Welcome to my new podcast – Leadership is Feminine! I’m so happy you’re here. It’s my intention for this podcast to be a space for us to talk about the unique challenges that women leaders face. Let’s step into our strengths with confidence and quit trying to fit into a leadership model that is thousands of years old. Are you ready? Let’s go!

What you'll learn from this episode:

1. I love men. This is podcast is not a rant about men.
2. I see women trying to fit into a leadership model that is thousands of years old that requires tactics and approaches that don't suit them.
3. More about this leadership crisis.
4. The difference between masculine and feminine leadership skills.
5. Why the “soft skills” are harder to learn than the “hard skills.”
6. One of the main misconceptions about feminine leadership.
7. This first season we're focusing on reimagining and reinvention. There will be 13 episodes.
8. Kris’s goal is…

I'd really appreciate it if you would click the like button above and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!

Join us for How to CEO Week. Go to howtoceoweek.com.

© 2021 Kris Plachy

Are you experiencing the hiring and talent crisis right now? Instead of getting upset about the situation, let’s instead do some quick analysis of what matters to you so you can go about your business. We’ll talk about keeping an open mind in order to be creative, resourceful, resilient, and determined.

What you'll learn from this episode:

1. We are in a talent crisis.
2. Do a quick analysis of what matters to you - what am I missing? What am I willing to change? What am I willing to consider? What am I willing to pay?
3. Accept that the way you attracted and hired people in the past probably needs to change.
4. You hire people to deliver a result. What is the value of that result to you and to your company?
5. Are the results that you have committed to in your business realistic in this current market?
6. Do you need to change where you’re going in order to find people?

I'd really appreciate it if you would click the like button above and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!

Join us for How to CEO Week. Go to howtoceoweek.com.

© 2021 Kris Plachy

Did you know that you can always reinvent your business? I hesitate to say RE-invent only because it almost says that we're doing something again. But it’s actually less about RE-inventing, and more about IN-venting. We have all been very insidiously infused with what we think the world, life, leadership and business should look like. The world is ready for all sorts of new ideas about what it means to lead, run a company, create a company, and manage people, and we all need to be at the forefront of that. Let’s start today!

What you'll learn from this episode:

1. The plans to rebrand and change the name of this podcast.
2. Kris’s challenge choosing between a corporate job and starting a coaching business.
3. The question she asked herself that changed everything.
4. The episode titled Leadership is Feminine
5. Why you can always reinvent.
6. What would you like to invent or reinvent?

I'd really appreciate it if you would click the like button above and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!

Join us for How to CEO Week. Go to howtoceoweek.com.

© 2021 Kris Plachy

Leaders go through several phases of leadership. What phase are you in and do you feel like you’re struggling? Today we’re talking about getting to that level of leadership success where you’re attracting team members who genuinely want to thrive with you and will do so over and over again.

What you'll learn from this episode:

1. The different phases of leadership.
2. The first phase of leadership.
3. The growth phase of leadership.
4. The juice that drives the growth of your business.
5. Why leadership is not narcissistic.
6. The reward phase of leadership.
7. What servant leadership is.
8. What's given leadership such a bad rep.

I'd really appreciate it if you would click the like button above and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!

Find out more about the How to CEO Program here. https://krisplachycoaching.mykajabi.com/about-how-to-ceo

© 2021 Kris Plachy

Behavior is born out of emotions. So, whatever you feel drives your behavior - your actions in the world. And the only thing that we all can assess about one another is our actions. When a leader is cruel or mean, that’s someone who doesn't know how to manage an ego, who doesn't have self-awareness.

One of the cornerstones of effective leadership is self-awareness. So today we’re talking about leaders taking responsibility for their space and not holding other people accountable for their emotional health.

What you'll learn from this episode:

1. All I experience from you are the words that come out of your mouth, the tone that's in your voice, the things you do with your body.
2. Why, if you're in a position of authority, there’s no reason for you to use the negative emotion that translates into unmanaged behavior.
3. How the thought model comes into play regarding self-awareness.
4. Downton Abbey and not being a tool.
5. Why leadership is harder than being powerful.
6. How to tell when someone doesn't have self-awareness on a regular basis.

I'd really appreciate it if you would click the like button above and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!

Find out more about the How to CEO Program here. https://krisplachycoaching.mykajabi.com/about-how-to-ceo

© 2021 Kris Plachy

I know that you were born perfectly perfect. Your life “kit” was equipped with everything you need to live the life you want to live and to harness whatever you need to make things happen. But your kit didn’t come with instructions. So, this CEO tool allows you to use what you have without dictating to you who you're supposed to be. It leads to wisdom, and once you have wisdom, you can handle anything!

