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…
TLP508: Your Scars Are Your Resume
Matt Cavanaugh is a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, PhD, former Army Athlete of the Year, and author of “Best Scar Wins: How You Can Be More Than You Were Before.” Leaders often treat failures, setbacks, and scars as liabilities to hide. Matt Cavanaugh argues the opposite — that the scars you’ve earned, physical and…
TLP504: Why Your Team Is Still Disengaged
TLP504: Why Your Team Is Still Disengaged
Mark Crowley’s newest book is The Power of Employee Well-Being: Move Beyond Engagement to Build Flourishing Teams.
For more than a decade, organizations have chased employee engagement – through surveys, gamification, perks, and wellness apps – yet the results haven’t improved. Gallup now reports engagement at a ten-year low. Mark was one of the early voices questioning the engagement movement, and in this conversation he explains why the model itself is flawed.
We talk about what leaders have been measuring incorrectly, what employee well-being actually means, and why the strongest predictor of team performance isn’t compensation, perks, or pressure to produce. It’s belonging.
If you’re seeing burnout, quiet disengagement, or people simply going through the motions, this conversation offers a different lens on leadership—and practical insights you can start applying immediately.
Find episode 504 on The Leadership Podcast, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts!
TLP501: Failure as Fuel: When to push through and when to quit
Steve Taplin is the CEO of Sonatafy Technology, author of “Fail Hard, Win Big: 30 Ventures | 20 Failures | 10 Wins,” and host of the Software Leaders Uncensored podcast. In this conversation, Steve reveals the partnership that almost destroyed him but vindicated him five years later; why he walked out of a meeting with…
TLP494: When Leadership Is About Who You Serve: Mark Steffe’s Story
Mark Steffe is President and CEO of First Command Financial Services, bringing over 30 years of financial services leadership. In this episode, Mark explains why he left his dream job working with ultra-high-net-worth families to serve military members who truly need financial guidance. He shares how military families face unique challenges including frequent relocations, spouse…
TLP484: Balancing Innovation with Human Connection
Brandon Sawalich is the President and CEO of Starkey, leading 6,000 employees across 29 countries in the hearing healthcare industry. In this episode, Brandon addresses how healthcare leaders balance innovation with human connection. He explains that hearing health requires both cutting-edge AI technology and personalized care from healthcare professionals. He shares leadership lessons from guiding…
TLP460: Lessons on Leadership from Native American Elders with Susan Kelsey
Susan Kelsey has authored four historical books and produced the award-winning documentary, “The Negotiator: Billy Caldwell.” In this episode, Susan shares her journey of discovering Billy Caldwell, the “Great Negotiator” of early Chicago. She reflects on the leadership lessons she learned from both Caldwell and Native American leaders, focusing on values like moral courage, tenacity,…
TLP419: Leadership Lessons from the Top 8 U.S. Presidents with Talmage Boston
Talmage Boston is a lawyer, historian, and the author of the captivating new book “How the Best Did It: Leadership Lessons from Our Top Presidents.” For the past 15 years, Talmage has balanced his legal career with a fervent passion for history. By dedicating his mornings to historical research before donning his lawyer hat, he…
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