Subscribe: iTunes / Spotify In this episode of The Black Belt in Leadership, host Aslak de Silva welcomes Jason Shupp, the experienced leader of Ferguson Roofing and host of the From There to Here podcast, for a deep dive into the journey of leadership growth. Using the martial arts belt system as a metaphor, they explore how leaders progress from the early days of the “white belt” stage, where fundamentals are formed, through to the “black belt” mastery level, where continual learning becomes key.Jason shares invaluable insights from his own leadership experiences of more 20 years and stories from nearly 70 podcast guests,…
Author: Aslak de Silva
Subscribe: iTunes / Spotify In this episode of The Black Belt in Leadership, Aslak de Silva is joined by Anna Kuusela (M.Sc. (Econ), ICF Executive Coach, Ex-Big4, and former ballerina), the founder and CEO of EDGE Leadership. Anna specializes in transforming the most influential leaders and leadership teams through creative insight, emotional intelligence, and relational mastery. Drawing on her experiences as a former ballet dancer and her deep expertise in organizational and personal change, Anna shares her insights on balancing perfectionism with progress, cultivating mental toughness, and fostering leadership agility in today’s fast-paced world.Listeners will discover the importance of coachability, learn how to…
Subscribe: iTunes / Spotify In this episode of The Black Belt in Leadership podcast, host Aslak de Silva is joined by Dr. Elisabet Lahti, an expert in inner strength and the Finnish concept of sisu. They explore how sisu—a unique blend of determination, grit, and resilience in the face of adversity—can be applied to leadership challenges. Drawing from her research and personal endurance feats, Dr. Lahti shares practical insights on how leaders can tap into their hidden reserves of strength and push through tough times. Tune in to discover how to cultivate sisu and lead with unwavering resolve.Dr. Elisabet Lahti, is an international…
Subscribe: iTunes / Spotify In this episode of The Black Belt in Leadership podcast, host Aslak de Silva sits down with executive coach and author Ritu G. Mehrish to dive deep into the concept of Leaders Block—a phenomenon where even the most seasoned leaders can feel stuck, uninspired, or disconnected from their purpose. Drawing parallels to martial arts, where practitioners often face physical and mental plateaus, Aslak and Ritu explore how leaders can break through these blockages with resilience, discipline, and self-awareness.From recognizing the signs of Leaders Block to practical strategies for regaining clarity and momentum, Ritu shares insights from her years of…
Subscribe: iTunes / Spotify In this episode of the Black Belt in Leadership podcast, host Aslak de Silva sits down with Feras Alhlou, a seasoned entrepreneur, business strategist, and co-founder of E-Nor, a leading digital analytics consultancy that he successfully led to an acquisition by Dentsu, one of the world’s largest advertising and digital marketing agencies. With a proven track record of sparring with entrepreneurs and helping them scale their businesses to 7 and 8 figures, Feras brings a wealth of knowledge in strategic leadership and business growth.In this insightful conversation, Feras shares how the principles of martial arts—such as discipline, strategic planning,…
Subscribe: iTunes / Spotify In this episode of “The Black Belt in Leadership,” we sit down with Alf Rehn, a professor of innovation, design, and management, to explore the paradoxes and complexities of modern leadership. We delve into how leaders can effectively balance being both strong visionaries and supportive team players, how to navigate the fine line between decisiveness and empathy, and the importance of embracing contradictions in leadership. Alf shares his unique insights on failure, success, and the critical traits that leaders must cultivate to thrive in today’s fast-paced world. This episode offers practical wisdom for leaders seeking to lead with both…
Subscribe: iTunes / Spotify In this episode I will tell my own background and how did I get into martial arts. Sharing 4 core lessons I have learned and wrote about as a co-authoer of the book Winner’s Mindset: Peak Performance Strategies for Success. Starting from doing things right and finding your do and purpose. Sharing a real-life examples about using feedback from my daughter to be better as a webinar presenter and in the end I am sharing two different ways to find your zen. To learn more, visit: https://www.selflystore.com/ Listen to more episodes on Mission Matters: https://missionmatters.com/author/aslak-de-silva/