What you'll learn from this episode:

1. We were all designed perfectly, as was the “kit” we were given.
2. What’s missing from our kit – the “what’s included” sheet, directions for assembling and a picture of what an assembled kit is supposed to look like.
3. Many people get hung up looking at what other people’s assembled kits look like, and they think theirs should look the same – but we don’t all have the same kit.
4. Mimicking, copying, or duplicating other people doesn't help you develop what's in your kit.
5. The Remarkable allows me to use what I have, and then it follows me instead of it dictating to me who I'm supposed to be. It's a reflection of me. I don't have to fit into it.
6. In How to CEO, we give you all of the tools and the perspective and the support. Then you have knowledge. We then coach you so that you apply that knowledge to who you are and who you're designed to be. Then you have wisdom. And once you have wisdom, when it comes to leadership and management and the team part of your company, you can handle anything.

I'd really appreciate it if you would click the like button above and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!

Find out more about the How to CEO Program here. https://krisplachycoaching.mykajabi.com/about-how-to-ceo

© 2021 Kris Plachy

It’s normal for human beings to desire comfort and to avoid change, but working for an entrepreneur can be “disruptive.” We need our employees to come along with us. So, what do you do when you have employees who settle and become complacent? It’s not really their fault. The first person you have to look at -- is you.

What you'll learn from this episode:

1. How comfort and safety can become so much a part of what employees think and feel that they don't really take their job seriously anymore.
2. Complacency is a natural part of most relationships.
3. The importance of doing regular coaching sessions, one-on-one feedback sessions and some sort of performance agreement/review process.
4. If you’re feeling like you're not getting what you want from people on the team, like they don't share your level of enthusiasm - the first person to look at is you.
5. How having clear expectations and clear goals can help.
6. If they've been in the job for a while, shake it up. Challenge them a bit!

I'd really appreciate it if you would click the like button above and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!

Find out more about the How to CEO Program here. https://krisplachycoaching.mykajabi.com/about-how-to-ceo

© 2021 Kris Plachy

For women who run their own companies, taking a vacation can be a challenge. And FYI - going somewhere just so you're not in your house, but still working, is not vacation. That’s just going on a trip. That's virtual work. I’m talking about a real getaway from work!

What you'll learn from this episode:

1. The elements that go into being able to take a vacation.
2. The dream is the team. Do you have a team that supports you?
3. Why a clear business model and clear business processes are crucial.
4. Why we need job descriptions, clear goals and knowing what results we're trying to achieve.
5. The importance of developing your employees.
6. The reason you must let go of “perfection.”

I'd really appreciate it if you would click the like button above and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!

Find out more about the How to CEO Program here. https://krisplachycoaching.mykajabi.com/about-how-to-ceo

© 2021 Kris Plachy

Today we’re talking about “overwhelm” – probably in a way that you haven't thought or heard about it before – in hopes of providing you with some relief and the ability to move forward in a different way. Overwhelm is not an enemy - it's just an indicator light.

What you'll learn from this episode:

1. Kris’s personal experiences with overwhelm.
2. Why women need a place to go where they can just think and reflect and be filled up.
3. How our life’s trajectory changes over the years.
4. To the degree that you remain overwhelmed is parallel to the degree that you believe you are helpless to make change.
5. The importance of when you say “yes.”
6. Make a list of everything that you have on your plate, then really evaluate them from a feeling perspective.
7. You created this. You can totally deconstruct it.

I'd really appreciate it if you would click the like button above and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!

Find out more about the How to CEO Program here. https://krisplachycoaching.mykajabi.com/about-how-to-ceo

© 2021 Kris Plachy

Entrepreneurs are usually full of hustle. They’re scrappy and all about winning. And that works for a while, but it often leads to burn out and overwhelm. Despite all the winning, they may find that they don’t even love what they do anymore. Truth-be-told, scrappy and hustle isn’t a long term business strategy. Today we’re talking about the importance of “the way” - not just “the win.” So what does the way look like for you?

What you'll learn from this episode:

1. Entrepreneurs are often so focused on winning, winning, winning.
2. What the scrappy, hustle mentality looks like.
3. How many entrepreneurs lose the love for what they do.
4. What winning looks like for Kris and her team.
5. Determine what it is that you just “have to do” in your business – then find another way. Be a maverick!

I'd really appreciate it if you would click the like button above and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!

