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The Leadership Podcast

The Leadership Podcast

We Study Leaders

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TLP019: If You’re Not Making Mistakes, You’re Not Pulling Hard Enough

October 19, 2016

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Jacqueline Molnar – Global Teams Handle Adversity Fearlessly When They’re Diverse and Purposeful Co-hosts Jan Rutherford and Jim Vaselopulos interview Jacqueline Molnar, Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer at Western Union. Jacqueline has 20 years of experience as an attorney and compliance officer, focusing on AML/CFT (Anti-Money Laundering / Combating the Financing of Terrorism),…

TLP020: The Leader’s Recipe for the Emotional Cocktail

October 12, 2016

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Dr. Christophe Morin – How to naturally, ethically, and effectively create the bottom-up effect of followership Co-hosts Jan Rutherford and Jim Vaselopulos interview Dr. Christophe Morin, CEO and Chief Pain Officer at SalesBrain. With over 30 years of experience in marketing and business development, Christophe is passionate about understanding and predicting consumer behavior using neuroscience….

TLP018: Confidence, Humility, Humor & Corporate Culture

October 5, 2016

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Colleen Abdoulah – on Diversity and Inclusion Practices for a WOW! Culture. Co-hosts Jan Rutherford and Jim Vaselopulos interview Colleen Abdoulah, former Chair and CEO of WOW! Colleen, who was the only female CEO at a top-ten cable operating company, is widely respected for her passionate focus on customer experience and company culture. In this episode,…

TLP017: Leadership Lessons from Sarajevo to Timbuktu

September 28, 2016

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Chris Schmitt  – A Rucksack of  Best Practices to Build Trust For Any Team Co-hosts Jan Rutherford and Jim Vaselopulos interview Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Schmitt, as he transitions from special operations leadership to corporate advisor after 30 years of military service. Starting his career as an enlisted soldier at the age of 17, he understands…

TLP016: Leadership and the Customer Experience

September 21, 2016

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Bruce Temkin  – How do you align the direction and the perception of all the people who are following you? Co-hosts Jan Rutherford and Jim Vaselopulos interview Bruce Temkin, Customer Experience Transformist and Managing Partner of Temkin Group. Bruce is widely viewed as a customer experience visionary, helping large companies define and accelerate their customer experience…

TLP015: GORUCK Your Way to Leadership

September 14, 2016

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Jason McCarthy – Building a community of leaders can be as simple as going for a walk/ruck! Co-hosts Jan Rutherford and Jim Vaselopulos interview Jason McCarthy, Founder and CEO of GORUCK, a company that makes rucksacks (also known as backpacks), and runs rucking events similar to the Special Forces selection process. Jason reveals why and how…

TLP014: Vision, Values, and Humor at the Top

September 7, 2016

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Scott Page – The power of a CEO to transform a complex organization in a complex industry Co-hosts Jan Rutherford and Jim Vaselopulos interview Scott Page, Chief Executive Officer of Colorado Business Bank and Arizona Business Bank, on his experiences as a CEO, particularly regarding how the CEO position is distinct from all others. Scott…

TLPMM01 – The Elusive ROI of Leadership Training

September 4, 2016

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  Featuring Mike Figliuolo – Managing Director of thoughtLEADERS LLC and Founder at Executive Insight 16 Our Mastermind Panel:    Summary & Ideas for Action We’re giving this episode out to the world at large today as an example of future Mastermind episodes.  In the future, only those who subscribe to our email list will…

TLP013 – Patagonia Crucible - Recipe for Audacious Teams?

August 31, 2016

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Update on the preparation for an expedition with executives and special operations warriors Co-hosts Jan Rutherford and Jim Vaselopulos, discuss their upcoming expedition – the Crucible in Patagonia, Argentina.  They explore the project’s conception, purposes, technical and social challenges, and goals. They also describe the participants’ unique backgrounds, and how they were selected for being…

TLP012: Thea Durfee Polancic – Business should create beauty, prosperity and fulfillment

August 24, 2016

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Thea Durfee Polancic – The power for business to transform the world In this interview, Thea covers the concept that consciousness and profit are compatible. Older executives may need to examine consciousness; younger executives may need to open their consciousness to embrace profit. Purpose is an intentional combination of consciousness and profit that necessitates a great…

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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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