Leaderful

Fractional Leadership and the role of the Operational Integrator with Lindsay Sheldrake

In this episode of the Leaderful Podcast, Pablo and Jeff are joined by Lindsay Sheldrake to discuss how fractional COOs can help leaders get out of operational quicksand and into their strategic role(s), activate people around vision through focus and with trust, and operationalize power through more conscious ways of working. 
Lindsay Sheldrake is a wife, a mother, a project manager, a purpose-driven leader—and a trusted advisor at The Ally Co. 
Be sure to connect with Lindsay on LinkedIn!
The Leaderful Podcast explores human-centred, systems-conscious approaches to leadership and building high-functioning teams. We focus on the core problems of burnout, disconnection, conflict, misuses of power, unethical leadership and stuckness on teams and within organizations. 
Also mentioned in this episode: 
Leadership support 
The power dynamic (up-power and down-power) 
Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) 
The Four Disciplines of Execution (4DX) framework 
Have suggestions for topics we should be exploring? We’d love to hear them!
Here’s where you can find us:  
Website 
Email (team@theallyco.world)
LinkedIn 

Revisiting 'Leaderful' teams

In this episode of The Leaderful Podcast, we reflect on the last three years of The Ally Co.'s purpose and mission to create 'leaderful' teams.
🤔 What does being 'leaderful' mean and what have we been observing (and learning)?
A few insights from our conversation about creating 'leaderfulness' on teams:
🧭 Foundational Alignment -- Leaderful teams are foundationally aligned on the impact (goals, outcomes, objectives) they are seeking to accomplish as a collective, and how their core values are expected to be operationalized through key decisions, actions, and behaviours.
🌟 Power & Communication -- Leaderful teams are aware of the power dynamics and systemic forces at play for them, and therefore regularly create space for engaging in deep listening, meaningful dialogue, and purposeful direction activities.
🎁 Safety & Feedback -- Leaderful teams engage in healthy tension and conflict, by creating inclusive and safe spaces for team members to regularly (and meaningfully) request, provide, and make sense of feedback - for the sake of connection, innovation, and performance.
🛶 Traction & Accountability -- Leaderful teams elevate each other - individually and collectively - by regularly clarifying and recognizing their roles, responsibilities, and contributions. They hold each other accountable, ask for help, and celebrate their learnings (misses and all).
🔒 Connection & Trust -- There is a richness that comes from embracing diverse thoughts and perspectives, particularly from those who have been marginalized. Inclusivity not only drives innovation but also builds deeper connections and trust.
 
Learn more about our work with impact-conscious leaders by visiting our website, joining the conversation on LinkedIn or dropping us a note at team@theallyco.world.

Operationalizing Values for Alignment and Impact

In this episode of The Leaderful Podcast, Pablo and Jeff reflect on a part of our work that we've been doing more and more of with impact-conscious leaders and their teams - helping them with the operationalization of their core organizational values.
📽 Here are some takeaways!
🧭 Defining & Clarifying Values -- Many organizations and teams stop at nice-sounding lists with one-word values. This means they often miss out on the benefits of clearly articulated expectations for key behaviours associated (and maybe more importantly, not associated) with their values. Performative value statements can lead to misalignment, disconnection, distrust.
🏗 Core vs. Other Types of Values -- Distinguishing core values from 'table-stakes', 'permission-to-play," and/or 'aspirational' values, is important. Core values are the cornerstones or foundation of a team's or organization's culture. They help foster shared connection, understanding, alignment, and agreement. They are powerful drivers for high-functioning teams, if operationalized in the right way.
📢 Feedback & Accountability -- Establishing regular feedback rhythms is key for the collective operationalization of values. Clearly (and consciously) communicating the do and don't behaviours of your core values - through recognition, story-telling, and coaching - is how people will come to internalize and align their behaviours collectively.
Thank you for listening, and let us know what other topics you think we should be exploring!
 
Learn more about our work with impact-conscious leaders by visiting our website, joining the conversation on LinkedIn or dropping us a note at team@theallyco.world.