Find out more about the How to CEO Program here. https://krisplachycoaching.mykajabi.com/about-how-to-ceo

© 2021 Kris Plachy

If you’re having a hard time finding good talent, and nobody's coming to the interviews, or those who do come aren't the people you'd hire – listen in folks. Don’t come at this from a place of scarcity. Regroup and rethink the way you hire. This is about making your work environment the one that everybody wants to work for, and I can help you do that.

What you'll learn from this episode:

1. Vital lesson - you can do anything.
2. 2020 was the “what if” year.
3. There are really talented, ethical, honest, good people who want to work. You just have to attract them.
4. How you hired people 16 months ago probably needs to change.
5. Do you have an appealing, exciting, interesting, worth it place to work for the people you want to hire?
6. Be careful about slipping into certain belief systems; then you don't invest in opportunity.
7. How to be more competitive as an employer? Employee niche, vision and values, job description, compensation - this is all work I do in How to CEO with my clients.

I'd really appreciate it if you would click the like button above and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!

Find out more about the How to CEO Program here. https://krisplachycoaching.mykajabi.com/about-how-to-ceo

© 2021 Kris Plachy

So, you’re thinking about promoting someone in your business. How do you know if it’s really time – if they’re really ready? CEOs need some kind of litmus test to use when they're considering promoting someone. Here’s the test!

What you'll learn from this episode:

1. You should have a clear job description for this person’s current role - clear goals, and some sort of measurement process that you're following to tell you if this person is performing well in their current job.
2. Define the new role – a clear job description, the key objectives, and day-to-day responsibilities.
3. Interview that person against the new job description.
4. Have them do a project as a test.
5. The final hurdle - they must have a track record of consistent success.
6. Pay them based on the role they're going into, not based on what they're making now.
7. Who you promote speaks volumes about who you are and what you value.

I'd really appreciate it if you would click the like button above and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!

Find out more about the How to CEO Program here. https://krisplachycoaching.mykajabi.com/about-how-to-ceo

© 2021 Kris Plachy

These are the key roles every woman who is leading a business and running a life must have filled. Every female CEO needs these people in order to be supported – not just in her business, but everywhere in her life.

What you'll learn from this episode:

1. The importance of having someone who tells you the truth about money.
2. Having a person to help take care of you.
3. The necessity of a solid team.
4. You need a coach.
5. Why you must have a really good organization system.
6. Having a really good friend is so important.
7. Why you need a colleague who understands being an entrepreneur.

I'd really appreciate it if you would click the like button above and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!

Find out more about the How to CEO Program here. https://krisplachycoaching.mykajabi.com/about-how-to-ceo

© 2021 Kris Plachy

In today’s interview, Kris talks with Dr. Shanita Williams, a TEDx Speaker, HR Leader and author of the newly released book, Feedback Mentality: The key to unlocking and unleashing your potential. Shanita specializes in helping people S.I.F.T. through the feedback that causes anxiety or stress and gives ideas for taking action in a healthy way.

TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRnsF_L9atU

Feedback Mentality Book: https://www.amazon.com/Feedback-Mentality-unlocking-unleashing-potential-ebook/dp/B08KJTGH3V

Website: www.feedbackmentality.com

Instagram: Feedback_Mentality

What you'll learn from this episode:

1. How her book, Feedback Mentality, was born.
2. How someone can get conscious enough to really develop that feedback mentality.
3. “It’s the person giving the feedback that has to change the way they give it so I can hear it.” Why that’s a myth.
4. What it means to get clear about your own personal triggers.
5. Things to remember when delivering feedback.
6. Throwing stones versus stepping stones.

I'd really appreciate it if you would click the like button above and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!

Find out more about the How to CEO Program here. https://krisplachycoaching.mykajabi.com/about-how-to-ceo

© 2021 Kris Plachy

You know that person. The one who is jealous and full of envy and has to go out of her way to minimize anyone she believes is better than her or has more than her. She’s usually insulting, rude, dismissive, and mocking. She wants you to tone down your leadership and your role. She wants you to play small and dim your light.

That is the very thing we're trying to get away from as women. We have to be willing to honor the light of every woman we meet. And we have to be willing to honor it in ourselves. Don’t back down. Don’t apologize. Don’t minimize yourself and slow down, get quiet, be soft, dim your light. Don’t!

What you'll learn from this episode:

1. How the ladies interact with one another in the How to CEO program.
2. Kris’s daughter’s experience.
3. Why leadership is feminine.
4. Step back and look at how you treat the women who work for you.

I'd really appreciate it if you would click the like button above and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!

