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Dr. Eric Kaufman is a Professor, Extension specialist, and associate head for Virginia Tech’s Department of Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education. He developed and now coordinates Virginia Tech’s graduate certificate program in Collaborative Community Leadership. He also supports an academic major in Community Leadership and Development, as well as an undergraduate minor in Leadership and Social Change. Eric’s research investigates and promotes collective leadership, with special emphasis on followership, problem solving, and leadership-as-practice. He is a past president of the Association of Leadership Educators (ALE) and a past chair of the International Leadership Association (ILA) Followership Community. His professional recognitions include the Distinguished Agricultural Leadership Educator Award from the American Association for Agricultural Education (AAAE).

Brian Zimmerman has served as CEO of Cleveland Metroparks since 2010, overseeing more than 25,000 acres of parks, trails, golf courses, and the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. Under his leadership, the organization has added more than 4,000 acres of protected land, expanded access across six counties, added 60+ miles of trails, and revitalized hundreds of acres of Cleveland lakefront. He has also guided major investments in Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, including nationally recognized animal habitats and conservation initiatives. Zimmerman’s work has earned numerous honors, including the 2021 National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park Management and recognition as one of Ohio’s most influential civic leaders.

A Couple of Quotes From This Episode

• “You cannot control every outcome and you cannot control every person. You have to empower your people to get there.”
• “If I'm surrounding myself with the right people, and I'm empowering them to be successful, we can accomplish great things together.”
• “We need to stop thinking about leadership as something individuals do and start seeing it as something communities build together over time.”

About The International Leadership Association (ILA)

• The ILA was created in 1999 to bring together professionals interested in studying, practicing, and teaching leadership. Attend The Global Conference in Toronto, October 28-31.

About Scott J. Allen

• Website
• Weekly Newsletter: Practical Wisdom for Leaders

My Approach to Hosting

• The views of my guests do not constitute "truth." Nor do they reflect my personal views in some instances. However, they are views to consider, and I hope they help you clarify your perspective. Nothing can replace your reflection, research, and exploration of the topic.

♻️ Please share with others and follow/subscribe to the podcast!
⭐️ Please leave a review on Apple, Spotify, or your platform of choice.
➡️ Follow me on LinkedIn for more on leadership, communication, and tech.
📜 Subscribe to my weekly newsletter featuring four hand-picked articles.
🌎 You can learn more about my work on my Website.

Send us Fan Mail

Dan Jenkins, Ph.D., is Professor of Leadership & Organizational Studies at the University of Southern Maine. Co-author of The Role of Leadership Educators: Transforming Learning and author of over 75 peer-reviewed publications, his scholarship spans leadership pedagogy, artificial intelligence (AI), followership, critical thinking, and curriculum design. A pioneer in integrating AI into development, training, and education, he develops innovative courses preparing students for digital-age leadership challenges. Dan serves as Co-Founder of the International Leadership Association’s Leadership Education Academy, Associate Editor of the Journal of Leadership Studies, and co-host of The Leadership Educator and Leaders in the Loop podcasts. An award-winning international speaker and facilitator, he engages thousands of leadership educators, scholars, students, and professionals worldwide on innovative teaching approaches and AI integration.

Gaurav Khanna, Senior Manager, Data Science and Digital Journeys, Cisco Systems, has 25 years of experience in technology and entrepreneurship. During the past five years, he has led efforts to automate business workflows using machine learning and deep learning techniques. His work focuses on using large language models and generative AI to transform how users interact with sales acceleration platforms. Khanna is passionate about demystifying complex subjects and is a frequent speaker on AI/ML topics. He received a BS in physics from Yale and an MS and a PhD in materials science and engineering from Stanford.

A Couple of Quotes From This Episode

• “We’re beyond the point of innocent wonder about AI.”
• “How do we align human values with machine learning and generative AI?”

Resources

• Podcast: Humans in the Loop

About The International Leadership Association (ILA)

• The ILA was created in 1999 to bring together professionals interested in studying, practicing, and teaching leadership. Attend The Global Conference in Toronto, October 28-31.

About Scott J. Allen

• Website
• Weekly Newsletter: Practical Wisdom for Leaders

My Approach to Hosting

• The views of my guests do not constitute "truth." Nor do they reflect my personal views in some instances. However, they are views to consider, and I hope they help you clarify your perspective. Nothing can replace your reflection, research, and exploration of the topic.

♻️ Please share with others and follow/subscribe to the podcast!
⭐️ Please leave a review on Apple, Spotify, or your platform of choice.
➡️ Follow me on LinkedIn for more on leadership, communication, and tech.
📜 Subscribe to my weekly newsletter featuring four hand-picked articles.
🌎 You can learn more about my work on my Website.

Send us Fan Mail

Jay Abbasi is a global keynote speaker, TEDx speaker, coach, and former Tesla leader who helps professionals thrive under pressure without burning out. At Tesla, he led national training programs for over 1,000 employees, and has since coached leaders at Google, Amazon, TikTok, Wells Fargo, and many more. He’s been featured in Forbes Founder, Authority Magazine, and Medium, and is the host of the top-rated podcast Unstuck with Jay Abbasi. Blending corporate experience with deep expertise in mindfulness, resilience, and well-being, Jay offers a powerful message: success isn’t about avoiding challenges, but mastering them with clarity, energy, and purpose.

A Couple of Quotes From This Episode

• “When pressure increases, you need to recharge more, not less.”
• “Resilience isn’t pushing through. It’s managing your energy so you can show up.”

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

• Jay's Website
• Jay's Podcast - Unstuck with Jay Abbasi
• Jay's Speaking

About The International Leadership Association (ILA)

• The ILA was created in 1999 to bring together professionals interested in studying, practicing, and teaching leadership. Attend The Global Conference in Toronto, October 28-31.

About Scott J. Allen

• Website
• Weekly Newsletter: Practical Wisdom for Leaders

My Approach to Hosting

• The views of my guests do not constitute "truth." Nor do they reflect my personal views in some instances. However, they are views to consider, and I hope they help you clarify your perspective. Nothing can replace your reflection, research, and exploration of the topic.

♻️ Please share with others and follow/subscribe to the podcast!
⭐️ Please leave a review on Apple, Spotify, or your platform of choice.
➡️ Follow me on LinkedIn for more on leadership, communication, and tech.
📜 Subscribe to my weekly newsletter featuring four hand-picked articles.
🌎 You can learn more about my work on my Website.