We had the most amazing conversation with Brandon L. Draper in our recent guest appearance on the Start Thinking Forward Podcast. It’s amazing how many topics we covered. From our compelling story of how we, a mother-daughter team, came together following our reunion in 1985 and went on to establish Caliber Leadership Systems to our methods for dismantling dysfunctions within organizations and addressing prevalent challenges like the Peter Pan Syndrome and Imposter Syndrome in leaders. If you’re curious about our full reunion story, we encourage you to check out the podcast for all the details.
During our conversation, we delved into pressing issues within organizations, particularly leaders’ pervasive lack of accountability. We also explored the delicate balance leaders must strike between empowering employees and effectively tracking performance. Throughout, we underscored the paramount importance of emotional intelligence, leadership development, and the critical need to address systemic issues that lurk beneath the surface within organizations.
Our discussion further explored the Imposter Syndrome’s profound impact on leaders and organizations. To aid thought leaders looking to elevate their organizations, we offered book recommendations that could serve as invaluable guides. We emphasized the necessity of implementing an accountability system and providing comprehensive leadership training to effectively manage performance and foster continuous development.
Brandon skillfully guided us through a presentation of the tools and systems we’ve developed to nurture leaders and dismantle organizational dysfunction. Among these, we discussed the Striving Styles Personality System, a groundbreaking evolution of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Based on the popular Oprah quiz, “Who Are You Meant to Be?” (authored by Anne in 2009), this system uniquely combines personality type and emotional intelligence to provide leaders with a clear roadmap for their development by understanding brain functioning and the underlying needs that drive their behavior.
We also highlighted a must-take program for leaders, the Ultimate Accountability Experience Program, emphasizing how it takes into account the brain’s learning processes and ensures that newly acquired knowledge is seamlessly integrated into organizational systems. For those eager to expand their knowledge, we pointed to the wealth of resources available on our YouTube channel, Dranitsaris-Hilliard. Additionally, we discussed our most recent book, ‘So, You Think You Can Lead?’ This practical guide to leading with authority equips leaders to set their employees up for success.
Our heartfelt appreciation goes out to Brandon for his exceptional interviewing skills and extensive knowledge. It was an absolute pleasure to be interviewed by someone who skillfully guided us through our journey from the past to the present, creating a conversation rich with insights, humor, and more than a few “Aha!” moments.