Find out more about the How to CEO Program here. https://krisplachycoaching.mykajabi.com/about-how-to-ceo

© 2021 Kris Plachy

So what is your “tax season”? Is it April 15th? Maybe it’s Christmas or Mother’s Day. But what about pre-season or post-season? The reason this is a problem, whatever your "season" is, is because you don't have the team to support you.

What you'll learn from this episode:

1. I'm not trying to minimize the level of work that people have. But we all have a tax season.
2. The importance of having a team that supports you.
3. Why you must get rid of the mind drama that says you can't leave because it won't be done without you.
4. The florist and taking time off.
5. Why it’s awful to become an entrepreneur in order to create a lifestyle for yourself, and then to chain yourself to your business and miss out or use it as an excuse.
6. Failure is a part of it all, and your team is going to fail whether you're sitting at your desk or whether you're in Tahiti. Let’s go to Tahiti!
7. When it’s time to hire more people.

I'd really appreciate it if you would click the like button above and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!

Find out more about the How to CEO Program here.

© 2021 Kris Plachy

I cannot believe how lucky I am to work with such amazing women leaders every. single. day. I had a Q & A call with a few of my current and former How to CEO clients and, I won't lie to you, it was FIRE. We discussed their motivations for joining the program, what it was like as they went through the course, and what they took away from it. I can't wait for you to listen!

What you'll learn from this episode:

1. Erika owns a commercialization company that helps pharmaceutical companies launch their brands.
2. Zahnia – CEO of Affinity Residential Care and Affinity Care MN.
3. Rebecca – real estate developer.
4. What has been the most potent, powerful, meaningful moment of learning that you didn’t expect?
5. Why invest in this kind of work?

I'd really appreciate it if you would click the like button above and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!

Find out more about the How to CEO Program here. https://krisplachycoaching.mykajabi.com/how2ceo-bring-it

© 2021 Kris Plachy

Has your shining team member turned into a shiny team member? The terms are pretty similar, but the motivation of each is quite different. The ugly truth is that they can’t be rehabilitated. So, let’s talk about what to do when those high-performing types become business-destroying, gobbling-up creatures.

What you'll learn from this episode:

1. A shining team member is someone who is luminous and illuminates the entire team. When they shine, everybody else shines.
2. A shiny team member is busy focusing on their own light. Their light doesn’t extend out to others. It actually does the opposite.
3. A high-performing, business-destroying monster believes that they are untouchable. They are arrogant, demanding, entitled, privileged, noisy, and even in some cases, threatening.
4. You feel that losing them in your business would be so catastrophic that you can't see past it.
5. Here's how to handle the high-performing, business-destroying monster.

I'd really appreciate it if you would click the like button above and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!

Find out more about the How to CEO Program here. https://krisplachycoaching.mykajabi.com/how2ceo-bring-it

© 2021 Kris Plachy

Accountability - making a commitment and then following through on it. You wouldn’t think it’s that hard to do, right? Yet every day, we are surrounded by people who think they’re above accountability. And many leaders, in order to avoid difficult conversations, let it go. They don’t address it, and therein lies the quagmire. We leaders are negatively reinforcing the very behaviors we say we don't want. So here’s my suggestion…

What you'll learn from this episode:

1. The responses people demonstrate as a result of being confronted with their own lack of results.
2. People-pleasing and the lack of accountability.
3. Accountability and the entitled generation.
4. Spiderman and accountability - with great power comes great responsibility.
5. Holding onto people because we're afraid to address their performance is diminishing the ability and the engagement of the people we really want.
6. How to change all that – and change the world!

I'd really appreciate it if you would click the like button above and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!

Find out more about the How to CEO Program here. https://krisplachycoaching.mykajabi.com/how2ceo-bring-it

© 2021 Kris Plachy

Being firm and serious when you need to be is important, but if overused, it can lose its authority and make you unapproachable. Real laughter is a form of connection. I think that leaders who laugh and have fun create better cultures. They create a connection that's based on authenticity and truth - and that is one of the most potent forms of engagement.

What you'll learn from this episode:

1. Why levity is a leadership skill.
2. The reason integrating laughter into your work is so critical.
3. Why laughter, when you're in a leadership role, is so contagious.
4. Laughter is the best medicine, and "truth be told, those of us who know this also make the best healers." ~ Kris

I'd really appreciate it if you would click the like button above and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!

Advanced Leadership Coach Certification is currently open for registration. Get more details here.

