Leadership expert Dov Baron reveals the secrets to retaining top talent and fostering a deeply committed workforce. Discover why traditional leadership approaches fail with millennials and Gen Z, and learn actionable strategies to build a culture that values autonomy, mastery, and purpose. With compelling anecdotes and practical advice, Baron chall…

In this episode we take a deep dive with Aoife O'Brien, host of Happier at Work podcast, into Brendon Burchard's "High Performance Habits." Uncover the secrets behind all six habits that pave the way for personal and professional excellence. Seek Clarity: High performers have a clear vision for their future and a strong understanding of their value…

In this episode we talk to Graham Owens about the book "Tuesdays with Morrie". A memoir by Mitch Albom that tells the story of the author's former college professor, Morrie Schwartz, who is dying from ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig's disease). The book is divided into fourteen chapters, each covering a different topic of discussion between Mitch and…

Shane O'Mara on Substack: Brain Pizza Get the book: here We are social animals and talking is part of what makes us human. But what purpose does conversation serve? In this revelatory tour of talking, neuroscientist Shane O'Mara explores why we communicate, what happens in our brains when we do it, and what it means for us as individuals, groups an…

Every now and again you record an episode and completely forget that you are doing doing a podcast. You are so absorbed in what the guest is saying that it becomes a free lesson in life. This is one such episode. A lot of people talk about how to be successful in your chosen arena. The sad truth is that sometimes these people are good at talking an…

The world of business is in constant change and the world of sales is evolving to keep up. From the days of the power close through to solution and insight selling serious sales professionals constantly seek ways to improve. The modern sales person has a host of sales models to help them which this book sorts into Classic, Consultative, Value-Based…

We are talking to Professor Ian Robertson author of several books; 'The Stress Test', 'The Winner effect', 'The Mind's Eye' and 'Mind Sculpture'. In this episode we discuss his newest book 'How Confidence Works'. Steven Pinker called this book 'Interesting and Important'. Former Irish President Mary Robinson said it is 'A revelatory and practical n…

In this episode we talk with Ben Belazi about the book "Talk Like TED". This book analyses some of the most successful TED talks to provide insights into the art of public speaking. The author, communication coach Carmine Gallo, emphasizes the importance of storytelling, authenticity, and passion in delivering a memorable presentation. He also high…

The Art of the Impossible is a book by Steven Kotler, a writer and researcher specializing in neuroscience and peak performance. The book provides practical guidance on achieving "impossible" goals, drawing on insights from elite performers, neuroscientists, and psychologists. Kotler argues that by applying the principles of "flow" - a state of opt…

On this episode of the podcast we speak to Henry Stewart founder of Happy.co.uk. Their mission is straightforward. They want to create happy workplaces. Henry has written a book called 'Creating Joy at Work' with 501 tips for doing just that. A great episode with some really useful takeaways. Hosted by Kevin Redmond (linkedin.com/KevinRedmondTraini…

Former CEO of Siemens, and current regional director of SWARCO, Gary O'Callaghan joins us in this episode to discuss how the book Good to Great influenced his leadership style. This is a book we have covered previously but to get a different perspective on how someone else has used its lessons is invaluable.…

In this episode, Donald H Taylor, chair of the Learning Technologies conference talks about a cluster of books by Nigel Harrison, which includes "How to be a True Business Partner by Performance Consulting," "Improving Employee Performance," and "How to Deal with Power and Manipulation by Performance Consultant." These books are important for Learn…

Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss is a best-selling book that compiles the advice and insights from highly successful people to help readers improve their lives. Ferriss intended to write this book as a personal journal for himself. He wanted to collate all of the learnings from the people he had interviewed on his podcast. Instead as he began the pro…

Winning is a book written by Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric, which provides insights and advice on how to succeed in business and in life. The book is divided into four sections: Underneath It All, Your Company, Your Competition, and Tying Up Loose Ends. Underneath It All: In this section, Welch emphasizes the importance of building a s…

One this episode we discuss the book 'The Psychology of Money' with the host of The Entrepreneur Experiment podcast Gary Fox. This book, written by Morgan Housel that explores the behavioral and psychological factors that influence our relationship with money. The book emphasizes that making good financial decisions is not just about understanding …

In this episode we talk to Mark Skinner, Head of Learning and Development, Food Drink Ireland, Ibec about the book 'Essentialism' a self-help book by Greg McKeown that offers a framework for achieving greater success and fulfilment by simplifying and prioritizing one's life. The book argues that in a world where we are constantly bombarded by deman…

