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The Leadership Podcast

The Leadership Podcast

We Study Leaders

TLP520: Empathy Without Lowering the Bar with David Gray

July 15, 2026 Leave a Comment

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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

TLP517: The Accountability Gap: Why Leaders Misjudge Their Own Impact with Jim Brown

June 24, 2026

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Jim Brown is the author of “The Imperfect CEO: Making the Climb to Organizational Health” and founder of Org Health. For over 30 years he has worked with CEOs, boards, and executive teams to build healthy organizational cultures and lead with clarity, courage, and shared responsibility. Jim argues that leadership accountability is the most underestimated…

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: behavior change, CEO leadership, collaborative leadership, decision making, Executive Coaching, leadership accountability, leadership development, meeting effectiveness, Organizational Culture, organizational health, productive tension, team communication, Team Dynamics, workplace culture

TLP506: Retention Is Dead: The Workquake Reshaping Talent

April 8, 2026

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TLP506: Retention Is Dead: The Workquake Reshaping Talent
Steve Cadigan is a global talent strategist, author of “Workquake: Embracing the Aftershocks of COVID-19 to Create a Better Model of Working,” and LinkedIn’s founding Chief HR Officer.
Steve believes the world of work is going through a “workquake” — a fundamental shift that’s breaking the old employer-employee contract. At the core of it is a false premise: the idea of long-term loyalty that neither side can reliably keep.
In this conversation, Steve explains why many of the world’s most successful companies have surprisingly short employee tenure, why the workforce isn’t disloyal but loyal to growth, and why leaders should focus less on retention and more on creating meaningful development while people are with them.
For leaders navigating turnover and rapid change, this episode offers a more honest way to think about talent and what it actually takes to build teams that perform.
Find episode 506 on The Leadership Podcast, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts!

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: Business Leadership, Career Growth, Employee Engagement, employee experience, Employee Retention, employee turnover, future of work, hr strategy, human resources, leadership advice, leadership development, Leadership Insights, Leadership Podcast, leadership skills, leadership training, management tips, modern leadership, Organizational Culture, steve cadigan, talent management, talent retention, talent strategy, workforce trends, workplace culture, workquake

TLP495: The Accountability Paradox

January 21, 2026

Patrick Veroneau is CEO of Emery Leadership Group and author of The Leadership Bridge: How to engage your employees and drive organizational excellence and The Missing Piece: What Great Teams Do That Others Overlook.  In this episode, Patrick explains why organizations’ increasing focus on accountability systems over the past five years has coincided with employee…

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: accountability paradox, building ownership, Employee Engagement, employee ownership, high performing teams, leadership accountability, leadership coaching., leadership development, leadership mindset, leadership psychology, management mistakes, modern leadership, Organizational Culture, team performance, workplace culture

TLP488: From Fleeting Moments to Sustained Momentum

December 3, 2025

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Bernie Banks is a professor and institute leader at Rice University and co-author of “The New Science of Momentum: How the Best Coaches and Leaders Build a Fire from a Single Spark.” As a Brigadier General, he led West Point’s Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership in his final military assignment. In this episode, Bernie…

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: behavior change in leadership, Bernie Banks, build team momentum, business leadership growth, career development, high performance teams, leadership momentum, Leadership Podcast, leadership skills, Leadership Strategies, leadership tools, military leadership lessons, Organizational Culture

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

TLP471: How Fear Drives Behavior and Why Traditional Leadership Backfires with Kurt Gray

August 6, 2025

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Kurt Gray is a professor of psychology and neuroscience, and the author of “Outraged: Why We Fight About Morality and Politics and How to Find Common Ground.” In this episode,. Kurt explains why our workplaces have become battlegrounds of moral outrage. Kurt’s groundbreaking premise challenges the fundamental assumptions leaders make about motivation and conflict. While…

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: communication, Conflict resolution, decision making, empathy, Employee Engagement, evolutionary psychology, human behavior, leadership, moral judgment, moral psychology, neuroscience, Organizational Culture, outrage culture, psychology, social media, Team Building, Team Dynamics, vulnerability, Workplace Conflict, workplace relationships

TLP469: A Leadership Pyramid Model with Ray Palumbo

July 23, 2025

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Retired U.S. Army three-star General Ray Palumbo is co-founder and senior partner of Venturi Solutions, having served 34 years leading conventional and special operations forces during peacetime and combat. A former 160th Squadron pilot and West Point graduate, he now serves on multiple boards and is passionate about supporting injured military veterans and Gold Star…

