Home
Episodes
Books for Leaders
About Us
- Our Team
- Contact Us
Our Sponsors
Blog
Our Newsletter

The Leadership Podcast

We Study Leaders

Kelly Byrnes

This is the book mentioned in our discussion with Kelly:

Secrets of Seasoned Professionals–They learned the hard way but you don’t have to

Buy This Book Online

Buy from Amazon

Secrets of Seasoned Professionals–They learned the hard way but you don’t have to

Secrets of Seasoned Professionals–They learned the hard way but you don’t have to

Instagram Feed

westudyleaders

#leadership #leadershiptraining #leader #westudyleaders

What if the beliefs you hold about yourself are sh

What if the beliefs you hold about yourself are shaping what happens next?In our conversation with @shawnachor, we explored how beliefs influence behavior, happiness, success, and the way we experience difficult situations. That your behavior matters and can be the difference between moving forward, giving up, or stagnating.We also talk about FOMO, social connection, burnout, stress, and why success doesn't necessarily create happiness.This is a thoughtful conversation about something we rarely stop to examine - what we believe, and what those beliefs make possible.Listen to the latest episode of The Leadership Podcast.#Leadership #Leadershipdevelopment #PositivePsychology #LeadershipMindset #HappinessAndSuccess #LeadershipPodcast #ShawnAchor #TeamCulture #Mindset #WorkplaceLeadership

Donnie Boivin doesn't work the room. He plants his

Donnie Boivin doesn't work the room.He plants his feet and lets the room come to him.He calls it command presence, and it's a leadership skill, not a personality trait. The best leaders aren't controlling every conversation, they're guiding the room just by how they show up.Hear Donnie break down what that actually looks like in practice. Full episode is live now. https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-521?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadership #networking #executivepresence #personalbranding #leadershipdevelopment #salesleadership #leadershippodcast #businessgrowth

This applies to families. It applies to teams. Mo

This applies to families. It applies to teams.Most leaders and parents focus on outcomes. Lee Benson focuses on the environment.Get the environment right, and value creation follows, at home and at work.Learn how Lee builds that environment. #leadership #valuecreation #leebenson #familyleadership #executivecoaching #teamculture #podcast #theleadershippodcast

Most leaders blame the market, the deal, or the te

Most leaders blame the market, the deal, or the tech when things fall apart.David Craig says look closer. The system is usually the real problem.David is the former CEO of Refinitiv and author of the Blue Book on business transformation and growth, having led a 25,000-person company through the financial crisis, Brexit, and Covid.This episode breaks down how to spot complexity killing your organization before it's too late, and what real conviction looks like when leading people through change.New episode is live now. https://bit.ly/TLP-525?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleadersWatch it on YouTube - https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-525?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadership #leadershippodcast #theleadershippodcast #businesstransformation #executiveleadership #organizationalculture #changemanagement #ceointerview #leadershipdevelopment #davidcraig

Complexity doesn't announce itself. There's no sig

Complexity doesn't announce itself.There's no sign on the wall.David Craig ran Refinitiv through some of the toughest years in financial services, and he says the first warning sign isn't in the numbers.It's in the answers. Ask three people what the company does. If you get three different answers, you've found the problem.David walks through what he actually looks for when walking into a struggling organization.Full episode is live now https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-525?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadership #davidcraig #organizationalculture #businesstransformation #leadershippodcast #executivecoaching #companyculture #leadershipdevelopment

Digital content can give us information, but perso

Digital content can give us information, but personal stories offer something more. They let us hear the emotion behind an experience, understand the circumstances that shaped someone, and connect with lessons that might otherwise be lost.Bouchra Danwra believes younger generations need opportunities to hear older generations share their experiences and wisdom directly. That kind of learning requires more than information. It requires people willing to listen, stories worth sharing, and time spent together.#TheLeadershipPodcast #IntergenerationalLearning #GenerationalWisdom #LeadershipLessons #Storytelling #Mentorship #HumanConnection

We cannot always choose the circumstances we begin

We cannot always choose the circumstances we begin with, but we can choose how we move forward.In her conversation with Jim Vaselopulos and Jan Rutherford, Bouchra Danwra reflects on personal agency, the choices that shape our lives, and the importance of taking ownership of our direction, even when we cannot control where we start.Her perspective is a reminder that our beginnings do not have to determine our destination.Listen to the full conversation on The Leadership Podcast. Find the episode on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.#TheLeadershipPodcast #BouchraDanwra #PersonalGrowth #Leadership #PersonalAgency #LeadershipDevelopment #Mindset #PurposefulLeadership

