What if the key to overcoming loneliness at the top is building a team that challenges, supports, and holds one another accountable?

In this episode of the It’s Lonely at the Top Podcast, Nancy MacKay speaks with Keith Ferrazzi, Founder and CEO of Ferrazzi Greenlight and New York Times bestselling author, about creating high-performing executive teams and leading through disruption.

Keith explores why conflict avoidance holds teams back, how leaders can replace routine meeting updates with honest feedback and productive stress tests, and why agile collaboration is essential. They also discuss how AI is reshaping workflows, leadership, and the future workforce, including the need to reskill and support people through change.

Discover practical ideas for strengthening collaboration, building peer accountability, and adapting your leadership in an AI-driven world.

Keith Ferrazzi is the Founder and CEO of Ferrazzi Greenlight and a New York Times bestselling author of Never Eat Alone, Who’s Got Your Back, Leading Without Authority, and Never Lead Alone. Recognized by Thinkers50 as one of the world’s top 50 thinkers, Keith has spent over two decades advising Fortune 500 executive teams, unicorn companies, and government leaders on organizational transformation.

Through Teamship and Co-Elevation®, Keith equips leaders with High-Return Practices that transform how teams collaborate, moving beyond siloed hierarchies toward adaptive, peer-accountable cultures built for disruption and AI-driven change.

Previously, Keith served as Deloitte’s youngest CMO and later CMO of Starwood Hotels & Resorts. His work has been featured in Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fast Company, Fortune, and more.

Order Nancy’s New Book

Drawing on two decades of experience with more than five thousand leaders, Nancy reveals how to prioritize health, strengthen relationships, reclaim time, and develop resilience. Order ‘It’s Lonely at the Top: CEO Strategies for Inspiring Yourself and Your Team’ today: https://bit.ly/3OcBTQH

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MacKay CEO Forums brings results-oriented CEOs, Executives, and Business Leaders together to solve their toughest problems and maximize opportunity through peer learning and support. Learn more: https://mackayceoforums.com/members/

Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports in North America, and IPOP is leading the charge in bringing the game across Canada. As Pickleball Canada’s Official Partner in Strategic Facility Development with professional indoor Pickleball facilities in the Greater Vancouver Area, IPOP is helping communities create more places to play.

In this episode of It’s Lonely at the Top, Nancy MacKay speaks with Chris White, Founder and CEO of IPOP, and Devin MacKay, IPOP’s marketing and brand lead. Chris shares his journey as a serial entrepreneur and “chief paddle boss,” and the thinking behind an inclusive pickleball community.

Together, they explore how pickleball connects generations and why face-to-face connection matters. You’ll hear how IPOP is using AI to personalize marketing and improve business processes, alongside Chris’s perspective on navigating the challenges of being a CEO and making time for self-care.

Discover the people and vision behind IPOP’s ambition to make exceptional pickleball experiences accessible to everyone.

Connect with IPOP

Want to play pickleball indoors year-round? Play at IPOP’s two locations in Burnaby and Surrey, where you can book a private court, sign up for drop-in play, or join a program: www.ipop.fun

Order Nancy’s New Book

Drawing on two decades of experience with more than five thousand leaders, Nancy reveals how to prioritize health, strengthen relationships, reclaim time, and develop resilience. Order ‘It's Lonely at the Top: CEO Strategies for Inspiring Yourself and Your Team’ today: https://bit.ly/3OcBTQH

Join a MacKay CEO Forums Peer Group

MacKay CEO Forums brings results-oriented CEOs, Executives, and Business Leaders together to solve their toughest problems and maximize opportunity through peer learning and support. Learn more: https://mackayceoforums.com/members/

AI is changing more than how we work. It is raising questions about identity, belonging, and the future leaders are helping their people build.

In this podcast episode of It’s Lonely at the Top, Nancy MacKay speaks with Kari Zeller, Founder and CEO of TGN Consulting, leadership strategist, combat veteran, and author of Re-Placed. From her upbringing on a farm in northern Colorado to her military service and work with executives, Kari shares the experiences that shaped her approach to accountability and leading through uncertainty.

You’ll learn why work is closely tied to our sense of identity and belonging, what distinguishes human intelligence from AI, and why context and emotional intelligence matter in leadership decisions. Kari also explores how leaders can help people feel valued and connected to a meaningful future as their roles change.

For CEOs navigating technological change, this episode offers a perspective on bringing human capabilities and AI together while developing the people who will lead next.

