Connecting Is Not Enough - The Networking Radio Show

In this episode of the Connected Leadership podcast, Andy Lopata speaks with Annetta Marion, the producer of the biopic film "Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie", directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Davis Guggenheim. The film charts the career and struggles of Michael J. Fox with Parkinson's disease. Annetta shares her personal journey into the entertainment industry and her love for storytelling. She also discusses her rules for great storytelling and the importance of engaging viewers in a narrative. Prior to "Still", she worked on Oprah's Master Class docuseries and shares her experience of working with iconic figures who shared their stories. She emphasises the importance of caring deeply and meeting people where they are, irrespective of their status or title. The conversation then shifts towards Annetta's role as a producer on "Still" and working with director Davis Guggenheim. Annetta emphasises the importance of being adaptable, building relationships, and mentoring others. Annetta highlights how importa

In this episode of the Connected Leadership Podcast, Andy Lopata chats with John Maguire, the Regional Vice President of Sales in EMEA for Sugar CRM. The conversation covers a wide range of topics related to managing professional relationships and customer relationship management (CRM) systems. They start by discussing the capture of information in conversations, the need to prompt interactions with customers who have drifted off the radar, and the ways technology can improve customer relationships. John emphasizes the importance of using CRMs to reduce customer churn, increase customers, and reduce the cost of admin, as well as the role of AI in creating process automation workflows. Andy and John discuss the need for a 360-degree view of the customer and the importance of optimising each interaction with customers across the business. John Maguire also talks about how to avoid the dreaded task of inputting data into CRMs by building it within the flow of work and showing the value to users. He also touche

In this episode of the Connected Leadership podcast, Andy Lopata interviews Beth Sherman, speaker, comedian, and multiple Emmy Award-winning comedy writer, whose credits include The Tonight Show, Ellen and the Academy Awards. She passionately believes that humour is a skill that can be taught, and speaks to teams and leaders about how to use humour to connect quickly with customers, colleagues and audiences. Beth offers insights into the world of comedy writing and reveals the collaborative process that takes place between writers, producers, and comics in delivering successful content to millions of viewers.  Andy and Beth discuss the professional relationship between comics and writers, the importance of chemistry in delivering successful jokes, and how it differs when writing for an individual's voice rather than writing for oneself. Additionally, Beth highlights the challenges of writing topical content and the unique role that humour can play in developing professional relationships. Beth also shares

Neil Mullarkey is a renowned comedian and an expert in communication. He began his career as President of Cambridge Footlights and then he teamed up with Mike Myers. Neil has also shared the stage with household names from Eddie Izzard, Dawn French, Paul Merton, Josie Lawrence, Eric Sykes and Christopher Biggins. He has participated in the Radio 4 shows I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue, Just A Minute and appeared in Whose Line Is It Anyway, QI and two Austin Powers movies. In 1985 he and Mike Myers founded the Comedy Store Players and Neil can often be found improvising at the venue on Sundays. He now teaches improv and other theatre skills, helping people to gain confidence and to work together more creatively and effectively. Above all, he encourages people to have fun in the workplace – teaching them to listen to one another more carefully and to laugh at themselves. Neil gives workshops and online coaching worldwide, has worked with leading companies and with prominent names in the world of sport. Andy an

In this episode of the Connected Leadership podcast, Catherine Stothart, a leadership coach, speaker and author of How to Get On with Anyone: shares insights with Andy Lopata on using personality styles to build stronger relationships. Catherine explains the difference between trait approach and type approach, stating that type is best used for self-development rather than assessment and selection. She also introduces the Interaction Styles Framework, which collapses the 16 personality types into four groups of communication styles based on emotions that drive behavior. The four interaction styles are: Mobilizers, Energizers, Navigators, and Synthesizers, and Catherine explains that people can flex between these styles depending on the situation. Catherine discusses her book, Motivation: The Ultimate Guide to Leading Your Team, which focuses on the four core psychological needs shared by all humans: belonging, competence, freedom, and self-actualisation. The episode highlights the importance of under

In this episode, Andy Lopata speaks with two incredible guests Jo Berry and Richard McCann about their experiences of trauma and forgiveness. Both lost a parent to violent acts - McCann's mother was murdered by serial killer Peter Sutcliffe in 1975, and Berry's father was killed in the IRA's bombing of the Conservative Party Conference in Brighton in 1984. Despite the immense tragedy, both found ways to come to terms with their loss and seek positive outcomes. McCann became a motivational speaker, while Berry started the charity Building Bridges For Peace. McCann shares his journey of forgiveness, beginning with forgiving his abusive father and eventually letting go of his anger towards Sutcliffe. He discusses how he tried to understand Sutcliffe as a human being, although his attempts to meet with him were rejected. However, McCann highlights that compassion and forgiveness can lead to healing and positive change, despite this painful journey. Berry shared how she made the decision to meet with the man res

