The Minimum Viable Manager: A Practical Leadership Framework for First-Time Managers with Matt Gjertsen

5 Communication Blunders That Can Stall Your Career and How to Avoid Them with Dr. Laura Sicola

What are the communication mistakes that quietly hold leaders back? In this episode of What’s Possible, Ilene Schaffer sits down with executive communication coach, TEDx speaker, and author Dr. Laura Sicola to unpack five common communication blunders that can quietly stall a career, and what leaders can do instead. Drawing on more than two decades of experience coaching Fortune 500 executives, nonprofit leaders, and government agencies, Laura explains how even highly capable professionals can lose influence when they get stuck in the expert’s curse, stay silent in meetings, let their nervous system take over, confuse authenticity with rigidity, or listen only to respond instead of listening to lead. Ilene and Laura explore what it really takes to build authentic authority, executive presence, and stronger communication in high-stakes conversations. This episode is especially relevant for leaders, managers, and ambitious professionals who want to communicate with more clarity, confidence, and impact in a world moving faster than ever. Learn more about how to elevate your leadership here: sicola.info [https://sicola.info/] - - - - - - - Learn more about Silicon Valley Change Website [https://www.svchange.com/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/silicon-valley-change-executive-coaching/] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G984wxAvpUM&list=PLXY813hnUnJzKWYuVj94gwtipQTBaEM1N] Connect with Ilene Schaffer Website [https://www.ileneschaffer.com/] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/ileneschaffer] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ileneschaffer]  This show is produced and edited by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co. [https://www.palmtreepodco.com/]

In the Moment: What Working in Prison Taught Jeff Jacobs About Diversity and Belonging

In this episode of What’s Possible: In the Moment, Ilene Schaffer continues her conversation with Jeff Jacobs, exploring what his work in prisons revealed about diversity, belonging, and leadership. Jeff reflects on a striking moment of racial separation among inmates and the unexpected insight that followed: people often gravitate toward what feels familiar, not always out of hostility, but out of habit and comfort. From there, he and Ilene dig into what that means for the workplace, where diverse teams often outperform homogeneous ones, but require more intentionality, vulnerability, and trust to truly thrive. This short conversation is a thoughtful look at how leaders can build safer, more honest environments where people feel able to share feedback, challenge assumptions, and belong without creating exclusion. - - - - - - - Learn more about Silicon Valley Change Website [https://www.svchange.com/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/silicon-valley-change-executive-coaching/] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G984wxAvpUM&list=PLXY813hnUnJzKWYuVj94gwtipQTBaEM1N] Connect with Ilene Schaffer Website [https://www.ileneschaffer.com/] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/ileneschaffer] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ileneschaffer]  This show is produced and edited by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co. [https://www.palmtreepodco.com/]

Marcus Buckingham on Why Love Is the Missing Ingredient in Leadership and Business

In this episode of What’s Possible, Ilene Schaffer sits down with renowned researcher, entrepreneur, and bestselling author Marcus Buckingham for a bold and deeply human conversation about leadership, work, and why love may be the most overlooked driver of performance in business today. Drawing from his research, his years at Gallup, and his own experience building and selling a company, Marcus makes the case that love is not soft fluff layered on top of business. It is a real force that drives trust, loyalty, energy, creativity, and results. Marcus and Ilene explore why extreme positive experiences matter more than “pretty good” ones, how leaders can intentionally create more life-giving moments at work, and why small practices like weekly check-ins can have an outsized impact on team performance and human flourishing. This episode is especially relevant for leaders navigating uncertainty, AI, burnout, and fast change, and looking for a more human, evidence-based way forward. - - - - - - - Learn more about Silicon Valley Change Website [https://www.svchange.com/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/silicon-valley-change-executive-coaching/] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G984wxAvpUM&list=PLXY813hnUnJzKWYuVj94gwtipQTBaEM1N] Connect with Ilene Schaffer Website [https://www.ileneschaffer.com/] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/ileneschaffer] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ileneschaffer]  This show is produced and edited by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co. [https://www.palmtreepodco.com/]

In the Moment: What Working in Prison Taught Jeff Jacobs About Trust and Empathy

In this episode of What’s Possible: In the Moment, Ilene Schaffer sits down with Jeff Jacobs to explore the powerful leadership lessons he learned while working in maximum-security prisons. Jeff talks about how his time with incarcerated individuals challenged his assumptions, deepened his empathy, and taught him the importance of psychological safety, trust, and genuine human connection. He learned the value of showing up with curiosity, asking thoughtful questions, and respecting the lived experiences of others. This short conversation offers a deeply human reminder that trust begins when people feel seen, heard, and valued, whether inside an organization, in a moment of transition, or in the most unexpected places. - - - - - - - Learn more about Silicon Valley Change Website [https://www.svchange.com/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/silicon-valley-change-executive-coaching/] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G984wxAvpUM&list=PLXY813hnUnJzKWYuVj94gwtipQTBaEM1N] Connect with Ilene Schaffer Website [https://www.ileneschaffer.com/] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/ileneschaffer] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ileneschaffer]  This show is produced and edited by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co. [https://www.palmtreepodco.com/]

Leading Change from the Middle: Adriano Pianesi on Progress, Power, and Participation

What does it really take to navigate organizational change, especially when you’re leading from the middle? In this episode of What’s Possible, Ilene Schaffer sits down with executive coach and professor Adriano Pianesi, who has worked with more than 2,500 leaders across sectors.  Adriano shares why change so often feels exhausting, political, and stuck, and why middle managers are far more essential to successful change than they are often given credit for. Together, he and Ilene talk about a practical framework built around Preparation, Power, Participation, and Progress, offering leaders a more strategic and human-centered way to move change forward. This conversation is especially relevant for managers, founders, and professionals who are carrying the pressure of implementation without always having full authority. If you’ve ever felt caught between leadership vision and frontline reality, or blamed for change that isn’t taking root, this episode offers both validation and a concrete path forward. - - - - - - - Learn more about Silicon Valley Change Website [https://www.svchange.com/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/silicon-valley-change-executive-coaching/] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G984wxAvpUM&list=PLXY813hnUnJzKWYuVj94gwtipQTBaEM1N] Connect with Ilene Schaffer Website [https://www.ileneschaffer.com/] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/ileneschaffer] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ileneschaffer]  This show is produced and edited by the team at Palm Tree Pod Co. [https://www.palmtreepodco.com/]