A leader's mindset doesn't always stay with the le

A leader's mindset doesn't always stay with the leader.David Robson explains how negative expectations can spread through an organization. When leaders signal that they don't have much faith in someone's capability, that person can begin to internalize the message. Anxiety rises. Confidence falls. And the mental space that should be used for creativity and problem-solving gets consumed by doubt.Sometimes leadership isn't about what you say to someone.It's about what your behavior tells them you believe they are capable of.#leadership #leadershipdevelopment #leadershippsychology #teamculture #employeeengagement #selfefficacy #davidrobson #leadershippodcast

You can talk about work-life balance all day. You

You can talk about work-life balance all day.Your team is watching what you actually do.Tom Rath says most leaders preach rest and recovery, then model the opposite. First in. Last out. Never fully off.If you want a well-rested team, be the first one to log off.Listen to Tom Rath's full conversation on the show. https://bit.ly/TLP-523?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#tomrath #leadershippodcast #leadingbyexample #executivecoaching #workplaceculture #burnoutprevention #leadershipmindset #peoplefirstleadership

Leaders often absorb the blame when things stall.

Leaders often absorb the blame when things stall.David Craig learned the hard way that grinding harder inside a broken system doesn't fix anything. Sometimes the people are working exactly as hard as they should, and the structure around them is what's failing.That single reframe is what led him to walk away and rebuild Refinitiv from the outside in.New episode with David Craig is live now. https://bit.ly/TLP-525?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadership #davidcraig #organizationalculture #leadershippodcast #executiveleadership #businesstransformation #systemsthinking #leadershipmindset

Tribalism is part of human nature, but its role in

Tribalism is part of human nature, but its role in modern organizations is more complicated than it once was. People still seek belonging and connection, yet those same needs can create division when groups begin defining themselves against one another.Jim Vaselopulos and Jan Rutherford explore how tribalism shapes leadership and organizational culture. They discuss four approaches to leadership: subtraction, division, addition, and multiplication, and what each reveals about the way leaders influence the people around them.The conversation also examines fear in the workplace, the importance of psychological safety, and the ongoing tension between developing people and focusing on the work that matters most.At the center of the discussion is a question leaders cannot easily avoid - how do you create belonging without creating an "us vs. them" culture?Listen to the full episode. Link in the first comment.#Leadership #LeadershipDevelopment #LeadershipLessons #OrganizationalCulture #TheLeadershipPodcast

Most leaders delay hard conversations. They hope t

Most leaders delay hard conversations.They hope the problem fixes itself.Patrick Emmons says that hope is the mistake.Waiting doesn't soften the issue, it just adds interest.Listen to the full episode for Patrick's approach to difficult conversations. https://bit.ly/TLP-524?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadership #difficultconversations #executivecoaching #leadershipdevelopment #directcommunication #teamculture #accountability #patrickemmons

Leadership requires authority. But authority alone

Leadership requires authority. But authority alone isn't enough.Matt Edelman, Chairman, CEO, and President of Super League, describes the leadership model he calls a "benevolent monarchy": someone still has to make decisions and call the shots, but compassion needs to be at the heart of how they lead.The conversation explores what that balance looks like in practice, from being honest when decisions are difficult to learning from younger employees who have expertise you don't. Matt also considers how expectations, feedback, and the way people learn at work are changing.The challenge for leaders is not to give up authority. It's to use it in a way that earns trust and helps people do their best work.🎧 Listen to Matt Edelman on The Leadership Podcast. Link in the first comment.#TheLeadershipPodcast #Leadership #LeadershipDevelopment #MattEdelman

Leadership creates a difficult tension. Leaders ha

Leadership creates a difficult tension. Leaders have to develop their people while also making sure their time is going toward the work only they can do.The challenge is that developing people isn't a one-time task. It requires continued support, appreciation, and attention.The work of leadership is figuring out how to do both, and when each requires your attention.#Leadership #LeadershipDevelopment #LeadershipLessons #TimeManagement #PeopleLeadership #TheLeadershipPodcast

