(615) 656-0465 mark@markskenny.com
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Welcome to the Becoming Unassailable podcast! This podcast is all about helping your executive or leadership team thrive amid change and disruption by embracing forward change, together, as a team, which is the only way for your organization to become unassailable.

In this episode, we tackle the all too common disconnect between senior leaders and employees. If you experience communication issues between top level leaders and employees, if you are still seeing issues with turnover, or if people still are not motivated or engaged in their work, this episode is for you.

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Deborah Watts.

What you will learn in this jam-packed episode:

  • How nothing has really changed.
  • The criticality of being a courageous leader.
  • What does it look like day-to-day to be a courageous leader.
  • Where you need to spend your time as a senior leader.
  • Practical ways to close the disconnect between levels.

About Deborah

Dr. Deborah Watts has more than 20 years of experience helping people and organizations grow. Her passion is developing professionals into tomorrow’s leaders and coaching leaders on how to optimize their performance as well as the performance of their team. Her experience has come from many unique opportunities spanning a wide range of disciplines and industries including organizations such as the Governor’s Literacy Foundation, RJ Young, Lands End, Humana, Harley-Davidson, Seaspan, Starbucks and Zillow.  Currently, Deborah is the Founder and CEO of Hayde & Company, a talent optimization consulting firm and the Director of Graduate and Executive Education at the University of Tennessee, Haslam College of Business.  She also serves as a Certified Partner for Predictive Index and Senior Consultant for the Leadership Pipeline Institute.

Deborah has expertise not only in organizational development, but also in behavioral assessments, adult learning, talent optimization, succession planning and emotional intelligence competencies.  Deborah is a certified EQi-2.0 and EQ 360 coach and a Predictive Index analyst.  She helped launch the Nashville start-up, America’s PowerSports, which won the “Best in Business Award” by the Nashville Business Journal.  She was chosen as one of seven executive women to execute an innovative new model launch for Harley-Davidson which included an advertorial in a national magazine with Pepsi MAX.  Deborah is a national speaker on topics regarding leadership and emotional intelligence.  She has spoken at corporate retreats, Chamber events, large industry expo’s and professional association annual meetings.

From an academic standpoint, Dr. Watts has worked with local and international universities including, Belmont University, Erasmus University in Rotterdam, Lipscomb University, Trevecca University, and the University of Tennessee. Deborah is a member of Delta Mu Delta, a national honor society in business, Tennessee SHRM, and Vistage International Nashville.  Recently, Deborah was honored with being selected as a Nashville Business Journal “Women of Influence.”

An Ohio native, Dr. Watts earned a B.S. in Organizational Communications and a Master of Business Administration in Leadership at Lipscomb University and a Doctor of Education degree in Leadership and Professional Practice from Trevecca Nazarene University.  She lives in Forest Hills and enjoys spending her free time with her family, mentoring her students, traveling, going to Nashville Predator games, riding her motorcycle and scuba diving.

Deborah can be reached at Deborah@HaydeandCo.com.