Order Kari’s new book

Learn the ideas behind the episode in Kari Zeller’s new book, Re-Placed: Answering the Call of Leadership in the Age of AI. Discover why work matters to our identity and sense of belonging, and what that means for leaders navigating technological change. Order your copy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H6TZVK5S

Order Nancy’s new book

Drawing on two decades of experience with more than five thousand leaders, Nancy reveals how to prioritize health, strengthen relationships, reclaim time, and develop resilience. Order ‘It's Lonely at the Top: CEO Strategies for Inspiring Yourself and Your Team’ today: https://bit.ly/3OcBTQH

Explore your leadership performance

Leadership can be rewarding, but it can also be isolating. Our CEO Performance Diagnostic™ is designed to help CEOs, Executives, and Business Owners identify hidden constraints affecting their decision-making, leadership effectiveness, time allocation, innovation, and growth. Take our CEO Performance Diagnostic™ quiz: https://mackayceoforums.com/ceo-leadership-diagnostic/

Join a MacKay CEO Forums peer group

MacKay CEO Forums brings results-oriented CEOs, Executives, and Business Leaders together to solve their toughest problems and maximize opportunity through peer learning and support. Learn more: https://mackayceoforums.com/members/

Sales doesn't happen by accident. It's built through the right people, the right process, and the right leadership.

In this episode of It's Lonely at the Top, Nancy MacKay sits down with Mark Cox, bestselling author, Founder and CEO of In the Funnel Sales Coaching, and host of The Selling Well Podcast. After more than 20 years leading sales organizations and training thousands of sales professionals across North America, Mark shares practical strategies for hiring exceptional sales talent, creating effective onboarding programs, and building sales teams that consistently deliver results.

Whether you're leading a growing business or looking to strengthen your sales organization, this episode offers actionable insights every CEO can apply.

Order Nancy’s New Book:

Drawing on two decades of experience with more than five thousand leaders, Nancy reveals how to prioritize health, strengthen relationships, reclaim time, and develop resilience. Order ‘It's Lonely at the Top: CEO Strategies for Inspiring Yourself and Your Team’ today: https://bit.ly/3OcBTQH

Are you feeling lonely at the top?

Leadership can be rewarding, but it can also be isolating. Our CEO Performance Diagnostic™ is designed to help CEOs, Executives, and Business Owners identify hidden constraints affecting their decision-making, leadership effectiveness, time allocation, innovation, and growth. Take our CEO Performance Diagnostic™ quiz: https://mackayceoforums.com/ceo-leadership-diagnostic/

Join a MacKay CEO Forums⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Peer Group:
MacKay CEO Forums⁠⁠⁠⁠ brings results-oriented CEOs, Executives, and Business Leaders together to solve their toughest problems and maximize opportunity through peer learning and support. Learn more: https://mackayceoforums.com/members/

What separates great leaders from everyone else isn't talent. It's how they perform when the pressure is on.

In this episode of It's Lonely at the Top, Nancy MacKay sits down with performance psychologist Dr. Dana Sinclair, Founder of Human Performance International, to explore the mindset and emotional mastery required to lead at the highest level.

Dr. Sinclair has spent her career helping CEOs, executives, surgeons, elite athletes, Olympic champions, and professional teams across the NHL, NBA, NFL, MLB, MLS, PGA, and Olympic sports perform under pressure. Together, they discuss confidence, managing emotions, overcoming self-doubt, building resilient teams, and why emotional mastery may be the greatest competitive advantage a leader can develop.

Whether you're leading an organization, building a high performing team, or navigating your own leadership journey, this episode offers practical insights you can apply immediately.

Order Nancy’s New Book:

Drawing on two decades of experience with more than five thousand leaders, Nancy reveals how to prioritize health, strengthen relationships, reclaim time, and develop resilience. Order ‘It's Lonely at the Top: CEO Strategies for Inspiring Yourself and Your Team’ today: https://bit.ly/3OcBTQH

Are you feeling lonely at the top?

Leadership can be rewarding, but it can also be isolating. Our CEO Performance Diagnostic™ is designed to help CEOs, Executives, and Business Owners identify hidden constraints affecting their decision-making, leadership effectiveness, time allocation, innovation, and growth. Take our CEO Performance Diagnostic™ quiz: https://mackayceoforums.com/ceo-leadership-diagnostic/

Join a MacKay CEO Forums⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Peer Group:
MacKay CEO Forums⁠⁠⁠⁠ brings results-oriented CEOs, Executives, and Business Leaders together to solve their toughest problems and maximize opportunity through peer learning and support. Learn more: https://mackayceoforums.com/members/

Mental toughness isn't about having all the answers, it's about how you respond when leadership gets difficult.

In this episode of It's Lonely at the Top, Nancy MacKay sits down with leadership expert Sean Bacon, Founder of Dynamic Shift Consulting Inc., to explore what it truly takes to build resilience as a CEO. Together, they discuss why leadership can feel isolating, how vulnerability strengthens rather than weakens leaders, and practical strategies for developing the mindset needed to lead through uncertainty.

Sean Bacon is a 12-yr Canadian Armed Forces veteran. During his military career, he developed a training system that prepared soldiers and police officers, psychologically and physically, to perform under pressure in some of the world’s most demanding environments.

Today, Sean brings that same discipline and performance mindset into the corporate world. His work transforms capable leaders into confident, decisive leaders, turns fragmented groups into cohesive high-performing teams, and replaces uncertainty, hesitation, and reactive behaviour with clarity, resilience, accountability, and trust. The result is stronger leadership, better decision-making, and teams prepared to perform when the stakes are highest.

