Leadership Kung Fu
Leadership Kung Fu is a podcast designed for agile leaders, created by executive coaches Sandi Verrecchia and Jennifer T Long. The show focuses on sharing best business development practices, self-improvement tips, and insights into high-performance leadership. It features conversations with guests and offers the hosts' seasoned coaching perspectives on a variety of industry-related topics.
Episodes
72 - When Did Activity Become Evidence of Performance?
Welcome back to Leadership Kung Fu! Too busy for this episode, or is it maybe something deeper? Sandi and Jen have a rare in-person podcast together where they discuss being busy versus productivity and how you're measuring progress might be holding you back. Listen along as they tackle: The role of KPI The easiness of "being busy" The art of smart goal setting Avoiding the burnout from the pres
71 - Accountability Without Authority: When You Have to Manage and Feel Like You Can't
Welcome to Episode 71 of Leadership Kung Fu! Have you ever been in a leadership position where there were boundaries or stipulations on your leadership role? If so, this episode is for you! Join Sandi and Jen as they cover what contained leadership can feel like, with topics such as: What happens when leaders are given responsibilities but no decision-making power When you become complicit in t
70 - The Future of Competitive Advantage with Doug Stephens
Plan for the future, episode 70 of Leadership Kung Fu is here! Today Jen and Sandi welcome Doug Stephens to the show to talk about his latest book The Future of Competitive Advantage: A Business Plan to Save Your Customers, Your Company, and Democracy and how to navigate a leadership role in an uncertain business world. Join them in their dive into the texts and discuss: Doug's accolades as an
69 - Leadership and All This Uncertainty: Do Better
Welcome to episode 69 of Leadership Kung Fu! When times feel uncertain and people are dealing with so much both in and outside of the workplace, where does that put leadership? Jen and Sandi say "Do better!" Join them on this episode as they tackle: The role of the passing of time Why it's a non-HR issue What influences decision-making and the impact it can have Value vs. price increase The corpo
68 - Disagree and Commit: Real Dissent, Psychological Safety and Accountability in Action
Let's create space, it's episode 68 of Leadership Kung Fu! How do you like our new art and look? Many workplaces feel like disagreeing is stopping progress, when in reality, it can be the beginning of it! Jen and Sandi sit down in episode 68 to encourage you to make room for dissent by discussing: Why creating space is currently not happening in workforces The role of Psychological Safety in crea
67 - Expectation Drift: How Vague Leadership Breaks Execution
Welcome to episode 67 of Leadership Kung Fu! If you've ever come up empty-handed when searching for answers from a leader, or your team is divided on what they thought the project completion standard was, you might have experienced Expectation Drift! Sandi and Jen jump in to tackle this topic to help teams and leaders identify and get ahead of a potential problem. Listen along as they discuss: Wh
66 - Stop Outsourcing Thinking: Rebuilding Your Team's Problem-Solving Muscles
It's critical that you know that Episode 66 of Leadership Kung Fu is here! Welcome to February's topic of what outsourcing thinking actually does to your team and how your practices can keep the problem-solving muscles healthy. Sandi and Jen dive right into: How the cost of time with critical thinking is a lie Low accountability and leaderned helplessness The role of psychological safety System
65 - Strategy is Not a Slide Deck
Starting off 2026 strong, it's episode 65 of Leadership Kung Fu! Join Sandi and Jen in this new year as they revisit the topic of strategy in the workplace and how to get it unstuck from your meeting slide deck and out in action in your workforce. Listen along as they discuss: Strategy to action How strategies from Q4 are looking in Q1 Personal anecdotes The importance of your "No" list Facing t
64 - Your New Leader Isn't Ready (Yet!)
