Why Soft Skills Are Actually Power Skills with Lyndsay Dowd

Episode Links:

Heartbeat for Hire - https://heartbeatforhire.com/

Top Down Culture Book - https://www.amazon.com/Top-Down-Culture-Revolutionizing-Leadership/dp/B0CFZ2H14G

Heartbeat for Hire Podcast - https://heartbeatforhire.com/podcast/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lyndsaydowdh4h/

The Outlier Project - https://theoutlierproject.live/

Summary:

In this episode of The Corvus Effect, I sit down with Lyndsay Dowd, founder of Heartbeat for Hire and leadership strategist who spent over 20 years at IBM building high-performing sales teams. Lyndsay shares her journey from a 105-year IBM family legacy through getting fired and rebuilding her career as an entrepreneur. She reveals how she transformed her "island of misfit toys" team using simple human connection exercises, redefines "soft skills" as essential "power skills" in an AI-driven world, and explains her revolutionary storytelling framework that eliminated business jargon by requiring explanations simple enough for a retired school teacher. The conversation explores authentic leadership, building trust through difficult moments like layoffs, and why leading with heart creates lasting loyalty and results.

Show Notes:

01:43 The IBM Legacy and Getting Fired

04:54 Navigating Leadership While Pregnant with Twins

08:26 From Cost to Investment: The IBM Experience

12:27 Building Teams and Power Skills

14:31 The Island of Misfit Toys Story

17:34 Stopping Hero Ball and Lifting Others Up

20:08 Leading with Heart vs. Toxic Positivity

23:09 Culture First: The Dinner Conversation Test

25:51 The Revolutionary Storytelling Framework

30:22 Community Building and The Outlier Project

33:11 Power Skills in an AI-Driven World

35:17 Leadership Lessons for Her Kids

37:05 Final Thoughts

Transcript: