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The Leadership Podcast

The Leadership Podcast

We Study Leaders

TLP511: What 500 Top Leaders Taught Us — And Why It’s Not What You Think

May 13, 2026

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What happens when you spend 10 years interviewing some of the world’s top leaders? After 500 interviews with CEOs, generals, founders, bestselling authors, athletes, and elite performers, Jim Vaselopulos and Jan Rutherford discovered a surprising pattern. The most successful leaders were NOT the most polished, they were the most self-aware, adaptable, and relentlessly committed to…

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: adaptive leadership, business leaders, Business Leadership, CEOs, emotional intelligence, entrepreneurship, Executive Coaching, executive leadership, high performance, Jan Rutherford, Jim Vaselopulos, leadership development, Leadership Lessons, leadership mindset, leadership myths, Leadership Podcast, leadership skills, Leadership Strategies, lessons from leaders, Personal Growth, self awareness, success mindset, Team Leadership, The Leadership Podcast, what makes a great leader

TLP489: Quitting – Knowing When to Walk Away

December 10, 2025

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Annie Duke is a three-time bestselling author, decision strategist, and former professional poker champion. She holds a PhD in cognitive psychology and is co-founder of the Alliance for Decision Education. Annie’s latest best-selling book is “Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away.” In this episode, Annie reveals why knowing when to walk away…

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: accountability, annie duke, cognitive psychology, cost benefit analysis, decision making, Executive Coaching, Goal Setting, grit, innovation, Jan Rutherford, Jim Vaselopulos, kill criteria, leadership, mental time travel, opportunity cost, optimism bias, poker, psychological distance, Quit The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away, quitting, sunk cost fallacy, The Leadership Podcast, thinking in bets, uncertainty, venture capital

TLP482: The 100 Best Books for Work and Life

October 22, 2025

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Todd Sattersten brings over 20 years of experience in nonfiction book publishing, and is the author of “The 100 Best Books for Work and Life.” He’s also the publisher at Bard Press and has dedicated his career to helping leaders navigate the overwhelming world of business literature. In this episode, Todd reveals how he curated…

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: Atomic Habits, Badass, Bard Press, book publishing, business books, change, daily effort, Effective Executive, Good to Great, growth, habits, In Search of Excellence, Jan Rutherford, Jim Vaselopulos, leaders, leadership, lifelong learning, mindset, neuroscience, Peak, Personal Growth, Professional Development, reading habits, Reboot, self help, stoicism, The Leadership Podcast, The One Thing, Todd Sattersten, Ultimate Question, work and life, Your Brain at Work

TLP481: The New Language of Leadership with Michael Ventura

October 15, 2025

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Michael Ventura is an entrepreneur, author of “Applied Empathy: The New Language of Leadership”, and advisor to leaders at organizations including the ACLU, Google, Nike, and the UN. He has taught emotionally intelligent leadership at Princeton, West Point, and Esalen. In this episode, Michael explores why our natural childhood empathy fades as adults due to…

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: Applied Empathy, business results, cognitive empathy, emotional intelligence, empathetic leadership, empathy training, Executive Coaching, GE case study, Jan Rutherford, Jim Vaselopulos, leadership archetypes, leadership development, leadership skills, Michael Ventura, Organizational Culture, patient experience, retention strategies, team development, The Leadership Podcast, West Point

TLP480: Number One Factor for Changing Team Behaviors with Tamara Myles

October 8, 2025

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Tamara Myles is a speaker, professor, and co-author of “Meaningful Work: How to Ignite Passion and Performance in Every Employee.” She specializes in the science of human flourishing at work and serves as faculty at Boston College and the University of Pennsylvania.  In this episode, Tamara challenges the biggest misconception leaders hold about purpose and…

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: Business Leadership, career development, career stages, challenge, community building, contribution, Employee Engagement, generational differences, human flourishing, Jan Rutherford, Jim Vaselopulos, leadership, leadership development, management skills, meaningful work, organizational psychology, performance management, productivity, psychological safety, purpose, role modeling, Tamara Myles, team management, The Leadership Podcast, Work-life balance, workplace culture, workplace motivation

TLP479: Make Work Fair with Siri Chilazi

October 1, 2025

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Siri Chilazi is a senior researcher at the Women in Public Policy Program at Harvard Kennedy School, and co-author of “Make Work Fair: Data-Driven Design for Real Results.” She helps organizations bridge the gap between research and practice using evidence-based approaches to workplace fairness. In this episode, Siri explains why workplace fairness requires redesigning systems…

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: Behavioral Science, bias mitigation, business psychology, Career Advancement, data-driven design, diversity equity inclusion, Employee Development, evidence-based management, gender equality, Harvard Kennedy School, hiring processes, Jan Rutherford, Jim Vaselopulos, leadership development, Make Work Fair, management training, norm entrepreneurship, opt-out promotion systems, organizational psychology, performance evaluation, Siri Chilazi, structural change, systems thinking, talent management, The Leadership Podcast, unconscious bias training, Women in Public Policy Program, workforce analytics, workplace culture, workplace equity, workplace fairness