In this episode of the Connected Leadership Gold, Andy Lopata interviewed Russell Best OBE who was Commander of HMS Cumberland and Head of Strategy Management at the UK Ministry of Defence, advising on defence and security issues. Andy and Russell discuss what underpins successful operations across the military and business worlds. Relationships are key in both but values are very different in terms of focus and initiative. They look at how this affects hierarchies, leadership and the creation of a culture that generates a common or shared experience. Andy and Russell also talk about the different facets of networking and the importance of the depth of relationships rather than the size of your network. In hierarchical structures there is a fear of stepping out of line, of creating resentment among colleagues which doesn’t exist in the military where everyone has a common shared experience and networks go across ranks. The accessibility of leaders is also an important factor: how do I get noticed and build m

For the next two weeks we will be exploring Connected Leadership Gold, past episodes that you may have missed. This week, Andy's guest is Itay Talgam, conductor of the Tel Aviv Philharmonic Orchestra.  Andy and Itay discuss what leaders can learn from the great conductors. A new conductor meeting with an orchestra, has to build trust often from resistance. The art of the conductor is to take a group of highly skilled, artistic individuals, making them one and creating beautiful music.  Andy and Italy talk about the importance of having a dialogue; of creating relationships with musicians in the orchestra and agreeing together on the meaning of the music; what is the music saying? Andy and Itay also discuss the importance of getting the conductor's message across and how to control the outcome. Command and control leadership can stifle creativity. This is the importance of developing professional relationships. Please note there is no Thursday episode.

In this episode Andy Lopata speaks with Neil Jurd, OBE, who has extensive experience in leadership development from his time as a British Army officer and leading expeditions worldwide. Neil advocates for the power of relationships to break down hierarchies and reduce bureaucracy, which he has witnessed as being more effective in building stronger teams. Neil suggests that creating a safe culture where people feel comfortable in contributing to the organisation's purpose is essential for leaders. To accomplish this, leaders must be clear about the organisation's objectives and develop personal relationships with team members by showing interest in their lives beyond work. He advises leaders to be themselves and rely on personal power rather than positional power, as positions and ranks are fragile forms of influence. Additionally, he emphasises the importance of creating a relaxed environment for conversations and allowing team members the freedom to learn and grow under their leadership.  The conversation

In this episode, Andy Lopata is joined by Una Murphy and John Niland to discuss the importance of self-compassion, self-esteem, and self-worth in building strong relationships and networks. Una Murphy is an experienced executive coach working around wellbeing and resilience, and John Niland specializes in building professional identities both with teams and individuals, rooted in understanding self-worth. John explains the differences between these three terms and how they affect our relationships with ourselves and others. He notes that self-esteem is often based on our reputation with ourselves, which is conditional and can be affected by our successes and failures in life. In contrast, self-worth is unconditional and not based on performance or behavior. John also discusses how self-worth can help us build better relationships with others, as it allows us to be more interested in other people rather than trying to impress them. He gives examples of how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected our relationship wi

In this episode of the Connected Leadership Podcast, host Andy Lopata talks to Gil Petersil, co-owner of Meet Partners, about the importance of professional networking and time management. Gil believes that most people know the importance of networking but don't really understand it. He suggests that people should spend more time nurturing the important mentors in their lives, and take following up seriously. Andy and Gil discuss the challenges people face in finding time to build strong professional relationships and networks and Gil suggests breaking down how time is currently allocated to understand how it can be better used for making connections.  Gil shares insights on how to delegate tasks effectively without causing offence and losing control of the relationship-building process. The changes in networking strategies in the last 25 years and the challenges brought by a more globalised world are probed. Throughout the conversation, they touch on several topics related to professional relationships, in

With the rapid rise of AI, Andy Lopata asks his guest Ben Afia, if AI is going to replace humans and just how human are our connections in business now. Ben was a brand strategist for Boots and has worked with companies to build their brands and help them express themselves. There are distinct practical advantages to the use of AI; bringing data together, summarising meeting notes, marketing, generating ideas for copy and headlines. It is exciting and extraordinary to see what can be done, but it is still early days. The question is whether AI can develop empathy, sympathy with human emotions or reflect values, because at the moment there is a lack of humanity and the human aspect of communication with employees and with customer service is so important. Initially AI can be an assistant, an adjunct to a person doing a job Andy and Ben go on to discuss whether we have a problem with organisations appearing to be human to their customers. Is this a problem of scale and the development of silos as businesses gro

A remarkable woman is Andy Lopata's guest in this week's podcast. Zafra Lerman is a Doctor of Chemistry, five times nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, recipient of the Presidential Award from President Clinton, honoured four times by the US Congress and winner of countless awards globally, particularly for her work on human rights. Her innovative approach to teaching science to under-privileged and homeless students developed when Zafra realised that she had to teach science in a way that was relevant to their life. She introduced art, music, dance and rap into lessons and assessments were informal demonstrations of the students' knowledge in any way they wanted. Zafra tells wonderful stories to illustrate her vision and her life's work. These include stories of her time in Russia and China with dissidents of those regimes and her efforts to broker peace in the Middle East through silent diplomacy. She organised the Malta Conference, inviting Nobel Prize winners and scientists from fifteen countries includi

