The Seismic Shift with Michelle K. Johnston

Visual leadership is having a moment—and Todd Cherches explains why. From our dopamine-driven obsession with images to the loneliness epidemic, Todd and Dr. Michelle Johnston connect the dots between how we communicate and how we belong. Todd shares his “three V’s” (visibility, voice, value), why knowing someone’s name changes everything, and how leaders can help people see what they’re saying. You’ll also get practical guidance for presentations (goodbye bullet-point “slideuments”), meetings that feel co-owned, and a simple learning model (VARK) leaders can use to boost attention, comprehension, and retention.

CHAPTERS

01:41 Why visual leadership is “having its moment”
04:58 The 3 V’s: visibility, voice, value
08:46 Todd’s story: introvert to TEDx + prog Visual Leadership + the four buckets
15:01 Presenting now: WSIC + WIFM (make it about them)
17:29 Slide design: “let your slide be your guide”
21:28 Rethinking academia + building learning together
24:40 VARK explained (with the IKEA example)
25:49 Fixing meetings: engagement, ownership, shared journey
30:03 Closing takeaways: reflection, introspection, connection

Special thanks to our friend Brian Wayy for the theme music this season!
Track Title: My Heart's On Fire

Follow Michelle for more inspiring content:

Watch the podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSeismicShiftwithMichelle 
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michelle-johnston-0264b5b
Instagram: instagram.com/michellekjohnston 
Website: https://michellekjohnston.com/ 

What is The Seismic Shift with Michelle K. Johnston?

Welcome to Seismic Shift - a leadership podcast that focuses on connection. I’m your host, Michelle K. Johnston: management professor, executive coach, and leadership expert. I believe that today’s leaders need more than power and control to get the best from their teams; they need connection. Through interviews with some of today’s top business leaders, we are going to explore how leaders' ability to connect with themselves, their teams, and their organizations defines their ultimate success or failure. This podcast runs in close parallel to my new book, The Seismic Shift in Leadership, where you can find even more insights from me and the brilliant leaders I interviewed this season. So let's set our sights on connection and get ready to take on the daunting, yet exciting, challenge of this Seismic Shift.