon Valley leaders lack the right performance-driven toolkit to achieve success in every economic environment. Rob Tarkoff, EVP of Oracle, joins Stephen Miles and Taylor Griffin to describe the kind of “ambidextrous” nature VCs look for in executives – the combination of a potential-driven mindset with the performance-driven aspects of bootstrapping and doing more with less.
16. Executing for Outcomes: What It Takes To Win
January 03, 2023 12:00 - 15 minutes - 27.8 MBOperating in highly complex and dynamic environments, the best CEOs maintain alignment with their teams by communicating frequently, collaborating effectively, and prioritizing routinely. Good process delivers good outcomes, say Stephen Miles and Taylor Griffin, and if you take the time to thoughtfully recalibrate and refocus teams with constant context, you can create a culture and environment where everyone can win together.
15. Executing for Outcomes: Pivoting from Potential to Performance
December 06, 2022 12:00 - 20 minutes - 18.8 MBAs layoffs hit the tech sector, Stephen Miles and Taylor Griffin discuss how companies need to pivot from potential to performance. We’ve seen valuations come down at a catastrophic level that nobody could have ever imagined, say Miles and Griffin. They explain how the sudden change redefines expectations for leaders, who may need to refocus their teams on their core business – that “original wicked idea” that got them there.
14. Executing for Outcomes: A New Operating Environment
November 22, 2022 12:00 - 19 minutes - 35.1 MBUnlocking performance inside an organization requires delivering real outcomes, not just a proliferation of activities, say Stephen Miles and Taylor Griffin. This can prove difficult in our new multivariate and asynchronous operating environment. Miles and Griffin discuss how “executing for outcomes” can help refocus and reorient teams in turbulent, highly complex times.
13. Critical Measures of Leadership Awareness: MeQ, EmQ, and SocQ
November 08, 2022 12:00 - 20 minutes - 38.1 MBThere are three levels of leadership awareness that are critical for any leader, or aspiring leader: self-awareness (MeQ), one-to-one leadership (EmQ), and one-to-many leadership (SocQ), which includes the broader social context and environment. Taylor Griffin and Courtney Hamilton discuss why today’s “social economy” compels leaders to develop a more nuanced awareness toward various stakeholders and audiences, both within the company and without.
12. The Paradox of High-Potential Employees
October 25, 2022 11:00 - 15 minutes - 28.8 MBHigh-potential employees are easy to spot – they’re usually quick on the uptake, light on their feet, and have a high capacity for growth. Leaders are attracted to hiring people who they believe will grow into roles, however, they don’t always invest the proper training to get them there. Taylor Griffin and Courtney Hamilton discuss how leaders can ultimately build out a mosaic of talent across their team that’s going to meet the needs of the business today and the business of tomorrow.
11. The Real Meaning of Executive Presence: Followership
October 11, 2022 11:00 - 9 minutes - 16.8 MBConversations around developing an effective executive presence tend to focus heavily on “leadership” but not enough on “followership.” Most executives are followers long before they are leaders. For Stephen Miles and Taylor Griffin, good followership requires understanding your own style and making sure it complements both your boss's and your teammates' styles. And that is critical to becoming a good leader.
10. The Real Meaning of Executive Presence: Introverts and Extroverts; Thinkers and Blinkers
September 27, 2022 11:00 - 18 minutes - 33.2 MBIntrovert or Extrovert; Thinker or Blinker – one is not better than the other when it comes to elevating your executive presence. Rather, it’s about mastering your personal leadership style to show up as the best version of yourself. Stephen Miles and Taylor Griffin explore the differences between these various styles and discuss how high-performing executives can add range to their style so they can better know themselves and show up appropriately and with confidence.
09. The Real Meaning of Executive Presence: Beyond the Sartorial
September 13, 2022 10:30 - 15 minutes - 29 MBMany executives who have been working from home during Covid may need a wardrobe and executive appearance refresh. Yet the challenge for most leaders who receive feedback around their executive presence is that their sartorial style is fine. Stephen Miles and Taylor Griffin discuss how real executive presence extends far beyond dress, to the substance of executives’ contributions and their ability to both elevate and adapt their styles to new challenges, reporting relationships, and colleagues.
Being Best at the People Business
August 09, 2022 11:00 - 21 minutes - 39.3 MBNo matter where you work or whatever industry you are in, being best at the “people business” can help you succeed. When talent management is as critical to your company’s long-term goals as it is to your short-term bottom line, you need a team you can rely on, and one that can rely on you, too. Stephen Miles and Taylor Griffin explain steps leaders can take to set their people up for success.
08. Being Best at the People Business
August 09, 2022 11:00 - 21 minutes - 39.3 MBNo matter where you work or whatever industry you are in, being best at the “people business” can help you succeed. When talent management is as critical to your company’s long-term goals as it is to your short-term bottom line, you need a team you can rely on, and one that can rely on you, too. Stephen Miles and Taylor Griffin explain steps leaders can take to set their people up for success.