In this week's episode, Andy Lopata's guest is Frank Agin. From Columbus, Ohio Frank has much in common with Andy with his emphasis on the importance of creating a connection and building relationships. He also emphasises the importance of using stories to make connections. Andy and Frank discuss recognising opportunities and using your wider network effectively. They also look at mixing the personal and the professional and the effect of cultural differences. Other areas for discussion are cognitive diversity; the challenge of different ideas and different backgrounds; using stories and getting to know people on a human level. People do business with those they know, like and trust. If you want to connect with impact, take yourself out of the equation - make it not just about the other person but the group, the tribe, the network, the long term.

Jennifer Fondrevay known as the 'MA Whisperer', is Andy Lopata's guest on this week's Connected Leadership Podcast. She is the author of the satirical book 'NOW WHAT? A Survivors Guide for Thriving Through Mergers and Acquisitions' and advises companies on the unexpected people challenges that may arise during the process.  Jennifer outlines the stages employees may face during a merger including grief, putting a strain on relationships and uncertainty of the future. She emphasises the importance of connecting with the frontliners, listening to employees and valuing and respecting their comments. Preparation for possible challenges, transparency, understanding the culture of the companies involved can all help to move towards consensus. The environment post-merger/acquisition is largely a question of morale; involving competition, collaboration and 'survivors guilt'.

 'One on One Meetings are Underrated; Group Meetings Waste Time'. The title of Lawrence Krubner's book is the theme of this week's Connected Leadership Podcast. Lawrence discusses with Andy Lopata how meetings can be essential for some people but an inordinately inefficient way to get things done for others. If you invite fifteen people to an hour's meeting, you have to be sure the meeting is actually worth the fifteen hours of work lost. Too many large meetings are called to give out information that could be transmitted using technology, while one to one meetings are more productive. The basics of good meetings need to be understood and practiced by leaders. Larger gatherings for social reasons are good for morale. They can also be good for brainstorming exercises and for discovering talent. Smaller meetings help develop and deepen relationships and can help leaders adapt to the strengths and weaknesses of their teams.

This week's guest on The Connected Leadership Podcast joins Andy Lopata from Switzerland. Daniela Landherr is the former Head of Talent at Google. She is now an Executive Coach specialising in psychological safety at work. Daniela's perspective is that our culture should accept that failure is OK; it is something you can learn from and develop. A leader who never makes mistakes is not a good leader because this means you never take a risk. Andy and Daniela discuss Fail Fests, meetings to discuss failures in a psychologically safe space and how to learn from them. Also, how to have the difficult conversation and be open to learning. They also emphasise the importance for leaders to follow up on feedback and surveys. An interesting innovation is the 'pre-mortem', a detailed debrief before action is taken. Generational differences in attitude underline the need to shift the mindset and take away the fear of failure so that creativity and innovation can flourish.

This week’s Connected Leadership Podcast focuses on a very important topic for many leaders; the relationships that are integral to building strong partnerships Internal or external to your organisation, strong trusted relationships can be the difference between the success and failure of projects. Andy Lopata’s guest is very strong at building these partnerships in her role at Colgate Palmolive leading a group of scientific researchers.  LaTonya Kilpatrick is also a passionate mentor for engaging children with science at an early age Andy and LaTonya discuss the importance of building good partnerships between diverse areas of expertise where both sides perceive the value derived from working together. This involves good communication and transparency where appropriate and particularly recognition of the contribution.  It is interesting to get LaTonya's perspective on key points of adapting language, research into the other person’s need and particularly the importance of gratitude

Andy Lopata's guest in this week's Connected Leadership Podcast comes from Holland and is a global speaker and stand up comedian. Tom Sligting discusses new ways of working or doing things that require adaptability and the problems this poses for business and business leaders. Business is changing so rapidly that leaders need to be adaptable or they will miss out. This can be uncomfortable, moving out of your comfort zone. Andy and Tom look at the role of your network in validating changes, giving reassurance and positive feedback. They also discuss the soft skills that influence adaptability and the need for diverse talents or expertise within a team. Finally, Tom explains how he became a stand-up comedian and the life changing decisions that motivated him.

Steve Head is a global inspirational speaker, trainer and coach, much of his work is with the NHS in the UK helping leaders to be better and to achieve better results. But, unknown to many, for the past ten years he has also been a performance coach for the World Cup winning wheelchair Rugby League team. Steve tells Andy Lopata the story of how he helped the team to perform at their best. In a diverse team of male and female, able and disabled players, motivation was already strongly present. The mindset needed focus, calm and most important, values that everyone in the team accepted. Steve shares the important case study of how these values were set by the team themselves and became the inspiration and support for them all. The result was the total connectivity of the team, constantly reinforcing their values. There is no reason why these principles could not be used in the corporate world.