Rod McDermott, CEO of McDermott + Bull and founder of Activate 180, has noticed that the executives who win interviews…

...aren’t always the ones who build results.

And that’s the trap.

It's so easy to fall for the wrong signals.

The leader who owns the room.

The polished answers.

The one who leaves everyone thinking, “That was impressive.”

But impressive DOESN'T SCALE.

Rod reminded me:Leadership isn’t performance.It’s followership.

The real test of a leader isn’t how they show up in the interview.

It’s what happens after they leave the room.

Do people trust them?

Do people believe them?

Do people want to follow them when things get difficult?

That’s a very different standard.

In this episode of Lead the Team, Rod shares what he’s learned from decades inside the world’s most elite boardrooms:

• Why charisma wins interviews but loses organizations

• The leadership trait that actually creates followership

• How great CEOs strengthen the entire enterprise, not just the corner office

Are we still falling for impressive leaders… instead of effective ones?

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Bob McCuin, Chief Revenue Officer and EVP at Clear Channel Outdoor, has spent decades inside the attention economy...radio, sports media, and literally the most valuable billboards on the planet.

When you live in that world long enough, you start to notice something about leadership.

What's shaping how organizations behave.Bob told me that attention determines priority.

Most leaders think priorities are set through goals, meetings, and KPIs.

But teams don’t really follow the slide deck.

They follow what the leader consistently pays attention to.If the leader reacts to the loudest issue…the team learns to chase noise.

If the leader jumps to every new idea…the team learns that focus doesn’t matter.

But when a leader consistently directs attention to what truly matters…the entire organization starts to align around it.

Bob put it this way to me:

“Where I place my attention determines the organizational energy.”

That’s an enormous leadership responsibility.

Because attention isn’t just something leaders give.

It’s something they teach the organization to VALUE.What do you think?

Are most organizations struggling with strategy…or with leaders who simply can’t stop chasing noise?

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Adam Block, Chief Revenue Officer at Motive, who helped scale the company to serve 100,000+ customers and more than a million drivers, shared a real wake up call with me.

Early in his career, he spent a lot of energy trying to help struggling employees succeed. Then he realized something uncomfortable.

“The people that suffer the most in that situation are actually the best players.”

Because when leaders spend most of their attention fixing what’s broken… the people who are actually driving results start getting less attention.

Less coaching.

Less challenge.

Less investment.

And eventually, they start looking elsewhere.

That insight changed how Adam approaches leadership today (and the results are undeniable).

Instead of trying to make everyone great, he focuses on hiring great people and making them even better.

And it raises a tough leadership question:

Should leaders spend more time fixing weak performers… or investing in the people already carrying the team?

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I expected Abhijit Mitra, CEO of Outreach, a multi billion-dollar AI company, to tell me about their legendary tools and automation.

Instead, he it took a different direction.

When he’s in a meeting… his AI agents actually join the meeting and coach him in real time.

Not summarize it later.

Not send notes afterward.

They’re in the meeting, helping him think, respond, and prepare.

That’s when the real insight hit.

Myself and most leaders today are experimenting with AI tools.

But we aren't fully redesigning how our teams operate around AI.

And Abhijit made something very clear:

“It has to be a top-down initiative… this cannot be delegated downwards.”

Boom!

Because if that’s true, AI isn’t really a technology shift.

It’s really a leadership shift.

The leaders that win this era won’t just deploy better AI.

They’ll have leaders willing to own the operating model change that comes with it.

So consider... How many of us are treating AI like a project… when it might actually be the most important leadership decision we make this decade?

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Parker Burke, Group President at Fluke Corporation, leads an organization whose tools help technicians safely test electrical systems in power grids, hospitals, factories, data centers, and mines around the world.

So when a technician trusts the reading on a device…they’re trusting it with their life.

A 99% success rate isn’t success.

Because the remaining 1% can mean catastrophe.

That reality forces a different kind of leadership perspective.

Parker’s years in the Marines shaped how he approaches it.Not by carrying the weight alone…but by serving the people who carry it WITH him.

If he didn’t lead that way, the pressure would crush a team.

Fear would creep in.

People would hesitate.

And hesitation in environments like these can be dangerous.

