Game Changers with Molly Fletcher is our podcast designed to help you maximize your influence and unleash your potential. Each episode, we take you behind the scenes with peak performers to learn what makes them tick and discover how you can apply their lessons to your life. Join Molly each week to hear from her special guests— top athletes and coaches, transformative CEOs, brilliant thought leaders, and entrepreneurs and trailblazers from around the world. Subscribe now on iTunes or Google Play.

Recent Episodes

Daniel Coyle

Episode 42- Daniel Coyle on The Secrets of Highly Successful Teams

Why do some groups add up to be greater than the sum of their parts while others end up to be less? In his new book, The Culture Code, New York Times bestselling author Daniel Coyle goes inside some of the world’s most successful organizations to examine how great cultures are built and sustained. On this episode, we talk about the three skills that generate collaborative cultures and learn how leaders can use these tools to build strong cultures inside their own organizations.

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“A group that hides its weaknesses from itself is going to be weak.”

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Show Notes

  • The inspiration behind The Talent Code and The Culture Code (1:34)
  • Secrets to high performance from the San Antonio Spurs (3:52)
  • Here’s how to give magical feedback (6:32)
  • Lessons in building culture from the Navy SEALS (7:51)
  • The value of After Action Reviews (10:41)
  • How the vulnerability loop drives collaboration and trust (12:52)
  • Tips for building cohesion by boosting safety (16:22)
  • Tips for building trust by getting vulnerability (26:30)
  • Tips for defining purpose by sharing stories (31:25)
  • How teams with strong culture recruit and retain talent differently (37:02)
  • The problem with hiring for cultural fit (38:53)

 

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Herm Edwards

Episode 41- Herm Edwards on You Play To Win The Game

What can the game of football teach us about life and leadership? Everything. Arizona State University football coach Herm Edwards has experienced every facet of the game as a player, ESPN analyst, and coach. Herm has an incredible way of wrapping up decades of leadership lessons from the football world and applying them to our own lives. On this episode, we talk about the difference between people who are interested and those who are committed, what it means to lead with integrity, and why success is sometimes harder to handle than failure. This one is a playbook for leaders in any field.

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“A goal without a plan is a wish.”

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Show Notes

  • On leadership (1:28)
  • His advice to new leaders on how to communicate a vision (3:18)
  • Embracing change (4:39)
  • The difference between rules and expectations (5:28)
  • The difference between interested and committed (7:52)
  • People don’t want to be treated the same; they want to be treated fairly (9:45)
  • Know your personnel- how John Lynch went from linebacker to safety (11:45)
  • Herm’s approach to recruiting (13:43)
  • Do they love football or do they love what football provides them? (16:48)
  • Integrity is everything (17:37)
  • The influence his dad had on his life (21:21)
  • The keys to executing at a high level (27:18)
  • Which is harder to handle— success or failure? (28:39)
  • The power of relationships (31:12)

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Bob Goff

Episode 40- Bob Goff on The Transformative Power of Love

Bob Goff is the New York Times best-selling author of Love Does. After practicing law for 25 years, Bob gave up his law firm to focus on writing, speaking, and his humanitarian work. He’s the Honorary Counsel to Uganda and the founder of Love Does, a nonprofit organization that works to provide educational opportunities in post conflict zones throughout the world. On this episode, we talk about his new book, Everybody, Always, and what it means to love without limits, live without fear, and dream big.

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“It’s the difference between what you’re able to do and what you’re made to do.”

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Show Notes

  • The inspiration behind Bob’s new book, Everybody Always (1:47)
  • “People don’t grow where they’re planted; they grow where they’re loved.” (6:45)
  • The most important question—Who are you? (8:58)
  • The power in loving difficult people (10:17)
  • How to develop a positive mindset by inviting conversations (18:23)
  • Why he left his career as a lawyer to pursue writing and speaking (23:34)
  • The importance of who we are “becoming” (26:29)
  • How to be available while remaining present (28:25)
  • Bob’s advice for people who are afraid to go after their big dreams (31:35)
  • It’s not failure that kills us—“catch people on the bounce” (35:48)
  • Love without an agenda (36:35)

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Lara Vanderkam

Episode 39- Laura Vanderkam on How To Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done

What if we could feel less busy while getting more done? In her new book, Off the Clock, time management expert Laura Vanderkam says: it’s possible! Her TED Talk, How to Gain Control of Your Free Time, has been viewed more than 5 million times and she’s been featured in The New York Times, Fast Company, and Fortune. On this episode, Laura shares the seven principles that will help you get more done without feeling overwhelmed. Start your clocks, these next 30 minutes will have you re-thinking how you spend your time.

Follow Laura: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Website

“Plan adventures into your lives.”