Activating Genuine Leadership and Culture Change with Trusted Advising

In this episode of The Leaderful Podcast, Co.CEOs (Pablo Romero and Jeff Couillard) reflect on TACO's journey this past year. Part of their discussion focused on the latest positioning of our offerings in today's leadership and culture space, and what's become clearer in our work to create leaderful teams. 
Some highlights from the conversation: 
⚡ Foundational Alignment & Leaderfulness -- Any meaningful change (e.g. developing adaptive capacity) requires power-based and systems-conscious leadership. The cultivation of awareness, skill, and alignment across organizational levels starts at the top.  
🔄 Purposeful Direction & Ways of Working -- Leaders must clearly communicate how values will be (and not be) operationalized, and what expectations they have of themselves and others in aligning organizational intention and impact. How a team works together - decision-making, feedback, meetings, etc. - should reflect its core values, priorities, and intended impact.  
🌟 Trusted Advising for Impact-Conscious Leaders -- TACO is focused on supporting leaders and teams who want to use their power to positively disrupt outdated thinking, systems, and ways of working. Our two core leadership archetypes are known as Courageous Activists and Supporting Sponsors.  
🧩 Getting Unstuck & Achieving Clarity -- TACO's Trusted Advisor work helps leaders and their teams to get unstuck by helping them to cultivate new levels of awareness, skill, and capacity. This involves exploring behavioral patterns, redesigning workflows and processes, and fostering deeper levels of connection and performance. 

Navigating Leadership: Equity, Data, and the Power of Relationships

Co.CEOs Jessica Xiomara García and Emily Drake of Learning for Action - an organization helping create and support equitable learning cultures in the social sector - join Jeff and Pablo to discuss the nuances of harmonizing equity-grounded and data-informed approaches into organizational practices.  
Listen in as they explore: 
Co.CEO origins stories => Giving us insight into how Emily and Jessica's personal backgrounds and experiences helped shape their leadership and operational philosophies at Learning for Action. 
Equity-Grounded Leadership => Integrating attention to power, privilege, and identity to better serve our diverse communities. 
Data-Informed Decision-Making => Staying conscious of an over-reliance on quantitative methods, and valuing participatory and qualitative data. 
Relational Integrity => Working from the inside-out to develop alignment through equitable practices that foster healthy tension and debate and inform purposeful direction. 
The Direction of Social Sector Consulting => Sharing thoughts on how consulting practices can evolve to better support learning, effectiveness, and equity in the social sector. 
About Jessica and Emily
Jessica Xiomara García is a dedicated advocate for racial equity and social justice with over fifteen years of experience at LFA. She excels in directing research projects, facilitating engagements, and providing diversity, equity, and inclusion consulting. Jessica brings a deep expertise in youth development, women’s empowerment, and environmental education. 
Emily Boer Drake brings twenty years of nonprofit and philanthropic sector experience, specializing in learning systems, capacity building, and evaluation frameworks. Emily's expertise lies in understanding organizational dynamics, implementing learning questions, and customizing learning systems to match organizational culture and resources. 
Thank you for tuning in!
Interested in learning more about The Ally Co.?
Find us on LinkedIn
Explore our model for leaderful workplace cultures
Connect with our Co.CEOs Jeff Couillard and Pablo Romero  
 

Designing and leading meaningful DEI and systems change with Denyelle Fraser

Consultant, designer and strategist in the field of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), Denyelle Fraser, joins our Co.CEO Jeff Couillard to discuss the opportunities and challenges of leading sustainable and systems-conscious change and transformation projects with an EDI focus.
Listen in as they explore:
The importance of moving beyond EDI check-box initiatives
The value of centering the voices and perspectives of the people being served
Denyelle's experience helping teams design and deliver more equitable and just services
The Onion Tool from Community Wise Resource Centre
About Denyelle
As an equity-based designer, Denyelle brings a unique perspective to the table, focusing not only on driving systems change using innovative approaches, but also on designing for equity and social impact. She has a deep understanding of the ways in which design can be used as a tool for creating positive social change and is committed to using her skills to embed equity, diversity, and inclusion into all aspects of an organization.Outside of her work, Denyelle is a textbook introvert that values family time with her husband and 2 yr old. A true Torontonian at heart, still adjusting to "Yahoo" since her move to Calgary in 2021. And a lover of "mockumentary" style tv sitcoms. 
Connect with her on LinkedIn here.

