No Clichés
with TD Smyers
⬆️ Listen now wherever you get podcasts ⬆️
Navigating Feedback with Brian Byrd, M.D.
Some leaders make an impact in one sector — others leave their mark across many. Dr. Brian Byrd has done it all: physician, city councilmember, author, and executive leader who knows how to bring people together for real, lasting change. I saw that firsthand when he and I worked side-by-side to create LVTRise, the urban revitalization initiative that transformed Fort Worth’s Las Vegas Trail community into a model of collaboration and hope. Now, Dr. Byrd’s taking that same spirit of honest connection to a broader audience with his new book, Navigating Feedback at Work, Home, and Everywhere Else. In this episode of No Clichés, we’re unpacking what it really takes to lead — and listen — like he does.
The Unity Blueprint with Mayor Jeff Williams
The Dallas Cowboys don’t play football in Dallas. They play in Arlington — the same city where the 2023 World Series champion Texas Rangers play baseball. None of that happened by accident.
Behind Arlington’s rise as a world-class hub for sports, entertainment, and innovation is a visionary leader who built unity into the city’s blueprint. Former Mayor W. Jeff Williams turned collaboration into a superpower — and now he’s sharing that formula in his new book, The Unity Blueprint.
The 80s Called … They Want Their Top-Down Leadership Back!
On May 5th I had the honor of moderating a panel of leadership experts for Leadership Fort Worth’s LeaderPrime graduation. In front of an audience comprised of CEOs, Executive Directors and other top-level leaders, this panel shined as we tackled the disconnect between the command-and-control leadership structure that many of us grew up with and the humans who make up today’s workforce.
The Arsonist in the Office with Pete Havel
Pete Havel knows toxic.
A former lobbyist for some of the biggest, most powerful organizations in the US, Pete’s shocking corporate experience was the inspiration for his book The Arsonist in the Office: Fireproofing Your Life Against Toxic Coworkers, Bosses, Careers and Cultures.
Pete is President of Fireproofed Leadership, a business that helps organizations fix their workplace culture problems and build better culture.
Out of Your Mind and Irresponsible with Dan Pallotta
If you google Dan Pallotta, he comes up identified as an "American Entrepreneur". While true enough, this description is really only part of the story. Dan is a visionary, a developmental economics guru at Harvard, a social sector champion and a bold leader. Dan challenges the whole book of rules - the one that has a set of rules for nonprofits separate from the rest of the economic world. If you think the primary fiscal responsibility of a nonprofit is to keep overhead low, stand by to have your charity world view rocked.