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Show Notes

  • The idea behind Laura’s new book, Off The Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done (1:26)
  • How time tracking can help you make better decisions (3:53)
  • Why “busy” isn’t a badge (4:39)
  • How to be more mindful of your time (6:06)
  • The importance of “time freedom” (8:04)
  • Why you should think about time in the span of one week (168 hours) (9:19)
  • The seven secrets of people who feel less busy while getting more done (11:50)
  • Why you should track your time for a week (16:14)
  • The connection between time and energy (17:24)
  • Her thoughts on time blocking as a time management strategy (18:30)
  • How she plans her own time (19:55)
  • How to track your time (23:28)
  • Outcomes from time tracking (24:30)

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Dan Heath

Episode 38- Dan Heath on How To Create Powerful Moments for our Customers and Employees

Moments have the power to awaken us, elevate us, and change us, yet many of the defining moments in our lives are the result of accident or luck. In his new book, The Power of Moments, Dan Heath teaches us how we can create more magical moments in our lives. On this episode, we talk about how unlocking the power of moments can transform everything—from customer service to employee experience to our families. Moments matter, and we have the power to create them.

Follow Dan: Website

“Most great experiences are mostly forgettable and occasionally remarkable.”

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Show Notes

  • His process for writing (1:55)
  • The idea behind Dan’s book, The Power of Moments (2:56)
  • How the Magic Castle Hotel figured out the power of moments (4:09)
  • The power of smaller moments (9:36)
  • Four ingredients of powerful positive moments: elevation, insight, pride, connection (13:20)
  • Improving the employee experience through creating moments (15:40)
  • The story of Joshy the Giraffe’s “vacation” at The Ritz-Carlton (19:38)
  • How to flip pit moments into peak moments (22:44)
  • Purpose is more important than passion (26:38)
  • How leaders can create moments that instill purpose (29:06)

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Dabo Swinney, Clemson Footballl

Episode 37- Dabo Swinney on Leading from the Heart

With his infectious energy and unbridled enthusiasm, Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney has everyone taking notice of the Tigers. Under his leadership, Clemson won the national championship in 2016 and has appeared in the College Football Playoffs three consecutive years. On this episode, Dabo shares his inside-out approach to leadership, the defining moments in his own journey, and how he’s built a team culture rooted in love, discipline and service.

Follow Dabo: Twitter | Website

“Bloom where you are planted.”

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Show Notes

  • Dabo’s leadership philosophy (1:15)
  • Core philosophy: “Serve their heart, not their talent.” (2:10)
  • Inside-out leadership approach (3:20)
  • The power of how you live between moments (5:23)
  • A defining moment in Dabo’s life (6:50)
  • Walking on the football team at Alabama (10:55)
  • Enjoying the daily journey and having a “windshield mentality” (12:46)
  • Prepare for your opportunity (13:58)
  • “Bloom where you’re planted.” (16:27)
  • Taking over the Clemson football program as interim head coach in 2008 (19:41)
  • How Dabo builds great relationships with his players (25:47)
  • “Water the bamboo.” (30:57)
  • Being disciplined about the little things: “Do common things in an uncommon way.” (33:12)
  • “Bring your own guts- BYOG.” (35:55)
  • From falling short in 2015 to becoming national champions in 2016 (39:35)
  • The game winning drive in the 2016 national championship to win the game with one second on the clock (43:22)
  • Failure doesn’t have to define you; failure develops you (45:19)
  • Dabo’s approach to goal setting (47:52)
  • Finding your authentic leadership style (50:20)

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Patty McCord, Netflix

Episode 36- Patty McCord on How Netflix Built A Culture of Freedom and Responsibility

As the chief talent officer of Netflix, Patty McCord helped create the company’s famous “culture deck”—a 124-page document that went viral and has been shared over 20 million times. Sheryl Sandberg called it “the most important document to ever come out of the Valley.” In her new book, Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility, Patty teaches how to build high-performance cultures. Great teams are not created with incentives, procedures, and perks, she says. The best thing leaders can do is get rid of the cumbersome systems for managing people. On this episode, we talk about the biggest mistakes HR leaders make, the truth about what motivates employees, and how to practice radical honesty in the workplace.

Follow Patty: Twitter | Website

“Every day, look at something you do that you’ve always done and ask yourself… why?”

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Show Notes

  • The big idea behind Patty’s book Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility (1:45)
  • The defining moment at Netflix that changed the way Patty viewed traditional HR (2:41)
  • How leadership changes when you strip away processes and structure (6:45)
  • The difference between a strategy and a plan (7:44)
  • The story behind how Netflix’s culture deck went viral (9:06)
  • How the Netflix culture deck changed the way Netflix hires talent (10:39)
  • Why turnover isn’t a problem and the decision to make Netflix a company that was great to be from (12:52)
  • Why Patty hates the terms “empowerment” and “engagement” (14:21)
  • The problem with anonymous employee feedback surveys (16:30)
  • What organizations get wrong when it comes to motivating employees (18:41)
  • Re-thinking annual performance reviews (20:49)
  • Why meetings are an effective forum for providing feedback (23:11)
  • Incorporating 360 feedback sessions and the start-stop-continue exercise (24:25)
  • Patty’s advice on how to approach hiring talent (28:21)
  • The one question HR leaders should always ask (32:36)
  • What keeps companies from adapting and evolving (36:20)
  • Build a sports team, not a family (48:18) 

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Patrick Lencioni

Episode 35- Patrick Lencioni on The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team

Passionate about creating great teams, Patrick Lencioni helps leaders and organizations improve teamwork, clarity and engagement. The founder and president of The Table Group, Patrick is the author of 11 books which have sold over 5 million copies. His work has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Fortune and Inc., and the Wall Street Journal called him “one of the most in demand speakers in America.” On this episode, Patrick talks about the five dysfunctions that inhibit teams from reaching their potential. Learn how to build trust, embrace healthy conflict, commit to a goal, hold each other accountable, and get results.

