Leadership NOW with Dan Pontefract

Updated: 27 Mar 2025 • 129 episodes
www.danpontefract.com

Dan Pontefract is an award-winning author, leadership strategist, and culture change expert. Dan's podcast explores all aspects of leadership, organizational culture, purpose, and professional development. Dan is the best-selling author of five books: WORK-LIFE BLOOM, LEAD. CARE. WIN., OPEN TO THINK, THE PURPOSE EFFECT, and FLAT ARMY. A renowned speaker, Dan has presented at four different TED events and also writes for Forbes and Harvard Business Review. Dan is an adjunct professor at the University of Victoria, Gustavson School of Business, and has garnered more than 20 industry awards over his career. Previously, as Chief Envisioner and Chief Learning Officer at TELUS—a Canadian telecommunications company with revenues of $14 billion and 50,000 global employees—he launched the Transformation Office, the TELUS MBA, and the TELUS Leadership Philosophy, all award-winning initiatives that dramatically helped to increase the company’s employee engagement to record levels of nearly 90%. Prior to TELUS, he held senior roles at SAP, Business Objects, and BCIT. He is honoured to be on the Thinkers50 radar list.

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Rose Fass, founder of Fass Forward Consulting Group and former CTO at Xerox, joins Dan Pontefract on Leadership NOW to discuss why organizations repeatedly overlook the crucial layer of middle management. Rose reveals the critical role of the "messy middle" in translating strategy into execution and why senior leaders

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Rigid leadership is failing us—especially now. On this episode of Leadership NOW, Dan Pontefract speaks with bestselling author and leadership expert Kevin Eikenberry about his latest book, "Flexible Leadership: Navigate Uncertainty and Lead with Confidence." Eikenberry argues persuasively that leaders trapped in habit

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In this episode of Leadership NOW, we delve into the critical issue of knowledge loss within organizations. When seasoned employees retire or depart, they often take invaluable tacit knowledge with them—expertise that isn't documented in manuals or training materials.​ Join us as we explore the insights of Dr. Richard

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Learning and Development (L&D) teams are at a crossroads. Too many still operate as order takers, delivering training on request without questioning whether it’s the right solution. Dr. Keith Keating, Chief Learning and Development Officer at BDO Canada and author of "The Trusted Learning Advisor," believes this outdat

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The workforce is aging, but many leaders are still acting as if nothing has changed. On this episode of Leadership NOW with Dan Pontefract, CEO and author Avivah Wittenberg-Cox, a global expert on gender, generational shifts, and longevity, unpacks what organizations must do to stay ahead. She explains why age diversit

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In this blunt, zero-guests, and entertaining episode of Leadership NOW, Dan Pontefract unleashes his frustrations on the outdated practice of the annual performance review. He traces its historical roots, explains why it hurt engagement and innovation, and offers a better path forward. If you are tired of cramming twel

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