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, Afghanistan, Business Strategy, command responsibility, corporate leadership, Darley sponsor, duty honor country, generalship vs leadership, helicopter pilot, joint operations, leadership development, Leadership Podcast, leadership pyramid, mentorship, Military Leadership, military to civilian transition, military values, national security, Organizational Culture, political discourse, Ray Palumbo, scraps of time, special operations, Team Building, three star general, values-based leadership, Venturi Solutions, Veteran Transition, West Point

TLP442: Failures Are What Shape Us with Andy Hilger

January 8, 2025

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Andy Hilger recently completed a 25-year career with Allegis Group, his last six years serving as the president of the global staffing and services company. He currently serves as a guest lecturer at Duke University and American University, and writes a regular LinkedIn blog on leadership. Andy shares insights on finding fulfillment in the workplace,…

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: accountability, AI Ethics, Andy Hilger, Business Ethics, empathy, Finding Fulfillment, grit, leadership, Leadership Podcast, Meaningful Careers, Organizational Culture, Personal Growth, Professional Development, Purposeful Work, resilience

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Most companies reward CEOs for riding good markets Most companies reward CEOs for riding good markets and punish them for bad timing. Patrick Ryan says that's backwards. If the boom isn't your doing, the credit isn't yours. If the crash isn't your fault, the blame isn't either. Judge leaders on what they actually controlled. On the value they built. Not on the luck they rode. That changes how you hire, promote, and evaluate performance.Hear the full conversation. https://bit.ly/TLP-519?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadership #ethics #performance #accountability #executiveleadership #moralcapitalism #leadershippodcast #businessethics
TLP510: Why Your Organization Keeps Getting the Sa TLP510: Why Your Organization Keeps Getting the Same Results (No Matter What You Change) Our latest episode with Maria Brinck https://bit.ly/TLP-510?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders&utm_content=TLP510%3A%20Why%20Your%20Organization%20Keeps%20Getting%20the%20Same%20Results%20%28No%20Matter%20What%20You%20Change%29 #leadership #leadershipdevelopment #modernleadership #futureofleadership #leadershipmindset #organizationalleadership #businessleadership #managementskills #leadershipskills #workplaceculture #executiveleadership #leadershipgrowth #leadershippodcast #leadershipchallenges #leadershipstrategy
TLP509: Capitalism Without Ethics Is Just Chaos O TLP509: Capitalism Without Ethics Is Just Chaos Our latest episode with Dr. Bill Kline https://bit.ly/TLP-509?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders&utm_content=TLP509%3A%20Capitalism%20Without%20Ethics%20Is%20Just%20Chaos #leadership #capitalism #businessethics #freemarkets #leadership #ethicalleadership #capitalism101 #economicfreedom #leadershipdevelopment #marketeconomy #virtuouscapitalism #youngprofessionals #businessleadership #capitalismvssocialism #propertyright #academyoncapitalism
Every high performer has been told some version of Every high performer has been told some version of the same lie.Push harder. Stay longer. Sleep when you're dead.Until they can't.What actually separates leaders who last is not toughness. It is the ability to recover before the tank hits empty.Full conversation withKaren Doll on The Leadership Podcast. https://bit.ly/TLP-514?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadershippodcast #leadership #resilience #burnout #leadershipdevelopment #mentalhealth #psychologicalfitness #podcast
Matt Cavanaugh is not telling you to never quit. H Matt Cavanaugh is not telling you to never quit. He's saying the wisdom of any decision can only be judged from the finish line, not the middle of the race. And that the fastest thing that kills a team is a leader who stops believing before the sentence is over.That's worth thinking about this week. Full episode live now. https://bit.ly/tlpyt508?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadership #quit #endurance #militaryleadership #leadershiplessons #mattcavanaugh #bestscarwins #theleadershippodcast #resilience #growthmindset
Purpose is one of the most talked about topics in Purpose is one of the most talked about topics in leadership right now and also one of the most misunderstood. Maria Brinck makes a distinction that reframes the whole conversation. She is not talking about finding purpose. She is talking about building it. And the difference between those two things changes everything about how you lead and how you live. Episode 510 of The Leadership Podcast is out now. This is one worth clearing your schedule for. https://bit.ly/TLP-510?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#Purpose #Leadership #TheLeadershipPodcast #LeadershipDevelopment #Podcast
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
Every time a leader complains about Gen Z being di Every time a leader complains about Gen Z being disloyal, Steve Cadigan has the same question. Are you talking about the children you raised? This generation grew up watching entirely new industries appear from nothing. Of course they want to explore. Calling that disloyal is like moving someone from their grandma's basement to a Vegas buffet and being surprised they want to try more than one thing. Steve does not hold back in the full episode. Catch TLP506 on The Leadership Podcast. https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-506?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#Leadership #GenZ #TalentStrategy #TheLeadershipPodcast #SteveCadigan #FutureOfWork #WorkCulture
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
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
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
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
TLP507: Disrupt or Be Buried: The Mindset That Cha TLP507: Disrupt or Be Buried: The Mindset That Changes Everything Our latest episode with Patrick Leddin https://bit.ly/TLP-507?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders&utm_content=TLP507%3A%20Disrupt%20or%20Be%20Buried%3A%20The%20Mindset%20That%20Changes%20Everything #leadership #disruption #leadership #disrupteverything #patrickleddin #jamespattersonbooks #militaryleadership #entrepreneurship #changemanagement #resilience #selfawareness #leadershipdevelopment #positivedisruption #growthmindset #fearofchange #theleadershippodcast #westudyleaders
No sugarcoating it. Will Linssen has coached leade No sugarcoating it. Will Linssen has coached leaders across six continents and says ego is the single biggest reason people don't change, no matter how much potential they have.And the scary part? Most of them don't even know it's happening. He breaks down exactly how to spot it early and what to do about it. TLP505 here - https://bit.ly/TLP-505?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadership #leadershipcoaching #coachability #selfawareness #westudyleaders #theleadershippodcast #executivecoaching
Most people only recognize disruption when it's ma Most people only recognize disruption when it's massive. Patrick Leddin says the small ones matter just as much. A hallway conversation. A bad performance review. An unexpected no. All of it counts. All of it is an opening if you're willing to look at it that way.This one is worth your commute. Episode 507 is out now. https://bit.ly/TLP-507?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadership #disruption #leadershippodcast #leadershipdevelopment #westudyleaders #disrupteverything #mindset #leadershipcoach #growthmindset
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
Murshad Chowdhury just exposed what most leaders g Murshad Chowdhury just exposed what most leaders get wrong.They think communication is about being heard.It's actually about hearing.The biggest conflicts in teams? Someone didn't listen to what the other person meant to say.Not what they said. What they meant.That's the gap that costs leaders their credibility.Watch how to master this: https://bit.ly/TLP-515?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#communicationskills #leadershipdevelopment #listeningskills #theleadershippodcast #executiveleadership #teambuidling #leadershiplessons #conflictresolution
TLP506: Retention Is Dead: The Workquake Reshaping TLP506: Retention Is Dead: The Workquake Reshaping Talent Our latest episode with Steve Cadigan https://bit.ly/TLP-506?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders&utm_content=TLP506%3A%20Retention%20Is%20Dead%3A%20The%20Workquake%20Reshaping%20Talent https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-506?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders&utm_content=TLP506%3A%20Retention%20Is%20Dead%3A%20The%20Workquake%20Reshaping%20Talent #leadership #talentmanagement #futureofwork #workquake #stevecadigan #employeeexperience #careergrowth #leadershipdevelopment #organizationalculture #highperformanceteams #workplaceculture #hrleaders #peopleandculture #modernleadership #businessleadership #companyculture #talentstrategy #employeeengagement #careerdevelopment #learninganddevelopment #leadershippodcast
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
Most leaders frame failure as the opposite of winn Most leaders frame failure as the opposite of winning. Matt Cavanaugh says that framing is the whole problem.Win, learn, or die. No other outcomes exist. And that one shift changes how you look at every setback you've been carrying around.The leader who avoids failure avoids judgment.You'll want to hear him say this in his own words. https://bit.ly/tlpyt508?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadership #failure #growthmindset #militaryleadership #leadershipdevelopment #mattcavanaugh #bestscarwins #theleadershippodcast #mindset #resilience
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Recent Posts

  • TLP520: Empathy Without Lowering the Bar with David Gray
  • TLP519: The Leadership Idea We Missed for 250 Years
  • TLP518: The Bravery Effect: Jill Schulman on Why Courage Is a Skill, Not a Trait
  • TLP517: The Accountability Gap: Why Leaders Misjudge Their Own Impact with Jim Brown
  • TLP516: The Leader as Teacher: Building Leaders, Scaling Companies, and Multiplying Impact with Joth Ricci

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