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The Leadership Podcast

The Leadership Podcast

We Study Leaders

TLP502: Never Fire Anyone with Mark Morgenfruh

March 11, 2026

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Mark Morgenfruh is the President and CEO of GetHRready and author of “Never Fire Anyone: A Leader’s Guide on how to Lead People not Companies.” He holds a Master of Human Resource Management from Rutgers University and built his no-nonsense, trust-first philosophy from the ground up.

In this episode, Mark dismantles the two most common leadership failures he calls “keyboard cowboys” (leading from behind a screen) and “happy talk” (avoiding the real conversation until it’s too late). He makes the case that trust isn’t built through programs or policies — it’s built by being a normal human being when you walk through the door.

Mark introduces his values-based leadership and disciplinary model — an alternative to PIPs and terminations. He explains why firing someone is more often a reflection of a bad hire or promotion decision than a performance problem. He also challenges HR to stop being the policy police and start being an enabler of real relationships between leaders and their people.

If you’ve ever avoided a hard conversation, put someone on a PIP, or wondered why your culture feels transactional — this episode is for you.

TLP501: Failure as Fuel: When to push through and when to quit

March 4, 2026

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Steve Taplin is the CEO of Sonatafy Technology, author of “Fail Hard, Win Big: 30 Ventures | 20 Failures | 10 Wins,” and host of the Software Leaders Uncensored podcast.  In this conversation, Steve reveals the partnership that almost destroyed him but vindicated him five years later; why he walked out of a meeting with…

TLP500: The Leadership Myths We Keep Getting Wrong with Admiral Bill McRaven

February 25, 2026

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Work–life balance sounds responsible. Admiral William (Bill) McRaven thinks it’s misleading at best—and often harmful. In our special 500th episode of The Leadership Podcast, McRaven strips away the language leaders hide behind and replaces it with judgment, clarity, and responsibility.  Instead of chasing balance, he offers a far more useful distinction: knowing which commitments are…

TLP499: You’re Charging for the Wrong Thing with Joe Pine

February 18, 2026

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Joe Pine is an internationally recognized author, speaker, and advisor, best known for The Experience Economy and his latest work, The Transformation Economy. In this episode, Joe explains why the market is finally ready—25 years later—for the shift to the transformation economy. He walks through the evolution of economic value, from commodities to goods, services,…

TLP498: Why Grit Isn’t Enough: Rethinking Resilience in Leadership

February 11, 2026

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Oli Raison, co-founder of Safarini Leadership, designs immersive leadership expeditions in Kenya that combine cultural exchange with Samburu elders, wilderness trekking, and deep reflective coaching. In this conversation, Oli challenges one of leadership’s most entrenched assumptions: that resilience is about individual grit and mental toughness. Drawing on the Samburu concept of naboisho—interdependence—he shows how real…

TLP497: Why Most Leaders Are Using AI Wrong—and How to Fix It

February 4, 2026

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Geoff Woods is founder of AI Leadership and #1 international bestselling author of The AI Driven Leader: Harnessing AI to Make Faster, Smarter Decisions.  In this episode, Geoff introduces the CRIT framework: “Context, Role, Interview, Task.” He also reveals why most leaders are still acting like industrial workers—showing up on time, following orders, doing repetitive…

TLP496: Why Faster Change Doesn’t Mean Faster Action

January 28, 2026

Mark van Rijmenam is a futurist, award-winning keynote speaker globally ranked as number one in his field. Salesforce recognizes him as a leading voice in AI. His latest book, Now What: How to Ride the Tsunami of Change, is available now, and he’s the founder of FutureWise. In this episode, Mark challenges the assumption that…

TLP495: The Accountability Paradox

January 21, 2026

Patrick Veroneau is CEO of Emery Leadership Group and author of The Leadership Bridge: How to engage your employees and drive organizational excellence and The Missing Piece: What Great Teams Do That Others Overlook.  In this episode, Patrick explains why organizations’ increasing focus on accountability systems over the past five years has coincided with employee…

