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The Leadership Podcast

The Leadership Podcast

We Study Leaders

The Patagonia Crucible Documentary

December 13, 2016

The documentary for our Patagonia Crucible is complete and ready for you to watch. Click here to watch this fantastic chronicle of an amazing journey with phenomenal people in one of the most beautiful places on this earth.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: crucible, leadership, military, Patagonia, practitioner, team development, teamwork, veterans

TLP025: Never Fly Solo — Why You Need a Wingman

December 7, 2016

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Decorated fighter pilot and business coach Lt. Col. Rob “Waldo” Waldman discusses building trusting, mutually beneficial relationships in business. Summary & Ideas for Action Co-hosts Jan Rutherford and Jim Vaselopulos interview Rob “Waldo” Waldman, professional wingman and leadership expert. Waldo is his call sign from his days as a fighter pilot. The Wingman, as Waldo…

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: business, interview, leader, leadership, military, speaker, team development, teamwork

TLPMM003 — Selflessness & Positivity on a Patagonian Glacier

November 30, 2016

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Why teamwork accelerates when failure is not an option Summary & Ideas for Action On this Mastermind episode, co-hosts Jim Vaselopulos and Jan Rutherford talk about their Crucible expedition in Patagonia. Self-Reliant Leadership has been running Crucible expeditions for a few years now with the primary goal of assisting Special Operations veterans with their transition…

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: crucible, humor, Jim & Jan, leader, leadership, Mastermind, Patagonia, team development, teamwork, veterans

TLP024: Why Culture Drives Profit

November 23, 2016

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Paul Spiegelman, Chief Culture Officer of Stericycle, discusses why culture drives profit Summary & Ideas for Action Co-hosts Jan Rutherford and Jim Vaselopulos interview Paul Spiegelman, Chief Culture Officer of Stericycle, a NASDAQ listed global services organization, with more than 25 thousand employees. Jan and Jim talk with Paul about his journey from starting a…

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: business, corporate, entrepreneur, healthcare, holiday, interview, leader, leadership, practitioner, speaker, team development, teamwork, thought leader

TLP023: Unlocking the True Potential of Your Team

November 16, 2016

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Michael Simpson of Pairin on Behavior Surveys to Predict, Prescribe, and Perform for Team Success Co-hosts Jan Rutherford and Jim Vaselopulos interview Michael Simpson, Co-Founder and CEO of Pairin. Michael’s passion for helping people reach their potential was fueled by his own rise from poverty to international recognition as a market strategist. The son of…

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: business, corporate, crucible, entrepreneur, interview, leader, leadership, Patagonia, philosophy, practitioner, productivity, team development, teamwork, thought leader

TLPMM002 — Part 1: General Stanley McChrystal (Ret.) On Defining Yourself as a Leader

November 9, 2016

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Courage, Competence, Confidence – All Contagious on Team of Teams On this Mastermind episode, part 1, co-hosts Jan Rutherford and Jim Vaselopulos interview retired four-star General Stanley McChrystal, former commander of the nation’s premier military counterterrorism force. General McChrystal (Ret.) is best known for developing and implementing a comprehensive counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan, and for…

Filed Under: Podcast Tagged With: business, entrepreneur, interview, leader, leadership, Mastermind, military, practitioner, speaker, team development, teamwork, thought leader, veterans

What Happens When You Combine Special Operations Veterans & Business Executives in Patagonia?

November 1, 2016

The combination of audacity, adaptability, agility, and a high adversity quotient produced a team of teams. Self-Reliant Leadership has been running Crucible expeditions for a few years now with the primary goal of assisting Special Operations veterans with their transition to the business world. With a recent international expedition, we expanded our goal to include figuring out…

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: leadership, Patagonia, teamwork, veterans

