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The Leadership Podcast

The Leadership Podcast

We Study Leaders

TLP472: Embracing Uncertainty with Dr. Margaret Heffernan

August 13, 2025

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Dr. Margaret Heffernan has written six books including “Willful Blindness: Why We Ignore the Obvious at Our Peril” and “Uncharted: How to Navigate the Future,” both widely recognized as top business books. Dr. Heffernan returns to the Leadership Podcast with insights from her new book “Embracing Uncertainty: How writers, musicians and artists thrive in an…

TLP471: How Fear Drives Behavior and Why Traditional Leadership Backfires with Kurt Gray

August 6, 2025

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Kurt Gray is a professor of psychology and neuroscience, and the author of “Outraged: Why We Fight About Morality and Politics and How to Find Common Ground.” In this episode,. Kurt explains why our workplaces have become battlegrounds of moral outrage. Kurt’s groundbreaking premise challenges the fundamental assumptions leaders make about motivation and conflict. While…

TLP470: Blue-Collar Careers Destigmatized with Ken Rusk

July 30, 2025

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Ken Rusk is owner of Rusk Industries and bestselling author of “Blue-Collar Cash: Love Your Work, Secure Your Future, and Find Happiness for Life”. Ken is also a motivational speaker who achieved WSJ Bestseller status with Blue-Collar Cash during the pandemic.  In this episode, Ken reveals why 77 million Americans still work with their hands,…

TLP469: A Leadership Pyramid Model with Ray Palumbo

July 23, 2025

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Retired U.S. Army three-star General Ray Palumbo is co-founder and senior partner of Venturi Solutions, having served 34 years leading conventional and special operations forces during peacetime and combat. A former 160th Squadron pilot and West Point graduate, he now serves on multiple boards and is passionate about supporting injured military veterans and Gold Star…

TLP468: The Power of Doing Nothing with Jim and Jan

July 16, 2025

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In this episode, Jim and Jan explore the power of doing nothing and why it might be the most strategic move a leader can make.  They begin with a discussion on Jan’s Crucible® expeditions, and the consistent lesson is that you have to slow down to speed up.  For Jim, it means intentional time without…

TLP467: Navigate Uncertainty with Kevin Eikenberry

July 9, 2025

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Kevin Eikenberry is a leadership expert with decades of experience and author of “Flexible Leadership: Navigate Uncertainty and Lead with Confidence”.  Kevin explores what it takes to lead effectively in a constantly changing environment. He shares why being a “remarkable” leader isn’t about charisma or titles. It’s about intentional actions, self-awareness, and the ability to…

TLP466: Story Is The Vehicle, Not The Cargo with Dan Manning

July 2, 2025

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Dan Manning is the Chief Story Architect at Build The Story, and a former fighter pilot and U.S. diplomat. Dan digs into the difference between storytelling that entertains and storytelling that leads to decisions.  Dan breaks down how he helps people choose the right story for the right moment and how every story should reflect…

TLP465: How Mental Toughness is Developed with Dr. Andreas Stamatis

June 25, 2025

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Dr. Andreas Stamatis is a Professor at the University of Louisville and a Mental Performance Specialist at UofL Health, blending sport science, psychology, and leadership to help individuals and organizations thrive under pressure. In this episode, Andreas explores the foundation of mental performance—how it’s developed, why it’s often misunderstood, and what separates sustainable performance from…

TLPMM012: On Character with General Stanley McChrystal

June 18, 2025

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In this Mastermind episode of The Leadership Podcast, General Stanley McChrystal returns for a third conversation—his most personal and revealing appearance yet. Stan discusses the defining choices in his life, the moments that shaped his character, and the values that continue to guide his leadership. He talks about how his parents influenced his values through…

TLP464: Become the Boss You Want to Be with Sabina Nawaz

June 11, 2025

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Sabina Nawaz is a top-tier executive coach who works closely with C-suite leaders and teams in Fortune 500 companies, government organizations, nonprofits, and universities globally. She’s also the author of “You’re the Boss: Become the Manager You Want to Be (and Others Need).” In this episode, Sabina discusses how power can distort perception, making leaders…

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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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