Being good at something can make you worse at maki

Being good at something can make you worse at making decisions.The more experience and expertise we gain, the easier it can become to trust our judgment without questioning it.David Robson calls this the "curse of expertise."He argues that good judgment requires something that doesn't always come naturally to smart, experienced people: actively looking for evidence that challenges what we already believe.In our conversation, we explore what that looks like in leadership, along with the role of curiosity, vulnerability, communication, and self-compassion in becoming more effective.Listen to the latest episode of The Leadership Podcast.#leadership #leadershipdevelopment #decisionmaking #leadershippsychology #cognitivebias #executiveleadership #selfawareness #davidrobson

Kim Svoboda was on a plane 85% of the time. Chasin

Kim Svoboda was on a plane 85% of the time. Chasing the job title she thought she wanted.Then a simple values exercise stopped her cold. Family was #1 on her list. She wasn't living anywhere near it.That gap is what most leaders never stop to check.Hear what broke her wide open. https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-522?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#boldleadership #kimsvoboda #executiveburnout #leadershipvalues #worklifebalance #careertransition #leadershippodcast #intentionalleadership

There is a difference between improving what alrea

There is a difference between improving what already exists and imagining what could exist.Ron Johnson reflects on what Steve Jobs saw in him: not only someone who understood retail and customers, but someone willing to imagine something that hadn't been done before.Innovation often begins with the willingness to think beyond the familiar.#Innovation #Leadership #SteveJobs #RonJohnson #ThinkDifferently #InnovationLeadership #LeadershipLessons #TheLeadershipPodcast

A good leader needs conviction. But conviction can

A good leader needs conviction. But conviction can become a liability when it makes you stop listening.Ron Johnson learned this in very different ways at Apple and J.C. Penney.At Apple, he and Steve Jobs were willing to hit rewind after six months of work on the first Apple Store because they realized the concept was wrong. At J.C. Penney, Ron moved too quickly, relied too heavily on his own conviction, and later recognized that he needed to slow down, get more input, and bring people along.We also talk about kindness, and why Ron sees it not as softness, but as a way of creating the conditions for people to do their best work.That combination of conviction, humility, and kindness makes for an interesting way Ron approaches leadership.Link to the full episode in the comments.#Leadership #LeadershipDevelopment #LeadershipLessons #VisionaryLeadership #TheLeadershipPodcast

Most people treat networking like a numbers game.

Most people treat networking like a numbers game.Donnie Boivin treats it like a business model.The shift from collecting contacts to building other people's success is what actually opens doors.Hear how he built an entire company around it in this week's episode. https://bit.ly/TLP-521?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#networking #leadership #businessdevelopment #relationshipbuilding #salesmindset #entrepreneurship #leadershippodcast #b2bsales

Great leadership doesn't require charisma. David

Great leadership doesn't require charisma.David Robson points to two qualities that matter when influencing other people: warmth and competence.Can people trust you? Do they believe you know what you're talking about?That combination matters more than being naturally charismatic, entertaining, or a great orator.And unlike charisma, these are qualities leaders can deliberately develop.#leadership #leadershipdevelopment #influence #executiveleadership #trust #communication #leadershippsychology #davidrobson #leadershippodcast

Follow on Instagram

Recent Posts

TLP 536: The Problem Beneath the Problem with Simon Bowen
TLP535: The Benevolent Monarch: Leading with Authority, Not Ego
TLP534: What If You’re Wrong?
TLP533: What CEOs and Young Graduates Can Teach Each Other
TLP532: Sheer Will: The Unlikely Path from Cuba to the Cabinet

Recent Comments

Anonymous on TLP519: The Leadership Idea We Missed for 250 Years
Anonymous on TLP513: The Leadership Cost of Isolation with Nick Black
Anonymous on TLP511: What 500 Top Leaders Taught Us — And Why It’s Not What You Think
Anonymous on TLP508: Your Scars Are Your Resume
Anonymous on TLP505: Why Leadership Coaching So Often Fails

Tags

adaptability assumptions athletics business change coaching communication corporate crucible culture Curiosity decision making education emotional intelligence entrepreneur financial history humor innovation interview Jan Rutherford Jim & Jan Jim Vaselopulos leader leadership leadership development Leadership Podcast military neuroscience Personal Growth philosophy practitioner productivity relationships resilience speaker sports stories team development teamwork The Leadership Podcast thought leader trust veterans workplace culture

Copyright © 2026 Rafti Advisors, LLC & Self-Reliant Leadership, LLC - All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy