Jennifer McClure`

Empowering Organizations and People Leaders to thrive in the ever-evolving world of work

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Written by Jennifer McClure

Dancing with Monsters and Embracing Fearless Leadership with Dr. Todd Dewett

IMP Episode 079 - Dr. Todd Dewett

On this episode of the Impact Makers podcast, I welcome back my friend, Dr. Todd Dewett, a globally recognized leadership educator, author, and speaker, to chat about his latest book, “Dancing with Monsters: A Tale About Leadership, Success, and Overcoming Fears.”

If you’re familiar with and love some of the best-selling business books that are written as fables, like The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni, The One Minute Manager by Kenneth H. Blanchard and Dr. Spencer Johnson, or Who Moved My Cheese? by Dr. Spencer Johnson, then you’re going to love Dr. Dewett’s book as well.

Dancing with Monsters is written as a business fable, told through the perspectives of vampires and monsters, with names like Sheets, Mum, Wolfy, and Z.

Through these intriguing characters, Dr. Dewett explores what facing fears, leadership, and success have in common, and how embracing and confronting our fears is necessary in order to harness our teams’ true power.

The book is a fun read, and I believe it’ll inspire you to face and overcome some of your own fears, so you can better optimize your key relationships by leveraging humility, authenticity, and kindness.

Todd is always one of my favorite people to learn from, and in our conversation today, he does not disappoint.

While we do talk about the book, which I highly encourage you to read, I think you’ll really enjoy hearing more of his frank and fresh approach to leadership, authenticity, and self-awareness.

In today’s podcast episode, we’ll chat about why he believes that embracing authenticity must be a part of every leader’s journey, and why it’s important to view people as partners, not resources in the work we’re trying to accomplish together. We’ll discuss how toxic positivity can derail teams, and the difference that building trust and communicating with candor can create. We’ll also discuss how leadership has changed and is evolving in a post-pandemic world, and Dr. Dewett’s 5 Rules of Leadership, as well as a motto that he believes every leader should adopt.

Dr. Dewett is a lot of fun to talk to and listen to, so sit back, and get ready to discover how to embrace authenticity, build trust, and turn obstacles into opportunities on your leadership journey.

And don’t forget to grab a copy of his new book, “Dancing with Monsters,” to discover how you can overcome fears, lead with authenticity, and unleash your true potential.

Topics Discussed In This Episode:

  • Dr. Dewett’s journey in writing his fifth book, “Dancing with Monsters,” after previous attempts at writing a novel.
  • His inspiration for creating a fable that addresses common struggles such as anxieties, fears, and confidence issues faced by millennials and Gen Z.
  • The importance of authenticity in leadership, and how it aligns with the expectations of today’s generations.
  • Dr. Dewett’s 5 Rules of Leadership.
  • The dangers of treating employees like children and the importance of creating a balance between authority and open dialogue.
  • The role of candor in leadership, and the necessity of balancing candor with kindness to foster a productive and supportive work environment.
  • The importance of framing challenges in a positive and productive manner to help teams see the silver lining and find opportunities for growth.
  • The motto Dr. Dewett believes that every leader should embrace: SSGW – Take the step, Get the scare, Grow, and Win.

LISTEN TO IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 79

Listen on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts or Spotify

Supporting Links and Resources:

Dr. Todd Dewett – Website, Linkedin, Books, LinkedIn Learning Courses

Dancing with Monsters: A Tale About Leadership, Success, and Overcoming Fears by Todd Dewett

Categories: Blog, Leadership, Podcast
Posted on June 26, 2023

Written by Jennifer McClure

How to Live Hard, Embrace the Future, and Create Success With Dr. Todd Dewett

photo of Dr. Todd Dewett

I’m excited to share my conversation with Dr. Todd Dewett in Episode 57 of the Impact Makers Podcast!

I met Dr. Dewett several years ago, when I was just getting my start as a professional speaker, and we both shared the stage at a regional conference.