Author and executive coach Orlaith Carmody came on the podcast to discuss her new book Speak Now. Speak Now: Communicate Well in the Workplace is a brand new, fully-revised and updated edition of my earlier title, Perform As A Leader. Following the success of the original book, this second edition focuses on our need for strong communication skills…

What kind of leader are you? According to the author there are 3 types of leader (or SuperBoss) - Iconoclast, Glorious Bastard, Nurturer. A SuperBoss is not going to necessarily going to care about your personal welfare and you might in fact hate your SuperBoss. However, the chances are you will look back on your time with them misty eyed and talki…

Do you know what we haven't done in a while?!....changed the name of our company. There is a good reason though. Have a listen.

We are currently living through motivation 3.0 according to author Daniel Pink. 1.0 was all about survival getting enough food, water and shelter. 2.0 happened in the industrial age. A factory worker was willing to do X to get paid Y. The modern era has changed how we are motivated which leads to Motivation 3.0. This type of motivation is intrinsic…

Everything that you have in your life right now is the result of a previous decision you made. Your decisions shape your life and your destiny both personally and professionally. The question then is - how do we and how should we make our decisions? There is a great quote mentioned in this book right at the beginning...'You'll never have all the in…

What this episode is about: 1. Personality and behaviour aren't different online vs. offline. The internet and social media is an extension of our lives and communication and so not completely separate. It has very real impacts on us, and how we interact with the world so it's important to understand that and manage your time and behaviour accordin…

Stories are one of the most persuasive ways to convince someone of your argument, position yourself as an expert and to move someone along in a sales process. Some people are natural storytellers but the rest of us can learn the rules and structure to tell a compelling story. That is the essence of Building a Storybrand. Author Donald Miller sets f…

There is a lot to be said about when to have rules, when to trust the team and when to provide guidelines. In this episode we cover the 10 principles author Kevin Kruse thinks you should consider when it comes to your leadership style. Some make perfect sense and you will wonder why you didn't think of them. And some, might take a bit of convincing…

Peterson does not mince his words when it comes to delivering his rules for living a good life, a considered life. Considered by some to be a divisive figure, Jordan Peterson is unapologetic about what ills society in this book. If you or someone on your team is stuck in a rut, this episode could unlock some of the mystery about how it was arrived …

All any of us want is to do good work. We want to solve interesting problems with good people. This is easier said than done for some people. Kim Scott puts forth 6 issues that can cause untold damage for some people while others think everything is rosy in the garden. Just Work covers what issues need to be addressed and how to address them. Every…

According to Patrick Lencioni there are 5 dysfunctions in a team that left unaddressed will lead to disaster. In this episode Kevin speaks to executive coach and leadership expert Maggie Perotin, founder of StairwayToLeadership.com about how she has used the lessons in this book in her own teams.

We have all had the feeling in our lives that we are surrounded by idiots - “If everyone did what I told them to do when I told them to do it we wouldn’t be in this mess”….does that sound familiar? It is extremely frustrating when you recognise that your plea’s, plans and persuasion techniques are falling on deaf ears. According to the author of ‘S…

Going from pillar to post is a trap that a lot of us fall into. We are too busy working, looking after kids etc. to stop and think about the direction of your life. This episode addresses this 'busyness'. What is it all for? You need to find time to hit pause, take a breath, look around and decide if you are at least trending in the right direction…

Carnegie recognized that convincing people of your argument is an essential skill to have in business. He developed 12 hacks for winning an argument. Most of the time arguments only serve to make people even more sure that they are right and you are wrong. This is why Carnegie believes that it is better to prevent a disagreement from becoming an ar…

Most of us have had the pleasure of either owning or encountering a friendly dog. As soon as they see us, they become ecstatic, jumping up and down, their tail wagging, panting with excitement. Their full attention is on us and we are the most interesting thing in the world to them for that moment. Carnegie believes that dogs inadvertently teach us…

Dale Carnegie describes three techniques for building better relationships with your colleagues and customers. The first is to never criticise, complain or condemn. The second is to show honest and sincere appreciation. People perform better when they receive sincere praise. Thirdly, arouse an eager want. How will you see it from their point of vie…

Being a leader is about managing people without causing resentment. Carnegie recognized that this was a fine balancing act and came up with 9 tips for being an effective leader.

