The Unconventional Leadership Podcast · 2026-04-30 · 1h 6m
Connect & ask your leadership question here: Take the FREE Self-Care Inventory Quiz: Season 3, Episode 247 How Great Leaders Challenge the Status Quo (feat. Mark Fisher & Mike Sipple Jr.) What does it really take to create meaningful change inside an organization? In this episode of the Unconventional Leadership Podcast, Mike Sipple Jr. sits down with Mark Fisher, Chief Operating Officer of the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, for a conversation about vision, courage, operational excellence, and what it means to lead with a willingness to challenge the status quo. Mark shares why inspiring teams takes more than a strategic plan, how leaders can create momentum through quick wins, and why some of the best ideas often come from the front lines. Together, Mike and Mark unpack what it looks like to break rules in the right way, build a culture that allows calculated failure, and stay relentless in pursuit of progress that benefits both the organization and the broader community. They also explore succession planning, sustainability, innovation, team development, and the kind of leadership energy required to move people from ideas into action.
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