TLP494: When Leadership Is About Who You Serve: Mark Steffe’s Story

January 14, 2026

Mark Steffe is President and CEO of First Command Financial Services, bringing over 30 years of financial services leadership. In this episode, Mark explains why he left his dream job working with ultra-high-net-worth families to serve military members who truly need financial guidance. He shares how military families face unique challenges including frequent relocations, spouse…

TLP493: “Sand People” – The Hidden Drag on Your Team’s Performance

January 7, 2026

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Jim and Jan tackle the uncomfortable truth about “sand people,” those team members who grind everything to a halt, and why even your best glue guy can’t overcome the friction they create. Drawing from their coaching experience, Jim and Jan reveal how to identify and deal with sand people before they destroy your team. They…

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#leadership #leadershiptraining #leader #westudyleaders

The scariest moment isn't when things are bad. It' The scariest moment isn't when things are bad. It's when everything is fine and you're asking: is this enough? 

Jill Schulman spent 24 years in a good career. Safe. Stable. Unfulfilled. The day she decided bravery meant leaving good for great changed everything. Most people don't fail because they quit. They fail because they stay at comfort. 

Challenge yourself to ask the hard question. Listen here https://bit.ly/TLP-518?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders

#bravery #personalgrowth #courage #careergrowth #leadership #mindset #fulfillment #lifepurpose
Most leaders treat growth like a race. Joth Ricci Most leaders treat growth like a race.
Joth Ricci treats it like a marathon.
When you scale too fast, something breaks. The question isn't IF—it's WHAT.
He managed Dutch Bros from 27 locations to 92 in three years without losing the culture. Here's the principle that made it possible.
See how he scaled: https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-516?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders
#scaling #leadership #organizationalculture #businessgrowth #leadershiplessons #dutchbros #westudyleaders #theleadershippodcast
You've been thinking about bravery all wrong. It's You've been thinking about bravery all wrong. It's not a trait you're born with. It's a skill you build. 

Jill Schulman is a Marine Corps veteran, keynote speaker, and bravery scientist with a master's in positive psychology from UPenn. 

This episode breaks down the myths holding you back, the science of the comfort trap, and the exact three-stage framework to push your team toward extraordinary performance. 

Discover what builds real courage. https://bit.ly/TLP-518?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders
Watch it on YouTube - https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-518?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders

#bravery #leadershipdevelopment #personalgrowth #stoicism #positivepsychology #westudyleaders #theleadershippodcast #fearless #coachinglife #leadershiplessons
Most leaders treat ethics as a cost. Patrick Ryan Most leaders treat ethics as a cost. Patrick Ryan says that's backwards. Morality isn't friction. It's the lubricant that makes markets actually function. Without it, you don't have capitalism. You have extraction. This is what modern business gets fundamentally wrong—and how it shifts everything about how you lead.
Watch the full conversation. https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-519?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders
#capitalism #ethics #leadership #adamsmith #moralcapitalism #businessethics #leadershippodcast #virtuouscapitalism
Most people assume selling a company for nine figu Most people assume selling a company for nine figures would feel incredible.

Kevin Rice was not most people.

After years of leading through a pandemic as a single father, growing his team by over 100 people, and closing the biggest deal of his career, the victory arrived completely flat.

He called it robot mode. Hear the full story on episode 512 of The Leadership Podcast. https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-512?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders

#leadership #entrepreneur #robotmode #fulfillment #theleadershippodcast #CEOmindset #personalgrowth #executiveleadership #leadershipdevelopment #successmindset
Perfectionism doesn't make leaders bolder. It make Perfectionism doesn't make leaders bolder. It makes them slower.
Kim learned this from a CEO who taught her the 80/20 rule — enough data to decide, then move. The last 20% almost never changes the outcome.
If you're stuck waiting for certainty, this is your permission to go. https://bit.ly/TLP-522?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders
#boldleadership #kimsvoboda #decisionmaking #executivecoaching #leadershipmindset #intentionalleadership #leadershippodcast #decisiveleadership
Needing to be the smartest person in the room is s Needing to be the smartest person in the room is something most leaders would never admit to. But Maria Brinck says it is one of the most common and most limiting habits she sees in leadership today. 

