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The Leadership Podcast

The Leadership Podcast

We Study Leaders

TLP461: Looking for Unicorns: The Hiring Dilemma with Jim and Jan

May 21, 2025

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In this episode, Jim and Jan dive into the critical aspects of leadership and talent development in today’s fast-changing work environment. They discuss how companies often seek “unicorn” candidates with unrealistic expectations—and why focusing on core traits like emotional intelligence, curiosity, and continuous learning is essential. Jim and Jan explore how hybrid work is reshaping…

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: adaptability, age bias, career advice, Career Growth, career narrative, clear expectations, communication, continuous learning, cultural fit, Curiosity, emotional intelligence, employers, feedback, hiring challenges, hiring expectations, hiring process, hybrid work, job seekers, leadership, relationship-building, small cities, talent development, team development, tech industry, Topgrading, trust, unicorn candidates, work environment

TLP454: The pain train is coming. Are you ready? with Dr. Hope Zoeller

April 2, 2025

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Dr. Hope Zoeller is the Founder and President of HOPE (Helping Other People Excel), LLC, a consultancy dedicated to helping organizations cultivate effective and impactful leaders.  In this episode, Hope shares why so many leadership programs fail and what companies must do to see real results. Drawing from her experience in corporate leadership, academia, and…

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: business growth, Employee Development, feedback, Institutional Memory, leadership, Succession Planning, training, workplace culture

TLPMM011: Becoming a Self-Reliant Leader with Jan Rutherford

August 21, 2024

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Jan Rutherford, founder of Self Reliant Leadership®, takes a deep dive into the themes of self-reliance and leadership resilience. He shares insights from his collaboration with Jacquie Jordan, a co-author on his book “Becoming a Self-Reliant Leader: How Grit and Disciplined Duty Forge Indomitable Teams”. Jan explores the foundational principles of Self-Reliant Leadership: leading oneself,…

Filed Under: Mastermind Podcast, Podcast Tagged With: adaptability, Building relationships, Effective Communication, feedback, Leading organization, Leading others, Leading self, Meaning in work, negotiation, Personalized leadership, purpose, resilience, Self-awareness, Self-reliant leadership, Setting expectations

TLP416: Think Faster, Talk Smarter with Matt Abrahams

July 3, 2024

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In this episode, communication expert Matt Abrahams shares his insights on effective leadership communication through his “four I’s” framework: Information, Impact, Invitation, and Implications. He underscores the need for clear, audience-tailored communication, emphasizing empathy and curiosity. Matt discusses the balance between personal authenticity and team support, highlighting the crucial role of feedback and ongoing self-improvement….

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: adaptability, authenticity, collaboration, communication, Communication skills, connection, crisis, Culture Of Feedback, Curiosity, empathy, feedback, Intergenerational, leadership, listening, Martial Arts, Nonverbal, Pattern Recognition, Personal Growth, practice, Professional Development, PublicSpeaking, reflection, trust, Verbal Cues

TLP361: View from Above with Astronaut Terry Virts

May 31, 2023

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Col. Terry Virts (ret.) served as a U.S. Air Force test fighter pilot, is a NASA veteran of two spaceflights and a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Harvard Business School. In 2019 he directed his first film, One More Orbit. His second book, How to Astronaut, continues to amass…

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: astronaut, business, Debriefing, diversity, feedback, interview, leader, leadership, space, team, training

TLP357: Feedback Is Not Nearly as Effective as You Think

May 3, 2023

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Stephen Drum, retired Navy SEAL master chief and author of “Life on the X: A Navy SEAL’s Guide to Meeting Any Challenge with Courage, Confidence, and Readiness”, discusses the values and commitments necessary for effective leadership. This is Steve’s second time as a guest on The Leadership Podcast, and in this episode he discusses the…

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: authenticity, business, feedback, interview, leader, leadership, military, teamwork, values

TLP163: Unlocking Potential

August 14, 2019

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Kim Cameron focuses his research on virtuousness in organizations (aka culture) and the relationship to performance. Kim talks about what exactly virtuous leadership is, the difference between positivity and virtue, the competing values framework, and why recognizing achievement is so important… and elusive. Kim also shares practical ways leaders can begin to implement the process…

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: culture, Energy, feedback, leadership, positivity, Potential, purpose, Virtue