07. The Leader of the Future – And You Thought Covid-19 Was Hard
July 26, 2022 10:45 - 22 minutes - 41.6 MBThe job of high-performing leaders isn’t what it used to be. On top of running the company amidst a complex business environment of overlapping crises, CEOs and other C-Suite leaders bear the weight of increasing responsibility, at times defending their companies’ very license to operate. Stephen Miles and Taylor Griffin explain how a new kind of ‘Leader of the Future’ is emerging as we begin to recover from the pandemic despite setback after setback.
The Leader of the Future – And You Thought Covid-19 Was Hard
July 26, 2022 10:45 - 22 minutes - 41.6 MBThe job of high-performing leaders isn’t what it used to be. On top of running the company amidst a complex business environment of overlapping crises, CEOs and other C-Suite leaders bear the weight of increasing responsibility, at times defending their companies’ very license to operate. Stephen Miles and Taylor Griffin explain how a new kind of ‘Leader of the Future’ is emerging as we begin to recover from the pandemic despite setback after setback.
06. The Great Transition
July 12, 2022 10:30 - 18 minutes - 34.6 MBWhat does it mean to successfully reframe “The Great Resignation” into “The Great Transition?" Top executive coaches Stephen Miles and Courtney Hamilton discuss how companies are successfully onboarding new employees; what it's like to welcome someone remotely; and, what the best and worst practices are in this environment for leaders, employees, and those taking on senior roles in new companies. In this important new podcast, Miles and Hamilton share strategic and practical tips for success ...
The Great Transition
July 12, 2022 10:30 - 18 minutes - 34.6 MBWhat does it mean to successfully reframe “The Great Resignation” into “The Great Transition?" Top executive coaches Stephen Miles and Courtney Hamilton discuss how companies are successfully onboarding new employees; what it's like to welcome someone remotely; and, what the best and worst practices are in this environment for leaders, employees, and those taking on senior roles in new companies. In this important new podcast, Miles and Hamilton share strategic and practical tips for success...
The Office as a Private Club
June 28, 2022 11:00 - 19 minutes - 35 MBAs business leaders continue to reimagine the way we work, offices everywhere are getting revamped to support new organizational priorities. For Stephen Miles and Christina Woodard, office density and intentionality top the list. We need to be purposeful about what we’re doing, says Miles, and why we’re asking teams to convene. Working together, colleagues can peel away from virtual meeting rooms to reforge strong connections and trust in person, and then tackle the hard issues with creativi...
05. The Office as a Private Club
June 28, 2022 11:00 - 19 minutes - 35 MBAs business leaders continue to reimagine the way we work, offices everywhere are getting revamped to support new organizational priorities. For Stephen Miles and Christina Woodard, office density and intentionality top the list. We need to be purposeful about what we’re doing, says Miles, and why we’re asking teams to convene. Working together, colleagues can peel away from virtual meeting rooms to reforge strong connections and trust in person, and then tackle the hard issues with creativit...
Getting Your Mojo Back
June 14, 2022 10:45 - 14 minutes - 27.5 MB“This is what happens when you put everybody in solitary confinement for an extended period of time,” says Stephen Miles, Founder and CEO of The Miles Group. “Covid quarantines have led to all kinds of strains on individuals’ energy,” adds Taylor Griffin, COO of The Miles Group. "We have a lot of senior executives coming to us and asking how they deal with this for themselves, as well as for their broader teams and employee base. Employees have high expectations of their leadership teams that...
04. Getting Your Mojo Back
June 14, 2022 10:45 - 14 minutes - 27.5 MB“This is what happens when you put everybody in solitary confinement for an extended period of time,” says Stephen Miles, Founder and CEO of The Miles Group. “Covid quarantines have led to all kinds of strains on individuals’ energy,” adds Taylor Griffin, COO of The Miles Group. "We have a lot of senior executives coming to us and asking how they deal with this for themselves, as well as for their broader teams and employee base. Employees have high expectations of their leadership teams that...
03. Office Next – How We Can Make Offices Work Better
May 31, 2022 11:15 - 14 minutes - 27.5 MBThe pandemic lockdown called for CEOs everywhere to transform their businesses to remote operation. Two years in, millions of white-collar workers are returning to the office – an exercise that is playing out in multiple phases and to varying degrees of success. As Stephen Miles and Taylor Griffin explain, since 2020, remote work has gotten very transactional and people are less engaged. With attrition rates at an all-time high, they discuss the importance of meaningful interactions among tea...
Office Next – How We Can Make Offices Work Better
May 31, 2022 11:15 - 14 minutes - 27.5 MBThe pandemic lockdown called for CEOs everywhere to transform their businesses to remote operation. Two years in, millions of white-collar workers are returning to the office – an exercise that is playing out in multiple phases and to varying degrees of success. As Stephen Miles and Taylor Griffin explain, since 2020, remote work has gotten very transactional and people are less engaged. With attrition rates at an all-time high, they discuss the importance of meaningful interactions among te...