She names it plainly and explains why letting go of it is where real collaboration actually begins. 

If this clip made you pause, Episode 510 of The Leadership Podcast is the full conversation you have been looking for. Head over and give it a listen. https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-510?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders

#Leadership #LeadershipDevelopment #TheLeadershipPodcast #ExecutiveCoaching #Collaboration #Podcast
Most leaders think tension is toxic. Jim Brown say Most leaders think tension is toxic.
Jim Brown says they're wrong.
Tension is normal. Predictable. Necessary.
The problem isn't that your team disagrees. It's that they don't know what you're aiming for.
When people lack clarity around shared goals, disagreements turn into arguments. Someone stomps out. Trust breaks.
But when everyone knows what you're actually trying to build together? That same tension becomes energy. Ideas get challenged. Better decisions emerge.
Productive tension is anchored in clarity, not comfort.
Hear the full conversation on episode 517. https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-517?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders
#productiveconflict #leadershipteams #organizationalhealth #teamdynamics #leadershipdevelopment #conflictresolution #theleadershippodcast #jimbrownorghealth
Most leaders frame failure as the opposite of winn Most leaders frame failure as the opposite of winning. Matt Cavanaugh says that framing is the whole problem.
Win, learn, or die. No other outcomes exist. And that one shift changes how you look at every setback you've been carrying around.

The leader who avoids failure avoids judgment.

You'll want to hear him say this in his own words. https://bit.ly/tlpyt508?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders

#leadership #failure #growthmindset #militaryleadership #leadershipdevelopment #mattcavanaugh #bestscarwins #theleadershippodcast #mindset #resilience
You think debate teaches people to fight harder. You think debate teaches people to fight harder.

Murshad Chowdhury says it actually teaches them to listen better.

In competition format, you learn how to refute without destroying.

You learn to ask questions instead of defending positions.

And here's what changes everything: the goal isn't winning. The goal is understanding.
That's the skill that transforms workplaces.

Watch the full episode: https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-515?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders

#debateskills #leadershiplesons #communicationskills #listeningskills #teamleadership #conflictresolution #theleadershippodcast #workplaceculture
You have more technically qualified people enterin You have more technically qualified people entering the workforce than ever.
You also have fewer people who know how to have a real conversation.
This gap is costing you. It's costing every organization. It's being missed in every leadership development program.
The most expensive credential in 2026 is something no degree can teach: the ability to actually connect with another human.
Find what's missing: https://bit.ly/TLP-516?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders
#leadership #leadershipdevelopment #talentdevelopment #workforcedevelopment #peopleskills #teambuilding #westudyleaders #theleadershippodcast
Most leaders can scale. Almost none can scale with Most leaders can scale. Almost none can scale without breaking what they built.
Joth Ricci—CEO of LYBL, founder of Rafti Advisors, former CEO of Dutch Brothers—scaled Dutch Bros from 27 to 92 locations in three years without losing culture. 
In this episode, Joth talks about what actually breaks first when you grow fast, how to keep people's systems moving with your growth, and why discipline matters more than ambition.
Watch now: https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-516?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders
Listen now! https://bit.ly/TLP-516?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders
#leadership #leadershipdevelopment #scaling #businessgrowth #dutchbros #organizationalculture #executiveleadership #westudyleaders
Your instinct will be to take the ball. Resist it. Your instinct will be to take the ball.
Resist it.
When your team is struggling, when the pressure's on, your job isn't to score. Your job is to prepare them to score.
Joth Ricci  understood this
The moment you solve it for them is the moment they stop growing.
Learn the principle https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-516?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders
#leadership #coachingleadership #managementtips #leadershiplessons #teamdevelopment #executiveleadership #westudyleaders #theleadershippodcast
You think you're either brave or you're not. Jill You think you're either brave or you're not. Jill Schulman, Marine Corps veteran and bravery expert, begs to differ. Here's what most people get wrong: bravery isn't a trait you inherit. It's a skill you train. That changes everything. 