TLP478: The Consequences of Inaction with Nick Cooney

September 24, 2025

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Nick Cooney is the founder and managing partner of Lever VC, an early stage fund focused on food and ag tech innovation. He also founded the Lever Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing a humane and sustainable food system, and authored “What We Don’t Do: Inaction in the Face of Suffering and the Drive to…

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: agricultural innovation, agtech, animal welfare, Business Ethics, charitable giving, decision making, effective altruism, ethical leadership, flat organizations, food security, food tech, global poverty, impact measurement, inaction vs action, Jan Rutherford, Jim Vaselopulos, leadership, Leadership Podcast, moral responsibility, nick cooney, organizational management, philanthropy, Resource Allocation, social entrepreneurship, social impact investing, startup investing, suffering reduction, team management, venture capital

TLP477: Myths About Intuition with Sara Sabin

September 17, 2025

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Sara Sabin is an executive leadership and intuition coach. In this episode, she shares her core philosophy that leadership starts with mastering your internal world. Sara describes how leaders can rewire thought patterns through simple daily exercises, explaining the neuroscience behind how small efforts compound for dramatic confidence improvements.  She tackles the biggest intuition myth…

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: ai laziness, artificial intelligence, brain rewiring, critical thinking, Darley, emotional regulation, Executive Coaching, intuition, Jan Rutherford, Jim Vaselopulos, leadership development, neuroscience, sara sabin, self regulation, The Leadership Podcast

TLP475: Democratic Leadership: Building Agency with Nicola Ilic

September 3, 2025

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Nicola Ilic is a social entrepreneur, activist, and adjunct professor of leadership at Georgetown University. He’s the founder of Changelab and applies lessons from grassroots movements to transform how leaders build agency in others. In this episode, Nikola defines democratic leadership as enabling people to exercise leadership regardless of title when facing uncertainty rather than…

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: activism, agency development, basketball, business transformation, challenging environments, change management, circle of influence, coaching questions, collective intelligence, culture by design, delegation, democratic leadership, Democratic Leadership: Moving Beyond Authority to Build Agency, employee empowerment, experiential learning, Georgetown University, idea competition, Jan Rutherford, Jim Vaselopulos, leadership development, meritocracy, moral compass, nicola ilic, nonviolent resistance, office politics, organizational change, parenting lessons, purpose-driven work, reflection, Serbia, social entrepreneurship, social movements, startup methodology, strategic change, Team Dynamics, The Leadership Podcast, trust building, uncertainty management, workplace culture

TLP474: Four Barriers that Stop Leaders with Anne Marie Anderson

August 27, 2025

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Anne Marie Anderson is a three-time Emmy winner with 36 years in sports television, including a decade as a producer at ESPN working with elite athletes and executives. She’s the author of “Cultivating Audacity: Dismantle Doubt and Let Yourself Win” and has navigated multiple career pivots throughout her professional life.  In this episode, Anne Marie…

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: adventure travel, Anne Marie Anderson, athletic performance, audacious living, career transformation, coaching mindset, comfort zone expansion, courage building, cultivating audacity, decision making, elite performance, Emmy awards, ESPN, failure as learning, front row concept, Goal Setting, inner critic management, Jan Rutherford, Jim Vaselopulos, keynote speaking, leadership development, legacy thinking, media career, mentorship, motivation psychology, optimism, Overcoming Fear, parenting wisdom, Personal Growth, professional reinvention, rejection desensitization, resilience, risk taking, Self-Reliance, shape shifting leadership, sports broadcasting, Team Engagement, Vulnerability in Leadership, Work-life balance

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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
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
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
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
TLP511: What 500 Top Leaders Taught Us — And Why I TLP511: What 500 Top Leaders Taught Us — And Why It’s Not What You Think Our latest episode with Jim Vaselopulos and Jan Rutherford https://bit.ly/TLP-511?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders&utm_content=TLP511%3A%20What%20500%20Top%20Leaders%20Taught%20Us%20-%20And%20Why%20It%27s%20Not%20What%20You%20Think #leadership #leadershippodcast #leadershipdevelopment #leadershipskills #management #executiveleadership #businessleadership #leadershipgrowth #leadershipmindset #leadershipcoaching #leadershiplessons #modernleadership #purpose #careergrowth #personaldevelopment #podcast #podcastlife #podcastrecommendation #milestone #learning #growth #success
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 leaders think the problem at home is time. K Most leaders think the problem at home is time.Kevin Rice thought the same, until he realized he was physically present every night and still completely absent.Bedtime. Stories. Routines. All of it while mentally rehearsing the next sales meeting.He was not managing time poorly. He was losing connection without even knowing it.Hear the full conversation on episode 512 of The Leadership Podcast. https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-512?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadership #parenting #presence #connection #theleadershippodcast #CEOmindset #worklifebalance #leadershiplessons #entrepreneur #mindfulleadership
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
One of the hardest things Nick Black ever faced ha One of the hardest things Nick Black ever faced had nothing to do with combat.One week after one of the most intense firefights of the deployment, one of those men took his own life.And a year later, Nick read something that broke him open completely.More servicemen and women were dying by suicide than in combat.He still does not fully know what to do with that.But it changed the entire direction of his life.What do you think leaders most often miss when it comes to the people right in front of them?The full episode is up now. https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-513?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadershippodcast #leadership #stopsolidersuicide #veteranmentalhealth #militaryleadership #podcast #mentalhealth #service #leadershipdevelopment #shorts
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
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
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
When you are stuck in your head the worst thing yo When you are stuck in your head the worst thing you can do is think harder.Karen Doll calls it a bottom-up strategy. Stop analyzing. Get up. Move.The body is not separate from the mind. And sometimes the fastest way out of a spiral is not another meeting or another framework.It is a walk.Full conversation on The Leadership Podcast. https://bit.ly/TLP-514?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadershippodcast #leadership #mentalhealth #psychologicalfitness #podcast #leadershipdevelopment #mindset #burnout #executivecoaching #selfreliantleadership
Matt Cavanaugh wasn't running 620 miles through ex Matt Cavanaugh wasn't running 620 miles through extreme deserts for himself.He was running to prove that life after kidney donation is full. That someone watching from Montana might decide to climb onto a transplant table themselves. That his daughters would see their dad do something everyone told him was impossible.And in the middle of a sandstorm in the Atacama Desert, beat up and eating chili pistachios because he was too tired to cook, he got a message from a stranger named Bryce in Montana saying he signed up to donate.That's what a real mission looks like.This one's worth blocking out time for. https://bit.ly/TLP-508?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadership #missiondriven #purposedriven #militaryleadership #leadershipdevelopment #theleadershippodcast #mattcavanaugh #bestscarwins #servantleadership #selfimprovement
They have interviewed four-star generals, Fortune They have interviewed four-star generals, Fortune 500 CEOs, and Olympic athletes. And after all of it, Jan keeps coming back to the same thing. The leaders who left the biggest mark on him were not the ones with the most impressive titles or the most polished answers. They were the ones who walked in curious about Jim and Jan. The ones who asked questions instead of just answering them. Be interested. Care about people. Be nice. It really is that simple and that rare. Clear 40 minutes and give this one your full attention. https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-511?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadershippodcast #leadership #podcast #selfreliantleadership #leadershipdevelopment #executivecoaching #leadyourself
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
The leadership model most of us inherited was neve The leadership model most of us inherited was never designed for the world we are leading in now. Maria Brinck joins The Leadership Podcast to talk about what needs to change, who gets left out when it does not, and why this conversation is overdue. You will want to hear this one. Episode 510 is out now and it is one you will want to hear from start to finish. https://bit.ly/TLP-510?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleadersHead to The Leadership Podcast and give it a listen. https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-510?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#TheLeadershipPodcast #Leadership #LeadershipDevelopment #Purpose #Podcast
After hundreds of conversations with some of the m After hundreds of conversations with some of the most decorated leaders in the world, Jim and Jan finally turned the question on themselves. What is leadership actually? And what they landed on will probably sit with you longer than any definition you have read in a book. It is not a destination. It is not a title.It is a state you manage every single day and the moment you think you have it figured out, something shifts and you are back at it. The full conversation is up now. https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-511?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadershippodcast #leadership #podcast #whatisleadership #selfreliantleadership #executivecoaching #leadershipdevelopment
Debate isn't about winning. It's about thinking cl Debate isn't about winning. It's about thinking clearly when it matters.Meet Murshad Chowdhury: founder of Tech Duels, LogiCoach AI, and the Veterans Technology Conference. He's spent years teaching brilliant people how to actually communicate.In this episode, you'll discover:Why structured debate builds communication skills faster than traditional trainingHow competition strengthens your ability to listen (not just talk)Why the future belongs to people who combine tech with human judgmentThe communication gap costing talented professionals their careersNew episode drops now. https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-515?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleadersListen here - https://bit.ly/TLP-515?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadershipdevelopment #communicationskills #debateskills #executivepresence #theleadershippodcast #criticalthinkingg #techleadership #aiandhumanskills
Patrick Ryan reframes the entire capitalism conver Patrick Ryan reframes the entire capitalism conversation in one sentence. Most leaders see ethics as a constraint. A tax on profit. But that's the opposite of how markets actually work. Without moral foundation, there's no trust. No enforceable contracts. No real market. Just extraction dressed up as business. This changes how you think about your next decision.Listen to Episode 519. https://bit.ly/TLP-519?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#capitalism #ethics #leadership #adamsmith #businessethics #moralcapitalism #leadershippodcast #virtuouscapitalism
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