© 2021 Kris Plachy

In today’s interview, Kris talks with Meha Agrawal, South Asian American CEO and founder of Silk + Sonder. Silk + Sonder is a community-driven program which is rooted in principles of positive psychology whose mission is to solve the emotional health epidemic for their customers. At its core, Silk + Sonder is a space for mindfulness, journaling, planning, tracking, and creative expression — all in one.

What you'll learn from this episode:

1. What the word “sonder” means.
2. Meha’s compelling reason for creating Silk + Sonder.
3. Why Meha felt her bootstrap business required some injected capital.
4. What it was like building her team.
5. Meha’s biggest mistake as she was growing her team.
6. How to vet people you want to bring on to your team.
7. Meha’s favorite books – see links below.
8. The thought leaders Meha follows.
9. What is a “dream manager” and how could it fit in at Silk + Sonder?
10. Valuable advice from Meha to other women.

I'd really appreciate it if you would click the like button above and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!

If you are a female entrepreneur leading her own business, trying to figure out how to deal with all things "team," go to howtoceoregister.com for more information.

© 2021 Kris Plachy

Vulnerability is not just about making yourself susceptible to physical or emotional harm – it can also be a mechanism for growth and connection with others. Tune in to find out how being vulnerable can help make you, as a female entrepreneur, an exceptionally powerful leader.

What you'll learn from this episode:

1. What you are blocking yourself from when you prevent yourself from being vulnerable.
2. The difference between vulnerability and exposure.
3. How to let your guard down and be vulnerable.

I'd really appreciate it if you would click the like button above and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!

Today, Monday, April 5th, is the last day to register for How To CEO. We start this Thursday, April 8th, with a whole new group of amazing rock star women. If you are a female entrepreneur leading her own business, trying to figure out how to deal with all things "team," go to howtoceoregister.com.

© 2021 Kris Plachy

Today we’re talking about some warning signs to watch out for when you’re hiring a new employee. You’ve probably experienced some, or all, of these. And out of desperation, you may have found yourself making excuses for them or overlooking them. So I’m here to validate that these really are warning signs that an employee isn’t going to work out.

What you'll learn from this episode:

1. Why someone who is late to an interview is a warning sign.
2. Why you should have everybody do an assignment before you hire them.
3. It’s a bad sign when someone calls in sick when they first get started with you.
4. Why someone who immediately starts making excuses and justifying it is another red flag.
5. How overall dismissal or tone deafness is a warning sign.

I'd really appreciate it if you would click the like button above and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!

Registration is open for, How To CEO. If you are a female entrepreneur leading her own business, trying to figure out how to deal with all things "team" - like hiring, firing, holding people accountable, having difficult conversations, getting work done through others, delegating, dealing with difficult employees, how to coach versus how to manage - go to howtoceoregister.com.

© 2021 Kris Plachy

I have noticed that many of my clients seem to fall into two polarizing positions. They either end up in a feeling of total helplessness or a place of arrogance. Ironically, the results are the same. Your confidence is priceless, but it’s not something you can just compensate for by hiding or abdicating. Here’s my suggestion …

What you'll learn from this episode:

1. About “I can’t” and the feeling of helplessness.
2. What content / advice consumption is and why it happens.
3. About “I shouldn’t have to…” and arrogance.
4. Why you must learn the people part.

I'd really appreciate it if you would click the like button above and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!

We’re opening up early registration for the How to CEO program starting on March 23, 2021. Go to HowtoCEOregister.com and make sure you’re on the invitation list! There are some cool perks / extra bonuses if you register early – like the Managing Overwhelm digital course and a resource guide that will have all of the key worksheets that we provide to our clients.

© 2021 Kris Plachy

We all deal with the emotion of anger every now and then. There's nothing wrong with that. But we don't have to work out our anger with other people.

As leaders, sometimes we forget that we already command authority just because of our role - our title. We automatically carry the biggest stick, and arguing for us, is not a good look. It doesn't create a constructive culture, and I believe as leaders, there is no place for us to participate in that. Ever.

So, let’s talk about how not to indulge an arguer – and how not to be one ourselves.

What you'll learn from this episode:

1. Much of our perspective about how to communicate comes from our family of origin.
2. What’s considered “arguing.”
3. What to do in that moment – instead of indulging the “arguer.”
4. How to deal with someone on the team who is an arguer.
5. What to do if you are the arguer.
6. Arguing as a form of manipulation.

I'd really appreciate it if you would click the like button above and leave a review if your favorite podcast app has that ability. Thank you!

The next How to CEO program starts in April. People on the interest list find out about things sooner than people who aren't. Go to HowtoCEOregister.com to get on that list!

© 2021 Kris Plachy