Is it possible to achieve high-quality business results while building a thriving team?

Many leaders often believe they must choose between driving results and prioritizing their people. However, time and again, we’ve seen that choosing one over the other rarely leads to better outcomes. Thankfully, today’s guest brings a new perspective and practical strategies to help us achieve both at the same time.

Today’s guest is Rachel Cooke. Rachel is a workforce activator, speaker, and facilitator. She is the Founder of Lead Above Noise - a firm specializing in activating teams - and the host of the Modern Mentor podcast.

In this episode, Rachel and I dive deeper into the common misconception that results and engagement are at odds. She shares insightful, real-world examples of how small, incremental changes can transform both your business outcomes and your teams’ well-being.

Plus, in the extended episode available to members of Podcast+, we talk about navigating pushbacks when implementing changes and fostering team cohesion through compromise and understanding.

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Conversation Topics

• (00:00) Intro
• (02:15) The tension between business results vs. people engagement
• (03:25) Results and engagement are not separate conversations
• (04:13) The rowing team analogy: How small strategies improve results and morale
• (07:36) Four pillars for driving both results and team engagement
• (16:23) How small changes can have a big impact
• (21:52) Engaging teams in identifying pain points and solutions
• (24:49) A great manager Rachel has worked for
• (26:19) Keep up with Rachel
• (26:21) [Extended Episode Only] How to navigate different perspectives and pushback when implementing changes
• (30:57) [Extended Episode Only] Fostering team cohesion through compromise and understanding

Additional Resources:

- Get the extended episode by Joining The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community for just $15 per month

- Read the full transcript here

- Follow me on Instagram here

- Visit my website for more here

- Level up your skills here

- Subscribe to my YouTube Channel here

Keep up with Rachel Cooke

- Subscribe to Rachel’s The Modern Mentor podcast here

- Follow her on LinkedIn here

- Check out her website for more information here

FREE: Leader Activation Worksheet

Rachel is providing members of Podcast+ with free access to her Leader Activation Worksheet. It's a compliment to the conversation we just had about the four pillars of activation - what it is, why it matters, and how to achieve it.

To get this guest bonus and many other member benefits, become a member of The Modern Manager Podcast+ Community.

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The Modern Manager is a leadership podcast for rockstar managers who want to create a working environment where people thrive, and great work gets done.

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