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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
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
Patrick Ryan names the practice most leaders never Patrick Ryan names the practice most leaders never do. Before you decide. Before you send that email. Before you justify it to yourself. Take a step back. Ask: What would a knowledgeable, impartial observer think of this? That's the impartial spectator. It's not philosophy. It's a daily tool. One question. Applied consistently. It changes everything.Watch the full episode. https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-519?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadership #ethics #decisionmaking #adamsmith #leadershippodcast #corporateethics #executiveleadership #virtuouscapitalism
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
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
Nobody announces that they are struggling. They j Nobody announces that they are struggling.They just go quiet.Pull back. Stop showing up the same way.And by the time anyone notices, it is already too late.Nick Black has lost too many people to this pattern — soldiers who survived everything — and he is not done talking about it.The full episode is up now. https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-513?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadershippodcast #leadership #mentalhealth #isolation #veteranmentalhealth #stopsolidersuicide #militaryleadership #podcast #leadershipdevelopment #shorts
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
Kevin Rice built his agency straight out of colleg Kevin Rice built his agency straight out of college with no mentor and sold it 13 years later for nine figures. He says he felt almost nothing when it happened.On Episode 512 of The Leadership Podcast, he shares what it was like leading through a pandemic as a new single dad, growing a company by 100+ people, and going through an acquisition at the same time.He calls it "robot mode"—high performance, no emotion, just survival. It worked in business but cost him connection at home.He also shares what parenting taught him about leadership and why presence matters more than time.Listen to Episode 512 wherever you get your podcasts. https://bit.ly/TLP-512?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleadersWatch it on YouTube - https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-512?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadership #entrepreneur #parenting #worklifebalance #leadershipdevelopment #ceo #personalgrowth #success #fulfillment
Most leaders say they prioritize people. David Gra Most leaders say they prioritize people. David Gray actually does it—and it's made all the difference.David Gray, CEO of Fed Up Foods, has doubled his team, scaled to become the largest functional beverage supplier to major retailers, and navigated Hurricane Helene without compromising his mission.In this episode, he shares the four-point crisis playbook he used when infrastructure failed, why connection must come before accountability, and what he learned about empathetic leadership.Listen now. https://bit.ly/TLP-520?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleadersWatch it here https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-520?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadershipdevelopment #crisisleadership #valuesdriven #empathyatwork #culturebuilding #westudyleaders #theleadershippodcast #missiondriven #davidgray #fedupfoods
Chasing the next promotion isn't the same as chasi Chasing the next promotion isn't the same as chasing the next skill.David Craig watched talented people burn years climbing a ladder instead of building capability, and he says it's one of the costliest mistakes in a career.The shift is simple: choose the work that develops you, not just the title that impresses others.Hear David explain the lesson behind it in episode 525. https://bit.ly/TLP-525?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadership #davidcraig #careeradvice #leadershipdevelopment #leadershippodcast #careergrowth #executivecoaching #professionaldevelopment
Your instinct will be to take the ball. Resist it. Your instinct will be to take the ball.Resist it.When your team is struggling, when the pressure's on, your job isn't to score. Your job is to prepare them to score.Joth Ricci understood thisThe moment you solve it for them is the moment they stop growing.Learn the principle https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-516?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadership #coachingleadership #managementtips #leadershiplessons #teamdevelopment #executiveleadership #westudyleaders #theleadershippodcast
Most people treat networking like a numbers game. Most people treat networking like a numbers game.Donnie Boivin treats it like a business model.The shift from collecting contacts to building other people's success is what actually opens doors.Hear how he built an entire company around it in this week's episode. https://bit.ly/TLP-521?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#networking #leadership #businessdevelopment #relationshipbuilding #salesmindset #entrepreneurship #leadershippodcast #b2bsales
Many people still treat leadership like a personal Many people still treat leadership like a personality trait. Like it's something you either naturally have or you don't.But one pattern continued to emerge across 500 leadership conversations. The strongest leaders remained students.They kept reading, adapting, questioning themselves, learning from mistakes, and evolving with changing environments.What stood out most was not perfection. It was intellectual humility.The willingness to rethink assumptions, listen carefully, and continue growing long after success arrived.What do you think is the hardest part of staying teachable once someone becomes successful? https://bit.ly/TLP-511?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadershippodcast #leadersarelearners #leadership #podcast #executivecoaching #selfreliantleadership #leadershipmyths
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
Most leaders spend years perfecting self-awareness Most leaders spend years perfecting self-awareness and almost no time on other-awareness.Tom Rath, #1 New York Times bestselling author of StrengthsFinder 2.0 and How Full Is Your Bucket, joins the show to talk about his newest book, What's the Point?In this episode, Tom breaks down why purpose isn't a big moment you find once, it's a question you ask five times a day.Listen now to rethink how you spend your next hour. https://bit.ly/TLP-523?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleadersWatch it on YouTube - https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-523?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadershippodcast #purposedriven #strengthsfinder #tomrath #leadershipdevelopment #workplaceculture #findingpurpose #leadershipmindset #executivecoaching #meaningfulwork
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
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
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
Most leaders blame the market, the deal, or the te Most leaders blame the market, the deal, or the tech when things fall apart.David Craig says look closer. The system is usually the real problem.David is the former CEO of Refinitiv and author of the Blue Book on business transformation and growth, having led a 25,000-person company through the financial crisis, Brexit, and Covid.This episode breaks down how to spot complexity killing your organization before it's too late, and what real conviction looks like when leading people through change.New episode is live now. https://bit.ly/TLP-525?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleadersWatch it on YouTube - https://bit.ly/TLP-YT-525?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=westudyleaders#leadership #leadershippodcast #theleadershippodcast #businesstransformation #executiveleadership #organizationalculture #changemanagement #ceointerview #leadershipdevelopment #davidcraig
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
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Recent Posts

  • TLP525: When Complexity Becomes the Biggest Obstacle
  • TLP524: The Best Leaders Build More Leaders
  • TLP523: Tom Rath: The Daily Question That Changes How You Lead
  • TLP522: Stop Building a Life That Looks Good but Feels Wrong
  • TLP521: Why Traditional Networking Is Broken

Recent Comments

  • Anonymous on TLP519: The Leadership Idea We Missed for 250 Years
  • Anonymous on TLP513: The Leadership Cost of Isolation with Nick Black
  • Anonymous on TLP511: What 500 Top Leaders Taught Us — And Why It’s Not What You Think
  • Anonymous on TLP508: Your Scars Are Your Resume
  • Anonymous on TLP505: Why Leadership Coaching So Often Fails

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