Leadership Lessons from Sports: Team Culture and Volunteer Engagement with Lara Schroeder | #15

Leadership Lessons from Sports: Team Culture and Volunteer Engagement with Lara Schroeder | #15

What can workplace leaders learn from sports teams, volunteers, and nonprofit organizations? Quite a lot. In this episode of Build Better Teams, Shannon Russell sits down with sports management consultant and facilitator Lara Schroeder, founder of Spark Solutions, to discuss leadership, strategic planning, communication, team culture, and the importance of creating systems that help organizations thrive. Drawing on her experience working with sport and recreation organizations across Canada, Lara shares why strong teams aren't built by accident. They are built intentionally through communication, clear processes, and cultures where every voice is valued. Together, Shannon and Lara discuss volunteer engagement, organizational leadership, LEGO® Serious Play®, facilitation, and what businesses can learn from successful athletic teams. In This Episode You'll Learn: • Why process and communication are essential for healthy organizations • How volunteer engagement impacts organizational success • Where communication breakdowns happen most often • Why transparency and consultation matter in leadership • How LEGO® Serious Play® improves team communication and strategic planning • Why leaders don't always need to facilitate their own teams • How great facilitators ensure every voice is heard • Lessons businesses can learn from sports teams and athletes • Why celebrating wins matters for team culture • How intentional leadership builds stronger teams Whether you're leading a business, nonprofit organization, volunteer group, or sports association, this episode offers valuable insights into creating stronger, more connected teams. Connect with Lara Schroeder: Website [https://www.sparkplay.ca/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=build-better-teams&utm_campaign=collab_build-better-teams-consulting&utm_term=general&utm_content=may2026-nonprofit-team-building] LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lara-schroeder [http://linkedin.com/in/lara-schroeder] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sparkplay306/ [https://www.instagram.com/sparkplay306/] -------------------- Through hands-on team building workshops and strategic planning sessions using LEGO® Serious Play® and other facilitation techniques, I help teams think differently so they can work better together. 🔗 Learn more or book a strategy call with me at https://buildbetterteamsconsulting.com [https://buildbetterteamsconsulting.com/]. Remember, the best ideas don’t just get discussed, they get built!

The Psychology of High-Performing Teams: How Psychological Safety Improves Employee Engagement and Team Performance |#14

What makes high-performing teams different from everyone else? According to Google's groundbreaking Project Aristotle study, the answer isn't talent, experience, or intelligence. It's psychological safety. In this episode of Build Better Teams, Shannon Russell explores the psychology behind successful teams and explains why trust, belonging, and open communication are essential for improving employee engagement, collaboration, and workplace culture. Drawing from her own experiences in television production and entrepreneurship, Shannon shares how leaders can create environments where employees feel safe to speak up, share ideas, ask questions, and even admit mistakes without fear of embarrassment or punishment. You'll learn why silence doesn't always mean agreement, how fear damages team performance, and the simple practices leaders can implement immediately to foster stronger communication and trust. In This Episode You'll Learn: • What psychological safety really means and why it matters • The surprising findings from Google's Project Aristotle study • Why high-performing teams are built on trust, not perfection • How fear and silence hurt innovation and employee engagement • Why leaders often mistake silence for alignment • Four practical ways to build psychological safety within your team • How vulnerability and curiosity create stronger workplace cultures • Why disagreements can strengthen teams when handled respectfully • How psychological safety improves collaboration, creativity, and performance If you're a leader, manager, HR professional, or business owner looking to create a healthier workplace culture and build stronger teams, this episode is for you. Through hands-on team building workshops and strategic planning sessions using LEGO® Serious Play® and other facilitation techniques, I help teams think differently so they can work better together. 🔗 Learn more or book a strategy call with me at https://buildbetterteamsconsulting.com [https://buildbetterteamsconsulting.com/]. Remember, the best ideas don’t just get discussed, they get built!

How to Build a High-Performing Team Without Doing Everything Yourself with Lindsay White | #13