He explains in our conversation:

- Reverse Rank Leadership

In the Marines, officers eat last.Parker carries that mindset into Fluke — leaders support the team first because the mission depends on them.

- Ending the “What If” Spiral

In high-stakes environments, leaders can’t allow teams to live in fear.Instead, Parker aligns people around a mission bigger than themselves:keeping the world up and running safely.

- Process Is Respect

When the stakes are this high, discipline isn’t bureaucracy.

It’s how you honor the people trusting your products and decisions.

The idea that sticks with me most:

👉 Purpose crowds out fear.

His teams don’t pursue excellence because a boss demands it.

They pursue it because “good enough” actually betrays the people counting on them.

How do you see leadership differently when someone’s life actually depends on the outcome?

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Bob Hughes, President & CEO of Deltek, learned that in moments when the stakes were highest..

on a nuclear submarine…

in the middle of a $22B merger…

and during a ransomware attack.

He was inspired early in his career when a leader told him:

“The devil’s in the details… but so is salvation.”

I particularly appreciated his insight:

“Operational discipline scales trust.”

We’ve all seen the opposite play out too.

One meeting starts late.

One deadline gets missed.

One “good enough” decision slips through.

Trust doesn’t explode.

It erodes....gradually.

Bob’s team didn’t lose trust in those massive moments because he refused to let the small things slide when they mattered most.

That’s what I keep thinking about:

When leaders lose trust its rarely the big thing; it's because of the details long before.

👉 What do you think the "details" say about leadership?

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Usman Shuja, CEO of Bluebeam, learned it long before the boardroom, representing the USA national cricket team and becoming one of the top wicket-takers in U.S. history.

Talking with him made me think about how differently pressure shows up across seasons of life.

In sports, the pressure is loud and public.

In leadership, it even heavier....Board expectations. Team decisions.

Real consequences.

For most of my career, I thought confidence was what carried leaders through those moments.

Loved how Usman reframed it for me:

Pressure is a privilege.

It’s PROOF that what you’re doing actually matters.

That belief was forged for him in a hostile away game in Nepal with 20,000 fans cheering against him and everything on the line.

They even rioted❗

Years later, he taps into that perspective everyday as CEO.

Leadership isn’t about avoiding pressure.

It’s about learning to INTERPRET IT differently than everyone else.

👉 Is pressure the cost of leadership or the reward?

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Connect with Usman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/usmanshuja/

Learn more about Bluebeam: https://www.bluebeam.com/resources/ebooks/aec-tech-outlook-2026)/

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Keith Rabkin, CEO of PandaDoc, is one of the few leaders I’ve met who can bridge the gap between "big-tech discipline and scrappy underdog grit".

At Google, Keith was one of only 25 people (out of thousands of geniuses) to win the "Great Manager Award."

His secret isn't just a high IQ; it's what he calls the "Wolverine Mindset" .

It’s a relentless, "never-give-up" grit that focuses on one thing: obliterating roadblocks so the team can win.

Our conversation forced me to rethink my own leadership style, especially how much time I spend clearing roadblocks versus just setting direction.

Three ways Keith has lived the Wolverine mindset:

- How the best "strategic" leaders get into the details to accelerate progress.

- Why Keith left the safety of a global giant (Adobe) to hunt for survival in the trenches.

- The controversial move he made that instantly drove 5x profitability.

Question: Are we overvaluing "vision" and undervaluing raw determination?

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Randall Troutman, Winpak's, Chief Operational Excellence Officer leads a massive $1.1 billion transformation, tasked with turning 13 independent "kingdoms" into one efficient operating system.

But there’s a moment in every change effort where leaders mistake resistance for failure, and that’s when teams stop following.

Randall discovered that project success is never about the initial launch; it’s about what you do when the "physics of people" takes over.

We went deep into the "Valley of Despair" in this interview... ...that predictable, dangerous phase where the initial hype dies and the true energy requirement sets in.

EVERY BIG project I've ever been part of hits make-or-break moment!

It’s the exact point where most leaders flame out, pack up, and say, "I knew it wouldn't work".

In this episode, you'll discover:

- How to recognize the "Valley" phase in real-time before it stalls your progress.

- Why most change efforts quietly die exactly when they should be accelerating.

- The framework for keeping thousands moving when fatigue and doubt peak.

