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The Leadership Podcast

The Leadership Podcast

We Study Leaders

TLP523: Tom Rath: The Daily Question That Changes How You Lead

August 5, 2026

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Purpose isn’t something you find once and follow forever. It’s something you practice every day. Tom Rath is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of StrengthsFinder 2.0, How Full Is Your Bucket?, Eat Move Sleep, and his latest book, What’s the Point?: Turning Purpose Into Your Daily Superpower. After decades studying what helps people…

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: ai impact on sales, authentic leadership skills, business exit emotions, coaching lessons for business leaders, entrepreneur leadership lessons, having difficult conversations at work, how to sell a business, leadership at every level, leadership development podcast, Leadership Podcast, patrick emmons dragon spears, remote team coaching, sales relationship building, self aware leadership, the leadership podcast episode 524

TLP521: Why Traditional Networking Is Broken

July 22, 2026

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Donnie Boivin is the CEO and founder of Success Champion Networking, five-time bestselling author, and founder of the Badass Business Summit. Donnie argues that traditional networking fails anyone selling high-value services. Too many people spend their time collecting business cards from people who will never buy from them instead of building relationships with people who…

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: AI in sales, AI networking, authentic leadership, B2B networking, business development strategies, business networking, Business Relationships, command presence, Donnie Boivin, entrepreneurship, leadership communication, Leadership Podcast, networking events, networking for business owners, networking skills, networking strategies, professional networking, referral networking, relationship building in business, sales networking, strategic partnerships, Success Champion Networking

TLP520: Empathy Without Lowering the Bar with David Gray

July 15, 2026

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David Gray is the CEO of FedUp Foods, a values-driven beverage company serving major retailers. His purpose-driven leadership has earned national recognition, including being named one of the MO 100 Top Impact CEOs, an annual ranking of purpose-driven business leaders, and receiving the Pros to Know Award. David believes the best leaders never force a…

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: b corp leadership, Business Ethics, business resilience, crisis leadership, david gray, empathetic accountability, Employee Engagement, fed up foods, functional beverages, hurricane recovery, leadership development, leadership philosophy, Leadership Podcast, managing disruption, mission-driven company, Organizational Culture, remote leadership, scaling startup, team culture, values-driven business

TLP519: The Leadership Idea We Missed for 250 Years

July 8, 2026

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Patrick Ryan is the author of “The Moral Market: Adam Smith and the Promise of Virtuous Capitalism.” Patrick argues that capitalism was never intended to be separated from morality. Modern business leaders often treat ethics as a compliance issue or a reputational concern. Adam Smith saw it differently. He believed markets only function when they…

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: adam smith, board governance, business culture, Business Ethics, business philosophy, capitalism, corporate governance, ethical leadership, executive leadership, impartial spectator, KYC Net, leadership development, Leadership Podcast, leadership strategy, milton friedman, moral capitalism, patrick ryan, shareholder value, the moral market, virtue capitalism

TLP516: The Leader as Teacher: Building Leaders, Scaling Companies, and Multiplying Impact with Joth Ricci

June 17, 2026

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Joth Ricci is CEO of LYBL (Live Your Best Life), owner of Winderlea Winery, author of The System, executive chair of Burgerville, and former CEO of Dutch Bros and Stumptown Coffee.  In this conversation, Joth explains why great companies aren’t built by leaders who solve more problems—they’re built by leaders who teach their people how…

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: :incremental capacity building, building capacity, business expansion strategy, business operations, Business Strategy, coaching leadership style, company culture during growth, company scaling, Dutch Bros case study, executive leadership, growth management, high-growth companies, how to scale a business, Joth Ricci, leadership development podcast, leadership discipline, leadership frameworks, Leadership Podcast, maintaining culture during growth, managing rapid growth, multiplier leaders, Organizational Development, organizational scaling, people systems at scale, people-first leadership, rapid business growth, scaling startups, scaling without breaking culture, talent development at scale