In an age where distraction lies around every corner being able to perform 'deep work' is more valuable than ever. In his bestselling book 'Deep Work' Cal Newport puts forward 4 reasons why we should strive to do deep work and then provides rules for how we can achieve it. Newport says that 'Deep Work' is valuable, rare and meaningful.…

How does Amazon decide on what to build or do next? How do they ensure that technical dependencies don't get in the way of continuous growth? In this episode we cover Working Backwards written by Colin Bryar and Bill Carr, 2 senior employees who worked closely with Jeff Bezos during some of the most explosive growth Amazon has experienced to date. …

Each and every one of us is wired to seek comfort and avoid discomfort. But maybe too much comfort is a bad thing. The number 0.004% is a significant one in this episode. That is approximately how long we have been exposed to our modern way of life. Humans have been around for 2.5 million years in one way or another and our modern way of life is ab…

The idea of quieting the mind, of stillness, is not new. In fact, Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, Cicero etc. understood it's importance centuries ago. If you've had a particularly hard time the last while, you might find some solace in this episode. You will find some simple techniques to help quiet your mind. These techniques generally involve stopping …

What is it that makes a company that is trundling along with OK results suddenly turn into a great company with hockey stick growth in all the right areas? In his book Good to Great, Jim Collins and his team dig into the companies that fit this typeof growth and look the variables that seemed to influence it. They discover some pretty basic rules t…

The School of Facilitation is a space for corporate and freelance practitioners to connect, learn and share. They host regular online and face to face gatherings, classes that will give you the skills to be an awesome trainer or facilitator and 5-day retreats where you can slow down, regroup your thoughts and reflect. They work with corporates to c…

Aaron is the UCD President's advisor on all commercial activities, tasked with helping them to grow new and existing income sources in line with their core mission as one of Europe's leading research-intensive universities. UCD is Ireland's largest university, with over €500m in revenues derived in the majority from non-state sources. Aaron is the …

How are some companies able to create 'tribes' or raving fans around not just their individual products but their entire company? According to Simon Sinek, author of Start with Why, they focus on the fact that people do not buy what you do, they buy why you do it. After listening to this episode, you will understand what it is that makes Apple, wel…

As an educator or trainer, are you feeling exhausted and unproductive at times to teach via e-learning platforms like Zoom? In this episode, we discussed how learning and development (L&D) changes under COVID-19 and introduced various innovative L&D technology usage. If you are interested in enhancing interactivity with and engagement of audience i…

In a career spanning the globe, Graham Owens is currently living in Qatar in the Middle East working in an L&D function within global operations in a Qatar gas – Pre-Covid they worked an 80/20 blended learning an approach which was working them, but most L&D always wanted a more online course. Since Covid happened, they broke down some barriers by …

Orlaith is a Leadership, Talent and Development Director, Executive Coach (EMCC Senior Practitioner) and High-Performance Trainer with global experience. She runs her business with her partner/Husband Gavin Duffy and works with senior executives and organisations on personal and business growth. Orlaith started her career as a journalist and worked…

A psychopath is not necessarily a serial killer, your friendly neighbourhood neurosurgeon could possibly be a psychopath and believe it or not that is probably the best person for the job. There is so much to be learned from the characteristics of a psychopath that we can apply to our own lives and careers. In this podcast we delve into what those …

There is a wealth of information on what leadership looks like. But I really believe this book hits upon an aspect of leadership that you might not have considered. Author Sam Walker devised stringent criteria for choosing 16 top performing sports teams and asked himself a very definite question - 'What, if anything, do these teams have in common?'…

If you are anti-participation medals or you are overwhelmed with trying to please everyone…. If you are tired of trying to ‘crush it’ everyday, then this is the episode for you. Mark Manson has a no holds barred book based on the realities of life. Chapters with names such as ‘You are not Special’ and ‘You are always wrong’ will wake you up to the …

One of the most difficult things about leadership is finding the balance between opposing forces. When to mentor or when to let someone go. When to provide instruction and when to leave your team to figure out their own solutions. You can understand all of the 'rules' of leadership but what sets this book apart is the explanation of how these rules…

The way you stand, sit, talk, shake hands, in fact the way you do EVERYTHING communicates something. In his book 'The Book of Tells', author Peter Collett moves through the different tells that we put out into the world. From submissive tells to dominant tells to how to spot a liar. This episode will make you a better leader, salesperson and commun…

You have heard a lot from us on books about negotiation. That's because it is a topic that lends itself to ever area of business and leadership. There is no right way to do it because it is so nuanced with a lot of moving parts. There is however, lots of wrong ways to do it. Being too aggressive, being too timid, being willing to split the differen…