- The "Visual Roadmap" Randall used to make a global crisis actionable.

If your initiative feels stalled, you aren't failing....you're just hitting THE WALL.

It takes a courageous leader to admit they've lost momentum, but it takes a PRO to expect it and share the map to get out.

Question: Ever had a big project lose momentum? What helped?

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Jed Ayres, CEO of ControlUp, told me something most leaders won’t say out loud:

Clarity usually comes after you move, not before.

If you’re waiting for the perfect signal…You’re already late.

That “responsible” decision you’re about to make?

It might be the very thing slowing your flywheel before it ever turns.

We talked about what it really takes to move when things aren’t clear:

- When the leader (who drove 600% revenue growth in three years and a $1B valuation) believes the safe decision becomes the most dangerous one.

- How a former dishwasher turned hotel owner turned tech CEO learned to scale transformation — long before collecting 10,000 metrics every three seconds.

- What six Ironmans teach you about pushing when nothing feels like it’s moving.

There’s a mental shift required when you can’t see the finish line.

Many leaders miss it.

So consider "Are you leading…or too focused protecting your downside?"

Have you ever confused “responsible” with fear?

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Learn more about Jed and his organization here:

https://www.controlup.com/

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Patrick Dennis, CEO of Avaya, walked in expecting nerves and optimism.

Instead, one question he was asked changed the room.

It wasn’t dramatic or confrontational.

But it was revealing.

It showed to him that the organization wasn’t aligned on reality.

And misalignment at that level doesn’t stay neutral. It compounds.

I’ve seen this pattern more times than I can count.

Leaders hear a question and assume pushback.

But sometimes the question asked IS THE DATA.

Sometimes the raised hand is the WARNING LIGHT.

What inspired me most in our conversation was how Patrick responded.

No corporate speak or protecting people from the numbers.

You'll hear in our conversation how he chose to communicate with clarity, knowing it would cost comfort.

That decision shifted everything and ultimately made HUGE results possible.

It shifted the organization's trajectory.

So, when your team asks the uncomfortable question,

how often do you treat it as resistance or as information?

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Matt Zilli, CEO of Planview, told me the hardest years of leading a company through billion-dollar growth (including restructures, tough people decisions, and uncertainty) became the most valuable leadership training of his career.

That really resonated for me. Some of the most uncomfortable stretches building my podcasts and business were the exact moments I wondered if I should pivot, slow down, or walk away. The audience wasn’t growing yet.

The results weren’t obvious. The path felt uncertain.

Ever had the "uncomfortable stretch"?

You know, those seasons forced me to get clearer, tougher, and more patient as a leader.

Matt called it in our conversation “SCAR TISSUE"...the kind you only earn by staying in the work when it’s not fun, not fast, and not guaranteed.

Wins build confidence. Hard seasons build leaders.

Looking back, the seasons I wanted to escape were often the ones doing the most to shape how I lead today.

Question: Do you think we leave the hard season too early or make a mistake by preventing it all together?

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John Leach CEO of FLS Transportation shared with me that fixating on the win is the fastest way to lose control.

He breaks down what happens when he walked away from "personality-first" leadership to build a system where success isn’t a roll of the dice.

It made me reflect on some of my own team's results where we delivered short term but they weren't always sustainable. Wish I'd chatted with John years ago!

We discuss:

1. The End of the "Charismatic" Leader: Why being "outgoing" eventually fails and the specific system that must replace it.
2. Volatility Proofing: How to lead through government-induced market shifts and economic chaos.
3. Transactional vs. Transformational: The only shift that allows you to scale a resilient team.
4. The CEO Secret: Why elite performers ignore the final numbers to focus on controllable actions.

Stop chasing the outcome. Start mastering the activity.

Question: Could your team repeat last year's wins without you looking over their shoulder?

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Greg Smith, Founder of Thinkific, shared with me how most leaders are sitting on their most undervalued asset: their own expertise.

And I’ve been guilty of this too.

For years, I thought growth meant building something new (a new product, new offering, new initiative).

BUT some of the biggest growth I’ve seen (in my own business and with companies I work with) came from teaching what they already knew.

Not as marketing.

Not as training.

As a product.

When leaders and their organizations share their thinking clearly and consistently, something powerful happens:

Trust grows faster.