TLP514: What High-Performing Leaders Get Wrong About Stress with Karen Doll

June 3, 2026

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Karen Doll is a licensed psychologist, author of “Building Psychological Fitness: How High Performers Achieve with Ease,” a partner at Psynet Group and chairs the Flourishing at Work initiative under Harvard’s Flourishing Program. Most leaders know how to push through stress. Far fewer know how to recover from it. Karen argues that the difference matters…

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: building resilience at work, emotional resilience training, harvard flourishing program, high performance and burnout, high performing leaders habits, how high performers handle stress, how leaders manage pressure, how to avoid burnout in leadership, how to recharge after stress, how to recover from stress at work, karen doll psychologist, leadership burnout recovery, leadership development podcast, leadership mental health tips, Leadership Podcast, managing chronic workplace stress, mental fitness training, mental health for leaders, performance under pressure, preventing leadership burnout, psychological fitness for leaders, psychological safety at work, resilience vs burnout, stress management for leaders, stress recovery techniques, stress vs growth mindset, workplace resilience skills, workplace stress management, workplace wellbeing strategies

TLP513: The Leadership Cost of Isolation with Nick Black

May 27, 2026

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Nick Black is the founder and CEO of GoodUnited, a former Army officer, co-founder of Stop Soldier Suicide, a Presidential Leadership Scholar, and a UNC Distinguished Alumnus. Nick focuses on a cost most leaders refuse to calculate: isolation. What happens to your people when no one is checking on them? After deploying 27 months in…

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: combat leadership lessons, company culture leadership, emotional intelligence leadership, employee isolation at work, good united ceo, how leaders support employees, how to build strong teams, leadership and isolation, leadership and mental health, leadership communication skills, Leadership Podcast, leadership responsibility culture, loneliness in leadership, military leadership lessons, military to business leadership, mission driven leadership, nick black interview, organizational culture and leadership, peer support in organizations, preventing burnout at work, protecting your people as a leader, servant leadership examples, stop soldier suicide founder, The Leadership Podcast, toxic workplace isolation, veteran leadership insights, workplace connection and belonging, workplace wellbeing strategies

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

TLP509: Capitalism Without Ethics Is Just Chaos

April 29, 2026

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TLP509: Capitalism Without Ethics Is Just Chaos
Dr. Bill Kline is a professor of business ethics and the Executive Director of the Academy on Capitalism. He argues that capitalism and ethics aren’t separate conversations. They’re the same system.
Without ethics, there are no property rights, no enforceable contracts, and no functioning markets. Strip that away and you don’t get capitalism. You get chaos with a price tag.
In this conversation, Bill discusses the difference between socialism’s ideals and capitalism’s outcomes. He also breaks down what leaders must do to rebuild trust with younger workers, and why one simple question keeps getting ignored: Do we actually understand what capitalism is?
If your organization is struggling to articulate why business and markets matter or you’re watching younger talent disengage from the mission, this episode gives you a clearer way to think about what’s really at stake.

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: academy on capitalism, business education, Business Ethics, business leadership podcast, business philosophy, capitalism debate, capitalism explained, capitalism vs socialism, corporate ethics, economic systems explained, ethical leadership, ethics in business, free market system, leadership and values, leadership communication, leadership development, leadership in business, Leadership Insights, leadership mindset, Leadership Podcast, leadership strategy, management thinking, modern leadership challenges, trust in business, what is capitalism, william Kline, workplace trust, younger workforce trends

TLP508: Your Scars Are Your Resume

April 22, 2026

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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…

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: ambition, army, army lieutenant colonel, best scar wins, emotional growth, failure, Growth Mindset, judgment, leadership, leadership development, Leadership Lessons, Leadership Podcast, leadership superpower, matt cavanaugh, Military Leadership, mission driven leadership, overcoming setbacks, Personal Growth, purpose driven, resilience, retired military, scars, self improvement, servant leadership, turning failure into success

