About the Guest:

You’ll always find this guest asking new questions because that’s just who Penny Zenker is. Penny says her career path has been a “crazy old maze,” taking her from accounting and finance to building and selling a multi-million-dollar company, to becoming a keynote speaker and executive coach. But she couldn’t have done any of it without her “focusology” practice. “The name of the game is how to be more intentional in a time where everybody is vying for our attention,” she says.

After her dad’s accidental death when she was nineteen, Penny started asking “Why me?” but quickly changed her tune to ask: “What does this mean?” She says this mindset helped her “be more conscious of my words, the questions that I ask myself, and what I really want.” And Penny has made all of it happen. Listen in to hear Penny’s story.

What You Will Learn:

• Strategies to bring together “attention and intention and give it direction”
• How to work through insecurities to perform at the highest level
• Lessons in why following fear won’t get you anywhere
• Directions for dynamically reassessing your direction in favor of the future

This episode has it all—insightful questions, fun moments, and many, many pearls of wisdom. Penny encourages listeners to learn to step back, gain perspective, and take those lessons to realign for the future. She’ll tell you all about how when you listen to this episode of the Take Command podcast.

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About the Guest:

Say hello to Bob Chapman, CEO of the internationally renowned Barry-Wehmiller, a machinery industry company with over 12,000 employees in over 100 countries. Bob’s first title at the company was “Somebody He Could Trust”—meaning he was tasked with helping his father (the owner) make business decisions. But all did not go as planned. “I worked with my dad for six years, was put in the position of VP of finance, and I think it was October of ’75, he had a severe heart attack and died. The next day I was president of the company at age thirty, and the first people I met were the bankers, who immediately pulled our loans.”

Bob goes on to detail the many ups and downs of the company after his sudden rise to the top. He says he went from “phenomenal success to traumatic decline and then a phenomenal recovery.” And phenomenal it is. Today, Barry-Wehmiller is a $3.6 billion company. Bob attributes that to many factors, including his creative approaches, his tenacity in the face of crisis, and his focus on people as the main drivers of success.

What You Will Learn:

• Strategies into how common sense, creativity, and a positive attitude can replace book smarts and accolades
• Insights into why we need “leaders, coaches, and mentors,” not “managers, bosses, and supervisors.”
• Lessons in why it isn’t enough to get people on the same bus; the bus needs to be able to support the people getting on it
• Stories of the quick rise, epic fall, and monumental comeback of the Barry-Wehmiller Company

Join Joe Hart and Bob Chapman as they discuss weathering the ups and downs of business while always keeping people front and center. More than anything, Bob wants leaders to understand the importance and responsibility they have as business leaders to give employees a “grounded sense of hope,” meaning “they can decide to raise a child, buy a home, educate their kids, or save for their retirement. That is your fundamental responsibility.” Learn more about how to fulfill your responsibilities as a leader when you tune in to this insightful episode.

Please rate and review this Episode!

We'd love to hear from you! Leaving a review helps us ensure we deliver content that resonates with you. Your feedback can inspire others to join our Take Command: A Dale Carnegie Podcast community & benefit from the leadership insights we share.

About the Guest:

Meet Bill Kramer, CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Bill carries a deep appreciation for art, but despite his mother being an artist, he didn’t see it as a viable career path. So, he earned a BA in actuarial sciences and went to work supporting creatives behind the scenes.

After stints at Columbia University and the Sundance Institute, he joined the Academy and has helped to take it to new heights ever since, starting with coordinating the building of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Bill knows a lot about leadership and how to inspire a team with a greater purpose. Listen in to hear more about Bill’s journey to being a leader.

What You Will Learn:

• How to balance the competing needs and desires of employees and clients
• Why “everyone's role should feel purpose-driven and connected to a greater vision”
• How to enter with humility, especially when there are more aspects of the job to learn
• Why you have to be intentional about nurturing yourself outside the office

Bill drops some major knowledge in this episode—so it’s not to be missed. You’ll discover more about the Academy and its mission, see how Bill is helping fulfill that mission by being a good leader, and absorb new leadership tips for your own work. Press play and be ready to be transported into a masterclass of leadership.

Please rate and review this Episode!

We'd love to hear from you! Leaving a review helps us ensure we deliver content that resonates with you. Your feedback can inspire others to join our Take Command: A Dale Carnegie Podcast community & benefit from the leadership insights we share.