Start making plans, episode 64 of Leadership Kung Fu is here! Jen and Sandi are thinking about the future on today's episode and discussing workplace succession plans! What happens when your CEO has a medical event? Can someone easily take over if your manager has a family emergency? Who steps in when retirements are announced? Join Sandi and Jen as they cover how you and your team can think ahea
63 - Strategic Momentum: The Discipline of Aligned Action
Our actions have aligned to bring you Episode 63 of Leadership Kung Fu! Join Sandi and Jen as they excitedly tackle the topic of aligned action and how your teams' strategies can hinge upon it. Dive in with them as they cover: What gets in the way of aligned action Fragmented ownership Working in silos vs. moving forward collectively Decisions vs. feedback Where incentives knock you out of alignm
62 - First Moves Matter: Helping a New Leader
New to the group, it's episode 62 of Leadership Kung Fu! Sandi and Jen are enthusiastic about today's topic of new leaders and how you and your organization can set them up for success and if you're a new leader, how to tackle that transition with flying colors. Listen in as they discuss: common new leader hurdles and transition difficulties how values shift in a new role the art of letting go wh
61 - From Talking to Doing: Why Leadership Teams Stall
Welcome to episode 61 of Leadership Kung Fu! Jen and Sandi are talking the talk and walking the walk to bring you today's topic: why leadership teams can stall! Settle in as they chat about: Words are nice, but action is important Stalling due to fear of conflict Feeling safe in the workplace How multiple priorities can actually be a hindrance Corporate whiplash and fatigue Alignment vs. account
60 - The Art of the Mid-Year Check In
Ready for some self reflection? Here's episode 60 of Leadership Kung Fu! Sandi and Jen are asking us to take some time and join them a moment as they chat about the importance of a mid-year check in, not just with our teams, but with ourselves too! Listen along as they highlight: The importance of sense-making Measuring your efficacy, not your results How often are you getting feedback? Your le
59 - Conscious Un-Bossing: The New Distaste for Managing
It's a group effort over here on Leadership Kung Fu, so we're glad you're here for episode 59! Join Jen and Sandi as they dissect the topic of Concious Un-Bossing, and listen along as they cover: Jen's NEW book Workers are the Solution, Not the Problem: A Guidebook to Leading Differently how Gen Z is bringing changes to the workplace conscious uncoupling what it means to start to change a workpla
58 - Leading Hybrid and Remote
Travel back in time with Jen and Sandi as they chat about a topic that's not necessarily new, but is certainly still a topic of discussion: working remotely and hybrid workforces! Whether you're taking a break in the breakroom or moving laundry in between meetings, listen along as Jen and Sandi discuss: The importance of asking questions and the weight of listening a brief conversation about how
57 - Reactive Fist, Broken Mind: The Cost of Fearful Leadership
Don't be afraid, it's a new episode of Leadership Kung Fu! This episode is all about fearful leadership and what that can cost your place of business. Jen and Sandi waste no time diving into what can truly be at stake when leadership takes a reactive instead of a strategic approach. Listen along as they delve into: what can trigger reactive leadership how you show up and how that can impact your
56 - Deflect and Redirect: Handling Conflict Like a Kung Fu Master
How to deal with conflict can be, well, confliciting! In this episode, Jen and Sandi tackle the topic of conflict and how knowing yourself can aid you in knowing how to conquer conflict! Listen along as they cover: why conflict can be good for leaders the different types of conflict how to identify what your own conflict behavior is what harm withdrawing from conflict can do the role of EQ (emo
55 - Leading with Clarity-Debunking Leadership Myths
Welcome to Episode 55 of Leadership Kung Fu! Jen and Sandi are back after a shiny new rebrand and a first episode of 2025! To start out this year, listen along as they tackle topics such as: what has changed within things you subscribe to and how the workplace is different than what it was 10/15+ years ago how "no" is not a bad word in the workplace vulnerability is a good, healthy thing not al
54 - The Art of Goal Setting, Keeping, and Achieving
Happy holidays from Organizational Transformational Kung Fu: The Podcast! Jen and Sandi are looking to the future this week and talk about goals and how to set them, keep them, and meet them! Follow along as they chat about: their year in review what reflection can do for you and writing vs. typing/digital record keeping hard vs. soft transformations the role of practice and support in discipline
