The Enlightened Executive

When Success Creates Self-Doubt: How Leaders Move Through "Wonderhell"

26 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when success does not bring the confidence you expected?  In this episode, Susan Drumm sits down with Laura Gassner Otting to explor...

Unlocking Energy Intelligence for Sustainable Leadership

11 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Are you leading on an empty tank?  In this high-energy episode of The Enlightened Executive, Susan Drumm is joined by keynote speaker and joy i...

The Science of Charisma: How Compassion Creates Influence with Heather Hansen

26 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What if charisma isn't something you're born with, but something you build?  In this episode of The Enlightened Executive, Susan Drumm sits down with...

Burnout Is Not the Problem—It's a Design Flaw

12 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Is your leadership model silently draining your team?  In this episode of The Enlightened Executive, energy and culture expert Josh Allan Dykstra cha...

Is Your Team Performing the Culture You Want?

30 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You may not think of yourself as a performer, but as a leader, your presence is always on stage.  In this episode of The Enlightened Executive, Susan...

Unlocking Creativity: The Leadership Advantage You're Overlooking with Natalie Nixon

15 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Most leaders double down on strategy when pressure hits, but what if the real competitive edge lies in creativity?  In this episode of The Enlightene...

When Smart Leaders Miss What's Right in Front of Them: A Conversation with Jacquette Timmons

17 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You can be brilliant with numbers and still miss the pattern that's holding you back. In this episode of The Enlightened Executive, financial behavior...

The Midlife Remix: Petra Kolber on Resilience, Reinvention & Leading with Joy

03 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What if your biggest life challenges became the catalyst for your boldest leadership chapter yet?  Petra Kolber is no stranger to adversity. She's su...

Courageous Authenticity: How to Lead with Wisdom, Not Just Boldness

20 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What does it really mean to lead with authenticity—and how do you know when it's courageous vs. careless?  In this episode of The Enlightened Execu...

How to Lead Through Chaos with Crisis Expert Juliette Kayyem

06 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What do you do when everything goes sideways? In this episode of The Enlightened Executive, I sit down with Juliette Kayyem, Harvard professor, former...

The CEO Bottleneck: How to Build a Business That Runs Without You

08 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What if your greatest strength as a CEO is also your biggest limitation? In this episode of The Enlightened Executive, Susan Drumm sits down with Alli...

The Leadership Power of Forgiveness with Candice Mama

25 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What would you do if you came face to face with the person who murdered your father? Candice Mama chose forgiveness and in doing so transformed her li...

Why Smart Leaders Make Bad Calls—and How to Avoid Them

14 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What if your biggest leadership mistakes aren’t due to poor judgment—but hidden assumptions?  In this episode of The Enlightened Executive, Susan...

Discomfort Is the Shortcut to Breakthrough Leadership

30 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Discomfort Isn’t the Enemy: How to Lead Through Challenge with Sterling Hawkins  What if the key to becoming a breakthrough leader isn’t more con...

Unlock Higher Performance With This Leadership Shift

16 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Power of Boundaries: Unlocking Innovation Through Constraints with Rachel Druckenmiller  Episode Description:  What do photographing polar bears...

How Personal Growth Drives Team Success

02 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What if the greatest leadership transformation doesn’t start with a new strategy—but with a shift in you?  In this episode of The Enlightened Exe...

The Secret to High Performance? Slowing Down.

19 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What if the secret to getting more done—and feeling better doing it—wasn’t about pushing harder, but pausing smarter? In this episode of The Enl...

The Power of Authentic Leadership

06 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Does this resonate? For years, I believed leadership was about pushing harder, working longer, and showing up no matter how depleted I felt. It seemed...

How Curiosity Drives Leadership Success with Brandon Fong

14 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What if the secret to becoming a more effective leader lies not in developing a subject matter expertise and amassing years of experience, but in embr...

Building World-Class Teams with Jay Rosenzweig

31 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

High-performing teams don’t happen by accident. You can hire the best people, offer competitive salaries, and set ambitious goals—but if you don...