TLP129: It’s Dangerous To Have “Irreplaceable” People

December 19, 2018

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Eric Kish is a Turnaround CEO with over 20 years of experience at transforming organizations in various forms of distress. A Stanford Business School graduate, he has scaled organizations from millions to billions, and is the author of Everyday Turnaround, The Art and Science of Daily Business Transformations. Eric discusses the global experiences that have…

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: accountability, assumptions, business, coaching, corporate, culture, decision making, feedback, financial, influence, interview, leader, leadership, mentoring, practitioner, relationships, stories, teamwork, trust

TLP112: The ‘V’ Word – Vulnerability

August 22, 2018

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This week, Jan returns fresh from a trip to Ireland, where he traveled and worked with his MBA students through his course at University of Colorado Denver. He and Jim discuss the parallels and running themes between the young professionals, and guests from recent podcast episodes. They discuss how leaders can foster an environment of…

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: business, coaching, collaboration, corporate, culture, feedback, Jim & Jan, leadership, vulnerability

TLP106: Strengthen Trust in Less than a Day

July 11, 2018

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Strengthen Trust in Less than a Day In this episode, Jim and Jan talk about the Urban Team Challenge: What it is, how it came about, how it’s different from other team builders, and the special type of people behind it. The goal is to sharpen your team’s ability to communicate, delegate appropriately, overcome adversity,…

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: assumptions, corporate, crucible, feedback, stories, team development, teamwork, training, UTC

