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Play for Performance

Play for Performance

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Join Jolynn Ledgerwood, certified LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® facilitator, on "Play for Performance," a podcast dedicated to transforming workplaces through play and creativity. Each episode features insightful conversations with professionals who integrate fun and innovative strategies to enhance leadership, communication, and team building. Discover how incorporating LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® and other playful approaches can boost team performance, foster collaboration, and create a vibrant organizational culture. Whether you're a leader, manager, or team member, tune in to gain practical tips and inspiring stories that will elevate your workplace dynamics. Available on all major podcast platforms.

https://elevateyourtalent.co/












Elevate Your Talent Economics Management Management & Leadership Personal Development Personal Success
Episodes
  • Human Connection as a Leadership Strategy with Lee Colan and Julie Davis-Colan

    Human Connection as a Leadership Strategy with Lee Colan and Julie Davis-Colan
    9 Sep 2026
    In this episode of Play for Performance, host Jolynn Ledgerwood sits down with Lee Colan and Julie Davis-Colan, co-founders of The L Group and two of the most respected CEO advisors in the country. With a combined body of work spanning 24 books, 27 years of consulting experience, and clients ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies, Lee and Julie bring a rare blend of organizational psychology, positive psychology, and business strategy to every conversation. Their upcoming book, The Connection Key, releases in October and tackles what they believe is the defining leadership challenge of our time: human connection.From Psychology Class to Building a Leadership Firm TogetherLee and Julie met in a psychology class and have been students of human behavior ever since. Lee built his early career inside corporate giants like American Airlines, Sandoz, and Booz Allen Hamilton before co-founding The L Group in 1999. Julie came from the American Heart Association, where she led high-impact business units serving Fortune 500 clients including Coca-Cola, Home Depot, and Westinghouse. Their shared passion for both business and human behavior made the path to building something together feel less like a decision and more like a calling."We really felt like we were following along with what we were designed to do the whole way." — Lee ColanThe Biggest Challenge Leaders Face — And Have Always FacedAfter 27 years of working with leaders at every level, Lee and Julie have identified three persistent challenges: focus, execution, and engagement. Focus, in particular, stands out as the most universal struggle — not just for leaders, but for human beings."By saying yes to something, we are by default saying no to something else." — Lee ColanThey wrote a book on employee engagement in 2002, long before the term became a corporate buzzword. Today, with remote and hybrid work reshaping the landscape, the challenge has only intensified. Their answer is not more programs — it is more intentionality.Why Human Connection Is the Next Competitive AdvantageLee and Julie's upcoming book, The Connection Key, was born out of a pattern they kept seeing in their client work: leaders who could get people to do their jobs, but struggled to get the best from them. The difference, they argue, is connection."When there is no friction, there is no connection." — Lee ColanDespite a surge in corporate well-being programs over the past five years, well-being metrics have remained flat or declined. Lee and Julie contend that programmatic approaches cannot replace the one-to-one human connection that actually moves the needle — for performance, health, and belonging.Julie adds the science to back it up: "Without a cost, with just some intention and effort, you can have the greatest reward physically, psychologically, and even on your work impact by just connecting with others." — Julie Davis-ColanWhat CEOs Are Thinking About Right NowWhen asked what is top of mind for the CEOs they advise, Julie points to one overarching theme: uncertainty. From economic volatility to geopolitical instability, leaders are navigating a climate that demands both steadiness and adaptability. Lee adds that the return-to-office conversation is still unresolved — and that physical proximity alone does not create connection."Human connection is built one to one, not programmatically." — Lee ColanTheir Approach: Pragmatic, Tool-Based, and Built for Real LifeLee and Julie are quick to distinguish their coaching model from a therapeutic one. They start with two questions: What does the business need to change to grow? And what does the leader need to change personally to make that happen?From there, they deploy a library of more than 100 proprietary tools — tested, refined, and proven in the field. One of their most enduring tools is the Three W's: What, Who, and When. Applied at the end of any meeting or interaction, it creates a simple accountability loop that leaders can carry into every conversation."The most fundamental form of accountability is agreeing on what we just agreed to, who made a commitment, and by when." — Lee ColanJulie's tool of choice is mindset. Raised on the concept of Right Mental Attitude, she has spent her career studying how positive emotions expand thinking, open perception, and fuel performance — while negative emotions, left unmanaged, do the opposite."Mindset is everything. The difference it makes — even in how you fill out a simple accountability form — is the most powerful tool in our briefcase." — Julie Davis-ColanPlay, Fun, and Why They Are Not OptionalBoth Lee and Julie are firm believers that play and fun are not soft perks — they are performance drivers. Positive emotions, Julie explains, are the fuel for growth and learning. Negative emotions narrow thinking and limit perceived options. A culture that makes room for levity, celebration, and genuine enjoyment consistently outperforms one that does...
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    33 min
  • From Autopilot to Alignment: Leading with Values, Curiosity, and Play with Ann Sheu

    From Autopilot to Alignment: Leading with Values, Curiosity, and Play with Ann Sheu
    31 Mar 2026
    Some careers end with a closing argument. Ann Sheu started there—and then shifted when life forced a reset. After losing her father and watching her in-laws separate, she and her husband had to confront a hard question: were they building the life they actually wanted, or just following the script.

    That moment led Ann from law into coaching and EOS implementation, where she now works with entrepreneurial families and leaders to align values, vision, and daily rhythms so success doesn’t come at the cost of the people who matter most. As a mother of four, she brings a practical lens to the real tension between ambition and family life—especially the part most plans forget: play.

    In this conversation with host Jolynn Ledgerwood, Ann explains why curiosity beats quick problem-solving, how feedback becomes normal (not personal) when it’s built into the operating cadence, and what values have to do with the triggers that show up in leadership and at home. You’ll leave with clear ways to strengthen culture, reduce friction, and make progress without burning out.

    Chapters:

    00:00 - Introduction
    00:12 - "Life's Wake-Up Calls"
    05:03 - "Embracing Values and Play"
    09:28 - "Becoming a Better, Clearer Leader"
    10:38 - Balancing Visionary Leadership Challenges
    15:40 - Work, Play, and Team Focus
    17:42 - Creating Playful Breaks
    21:11 - "Leaders Must Slow Problem-Solving"
    23:37 - "Connect Through LEGO Conversations"
    27:27 - Outro

    Quotes:

    "When you really know who you are and what you want, you can filter out the noise and distractions and truly live life intentionally."- Ann Sheu

    "Transforming workplace culture doesn’t happen overnight, but every small step toward play and connection makes a difference."- Jolynn Ledgerwood

    Key Takeaways:

    Define Success on Your Terms
    Lead with Emotional Awareness
    Normalize Open Feedback
    Infuse Play in Everyday Life
    Lead with Curiosity, Not Just Solutions
    Know Who You Are and What You Want
    Nurture Playful Engagement

    Connect with Ann Sheu
    Website: http://www.mpoweredjourney.com/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mpowered-journey1/

    Connect with the Host:
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/Jolynnledgerwood/
    Website:https://elevateyourtalent.co/

    Powered by: http://heartcastmedia.com
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    28 min
  • Innovation That Actually Works: Psychological Safety, Play, and Leading Across Cultures with Natalie Born

    Innovation That Actually Works: Psychological Safety, Play, and Leading Across Cultures with Natalie Born
    17 Mar 2026
    Welcome back to Play for Performance! Most leaders talk about innovation. Natalie Born builds it—one team, one country, one breakthrough at a time.

    As founder and CEO of Innovation Meets Leadership, Natalie has spent two decades working with organizations across 18 countries, turning bold ideas into results that actually stick. She holds two US patents, wrote Set it on Fire: The Art of Innovation, and specializes in the kind of facilitation that breaks down silos and gets people thinking differently.

    In this conversation with host Jolynn Ledgerwood, Natalie walks through what happens when teams stop hiding their failures and start learning from them. She explains why psychological safety isn't just a buzzword—it's the difference between a team that stalls and one that solves problems. And she shares how simple tools like empathy maps and visual thinking can unlock insights that spreadsheets and PowerPoints never will.

    The conversation moves through AI's impact on leadership, the shifting expectations of today's workforce, and why some of the best strategic work happens when you get people moving around the room instead of staring at slides. Natalie also reveals her go-to facilitation techniques, including the "open, explore, close" method that forces teams to name the elephant in the room—and actually talk about it.

    If you've ever wondered how to balance structure with creativity, or how to lead teams that span continents and cultures, this episode offers practical answers. And yes, there are stories about stepping on LEGO bricks. Let's get started.

    Chapters:

    00:00 - Introduction
    00:09 - "Bringing Out the Best"
    05:37 - "Engaging Facilitation Through Movement"
    07:41 - "Embracing Failure Fuels Innovation"
    10:08 - Rethinking Work: Flexibility and Innovation
    14:17 - "Navigating AI's Rapid Impact"
    18:38 - From Information to True Wisdom
    20:22 - "Rebuilding Humanity in Collaboration"
    23:10 - "Addressing the Elephant"
    28:48 - "Power of Drawing for Storytelling"
    31:17 - Facilitation Needs Levity
    36:02 - "Empathy: Key to Facilitation"
    36:49 - Empathy Drives Effective Change
    39:53 - "Play for Performance Farewell"
    40:06 - Outro

    Quotes:

    "When we activate creativity, we unlock potential. By stifling it, we limit what's possible."- Jolynn Ledgerwood

    "Hidden failures teach us nothing. Exposed failures show us the path forward."- Natalie Born

    Key Takeaways:

    Innovation Thrives on Diversity
    Safe Spaces Fuel Growth
    Balancing Structure and Play
    Redefining Success in a New Era
    AI is Here—Let’s Get Strategic
    Empathy as a Leadership Tool
    Fun Isn’t Optional—It’s Essential
    Keep Curiosity Alive

    Connect with Natalie Born
    Website: https://innovationmeetsleadership.com/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalieborn

    /Download Natalie’s free frameworks including an empathy map and change management framework here: https://setitonfire.co/

    Connect with the Host:
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/Jolynnledgerwood/
    Website:https://elevateyourtalent.co/

    Powered by:http://heartcastmedia.com
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    41 min
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