85. Stephen McDonnell | The Iowa Idea

Subscribe: Spotify | Android | Email | TuneIn | RSS

The Iowa Idea: Stephen McDonnell

“Nothing cures fear faster than action.”

In this episode of The Iowa Idea Podcast, I’m joined by Stephen McDonnell from Cork, Ireland. Stephen is a leadership, performance, resilience & team development consultant, facilitator of transformation and cultural change professional who has been helping organizations across a broad range of industries globally. Stephen believes that every person & team has an abundance of unexplored potential. Stephen’s passion and purpose are to support individuals and teams to unleash this potential and help organizations build competitive advantage.

Stephen has a diverse background with varied knowledge achieved through leadership positions with organizations including the Gaelic Players Association (GPA). From a sporting perspective, Stephen has represented the Cork Senior Hurling team from 2010 to 2020 and he captained the team in 2016 & 2017 to Munster championship success.

I’m not sure if Stephen and I are related, but I come from a line McDonnells who left Cork in the 1800s and settled in what is now Clinton, Iowa. This Cork to Clinton connection pre-dates Iowa’s statehood. My relatives settled on the Iowa side of the Mississippi River when Iowa was a territory. So, it was fun to collaborate with McDonnell in Cork for this episode.

We dig into Stephen’s background and experience including captaining Cork’s championship hurling team. Stephen and I go deep into team and group dynamics. Stephen shares some great perspectives related to the conditions and environment that needs to be in place for teams to succeed and thrive. High performing teams just don’t happen – Stephen shares some of the key conditions, essentials and enablers, for successful team.

It was a pleasure having Stephen join me on the podcast. I hope you enjoy the episode.

About Stephen

Driving joy, connection, and exceptional performance in the pursuit of what’s possible.

Stephen is a Leadership, Performance, Resilience & Team Development consultant, facilitator of transformation and cultural change professional who has been helping organisations across a broad range of industries globally. Stephen believes that every person & team has an abundance of unexplored potential. Stephen’s passion and purpose are to support individuals & teams to unleash this potential and help organisations build competitive advantage.

Stephen gets a real kick out of working with teams and individuals at all levels,

but especially with senior leaders & teams and critical project teams where the stakes are high, and the pressure is on. The impact of a true team effectiveness and elite leadership at this level can have an immensely positive impact & ripple effect. In addition, Stephen believes that we learn the most when we are enjoying ourselves, and he brings this to his coaching with leaders and teams.

Stephen has a diverse background with varied knowledge achieved through leadership positions with organisations such as Arup Consulting Engineers, One Young World and the Gaelic Players Association (GPA). From a sporting perspective, Stephen has represented the Cork Senior Hurling team from 2010 to 2020 and he captained the team in 2016 & 2017 to Munster championship success.

Stephen’s intimate knowledge of high performance in highly competitive contexts and the steps required to extrapolate the true capability and capacity of an individual, team ororganisation, is unique. Stephen draws from his experience of regularly leading a team as captain in a highly competitive setting and performing in front of crowds of up to 83,000 people. Stephen is also a sought after Adjunct Lecturer in Munster Technological University and an Associate Consultant with the Irish Management Institute where Stephen teaches the art and science of true team effectiveness & effective leadership for winning teams. Stephen has developed and honed his expertise and conceptual models while working with some great leaders,coaches, mentors and performers – all of whom have challenged his performance, growth and learning.

Stephen believes there is potential for growth in every individual and team no matter how successful they are and takes pride in making a positive difference and leaving a tangible impact. Stephen lives in Cork City with his partner, Erika, their family and two

dogs. Stephen loves all things nature and wildlife, spending time in the mountains and swimming in the ocean. Stephen likes to travel to experience new cultures, to connect with new people and enjoy all that life has to offer.

Some Experience & Professional Credentials:

International Diploma Executive Coaching
Masters Certificate Professional Leadership
Certified UpAgear Strategy Execution Consultant
Certified Unbeatable Mind Consultant
6 Team Conditions Advanced Practitioner
Harvard Team Diagnostic Survey Advanced
Honours Degree Structural Engineering
Lead Managing Engineer with Arup
Peak Performance Certified
Cork Senior Hurling Team Captain 2016 & 2017
Emotional Intelligence certified practitioner
Behavioural & Mindset Profiling practitioner
Irish University Lecturer
Associate Faculty Member at the IMI
Certified in Leadership Versatility

Links

https://www.linkedin.com/in/liveunbound/

Credits

Episode produced by Spark Consulting Group (www.inspiredbyspark.com) in Iowa City, with support from Executive Podcast Solutions (https://www.executivepodcastsolutions.com/).

The Iowa Idea Podcast theme music written and performed by Paisley Bible (https://paisleybible.bandcamp.com/).