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Leadership isn't a destination. The demands change Leadership isn't a destination. The demands change.Jim Vaselopulos points to a different way of thinking about leadership. The work is ongoing, and much of it comes down to balancing competing priorities, needs, and interests.That balance is not something a leader achieves once. It is something they continue to navigate.Listen to the full conversation on The Leadership Podcast. Link in the first comment.#Leadership #LeadershipDevelopment #LeadershipLessons #LeadershipMindset #DecisionMaking #TheLeadershipPodcast
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
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
Chasing success can quietly become the problem, no Chasing success can quietly become the problem, not the solution.Tom Rath argues usefulness matters more than achievement, and the shift changes how you spend every hour of your day.It's a simple reframe with a big payoff: less hamster wheel, more contribution.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 #purposeoverperformance #leadershipmindset #executivecoaching #findingpurpose #workplaceculture #meaningfulwork
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
Culture isn't something you mandate from the C-sui Culture isn't something you mandate from the C-suite. It's built by the people doing the work.David built Fed Up Foods on this principle, and it's why his team stayed committed through disruption, crisis, and rapid growth.When you invite people to shape how you work together, they own it. When you tell them how to work, they comply.The difference is everything.Listen to David's full framework for culture-building that lasts. https://bit.ly/TLP-520?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#culturebuilding #leadership #teamculture #leadershipdevelopment #westudyleaders #peopleirst #theleadershippodcast #valuesdriven
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
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
Leadership can become too focused on the person at Leadership can become too focused on the person at the top.But the real measure of leadership is what happens to the people being led.As Geoffrey Cain explains, leadership isn't only about the leader's vision or ambition. It's about the people, the environment, and the conditions that allow others to do their best work.#Leadership #LeadershipDevelopment #LeadershipLessons #LeadershipMindset #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
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
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
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
Most people wait until they feel ready before taki Most people wait until they feel ready before taking action. Jill Schulman's research in positive psychology proves that's backwards. Confidence doesn't come first. Action does. Every time you move forward despite fear, you're building the neural pathways that create real confidence. Move forward before you feel ready.Discover why action comes first. https://bit.ly/TLP-518?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#bravery #leadershipdevelopment #personalgrowth #psychology #fearless #confidence #mindset #actiontaker
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
You're not bad at networking. You just haven't lea You're not bad at networking. You just haven't learned the skill yet.Murshad Chowdhury, founder of Tech Duels, breaks it down simply: most people think you need to be naturally outgoing. You don't.Introverts, extroverts, ambiverts — doesn't matter. This is trainable.The barrier isn't your personality. It's knowing how to do it.Once you learn the framework, everything changes. Opportunities expand. Careers transform.Your biggest career breakthroughs are waiting on the other side of this skill.Full episode: https://bit.ly/TLP-515?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#networkingskills #careerdevelopment #leadershipdevelopment #personalgrowth #theleadershippodcast #careeradvice #professionalnetworking #skillsbuilding
Only 7% of families fit the old nuclear mold. Le Only 7% of families fit the old nuclear mold. Lee Benson says that this changes how leadership works at home. Modeling healthy behavior is a leadership skill. So is modeling a healthy relationship between parents. On this episode of the leadership podcast, Lee Benson breaks down why 82% of families are blended today and why modeling matters more than ever.#leadership #parenting #leadershippodcast #familyleadership #blendedfamily #leebenson #modeling #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
Jim Brown spent 30 years with CEOs. Here's what he Jim Brown spent 30 years with CEOs. Here's what he keeps seeing:Leaders got promoted because they were great at doing. Now they're stuck trying to do everything.You can't scale yourself. You scale by equipping others.The shift from doer to leader isn't about working harder. It's about working differently.Listen to Jim Brown on episode 517. https://bit.ly/TLP-517?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadershipmindset #leadershipdevelopment #leadershipaccountability #organizationalhealth #executiveleadership #theleadershippodcast #ceoinsights #westudyleaders
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=westudyleadersWatch 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
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  • TLP531: Tribalism, Belonging, and the Leader’s Role
  • TLP530: Leadership Lessons from Building the Apple Store with Ron Johnson
  • TLP529: How Steve Jobs Learned to Lead with Geoffrey Cain
  • TLP528: The Beliefs That Shape Success with Shawn Achor
  • TLP 527: The Intelligence Trap: Why Smart Leaders Make Bad Decisions

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