53 - Listening as a Leader
In this week's episode of OT Kung Fu, Jen and Sandi revisit the types of listening they talked about with author Sean Grace and ponder how the listening types affect us in the workplace. Join them as they cover: how virtual calls have affected listening the importance of body language what curiosity really does for you conversational blindspots levels of learning Neha Sangwan's book TalkRx: Five
52 - Say What? The Art of the Question with Author Sean Grace
Welcome back to OT Kung Fu: The Podcast! Sandi and Jen are joined this week by the incredible author Sean Grace! From Sean's website: "Sean Grace is a communication consultant, author, coach, and speaker, with over 25 years of experience developing and training sales, marketing, and leadership talent across diverse industries. His unique brand of business consulting is forged from his long career
51 - Conversations on Change with Curtis Bateman
Welcome to Episode 51 of OT Kung Fu: The Podcast! Joining Jen and Sandi this week is Curtis Bateman, co-author of Change: How to Turn Uncertainty Into Opportunity and vice president of direct international offices for FranklinCovey. From the FranklinCovey site: "With over twenty-five years of experience in the training industry, Curtis is an internationally recognized presenter,
50 - Thinking About Hidden Potential by Adam Grant
It's OT Kung Fu's 50th episode! We have another book review episode, this week featuring Hidden Potential by Adam Grant! Join Jen and Sandi while they cover topics like: -Performance Reviews and how they have changed from potential to goal-oriented -How imperfect leaders are more beneficial than "perfect" leaders -How meeting folks where there are at instead of where you want them to be cultivates
49 - Leadership and Building Organizational Capacity with Todd Conklin
You made it to the end of July, and we have a new episode of OT Kung Fu for you to celebrate and gear up before a new month begins tomorrow! Jen and Sandi are joined on this episode by Dr. Todd Conklin, author of Pre-Accident Investigations: An Introduction to Organizational Safety as well as host of his organizational safety podcast of the same name. From his website: "Todd Conklin spent 2
48 - Influence as a Strategy: Getting Better Outcomes with Others
Happy Summer! Beat the heat with Sandi and Jen and listen along as they tackle the topic of influence (as a person, not for social media)! Today they cover: How reciprocity is different within the workplace How you show up as a leader to your peers vs. to your boss The traits of a successful workplace influencer Their love and use of the EverythingDiSC® by Wiley within training they have done Neg
47 - Work-Life Bloom with author Dan Pontefract
We have a real treat for listeners today! Jen and Sandi are joined by award-winning author Dan Pontefract to talk about his new book Work-Life Bloom: How to Nurture a Team that Flourishes! From his website: "Dan is a renowned keynote speaker who has presented at four TED events and delivers approximately 50 keynotes annually. He is an adjunct professor at the University of Victoria's Gustavson Sch
46 - Critical Thinking and Problem Solving for Teams: A Red Teaming Review
Welcome back to OT Book Club, er, we mean OT Kung Fu! Jen and Sandi invite you to listen in as they discuss "Red Teaming: How Your Business Can Conquer the Competition by Challenging Everything" by Bryce G. Hoffman. Enjoy the ASMR of Jen and Sandi flipping through to their favorite parts and points of the book and chatting about how you can empower your teams to think critically in tough situatio
45 - The Customer Experience and a Coaching Approach with Dan Coldwell
Happy February Podcast! Jen and Sandi are joined by Dan Coldwell this week, a colleague of Sandi's at Satori Consulting, Inc. Dan has 30 years of experience in financial services as an executive and industry speaker and has also served as chief marketing and chief operations officer in past positions. He is a hockey certified coach, and he "cross-pollinates" (as he puts it) between the business an
44 - Transformational Leadership with Cara Cameron
Happy first podcast of 2024! We're starting out this new year with a treat for you- Jen and Sandi are joined by Sandi's colleague Cara Cameron, who holds the position of Chief Future of Work for Mutual Insurance. She has worked in Human Resources for over 15 years and is passionate about developing leaders. With her Chief Future of Work position, she is able to better analyze how the changing work
43 - Change Starts with You
Surprise! One additional episode before the New Year! This week, Jen and Sandi discuss changes in the workplace and how those changes come about. It all starts from the same place: you! Join them as they cover: -how change is not linear, but dynamic -how to go about thinking about change and understanding the "why" of change -how changing requires vulnerability -the Pyramid of Readiness model by
