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Jim Vaselopulos is a C-level business advisor and executive coach with a proven record as a leader, strategist, rainmaker, and expert in new business development. With his principled leadership, visionary approach, and effective execution, Jim has successfully established new companies and transformed underperforming organizations.

As the founder of Rafti Advisors, Jim assists early-stage businesses in launching successfully, growth-stage enterprises in accelerating their progress, and established organizations in navigating complex challenges and strategic shifts.

Jim teaches sales and professional development and frequently speaks on the subjects of leadership and innovation. He also volunteers regularly with business incubators and veterans groups.

Jim is also the author of Clarity: Business Wisdom to Work Less and Achieve More and the co-host of The Leadership Podcast.

He graduated from the University of Illinois with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and earned his MBA at Marquette University. Jim is a dedicated husband and father of two wonderful children with his wife, Dana.

A Few Quotes From This Episode

• “If you feel like you’re playing Whack-a-Mole, you’re not digging deep enough, you’re not curious enough about what the real root cause is.”
• “When we talk about things that are symptoms, I’m not saying they’re not important…but the underlying condition is deeper.”
• “Balance is not something you get once and keep forever. You need feedback, and you need to keep adjusting.”

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

• Author: Peter Zeihan
• Author: Jordan Peterson
• Author: Leslie Zane

About The International Leadership Association (ILA)

• The ILA was created in 1999 to bring together professionals interested in studying, practicing, and teaching leadership. Plan for Prague - October 15-18, 2025!

About Scott J. Allen

• Website
• Weekly Newsletter: Practical Wisdom for Leaders
• Blog

My Approach to Hosting

• The views of my guests do not constitute "truth." Nor do they reflect my personal views in some instances. However, they are views to consider, and I hope they help you clarify your perspective. Nothing can replace your reflection, research, and exploration of the topic.

♻️ Please share with others and follow/subscribe to the podcast!
⭐️ Please leave a review on Apple, Spotify, or your platform of choice.
➡️ Follow me on LinkedIn for more on leadership, communication, and tech.
📜 Subscribe to my weekly newsletter featuring four hand-picked articles.
🌎 You can learn more about my work on my Website.

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Jeff Sigel is an author, coach, and consultant who is passionate about creating better work environments and more fulfilling careers for middle managers everywhere. After over 20 years of corporate experience at Nabisco, The Hershey Company, grocery retailer Ahold, and the restaurant company Cracker Barrel, Jeff has shifted his focus to coaching mid-level leaders and supporting companies looking to empower their middle management teams. He is currently a consultant and coach focused on turning strategy into action by developing middle management excellence. His book, "The Middle Matters: A Toolkit for Middle Managers" was published in June 2024.

A Few (Awesome) Quotes From This Episode

• “I spent a lot of years in middle management doing stuff wrong.”
• "These are the hardest skills that we actually have to learn to do our jobs—the so-called ‘soft skills.’"
• "The goal of leadership is to create the conditions where you trust your team to function at a high level even when you are not there.”

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

• Book: Leading Yourself

About The International Leadership Association (ILA)

• The ILA was created in 1999 to bring together professionals interested in studying, practicing, and teaching leadership. Plan for Prague - October 15-18, 2025!

About Scott J. Allen

• Website
• Weekly Newsletter: Practical Wisdom for Leaders
• Blog

My Approach to Hosting

• The views of my guests do not constitute "truth." Nor do they reflect my personal views in some instances. However, they are views to consider, and I hope they help you clarify your perspective. Nothing can replace your reflection, research, and exploration of the topic.

♻️ Please share with others and follow/subscribe to the podcast!
⭐️ Please leave a review on Apple, Spotify, or your platform of choice.
➡️ Follow me on LinkedIn for more on leadership, communication, and tech.
📜 Subscribe to my weekly newsletter featuring four hand-picked articles.
🌎 You can learn more about my work on my Website.

Send us a text

Scott J. Allen, Ph.D., is an award-winning educator passionate about working with people at all levels and across industries. He serves as an instructor in SMU’s Cox School of Business Executive Education and spent more than 18 years as a professor of management. Allen’s areas of expertise include leader development, the future of work, and executive communication.

Scott has published more than 60 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. He’s the co-author of several books and hosts Practical Wisdom for Leaders, ranked among the world's top 2.5% of podcasts. Along with the podcast, he publishes a weekly newsletter.

Scott frequently serves as a keynote speaker. In addition, he consults, facilitates workshops, and leads retreats across industries. Recent engagements include Catholic Charities, Cleveland Leadership Center, Key Bank, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, Progressive, Nestle, EY, Siegfried Group, Dallas Area Rapid Transit, Sherwin Williams, Whiting-Turner, Builder’s FirstSource, Vocon, CID Design Group, Toyota Motor North America, Lexus, Crestron, NASA-Glenn, Sam’s Club, Elbit America, Oatey, Lubrizol, Enbridge (Dominion), Endeavor Energy Resources, Scout Energy Partners, First Energy, TransAlta, FedEx Custom Critical, Thompson Hine LLP, Nordson, Beacon Oral Specialists, and Cleveland Clinic.

Scott served on the board of the International Leadership Association, Association of Leadership Educators, and Management and Organizational Behavior Teaching Society. He was named an ILA Fellow by the International Leadership Association in 2021.

Thanks to Martin Gutmann for interviewing!

A Few Quotes From This Episode

• “If you’d asked me in 2020, I would’ve said I knew a lot about leadership. But now I see just how much I didn’t—and still don’t—know."
• "This podcast has systematized my learning. Every week, I’m talking with someone who knows more than I do."
• "Maybe I’ve reached base camp, but Everest is still ahead."

About The International Leadership Association (ILA)

• The ILA was created in 1999 to bring together professionals interested in studying, practicing, and teaching leadership. Plan for Prague - October 15-18, 2025!

About Scott J. Allen

• Website
• Weekly Newsletter: Practical Wisdom for Leaders
• Blog

My Approach to Hosting

• The views of my guests do not constitute "truth." Nor do they reflect my personal views in some instances. However, they are views to consider, and I hope they help you clarify your perspective. Nothing can replace your

♻️ Please share with others and follow/subscribe to the podcast!
⭐️ Please leave a review on Apple, Spotify, or your platform of choice.
➡️ Follow me on LinkedIn for more on leadership, communication, and tech.
📜 Subscribe to my weekly newsletter featuring four hand-picked articles.
🌎 You can learn more about my work on my Website.