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

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 growth.

In this special milestone episode of The Leadership Podcast, Jim and Jan pull back the curtain on a decade of conversations with world-class leaders and reveal the biggest lessons, myths, failures, sacrifices, and leadership truths that emerged across 500 episodes.

Topics discussed

The leadership myth they are glad to have challenged
Why great leaders rarely have a “perfect” career path
The dangerous difference between style and substance
The hidden sacrifices behind elite success
Why adaptability matters more than efficiency
Guests who completely changed their thinking
How leadership has evolved in the age of AI
Why “leaders are learners” became one of the defining themes of the show
The one leadership question they still haven’t fully answered after 500 episodes

This is more than a reflection on podcasting, it’s a masterclass built from 10 years of conversations with some of the world’s most accomplished leaders.

Whether you lead a company, a team, a family, or simply yourself, this episode will challenge how you think about growth, influence, success, and leadership.

Watch this Episode on YouTube | Jim and Jan on What 500 Top Leaders Taught Us — And Why It’s Not What You Think

Find episode 511 on The Leadership Podcast, on YouTube, channel @theleadershippodcast, or wherever you get your podcasts!