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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=westudyleadersListen now! https://bit.ly/TLP-516?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadership #leadershipdevelopment #scaling #businessgrowth #dutchbros #organizationalculture #executiveleadership #westudyleaders
Your leadership team is waiting for you to solve e Your leadership team is waiting for you to solve everything.Jim Brown watched this pattern destroy ownership.A woman entrepreneur realized her team had stopped thinking. Everyone just looked to her for answers.So she tried something simple. Stop answering questions. Start asking them."What do you think we should do?"That one behavior change made her meetings louder. More ownership. Shared responsibility.If you're carrying the weight of all decisions, your team isn't really yours—they're dependent on you.See the full conversation on episode 517. https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-517?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadershipaccountability #teamownership #leadershipbehavior #organizationalhealth #leadershipdevelopment #theleadershippodcast #jimbrownorghealth #leadershipinsight
You have two deaths, not one. The first is physic You have two deaths, not one.The first is physical. The second is the last time someone says your name.Tom Rath says legacy isn't about what you build or leave behind. It's about what quietly outlives you in someone else's habits.You may never see the moment your influence shows up in someone else's life. That's the point.Listen to the full episode with Tom Rath now. https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-523?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#tomrath #leadershippodcast #legacyleadership #purposeatwork #leadershipmindset #executivecoaching #meaningfulwork #leadershipdevelopment
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
Picture a sideline full of parents yelling instruc Picture a sideline full of parents yelling instructions nobody can follow.Now picture your last team meeting.Patrick Emmons says it's the same problem.Bosses talk, but only 3% of the room actually understands what was said.He learned to fix it by coaching kids, not running companies.Watch the full episode to hear how Patrick builds a vernacular his team actually understands. https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-524?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadership #teamcommunication #coaching #executivecoaching #leadershipdevelopment #teambuilding #businessleadership #patrickemmons
Karen Doll helps executives rebuild their psycholo Karen Doll helps executives rebuild their psychological fitness for a living. And for years she was quietly running herself into the ground.The belief buried so deep she did not know it was there.Self care is selfish.What finally broke it was not a book or a breakthrough. It was looking at her daughters and deciding she did not want to pass that on.Familiarity is one of the hardest things to walk away from.Full conversation with Karen on The Leadership Podcast. https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-514?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadershippodcast #leadership #burnout #selfcare #leadershipdevelopment #mentalhealth #psychologicalfitness #podcast #womenleaders
Most leaders think accountability is someone else' Most leaders think accountability is someone else's problem.Jim Brown—author of The Imperfect CEO, founder of Org Health—spent 30 years with CEOs discovering the one behavior that rewires everything. One small question. One major shift.Leadership accountability isn't what you think it is.Listen to episode 517 now. https://bit.ly/TLP-517?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleadersWatch it on YouTube: https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-517?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadershipaccountability #leadershipdevelopment #organizationalhealth #teamculture #leadershipcoaching #executiveleadership #theleadershippodcast #westudyleaders
Your circle isn't static. It's a decision. Donnie Your circle isn't static. It's a decision.Donnie Boivin says your five prospects, five clients, and five closest people all shape where you plateau.Not walking away from anyone, just paying attention to who's actually pulling you forward.Dive deeper into the full conversation https://bit.ly/TLP-521?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadership #networking #personalgrowth #businessmindset #relationshipbuilding #entrepreneurship #leadershippodcast #successmindset
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
Most people think burnout comes from working too h Most people think burnout comes from working too hard.Karen Doll says that is the wrong diagnosis.It comes from never learning how to recover.She is a licensed psychologist, author of Building Psychological Fitness, and chairs the Flourishing at Work initiative under Harvard's Flourishing program.In this episode she breaks down why resilience is not about powering through.The two personality patterns that derail even the most talented executives.And the core belief she had to break in herself before she could practice what she preached.The full conversation is up now. https://bit.ly/TLP-514?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleadersWatch it on YouTube https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-514?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadershippodcast #leadership #podcast #psychologicalfitness #burnout #leadershipdevelopment #mentalhealth #selfreliantleadership #executivecoaching #resilience
Everyone rushes to answer. That's why their answe Everyone rushes to answer.That's why their answers fall flat.Here's what Murshad Chowdhury teaches in his debate and communication training: pause."Let me think about that for a few seconds."That's not a weakness. That's clarity.It's the difference between a half-thought answer and a fully formed response.Master this in interviews, presentations, and conversations. https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-515?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#publicspeeking #interviewtips #communicationskills #presentationskills #executivepresence #theleadershippodcast #careertips #leadershipskills
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
David Gray calls it empathetic accountability. And David Gray calls it empathetic accountability.And it's the thing most leaders get wrong.You can hold people responsible. But only if you've connected with them first.Skip the connection? Accountability feels like harassment.David has spent 34 years learning this: exhausted people need to know they're valued before they'll respond to expectations.That doesn't mean lowering standards. It means raising empathy.Hear David's full philosophy on leadership in uncertain times. https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-520?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#empathyatwork #leadership #leadershipphilosophy #podcast #davidgray #theleadershippodcast #managementskills #leadershipdevelopment
Capitalism broke when leaders stopped believing it Capitalism broke when leaders stopped believing it requires morality.Patrick Ryan is a chartered director, KYC Net founder, and author of The Moral Market. He spent decades watching executives justify corner-cutting as "following the rules."In this episode, he shares why modern capitalism abandoned Adam Smith's moral foundation. And how the impartial spectator fixes it.Go listen to the full conversation. https://bit.ly/TLP-519?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleadersGo 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
Karen Doll has assessed hundreds of executives. An Karen Doll has assessed hundreds of executives. And the same two patterns keep ending careers early.Not lack of skill. Not lack of drive.Defensiveness. And a victim mindset.The first one she will not even give feedback on directly. Because the moment you tell someone they are defensive they prove your point.These are not just hiring red flags. They show up in how people lead every single day.Full episode with Karen is up now. https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-514?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadershippodcast #leadership #leadershipdevelopment #executivecoaching #accountability #podcast #mentalhealth #psychologicalfitness
Most leaders think the biggest threat to their tea Most leaders think the biggest threat to their team is performance.Missed targets. Wrong hires. Bad culture.Nick Black watched some of America's greatest warriors fall — not to the enemy, but to silence.Not because they were weak.Because no one was checking on them.Isolation is the enemy. And it does not announce itself.Listen to the full conversation. https://bit.ly/TLP-513?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders #leadershippodcast #leadership #mentalhealth #isolation #veteranleadership #leadershipquotes #podcast #selfreliantleadership #militaryleadership #leadershipdevelopment
Patrick Emmons wasn't a great student. He'll tell Patrick Emmons wasn't a great student.He'll tell you that himself.But he's built and sold three companies over 25 years.His point: the hero story isn't the requirement people think it is.Hear Patrick's full story on episode 524. https://bit.ly/TLP-524?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadership #entrepreneurship #growthmindset #careeradvice
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
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
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
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