The Neuroscience Behind Making Changes with Natalie McVeigh

17 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Why does changing old habits always feel like an uphill battle, even when we genuinely want to change? Understanding the science behind our behaviors ...

From Ego to Empathy with Justin Breen

03 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How does one measure the true value of a leader?  Is it in strategy and profits or does it go deeper and look at empathy, followership and visionary ...

The Power of Conscious Capitalism

17 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What if the key to unlocking exponential growth lies not in (only) maximizing profits, but in genuinely caring for all stakeholders? In a world where ...

Building a Culture of Belonging with Shasta Nelson

03 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How important is having your employees form friendships at work? Is there a decrease in productivity if employees are also friends? The answers may su...

Strategies for Combating Burnout with Jay Abbasi

14 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever found yourself staring blankly at your computer screen, completely overwhelmed by a mountain of responsibilities, wondering if it’s ti...

Delivering Truth with Compassion with Matt Hudson

04 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Enlightened leaders are wholly candid, with themselves and their teams, and deliver that truth with compassion. Have you realized that power within yo...

Fostering Deep Connections with Jennifer Hill

20 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How authentic are our connections, really? Genuine connection—both with ourselves and others—holds the power to transform not just our work lives ...

Unmuting Yourself: Rachel Druckenmiller’s Challenge to Speak Up

29 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What's holding you back from speaking up and letting your authentic self show up at work? Where are you keeping yourself on "mute" and what is that co...

Lessons in Resilience & Joy with Moshe Gersht

15 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Are you able to see unexpected challenges as opportunities for new successes? By reframing “issues” as “possibilities” and finding the cour...

Leading with Courage: Insights from Col. Martha McSally

02 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Fear and anxiety often feel like enemies to be vanquished...but what if instead we saw them as signals guiding us toward growth and expansion? This is...

Human Empathy in the Age of Automation with Bryan Kramer

03 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How important is understanding and nurturing the human element in a world dominated by technology? I explored this concept on my podcast The Enlighten...

Leading with Purpose Featuring Tim Lupinacci

19 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

An inspired and empowered team is a high-performing team. What are you doing as a leader to create that culture for your employees? I recently had the...

Proximity: How Technology Brings Value right to your Door

06 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There is a “Proximity Revolution” sweeping through every industry. Have you considered what this means for your business? Simply put, we can move ...

Finding Peace in the Midst of Chaos with Jesse Israel

15 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In our fast-paced business world, where constant stimulation and pressure can lead to burnout, carving out moments of quiet might be the game-changer ...

AI Blueprint for Improving Team Collaboration with Dan Chuparkoff

25 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Artificial Intelligence promises to revolutionize industries by enabling machines to mimic human cognition and perform tasks with unprecedented effici...

Mastering Feedback with Joan Hibdon

11 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Are you giving feedback that’s ultimately producing the results that you want from the team? Is your feedback changing behavior? I recently had the ...

Rhythm and Music as a Tool for Effective Collaboration with Doug Manuel

28 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Rhythm and music are primal forces that can elevate awareness of both ourselves and others. But they can do more than just that… music and rhythm ca...

The Magic of Equine Coaching with Lucinda Vette

14 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Imagine translating a horse’s sensitivity to human emotions into understanding, improving your leadership style. Fascinating, right? In today's vola...

The Path to Enlightened Leadership with David Meltzer

30 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Enlightened leadership is not reserved for ancient philosophers or yogis meditating in remote caves—it is crucial for today's leaders too. This week...

Managing a Multigenerational Workforce with Scott De Long

15 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Leading a multigenerational workforce is becoming increasingly complex. Each generation brings a unique set of skills, perspectives, and expectations ...

The Connection Between Creativity, Leadership & Jazz with Josh Linkner

01 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Unlock your employees’ potential by harnessing their greatest asset: creativity! In a world where creativity is thought to be only for a chosen few,...

Unleash the Power of Innovation with Carla Johnson

19 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The secret to groundbreaking innovation lies not in specialized teams, but in empowering every individual to think like an innovator. Carla Johnson is...

Work-Life Harmony with Bo & Luke

05 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Is the concept of “Work-Life Balance” outdated? Forget the balancing act; it's time for something more realistic. Bo Hale and Luke Carignan challe...

Embracing the Weird: Frankie Russo on Authentic Leadership

20 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In our fast paced business world, where the only constant is change, letting your weird flag fly could be your ticket to staying ahead of the curve. I...

Unconventional Leadership Strategies (feat. Shawn Dill)

05 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The best business advice you’ll receive is likely unorthodox. Do you ever feel like you hear the same ole’ business advice over-and-over, perhaps ...

AI for Personal and Professional Development (feat. Mike Koenigs)

22 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

By now, you can’t get help being bombarded with news of how AI is going to change everything. But what does that really mean for YOU? The power of A...

Empathy: The Essence of Digital Leadership (feat. Erik Qualman)

08 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Digital innovation is most impactful when paired with a very human skill: empathy. Digital leadership involves integrating human-centered principles w...

How Playing Small Actually Fuels Team Performance (feat. Liz Wiseman)

11 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Leaders have the power to either expand or inadvertently inhibit the growth of those around them. Essentially, consider that you are either acting as ...

Unlock Your Potential Through Healing Your Past (feat. Doug Dane)

27 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Adverse experiences and childhood wounds filter into our careers and leadership, influencing our potential.   Traumatic experiences may impose limita...

Bridging the Generational Divide at Work (feat. Chris Tuff)

13 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Generational differences impact workplace connection.   Nothing exposes this truth like the generational divide we see between Gen Xers, Millennials,...

3 Ways Music can Increase Team and Personal Effectiveness (feat. Jonathan Elias)

30 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Music has the power to enhance our team and personal effectiveness.  Wondering how?   Certain songs have the ability to trigger powerful emotions an...

How Social Good is Good for Business (feat. Spring Washam)

18 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If you’re a leader who is only focused on profitability and productivity, consider that you might be doing just the bare minimum. The enlightened, m...

The Importance of Prioritizing Yourself (feat. Tommy Breedlove)

05 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

High achievers are primed to buy into common misconceptions around happiness and fulfillment.   Traditional external markers of success – money, st...

3 Leadership Investment Strategies to Secure Your Future (feat. Mark B. Murphy)

22 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Do you have a leadership investment strategy? Are you investing in your people and yourself with the same level of care that you put into your financi...

Why Listening is THE Leadership Skill to Cultivate (feat. Mark Goulston)

08 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Unfortunately, many people are just not very good at listening, leading to missed opportunities and strained relationships.   As CEOs, executives, an...

How Do You Build Capacity In Your Teams? (feat. Bob Glazer)

24 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If you’re not prioritizing capacity building on your team, you’re stunting its potential.   Leaders who are serious about building high performin...

Navigating the Extraordinary Pace of Change (feat. Warren Rustand)

10 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rapid evolution is the only constant.    The pace of change in today's world is exponentially growing, as is its increasing complexity.    Driving...

The Art of Being Unmessablewith & Managing Emotions (feat. Josselyne Herman-Saccio)

12 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Successful leaders master the skill of management… that is, self-management before managing others.   The ability to identify, understand and manag...

How Your Voice Impacts Your Leadership Effectiveness (feat. Arthur Joseph)

30 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Could your voice be keeping you from having the leadership impact you desire?   The way leaders convey their message influences how it is received. O...

How to Improve Your Well-Being with Music (feat. Barry Goldstein)

16 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Music is more than a form of entertainment or artistic expression. It’s a powerful leadership tool and a resource for well-being.   As I share in m...

3 Essential Practices of an Authentic Leader (feat. Melissa Bernstein)

02 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Could striving to become a perfect leader keep you from becoming an effective leader?   Authenticity is a buzzword commonly cited in leadership circl...

Practical Techniques for Building Trust (feat. Sue Dyer)

17 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Everyone knows trust is key to business success. But actually building trust? That can feel intangible and impossible.    Creating common ground, fo...

From Workplace Exhaustion to Human Vitality: Finding White Space (feat. Juliet Funt)

05 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Organizations crush their employees with emails, meetings, decks, reports and paperwork all day long while expecting vitality and meaningful contribut...

The Art of Keeping Talent: Strategies for Retaining Your Best Employees (feat. Mike Harbour)

07 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Talent retention is not just a strategy, it's a mindset. It’s a mindset because it requires a shift in the way that organizations approach the manag...

The Role of Imperfection in Heart-Centered Leadership (feat. Deb Crowe)

14 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We're connected worldwide. At the same time, we're more disconnected than ever. COVID-19 showed us it's possible to work and live in a borderless so...

Is the Music You are Listening to Helpful or Hurtful? [Leadership Insight]

07 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When you listen to a song, the way you connect to it, the emotions it evokes in you, and the way that you interpret the meaning of the song, is an e...

The Making of a COO (feat. Cameron Herold)

31 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The relationship between a CEO and a COO is akin to that of yin and yang. Each leader uses their unique abilities and interests to help the company gr...

What Causes Happiness, and What Happiness Causes (feat. Robert Mack)

18 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Did you know that only about 10% of your happiness comes from outside conditions and circumstances? Which means that 90% of your happiness is within y...

Getting Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable (feat. Nima George)

03 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Most every business wants to be a beacon of diversity and inclusion. Yet, with the incoming workforce being more diverse than ever, why does this goal...

Have you had a bellyful? (feat. Laban Ditchburn)

20 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

There comes a time when every leader realizes that they have a “bellyful.” A moment where you see, with absolute clarity, that your current course...

How Surrendering Your Expectations Can Change Your Life (feat. Brian Andrés Helmick)

07 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Leaders usually like to be in control. Every action you take is toward a goal. Every step along the way is often thoughtfully planned. When you cannot...

Finding the "I" in Team (feat. Jim Hotaling)

15 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It’s often thought that the pillar of a good leader is someone with the ability to put the needs of the team before their own. But neglecting your n...

How Trauma Can Become Your Triumph [The Leader’s Playlist]

11 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The only true power you have isn’t changing others; it’s shifting how you show up as a leader.   That shift starts with music… and updating you...

How Your Past Is Running Your Leadership [The Leader’s Playlist]

04 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Your energy and the emotional frequency you bring to your role as a leader impacts your work and your team every day. Music also has a frequency, and ...

What Is Holding Back Your Leadership Effectiveness? [The Leader’s Playlist]

27 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

There is no denying that music has the power to transform us. We often listen to music that matches our emotional state, but can we also leverage musi...

How to Create Your New Leadership Playlist [The Leader’s Playlist]

20 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Regardless of how major or minor your wounds and experiences from childhood were, we all went through something that helped shape us into who we are t...

Why Music Can Create A Better Leader [The Leader’s Playlist]

12 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What if I told you that the impact you have as a leader is limited by an internal story that replays itself over and over in the background of your li...

How do you improve your leadership? [The Leader’s Playlist]

31 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Is your team overwhelmed by the pace of change?   Are you feeling a sense of burn out?   Or maybe you feel that you can’t delegate or trust your t...

How Music Can Transform Your Leadership [The Leader’s Playlist]

24 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How do you accelerate change?   We all have this playlist running in the background of our lives that—whether we know it or not—acts as a ceiling...

Giving a Voice to the Unsung Leader (feat. Dorie Clark)

26 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Leadership looks pretty nice for the Tim Cook and Warren Buffet’s of the world. They’re widely recognized for their contributions, and by every ac...

The Value of Failure (feat. Omar Zenhom)

19 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As you rise through the ranks of leadership, experiencing setbacks and failure is inevitable. But as many successful leaders will share, what we often...

Conscious Leadership: How to create conditions for others to thrive (feat. Dr. ​​Louise van Rhyn)

12 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What does it mean to be a leader? By shifting the mindset that you alone have the answers, you can create a space for employees to find their own solu...

How To Manage A Remote Team [Leadership Insight]

08 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The benefits of hiring remote workers are many—lower overhead, higher morale, better productivity, and efficiency. Thus, we see more and more organi...

Are you ready for the Web 3.0 and Metaverse takeover? (feat. Nichol Bradford)

28 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The metaverse and web 3.0 are here — are you and your business ready? What can we as leaders do to prepare ourselves for how business will change?  ...

How To Ask For A Career Sponsor [Leadership Insight]

22 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When you reflect on how you want your career to progress, what career goals do you have? How will you achieve those goals? And who will be in your cor...

Management Training vs. Leadership Development [Leadership Insight]

07 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Is there a difference between management training and leadership development? And does your team need both?   Yes, they are different, and are both i...

The Case for Strengths-Based Leadership (feat. David Rendall)

31 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Should leaders work on improving their weaknesses, or should they focus on leveraging their strengths?   It’s natural for leaders to want to strive...

The Diversity Dilemma [Leadership Insight]

24 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Are you uncomfortable talking to your team about diversity? An important part of being a great leader is being brave enough to have the conversations ...

Are You Ready for the Fourth Industrial Revolution? (feat. Ben Lytle)

25 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The next thirty years will bring advancements we can’t imagine. From augmented reality and the metaverse to enhancements in technology and automatio...

Widening the Talent Pool: A Surprising Solution to Hiring Woes (feat. Petra Schmidt)

12 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Having trouble sourcing new talent? Here’s a surprising solution for expanding your talent pool.   Consider offering an apprenticeship at your comp...

The Power of Selfless Service (feat. Jonathan Keyser)

29 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes to sales, most executives and entrepreneurs want instant gratification. You don’t want the needle to move five or ten years from now, ...

Driving innovation and creativity from within (feat. Kaihan Krippendorff)

28 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Are entrepreneurs the main drivers of innovation?    Conventionally, the most groundbreaking ideas are thought to come from entrepreneurs and execut...

Is a 4-Day Workweek viable? (feat. Joe Sanok)

15 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

For most executives and entrepreneurs, the four-day workweek feels like a pipe dream. When you’re working 50-60 hours a week, it’s hard to picture...

Finding Joy In and Outside of Work Through Dreams (feat. Dane Espegard)

01 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What if finding joy outside of work is one secret to finding joy at work? Think of the last time you felt true joy. Maybe it was going for a walk at t...

Dealing With People Who Won’t Get To The Point [Leadership Insight]

25 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How often do you find yourself interrupting someone? Wishing they’d get to the point? Willing them to just stop talking!   The reasons why people r...

Brain Optimization for Effective Leadership (feat. Lee Gerdes)

18 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Mental health and emotional well being aren’t just buzzwords anymore. Today, mental health is an essential component of the enlightened workplace an...

5 Outside-the-box Ideas for Professional + Personal Development [Leadership Insight]

11 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Happy 2022! This time of year always makes me excited to learn new things and grow as a person. A ‘growth mindset’ is one of the biggest indicator...

How Conscious Leaders Win the Game of Business (feat. Sophie McLean)

05 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

If business is a game, how do you play to win? As a leader, it’s natural to put pressure on yourself to avoid losing at all costs. The stakes are hi...

How to Get the Executive Presence You Want [Leadership Insight]

28 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever wondered how you could develop greater executive presence for yourself? Clarity, authority, and confidence are the three most important ...

The Importance of Sponsoring Women in the Workplace [Leadership Insight]

21 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

There’s a simple yet powerful tactic for driving the sort of diversity that bolsters the performance and health of your business. In a word: sponsor...