02. Struggling to Lead in Hyperinflation
May 17, 2022 11:00 - 19 minutes - 36.2 MBInflation continues to climb at its fastest pace in decades, but most CEOs and board directors today have never dealt with hyperinflation – that’s when inflation “turns from transitory to intrinsic, affecting every facet of business in the world today.” Stephen Miles and Taylor Griffin discuss how executives can begin to lead – and win – in this new dynamic environment.
Struggling to Lead in Hyperinflation
May 17, 2022 11:00 - 19 minutes - 36.2 MBInflation continues to climb at its fastest pace in decades, but most CEOs and board directors today have never dealt with hyperinflation – that’s when inflation “turns from transitory to intrinsic, affecting every facet of business in the world today.” Stephen Miles and Taylor Griffin discuss how executives can begin to lead – and win – in this new dynamic environment.
Resilience Redefined
May 03, 2022 10:00 - 10 minutes - 19.5 MBFaced with new challenges every day, the world we live in is full of setbacks. Stephen Miles and Taylor Griffin discuss how unfamiliar setbacks can test even the strongest leaders, and why leaders should practice embracing these learning moments.
01. Resilience Redefined
May 03, 2022 10:00 - 10 minutes - 19.5 MBFaced with new challenges every day, the world we live in is full of setbacks. Stephen Miles and Taylor Griffin discuss how unfamiliar setbacks can test even the strongest leaders, and why leaders should practice embracing these learning moments.
C-Suite Intelligence returns for season 2
April 26, 2022 11:00 - 58 seconds - 1.77 MBThe go-to podcast for high performers and aspiring leaders is back for a second season. Hear top executive coaches at The Miles Group discuss how successful leaders amp up their game, even as business conditions grow more complex every day.
18. Leading During the Coronavirus Crisis
March 26, 2020 09:00 - 19 minutes - 43.7 MBThe coronavirus pandemic is challenging leaders at unprecedented levels. Executives are facing the complexity of severe business impact and employee health concerns while they and many employees work from home. But many leaders haven’t led during a crisis, says Stephen Miles; they react poorly, amplify stress, and ignore critical information and advice. Miles provides tools for leading powerfully during this crisis, including how to make decisions, communicate, and engage employees with empathy.
17. 10 Critical Keys to Business Survival
March 10, 2020 09:00 - 20 minutes - 46.1 MBThe incredible challenges companies are facing today are creating shocks to the system that every CEO needs to prepare for, says Stephen Miles. From the stunning impact of the coronavirus to the increasingly rigorous ESG expectations placed on every company to the exceptional level of performance demanded of leaders 24/7/365, the best CEOs are shifting the way they and their teams approach these daunting problems. Miles takes us through 10 keys that are critical for companies to survive today.
16. Dealing with Sudden Change
February 25, 2020 10:00 - 20 minutes - 12.1 MBDuring times of sudden change, how leaders respond is critical to driving the best outcome. Leaders who are less effective make decisions too quickly or not at all. The best leaders are like the best athletes: they slow the game down around them and make it easier for other people to participate. Stephen Miles and Taylor Griffin explain how great leaders communicate with and leverage their teams, absorb rather than amplify stress, and create the context for people to be successful.
15. Managing Underperformance
February 11, 2020 09:00 - 17 minutes - 10.3 MBNearly all leaders wait far too long to deal with underperformers. “I wish I had handled the problem sooner” is what Taylor Griffin says she hears from every person she coaches. Leaders are evaluated on how well they select and develop talent by whoever is the lowest performer on their team, so managing underperformance is critical. Griffin explains how to recognize signs of habitual low performers, how to give meaningful feedback and how to address issues swiftly to minimize damage to the team.
14. What Does a General Counsel Do?
January 28, 2020 11:00 - 17 minutes - 40.8 MBThe General Counsel acts as air traffic control for all legal issues across a company, says Billy Stern – from HR, compliance, and IP to a host of business risks. But while a lawyer is typically a “no” person, the best GCs have a “yes” mentality, working with the CEO to think expansively as a true business partner. Stern explains the complex job of GCs as they serve this and other roles including succession advisor, company “heavy,” contract enforcer, and fierce legal and regulatory advocate.
13. The Agent Problem: Becoming a Better Advocate for Your Best People
January 14, 2020 11:00 - 16 minutes - 37.1 MBThe most critical decisions around an employee’s future at a company usually happen when they aren’t in the room. But most organizations have an “agent problem,” says Stephen Miles: its leaders aren’t effective agents or advocates for valuable employees, and talent discussions can get dominated by fast talkers or bullies who push forward “their” people who are less qualified. Miles explains steps you can take to represent your best people most effectively and create a stronger team overall.
12. Dealing with Difference: Adapting to a Diverse Global Workforce
December 10, 2019 11:00 - 16 minutes - 38.8 MBWorking with colleagues and clients who come from many cultures, countries, and backgrounds is a hallmark of global business today. But how effective are you when working with people who are not like you? To succeed in an economy that is increasingly diverse, says Taylor Griffin, individuals must adapt to culture and gender differences as well as to a broad range of personality and communication styles. Griffin walks us through some of the challenges and opportunities in dealing with difference.