Follow Patrick: Twitter | Website

“Without trust, you can’t have good conflict.”

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Show Notes

  • Dysfunction #1: The absence of vulnerability-based trust (2:15)
  • Two simple exercises that can change trust dynamics on a team (3:00)
  • An example of how the personal histories exercise can help build trust (4:18)
  • Dysfunction #2: The fear of conflict (7:00)
  • Tactics to have tough conversations (9:08)
  • Dysfunction #3: Lack of commitment (11:37)
  • How to get different ideas on the table (14:06)
  • Dysfunction #4: Avoidance of accountability (16:22)
  • The difference between commitment and consensus (14:40)
  • How to create accountability inside of a team (18:33)
  • The team effectiveness exercise to improve accountability (19:56)
  • Dysfunction #5: Inattention to results (24:52)
  • How to create clear thematic goals (26:45)
  • Tips to have effective meetings (28:05)
  • The biggest mistake leaders make (29:27)
  • The three traits of an ideal team player: hungry, humble and smart (31:24)
  • Resources and upcoming events (34:19) 

 

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Jimmie Johnson NASCAR

Episode 34- Jimmie Johnson on How to Sustain Success: Lessons from a NASCAR Champ

When you see No. 48 ripping around the track with Jimmie Johnson behind the wheel, chances are he’s headed for Victory Lane. A seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion, Jimmie shares the all-time record with racing legends Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt and is one of the most accomplished professional athletes in sports today. Forbes named him The Most Influential Athlete and ESPN Magazine recently named him No. 4 on their Dominant 20, highlighting the most dominant 20 athletes of the last two decades. On this episode, Jimmie takes us behind the wheel to tell the story of how a kid from California shook up the racing world. We talk about the keys to his sustained success, the team behind him, and what fuels him on his drive for a record-shattering 8th title.

Follow Jimmie: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Website

“It wasn’t about stats or winning or championships. I fell in love with the experience. “

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Show Notes

  • The keys to Jimmie Johnson’s consistent success in NASCAR (1:46)
  • How a NASCAR team is structured (2:51)
  • How he’s assumed a leadership role with his younger teammates (4:20)
  • The biggest influence on his racing career (5:18)
  • How Jeff Gordon served as a mentor early in his career (5:43)
  • The story of how he got discovered (6:55)
  • On competing for a record 8th NASCAR title (9:58)
  • What he’s learned from failure (11:40)
  • How he recovers from adversity (13:16)
  • On fitness as a competitive advantage (14:14)
  • How he has evolved as a driver over the years (17:00)
  • Work-life balance (18:00)
  • The lessons his kids have learned from watching him compete (21:10)
  • What it’s like behind the wheel on race day (22:30)
  • Taking on a mentorship role on the Hendricks team (24:15)
  • The Jimmie Johnson Foundation (25:47)

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Joshua Medcalf

Episode 33- Joshua Medcalf on How to Fall in Love with the Process of Becoming Great

After asking the question, “What would I do if money didn’t matter?” Joshua Medcalf dropped out of his Masters program at Duke University, turned down scholarships to law school, and moved across the country to live and serve at a homeless shelter in downtown Los Angeles. From there, he went on to found Train to be CLUTCH, a consultancy whose mission is a heart-first approach to leadership, life skills and mental training. He’s the author of five books, including the bestseller Chop Wood Carry Water. On this episode, Joshua shares the difference between being goal-driven vs. mission driven, the true meaning of mental toughness, and what happens when we confuse what we do with who we are.

Follow Joshua: Twitter | Instagram | Website

“What does the world need? What am I passionate about? What am I really good at?”

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Show Notes

  • What inspired Joshua’s journey (1:56)
  • What does the world need? What am I passionate about? What am I really good at? (5:50)
  • Joshua’s mental training work with sports teams (7:34)
  • The problem with arbitrary outcome-based goals (9:33)
  • His definition of true mental toughness (10:36)
  • The difference between mission driven and goal driven (11:10)
  • What you do vs. who you are (13:18)
  • How to fall in love with the process (16:12)
  • A story from Chop Wood Carry Water (19:02)
  • The difference between positive self-talk vs. beneficial and constructive thinking (27:28)
  • The importance of showing up consistently for others (32:56)
  • A new scorecard exercise (35:15)
  • The three things that women’s soccer coach Anson Dorrance does that drive North Carolina’s success (39:52)
  • The biggest influences in Joshua’s life (50:30)

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