If bravery is learnable, that means you have more control over your future than you think. Uncover the two myths. https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-518?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders

#bravery #leadershipdevelopment #personalgrowth #stoicism #positivepsychology #fearless #leadershiplessons #psychology
One of the biggest misconceptions about leadership One of the biggest misconceptions about leadership is that the people at the top somehow found a shortcut.

After 500 conversations with CEOs, military leaders, entrepreneurs, and high performers, the opposite appears to be true.

The leaders who create lasting impact usually make difficult tradeoffs that most people never see. They often trade off their:
Time
Comfort
Certainty
Convenience
Ego

Not because they are obsessed with work, but because meaningful growth almost always demands sustained commitment. And most conversations around leadership often skip over the cost.

But mastery and long-term excellence rarely happen accidentally and without sacrifice.

What do you think most people underestimate when pursuing meaningful success? https://bit.ly/TLP-511?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders

#leadershippodcast #leadership #selfreliantleadership #noshortcuts #executivecoaching #leadershipdevelopment #podcast
TLP512: Winning at Work, Losing at Home Our lates TLP512: Winning at Work, Losing at Home 
Our latest episode with Kevin Rice  https://bit.ly/TLP-512?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders&utm_content=TLP512%3A%20Winning%20at%20Work%2C%20Losing%20at%20Home 
#leadership #successvsfulfillment #worklifebalance #leadership #leadershipmindset #highperformancelife #burnoutrecovery #personalgrowth #emotionalintelligence #familyfirst #successmindset #ceolife #leadershipdevelopment
Not every day is going to feel meaningful. Difficu Not every day is going to feel meaningful. Difficult bosses, missed numbers, teams that won't move. But the leaders who come out the other side with something real are the ones who stayed in the fight long enough to earn the scar.

Find the mission. Do it for someone else. Don't quit before the sentence ends.

Drop everything for 45 minutes and listen to this one with Matt Cavanaugh. https://bit.ly/TLP-508?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders

#leadership #leadershiplessons #growthmindset #militaryleadership #resilience #bestscarwins #mattcavanaugh #theleadershippodcast #failure #purpose
It's easy to chase the next title. Harder to ask w It's easy to chase the next title. Harder to ask what you're actually building once you get there.
Kim's closing message reframes leadership away from status — and toward legacy and impact.
Dive into the full conversation now. https://bit.ly/TLP-522?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders
#boldleadership #kimsvoboda #leadershiplegacy #intentionalleadership #executivecoaching #leadershipmindset #leadershippodcast #whatmatters
Purpose is one of the most talked about topics in Purpose is one of the most talked about topics in leadership right now and also one of the most misunderstood. 

Maria Brinck makes a distinction that reframes the whole conversation. She is not talking about finding purpose. She is talking about building it. And the difference between those two things changes everything about how you lead and how you live. 

Episode 510 of The Leadership Podcast is out now. This is one worth clearing your schedule for. https://bit.ly/TLP-510?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders

#Purpose #Leadership #TheLeadershipPodcast #LeadershipDevelopment #Podcast
Kevin Rice was leading a growing company, adding o Kevin Rice was leading a growing company, adding over 100 people, navigating an acquisition, raising two boys alone, all during a pandemic.

His coping mechanism was to shut everything off. No emotions. No processing. Just output.

From the outside it looked like peak performance.

His team and his kids were getting a version of him that was present in body but absent everywhere that mattered.

That is the version of leadership nobody talks about enough.

Episode 512 of The Leadership Podcast is a good place to start that conversation. Go find it. https://bit.ly/TLP-512?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders

#leadership #leadershipdevelopment #emotionalintelligence #theleadershippodcast #executiveleadership #CEOmindset #personalgrowth #parenting #entrepreneur #selfawareness
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  • TLP518: The Bravery Effect: Jill Schulman on Why Courage Is a Skill, Not a Trait

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