In the second series of the Meeting Strategist podcast, I will explore a topic that most leaders dread talking about: power in meetings and conversations.

In the coming episodes, I will talk with leaders from the investment and business world as well as communication experts, coaches and other extraordinary professionals about their experiences with power. The central question: how can leaders use their power more productively, starting with their everyday interactions and meetings?

Recently, workshop facilitator Myriam Hadnes invited me onto her podcast ‘Workshops Work’. We talked about how I became interested in power, how power differences impede our conversations and what leaders can do to close the gap. I’m pleased to share this conversation to kick off my new series about power.

All credit goes to Myriam for initiating the interview, asking great questions and allowing me to share the recording on this show. If you want to learn more about Myriam’s podcast and her work, please go to the full show notes with relevant links at www.meetingstrategist.org/marcel-van-de-hoef

Here are some of the episode’s highlights with timestamps:

• 5:09 – How I met power theorist Mauk Mulder and what I learned from him

• 15:12 – It’s not just hierarchy: introducing different power relationships

• 27:43 – Using Dale Carnegie’s human relations principles to handle power more effectively

• 32:37 – Putting a wall in between: reflecting on my ‘leadership style’ as an editor-in-chief about 15 years ago

• 42:04 – How to balance brainstorming and decision-making, so meetings finish on time and people still feel heard

About this podcast

Welcome to Meeting Strategist. On this podcast, Marcel van de Hoef interviews professionals and thinkers from the worlds of investment, business and arts about their approach to business conversations. You'll hear inspiring stories about impactful meetings, while also learning about the strategies, tactics and mindsets these guests rely on to make meetings more constructive.

Marcel is an Amsterdam-based communication advisor and trainer and the curator of the Meeting Strategist blog. His mission is to help senior professionals think more strategically about meetings, ask better questions, improve their listening skills and have more meaningful conversations in business and life. Learn more and stay up to date at meetingstrategist.org