42 - Leveraging Mastermind Groups to Grow Yourself and Your Business with Julie Ellis
Happy December! This week, Jen and Sandi are joined by fellow entrepreneur and author Julie Ellis! Join the trio as they discuss: -Julie's start with Mabel's Labels and how she scales her leadership systems for different sized teams at different revenue numbers - Julie's new Mastermind project: a peer-reviewed mentorship for women in business and how to scale your successes -What evolutions take
41 - Strong Leaders Know They Are Imperfect
In this episode of OT Kung Fu, join Jen and Sandi as they dive into how strong leaders are able to recognize their own shortcomings to encourage their own growth and stability as leaders. Topics in this episode include: - self reflection and the act of identifying your own insecurities and how that is a helpful skill -Imposter syndrome -The Johari Window -Humility and learning from mistakes -How b
40 - Leadership Training at the Top
Join Jen and Sandi LIVE from New York (not on Saturday Night, unfortunately) as they discuss how often the teams at the top and how the top team can be skipped when they start investing in team learning and workplace learning. They touch on the importance of top teams always checking in with their own learning as organizational health can shift and grow. Editor's note: due the location and way of
39 - Psychological Safety and Accountability
Sandi and Jen explore the topic of what it means when someone feels psychologically safe in a workplace and where that starts for us, and what effect that can have on workplace accountability. For Sandi's website, Click Here For Jen's website, Click Here Have a question, comment, or topic for Sandi and Jen? Leave us a comment in the box below!
38 - Getting Results from DEI Efforts
Jen and Sandi take on a relevant topic of DEI- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion within the workplace to ensure it's not just a token requirement that is met simply to tick a box. They round out Pride Month by placing the workplace and ourselves under the microscope with how to we recognize and shift into DEI mindsets. For Sandi's website, Click Here For Jen's website, Click Here
37 - Meeting Disciplines
Join Sandi and Jen as they tackle the topic of meetings, the kind of people who show up to them, and what makes a meeting actually worth your time to attend. As the nature of meetings has changed in recent years, Jen and Sandi encourage reflection on the hows and whys of meetings and their attendees at their cores. For Sandi's website, Click Here For Jen's website, Click Here
36 - Coaching Leaders
Join Sandi and Jen as they dive into what it takes and means to coach leaders and how to encourage them and keep them as new folks are stepping into leadership roles. They also discuss how leaders can learn and adapt that "coaching" role as modern leadership takes on more than previous years. For Sandi's website, Click Here For Jen's website, Click Here
35 - Establishing Teams and Team Norms
Jen and Sandi come to you today talking about what it a team truly is and what it takes to establish that team and the normalities needed for the team to function cohesively and productively. For Sandi's website, Click Here For Jen's website, Click Here
34 - Good Strategy, Bad Strategy
Join Sandi and Jen as they discuss good strategies in the workplace versus bad ones, and how to get your team through both. Listen in as they discuss some of their favorite strategy authors, resources, and inspirations to navigate process and product. For Sandi's website, Click Here For Jen's website, Click Here
33 - Leading in Stressful Times
This week, Jen and Sandi discuss the workplace post-pandemic, and the humanness of the stresses that are sourced from the adaptations we've had to make. They offer some solutions to keeping yourself and your team stress-free while navigating hybrid work environments. For Sandi's website, Click Here For Jen's website, Click Here
32 - Retention
Sandi and Jen meet to discuss retention of employees in the workplace and what that looks like in 2023. With much of the workforce now remote, what can managers and leaders do to keep them engaged, and what does that look like versus those who wanted to come back to the office? Tune in to hear how things have changed and how to navigate the waves of management. For Sandi's website, Click Here For
31 – Strategic Whiplash
Jen and Sandi discuss VUCA-Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity and what the impact of changing strategies can bring to the pace of our lives and the business world. What events in the workplace give us whiplash, and how do we come out of it? For Sandi's website, Click Here For Jen's website, Click Here
30 - Neuroscience of Accountability
Sandi and Jen interview Reut Schwartz-Hebron. Reut, Sandi and Jen discuss how accountability interacts with neuroscience and how that affects work and life. Reut trains and supports coaches, consultants, and HR leaders to complete their Certification in Applied Neuroscience. Click Here to learn more about Reut Schwartz-Hebron For Sandi's website, Click Here For Jen's website, Click Here
29 - Own Up! Drama Free Accountability
Sandi interviews her co-host, Jen about her new book: Own Up! How to Hold People Accountable without all the Drama. Jen and Sandi talk about what is in the book and go through the Six Ownership Steps model of Accountability™ for Mangers and Leaders. Click Here buy and get more info about the Own Up! book
28 - Better Communication thru Better Listening
Sandi and Jen talk about listening being the key to communication and that good listening is a big part of being an effective leader. They also go over active and advanced listening as well as 'listening in judgement' vs 'listening in discovery'. For Sandi's website, Click Here For Jen's website, Click Here
27 - Getting Clear on Vision
Sandi and Jen discuss what Vision is for business. They talk about Vision vs Mission statement. They also go over how story works with Vision to keep it front of mind for everyone, how to create a business vision and they touch on how personal vision will help engagement. For Sandi's website, Click Here For Jen's website, Click Here
Episode026 Own Your Career
Sandi and Jen have a discussion with Andy Storch, author of Own your Career Own your Life. They talk about what it means to Own you Career in a company setting and what are the issues that go with those decisions. For Sandi's website, Click Here For Jen's website, Click Here For Andy's website, Click Here
Episode025 Self-Directed Teams
Sandi and Jen discuss what is a self-directed team, what are the items and issues that come up for a good and for a bad self directed team. For Sandi's website, Click Here For Jen's website, Click Here
Episode 24 - Leading With Empathy
Sandi and Jen discuss what Empathy is and what Leading with Empathy is all about. They discuss empathy, sympathy, judgement and curiosity and how they are all related and how these affect leadership. For Sandi's website, Click Here For Jen's website, Click Here
Episode 23 - The Hybrid Workplace Challenge
Sandi and Jen discuss the opportunities and issues of coming back to work after the pandemic. They talk about the opportunity to remake and restart the workplace culture, that we are never going back to the same workplace, that work and home have collided, that short an long term decisions need to happen as a manager and how are you standing in the company values as you reshape the workplace. For
Episode 022 - Diversity Equity and Inclusion Revisited
Sandi and Jen speak with expert Renee Bazile-Jones about Diversity Equity and Inclusion in the workplace. They describe what DE&I is, how is it being done, what is currently right and what is wrong. They discuss leadership and DE&I and unconscious bias. Renee discusses data for good DE&I. She also relays an example about good DE&I practices. They also discuss the uncomfortable conversations about
Episode 021 - The Customer Experience
Sandi and Jen speak with guest Ray Kong about what it means to you and your organization to be in organization that is customer experience led and how to become a customer experience led organization. For Sandi's website, Click Here For Jen's website, Click Here
Episode 020 - Human Centered Leadership
Jen and Sandi discuss what is human centered leadership and what does the workplace look like when we reopen. We have so much data for decisions have we lost a human view on the workplace and workplace/business decisions? They also discuss the science of values - and what does human centered leading look like. For Sandi's website, Click Here For Jen's website, Click Here
Episode 019 - Business Goal Setting for 2021
As we begin the new year, Jen and Sandi discuss the best practices and pitfalls of goal setting. They go over some tools and methods that will produce excellent goals and move you and your business forward in the year to come. For Sandi's website, Click Here For Jen's website, Click Here
Episode 018 - Diversity and Inclusion in Business
Jen and Sandi have a discussion about the defining what Diversity and Inclusion is, what it means to business and what business's need to do be diverse and inclusive. For Sandi's website, Click Here For Jen's website, Click Here
Episode 017 - Leading Remotely
Jen and Sandi have an in-depth conversation with Ben Harris, President of Production Solutions, about how to be an effective leader when leading a primarily remote workforce. Ben shares his experience, insights and strategies after having transitioned his company to over 70% remote working in 2015. For Ben's website, Click Here For Sandi's website, Click Here For Jen's website, Click Here