At that time, he was a successful university professor teaching leadership and innovation to MBA students – but he didn’t look or sound like most of the professors that I’d come across in my academic career. Big, tall, bald, and covered in tattoos had never greeted me when I walked into a classroom in school.

So, of course I was intrigued to hear what this guy had to say about leadership, and I was not disappointed. With a fresh perspective, an authentic message, and some great stories, he captivated the audience, and inspired people to be bold, and think differently.

Since that time, we’ve become friends, and I’ve continued to learn from him over the years as he wrote books, left the academic world to pursue a career as a full-time speaker, and became one of LinkedIn Learning’s most popular trainers.

Now, with his unique brand of edgy leadership, Dr. Todd Dewett is a best-selling author, one of the most in-demand leadership keynote speakers in the world, and he’s motivated millions to perform at higher levels, and lead with true authenticity.

His latest book is called Live Hard, and it’s a collection of twenty inspiring stories packed with advice about living life more fully.

I think you’ll find Todd’s frank advice and unique perspective refreshing, and I’m sure you’ll get some great takeaways from our conversation.

Topics Discussed In This Episode:​​

  • What prompted Dr. Dewett to leave the corporate world to pursue a PhD in Organizational Behavior, and then leave a great job as a university professor to become a full-time author, speaker, and trainer.
  • Interesting and creative ways that Dr. Dewett encouraged students to embrace discomfort in order to open themselves up to creativity and innovation.
  • Dr. Dewett’s advice for living a more authentic life.
  • What happens when we don’t push ourselves to be more authentic with others and take principled risks.
  • Two things Dr. Dewett recommends to avoid plateauing in your life and career in your 20’s and 30’s.
  • What Dr. Dewett thinks we all need to get serious about in 2021 and beyond to ensure career and life success – even those who feel secure in their current job.
  • Dr. Dewett’s best advice for living hard, embracing the future, and creating success.

IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 57

(Email subscribers – click HERE to listen to the podcast.)

Key Quotes From This Episode:

“No growth ever happens until you get uncomfortable, and you certainly can’t develop a team to care about creativity, innovation, and change until they become moderately okay with discomfort. That’s just the nature of learning.” ~ @Dr. Todd Dewett

“We know that breaking routines behaviorally breaks mental routines, and really does improve perspectives and increase creativity. So that’s all I’m essentially trying to do is to get people uncomfortable and out of routines in the classroom, because it does tend to enhance learning – at least in the areas where I’m teaching.” ~ @Dr. Todd Dewett

“You’ve got to stop censoring – as much. We over censor because we have a sensitivity to norms.” ~ @Dr. Todd Dewett

“You have to accept that people will not always universally love you. Stop trying to maximize how much people like you. Because, it turns out, happiness isn’t about maximizing how much everyone likes you. It’s about building a tribe of people that are similar-ish in values and interests, because then, liking each other is freaking easy.” ~ @Dr. Todd Dewett

“You are never universally loved. Your brand is a unique search for people that get it, not an expenditure of energy about those who don’t get it. And that is okay. If you can accept that, then the nebulous thing called authenticity is within your reach.” ~ @Dr. Todd Dewett

“Where are you going to try? Stop saying it’s not the right time. There’s never a perfect time.” ~ @Dr. Todd Dewett

“Life is very very short. What in the heck are you so scared of? Try, fail, learn, try again, and you are very likely to have lived a life that makes you content, and you got the most out of it you possibly could.” ~ @Dr. Todd Dewett

People & Resources Mentioned In This episode:

Dr. Todd Dewett website

LIVE HARD: Thoughts on Living Fearlessly, Creating Success, and Embracing the Future by Todd Dewett, PhD

Show Your Ink: Stories About Leadership and Life by Todd Dewett, PhD

Find Dr. Todd Dewett’s blog, newsletter, books, online courses, social media profiles, and more

Connect with Jennifer:

Send her a message [https://jennifermcclure.net/contact/]

On LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermcclure

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferMcClure

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_mcclure/

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JenniferMcClureSpeaker

Categories: Podcast
Posted on February 4, 2021

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