Whether you're navigating change, making difficult decisions, or looking to become a more resilient leader, this conversation offers actionable insights to help you lead with confidence and purpose.

Order Nancy’s New Book:

Drawing on two decades of experience with more than five thousand leaders, Nancy reveals how to prioritize health, strengthen relationships, reclaim time, and develop resilience. Order ‘It's Lonely at the Top: CEO Strategies for Inspiring Yourself and Your Team’ today: https://bit.ly/3OcBTQH

Join a MacKay CEO Forums⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Peer Group:

MacKay CEO Forums⁠⁠⁠⁠ brings results-oriented CEOs, Executives, and Business Leaders together to solve their toughest problems and maximize opportunity through peer learning and support. Learn more: https://mackayceoforums.com/members/

Growth doesn't happen by accident. It requires focus, courage, and the willingness to think differently.

In this episode of It's Lonely at the Top, Nancy MacKay sits down with Kevin Lawrence, Founder and CEO of Lawrence & Company and bestselling author of Your Oxygen Mask First and Your Oxygen Mask First for Leaders. Together, they explore the ideas behind Kevin's latest book, Four Forces of Growth, and what it takes for CEOs to create sustainable, long-term growth.

Kevin shares why so many leadership teams become trapped solving small problems instead of pursuing big opportunities, and how leaders can shift from a problem-focused mindset to one centred on growth. Drawing inspiration from the principles of flight, he introduces the Four Forces of Growth: Lift, Thrust, Gravity, and Drag, and explains how each one influences organizational performance.

Whether you're leading through uncertainty, scaling your business, or looking to reignite momentum, this conversation offers practical strategies to help you focus on what matters most.

Order Nancy’s New Book:

Drawing on two decades of experience with more than five thousand leaders, Nancy reveals how to prioritize health, strengthen relationships, reclaim time, and develop resilience. Order ‘It's Lonely at the Top: CEO Strategies for Inspiring Yourself and Your Team’ today: https://bit.ly/3OcBTQH

Join a MacKay CEO Forums⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Peer Group:

MacKay CEO Forums⁠⁠⁠⁠ brings results-oriented CEOs, Executives, and Business Leaders together to solve their toughest problems and maximize opportunity through peer learning and support. Learn more: https://mackayceoforums.com/members/

In the ever-evolving world of business, many leaders find themselves grappling with feelings of isolation. As a CEO, the weight of decision-making can feel heavy, and the road to success often feels lonely.

In this podcast, Nancy MacKay speaks with Sarah Mackinnon, CEO of Delta Q Technologies, and Katie Bennett, a trusted advisor for executives and Master Certified MacKay Forum Chair, on overcoming the challenges of CEO isolation. From leveraging peer networks to prioritizing personal well-being, these strategies can help you thrive in your leadership role.

Sarah Mackinnon is one of a handful of women leaders in the Canadian tech space. Sarah brings drive and a sense of humour to her role at Delta-Q. Sarah has been key to Delta-Q’s success, inspiring and guiding finance and operations teams, while navigating through periods of growth and transformation, prior to transitioning into the CEO role, where she now oversees all aspects of the business. Prior to joining Delta-Q, Sarah held senior finance roles in several successful BC based technology companies, providing insight into the financials and driving results, leading to successful acquisitions and exits. Today, as CEO, Sarah is focused on the next phase of growth for Delta-Q; looking to “charge the future” as a strong partner to existing customers and other stakeholders, while also seeking new partnerships and markets, where Delta-Q can demonstrate its expertise in vehicle electrification, in step with increased global demand for sustainable solutions.

Katie Bennett is a big-picture strategic thinker with laser insight and is deeply inspiring. Her contagious energy is what she is known for. Over the past 20+ years, after an 11-year career in advertising, Katie pivoted to coaching and strategic planning, working with CEO’s and Executives to build high-functioning leadership teams aligned around a clear and actionable strategic plan, and designing systems of accountability to deliver results. Katie has an uncanny ability to make the complex simple; to coax leaders out of their comfort zone; to build high degrees of trust with a group very quickly; and to hold people accountable to their results. Katie holds an HBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario and is a certified coach with The Coaches Training Institute and the ICF.

Order Nancy’s New Book:

Drawing on two decades of experience with more than five thousand leaders, Nancy reveals how to prioritize health, strengthen relationships, reclaim time, and develop resilience. Order ‘It's Lonely at the Top: CEO Strategies for Inspiring Yourself and Your Team’ today: https://bit.ly/3OcBTQH

Join a MacKay CEO Forums⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Peer Group:

MacKay CEO Forums⁠⁠⁠⁠ brings results-oriented CEOs, Executives, and Business Leaders together to solve their toughest problems and maximize opportunity through peer learning and support. Learn more: https://mackayceoforums.com/members/