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 to solve them. He breaks down the difference between executing and multiplying, what actually breaks during scaling, why discipline is the foundation of everything, and what the next decade of leadership development is actually missing.
For leaders who’ve built something good but want to scale it without losing it, or for anyone responsible for developing the next generation of leaders, this episode cuts to the root of where most organizations plateau.
Find episode 516 on The Leadership Podcast, on YouTube, channel @theleadershippodcast, or wherever you get your podcasts!
Watch this Episode on YouTube | Joth Ricci on The Leader as Teacher: Building Leaders, Scaling Companies, and Multiplying Impact
Key Moments
[05:59] The behavior that blocks learning in every organization and how to fix it
[08:01] What breaks first when you scale too fast and how to protect against it
[10:50] The recipe for pacing growth without losing your culture
[13:13] Why discipline isn’t just a trait—it’s the through-line of great leadership
[15:57] How to spot a leadership multiplier versus someone who’s just executing
[17:46] The number one mistake when promoting high performers into leadership
[19:44] A coaching principle most executives miss
[22:02] The gap between resilience and burnout—and what leaders actually need to do
[24:14] How to balance purpose-driven work with financial performance
[27:07] What the next generation of leaders is missing
[31:00] Why curiosity and people skills are the real bottleneck for the future
[34:27] When success isn’t enough—the shift from achievement to fulfillment
Memorable Quotes
"Adults are just adult versions of the 16 year olds they were. You have engaged employees, employees just getting through the day, and employees staying off the radar. Great leaders engage at all learning levels." Share on X "I don't solve problems for people. I teach them how to work through problems. That shows you what people are made of. The people who can figure it out, they're going to do okay. The people who can't—they don't pass the test." Share on X "Great leadership is about pacing. Understanding how to manage your organization's pace and what they can and can't do. You build capacity incrementally, not in big steps. If you go too fast, it breaks you and the organization." Share on X "I'm a big believer in the discipline of staying on task, the discipline of getting things done, the discipline of how you manage your day. You can't manage others if you don't manage yourself well." Share on X "The job of a coach is to prepare your people. The players play the game; the coach doesn't. That's how you lead—constantly preparing people for what they do." Share on X "When I look for multipliers, I'm looking for people having influence on other people—dynamic in rooms, connecting with people, not talking at them. Emotionally able to meet people where they're at." Share on X "The number one mistake is promoting good performers who haven't shown those markers of leadership potential. We're good at identifying performance. We're terrible at identifying potential leaders." Share on X "Psychological fitness is not just recharging. It's the ability to stay on strategy and lead your teams through execution even in times of challenge or great growth." Share on X "The one thing many leaders miss is their ability to engage at different learning levels and achievement levels. We expect people to perform but don't spend time helping them get better." Share on X "The most impactful thing I ever did wasn't taking Dutch public. It was helping people grow. That's what fulfills me. And now I get to do that full-time." Share on X "A great teacher is a great artist and that there are as few as there are any other great artists. Teaching might even be the greatest of arts, since the medium is the human mind and spirit." — John Steinbeck Share on XExplore the full archive at www.theleadershippodcast.com or wherever you get your podcasts!
Resources Mentioned
- The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com
- Sponsored by | www.darley.com
- Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com
- Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com
- Website | winderlea.com
- Website | www.thesystem.co
- LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/joth-ricci-1248588
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