Psychological safety, empowerment and building neuroinclusive workplaces with Dave Thompson

Educator, innovator and advocate in the field of neurodiversity employment, Dave Thompson, joins our Co.CEO Jeff Couillard to discuss the opportunities and challenges of fostering psychologically safe workplaces for neurodiverse employees - and how that effort benefits everyone.
Listen in as they explore:
The importance of 'challenger safety' 
How coaching is for everyone - not just neurodivergent employees
How to make sense of common terminology
Dave's experience helping teams foster more meaningful connection and neuro-friendly workplaces
About Dave
As Director of Strategic Programs for Potentia, Dave supports companies in becoming more neuroinclusive through training on best practices, as well as recruiting and providing ongoing support to neurodistinct professionals.His work is fed by a desire to see the world of work continue to evolve through increased opportunity, flexibility, empathy, acceptance, and support for neurodistinct professionals. He believes that diversity, including neurodiversity, makes the world of work a better, more productive, innovative and understanding place.Outside of his work, Dave is a proud father, husband and punk rocker. 🎸
Find him on LinkedIn here.
Interested in learning more about The Ally Co.?
Find us on LinkedIn
Explore our upcoming Transformational Leadership workshops
Connect with our Co.CEOs Jeff Couillard and Pablo Romero
 

Leading with empathy, vulnerability and compassion in the workplace with Rod Miller

Connector, Culture Catalyst and Executive Coach, Rod Miller, joins our Co.CEO's Jeff Couillard and Pablo Romero to discuss the evolving world of work, leading with empathy, developing your people and navigating the rapidly changing landscape of work and life.
 
Listen in as they explore:
The importance of creating psychologically safe spaces
Practices and insights for staying grounded and present 
The importance of feedback and humility as a leader
How the pandemic accelerated the re-design of our work lives
About Rod
Be sure to connect with Rod on LinkedIn and let him know what you enjoyed or found insightful in this episode!
 
Interested in learning more about The Ally Co.?
Find us on LinkedIn
Explore our upcoming Transformational Leadership workshops
Connect with our Co.CEOs Jeff Couillard and Pablo Romero

Making power visible, negotiable and useful with Joe Cardillo

Founder, Coach and Advisor, Joe Cardillo, joins our Co.CEO Jeff Couillard to discuss how middle managers can use power to create meaningful change.
 
Listen in as they explore:
The importance of making power dynamics visible and transparent
Advice for middle managers on navigating values and performance tensions
Why power awareness is foundational to ethical leadership
Why meaningful change requires building social capital
About Joe
Be sure to connect with Joe on LinkedIn, and let them know what you enjoyed or found insightful in this episode!
 
Interested in learning more about The Ally Co.?
Find us on LinkedIn
Explore our upcoming Transformational Leadership workshops
Connect with our Co.CEOs Jeff Couillard and Pablo Romero

Exploring the ’intention vs. impact gap’ with Pablo Romero and Jeff Couillard

​Our Co.CEO's Pablo Romero and Jeff Couillard discuss the 'intention vs. impact' gap, and share practical steps leaders can take to close it.
 
Listen in as they explore:
The core drivers and indicators of problems/opportunities that exist within the intention vs. impact gap
Why 'real' underlying problems don't get identified without conscious and skilled discovery work
How leaders can approach doing meaningful discovery work 
The role of practitioners and consultants in holding the bigger picture and facilitating conscious sense-making
Interested in learning more about The Ally Co.?
Find us on LinkedIn
Explore our model for leaderful workplace cultures
Connect with our Co.CEOs Jeff Couillard and Pablo Romero