Episode 16 - Focusing on Culture to Drive Strategy
Sandi and Jen talk with Gary Anderson, 'Chief Empowerment Officer' of Nova Mutual Insurance. Gary believes that culture will drive results and on this podcast they are going to tap into some to the interesting things that Gary and his team are doing. The discussion covers servant leadership, self-managed teams and producing results with culture. For Gary's website, Click Here For Sandi's website,
Episode 015 - Generating a Productive Workplace Culture
Sandi and Jen sit down with Tony Gareri, CEO and "Chief of WOW" of Roma Mouldings and talk about the importance of generating a productive workplace culture. Find out in's and out's of how Tony and his team have developed a passionate, open, fun and caring company culture keep the business successful! He talks about seven specific tactics he and his leadership team have engaged and have now taken
Episode 014 - Change: Embracing What's Next
In this episode Master Coaches Jen and Sandi talk about change. Workplace organizations are going through seismic shifts in how work is getting done and leaders are faced with charting this new course in addition to getting everyone aligned to move forward together into the unknown of mid- and post-pandemic work. The word "change" is as much of a problem as navigating through it. Jen and Sandi dis
Episode 013 - Upskilling Your Team - The Skills Coach
With rapid change comes the need for new skills as well as updated skills. This podcast covers some thinking and strategies around the need for on-going skills development, some solutions on how to incorporate skills development as managers and leaders as well as some of the most critical skills people need regardless of role and experience. Sandi's Coaching and Leadership Offerings Jen's Communic
Episode 012 - All about Teaming
Jen and Sandi talk about teaming and everything that goes into being a highly productive team. Check out Sandi's Team Skills training site Check out Jen's Team Skills training site
Episode 011- Tips from a Virtual Teaming Expert
Sandi and Jen welcome special guest Trina Hoefling. Trina is an expert in Virtual Teaming. Jen, Sandi and Trina discuss working as a virtual team and many of the issues that crop up and how to solve them. Trina is the author of the book Working Virtually: Transforming the Mobile Workplace and you can get more information and help at Trina's website thesmartworkplace.com
Episode 010 - Leading and Managing tips during the pandemic
Jen and Sandi shared some thinking, ideas and strategies for dealing with and leading during the pandemic. Stay Safe!
Episode 009 - Values at Work
Jen and Sandi touch on the following topics around values: The importance of core values What are core values? Why are they important? How to choose them? True vs. aspirational vs. unintended Can values change? Alignment Hiring
Episode 008 - Trust in the Workplace
Sandi and Jen talk about Trust in Management and Leadership roles as well as Trust in Teams and how to build trust for better business outcomes. They also discuss tools to help with trust building. For more information about tools discussed please use these links: PXT Select™ Information Five Behaviors of a Team Workshop from Sandi Five Behaviors of a Team Workshop from Jen
Episode 007 - Trends in Business Training and Development
Sandi and Jen take about trends. They discuss Teams, Trust, Courage and Vulnerability, Communication, Recognition and tools like the PXT Select and Five Behaviors.
Episode 006 - Coaching vs Managing
Jen and Sandi talk about coaching vs managing and how coaching and managing work together. They also chat about what it takes to have a coaching culture and what are some of the pitfalls and positives to make that journey.
Episode 005 - Productive Conflict
Jen and Sandi talk about conflict in the workplace and how to make that negative experience a more productive event for you and the business
Episode 4 - The What and How of Business Vision Statements
Sandi and Jen talk about business vision statements and the differences between business vision statements and business mission statements.
Episode 3 - Workplace Accountability
Jen and Sandi discuss accountability and how it relates to engagement and poor performance. They talk about what it really means to hold accountability in the workplace.
Episode 2 - Defining Company Strategy
Sandi and Jen talk about defining company strategy and company strategy in relation to company mission, vision and goals.
Episode1 - Intro to OTKungFu and Sandi and Jen and Strategic Planning
An organization's or division's strategic plan is critical to set direction but is often confused with goals and tactics because executives are keen to see results. Learn to be comfortable with a broader view and how to approach strategy.
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