Are you trying to grow your business while feeling overwhelmed by everything on your plate? In this episode of Build Better Teams [https://buildbetterteamsconsulting.com/podcast], Shannon Russell sits down with leadership strategist and founder of High Voltage Leadership, Lindsay White, for a powerful conversation about leadership, delegation, hiring, workplace culture, founder burnout, and building high-performing teams. With more than 20 years of experience in HR, people strategy, and leadership development, Lindsay helps entrepreneurs and business leaders stop acting as the "Chief Everything Officer" and start building teams that can support sustainable growth. Together, Shannon and Lindsay discuss what separates successful leaders from overwhelmed founders, why delegation alone isn't enough, and how communication, accountability, and trust create stronger workplace cultures. Whether you're a business owner, team leader, manager, HR professional, or executive, this episode is packed with practical leadership insights you can implement immediately. In This Episode You'll Learn: • Why CEO does not stand for Chief Everything Officer  • How founders accidentally become the bottleneck in their business  • The warning signs of leadership overwhelm and founder burnout  • How to delegate effectively while maintaining visibility and control  • What makes a healthy workplace culture  • How to hire the right people for a growing business  • Why emotional intelligence and self-awareness matter in leadership  • The importance of feedback, accountability, and psychological safety  • How to empower employees to take ownership and initiative  • Why leaders need to listen more and talk less 🔗 Learn more or book a strategy call: https://buildbetterteamsconsulting.com [https://buildbetterteamsconsulting.com/]. Through hands-on team building workshops and strategic planning sessions using LEGO® Serious Play® and other facilitation techniques, I help teams think differently so they can work better together. 🔗 Learn more or book a strategy call with me at https://buildbetterteamsconsulting.com [https://buildbetterteamsconsulting.com/]. Remember, the best ideas don’t just get discussed, they get built!

What Netflix’s Company Retreat Gets Right About Team Building: Employee Engagement, Workplace Culture & LEGO Serious Play | #12

What can a hilarious Netflix comedy teach us about workplace culture, employee engagement, and effective team building? In this episode of Build Better Teams, [https://buildbetterteamsconsulting.com/podcast] Shannon Russell breaks down the new Netflix series Company Retreat and explains why the show accidentally highlights one of the biggest problems with traditional corporate retreats and leadership offsites. From awkward icebreakers and forced bonding exercises to endless presentations and corporate buzzwords, Shannon explores why so many workplace retreats fail to create real connection. More importantly, she shares what actually works when it comes to team collaboration, communication, and employee engagement. This episode dives into the power of active participation through creative team-building experiences like LEGO® Serious Play®, improv workshops, storytelling sessions, and hands-on collaboration activities that help employees build trust, solve problems together, and feel more connected to their teams. In this episode, you’ll learn:  • Why traditional company retreats often miss the mark  • The difference between passive presentations and active participation  • How creative team-building workshops improve workplace communication  • Why LEGO® Serious Play® helps teams collaborate more effectively  • The role of improv and interactive experiences in leadership development  • How memorable offsite experiences strengthen workplace culture  • Why employees remember participation more than presentations If you’re planning a leadership retreat, corporate offsite, employee engagement event, or team-building workshop, this episode will help you rethink how to create experiences your team will actually remember. Through hands-on team building workshops and strategic planning sessions using LEGO® Serious Play® and other facilitation techniques, I help teams think differently so they can work better together. 🔗 Learn more or book a strategy call with me at https://buildbetterteamsconsulting.com [https://buildbetterteamsconsulting.com/]. Remember, the best ideas don’t just get discussed, they get built!

Creative Team Building Workshop Ideas That Engage Employees | #11

Are your team-building events truly engaging your employees, or are they just another meeting everyone forgets by the next day? In this episode of Build Better Teams [https://buildbetterteamsconsulting,com], host Shannon Russell explores creative team-building workshop ideas that help organizations improve communication, increase employee engagement, and build stronger workplace collaboration through active participation. Shannon shares why traditional workplace events often fall flat and how hands-on experiences create deeper connection, trust, and alignment inside teams. From LEGO® Serious Play® workshops and improv training to comedy workshops, storytelling experiences, collaborative art projects, innovation labs, and interactive strategy sessions, this episode dives into out-of-the-box team-building ideas that help employees think creatively, communicate openly, and solve problems together. You’ll learn:  • Why active participation creates stronger team engagement  • How LEGO® Serious Play® helps teams “think with their hands”  • The benefits of improv workshops for communication and adaptability  • Why humor and laughter improve workplace culture and psychological safety  • Creative workshop ideas for leadership retreats, offsites, and corporate events  • How hands-on team-building activities improve collaboration and trust  • Why employee engagement matters more than ever in today’s digital workplace If you’re an HR leader, manager, executive, event planner, or team leader looking for innovative team-building workshop ideas, this episode will inspire you to rethink what workplace collaboration can look like. Through hands-on team building workshops and strategic planning sessions using LEGO® Serious Play® and other facilitation techniques, I help teams think differently so they can work better together. 🔗 Learn more or book a strategy call with me at https://buildbetterteamsconsulting.com [https://buildbetterteamsconsulting.com/]. Remember, the best ideas don’t just get discussed, they get built!