A new sales channel opens.

Revenue flows.

Education and training used to be a COST CENTER. Now it’s becoming the new GROWTH CHANNEL.

And truly, it makes sense because customers don’t just want vendors anymore.

They want guides.

Why are leaders still hesitant to monetize what they already know?

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Alain Dias, CEO of Nortal Americas, knows a thing or two about building at scale..after all his team helped build the world’s very first "digital nation."

When a leader with his kind of track record speaks about growth, I'm in!

His interview is a gut-check for most organizations:

If your expansion depends on a "Hero," you aren't ready to scale.

In many cultures, we celebrate the "firefighter" who pulls the all-nighter to save the project. We give them the shout-outs and the awards.

But as Alain points out, constant heroics are actually a warning sign.

When you rely on individual brilliance to save the day, you aren't building a resilient business...you’re building a dependency.

Beware "The Heroic Trap":

- The Bottleneck: Critical knowledge stays trapped in one person’s head.

- The Single Point of Failure: Your best people become your biggest risk for burnout.

- The Chaos: As growth accelerates, clarity vanishes, and your "Hero" simply can't keep up.

What I admire about Alain’s approach is the focus on maturity.

World-class leadership is designing systems that make heroics unnecessary.

Your vision can’t outrun your systems.

Have you seen the limits of heroics?

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Barry Mainz, CEO of Forescout Technologies Inc., reveals how leaders unknowingly become responsible for massive risks they never personally approved.

As your organization grows, leadership doesn’t just get harder, the real issues become harder to see.

More effort stops producing better outcomes.

And more hustle just starts masking risk.

Barry’s work shows something unsettling:

even elite tech leaders are often blind to 30–50% of the devices actually connected to their networks inside their own organizations.

But that’s not a technology failure; it’s a leadership one.

In our conversation, you’ll discover:

- The Hidden Effort Tipping Point

- The Great Leadership Management Flip

- The Habit That Sabotages Scale

- Why Hustle Is A Warning

- The Dangerous Illusion Of Control

If you spend all your time working in the business, you’ll may miss the off-radar decisions forming around you...until they surface as a crisis.

A leadership question to consider:

Is the leader who knows every detail actually a pro… or just a bottleneck in disguise?

AND why choosing to reset earlier than most leaders do changed how he showed up as a leader, at work, and at home.

The business here wasn’t the problem.

But time at home was shrinking.

And the way work followed him everywhere wasn’t something he wanted to normalize.

Instead of waiting for a breaking point, Vikram created deliberate daily reset—and what happened next accelerated his results.

We talked about that moment on Lead the Team, along with some unexpected influences that shaped how he leads today.....

...including lessons from a surprising classic book most executives never read and a truly unforgettable early-career experience working for the iconic conductor Benjamin Zander.

You don’t have to wait until life forces a reset.

You can learn from a CEO who already has.

Do you have a daily reset that helps you?

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Mitch Stevison, President & CEO of Frontgrade Technologies, recently shared how a high-stakes missile test forced a decision no textbook could prepare him for.

In this conversation, we break down the one skill he leaned on when the eyes of two nations—and a Senior Admiral—were watching.

If you've ever had to make a high-stakes call under a microscope, Mitch’s insight on trust is a masterclass in leadership.

What is the most important trait for a leader to have during a crisis?

Subscribe to the show so you don't miss an episode on Lead the Team.

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Pete Harris, President of Pipedrive, was at the pinnacle of his previous profession (one that he’d spent his entire career pursuing).

Everything was on track... the prestige and the rank. But while many founders and leaders might push uncomfortable thoughts aside, Pete did something different.

He used a specific type of curiosity to ask himself a question that 99% of leaders are too afraid to face....a question that forces you to confront whether you’re actually on the path you’re meant to be on.

Answering it meant walking away from the very finish line everyone expected him to cross.

That moment of clarity unlocked a version of himself he hadn't met yet...

...one capable of:

- Finishing full-distance Ironmans.

- Leading a global engine for 100,000+ businesses.

Most leaders are too afraid the deeper question because they’re terrified of the answer.

Pete leaned in and shows us this conversation how we all can too.

When has asking the right question helped you?

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Anna Squires Levine, President of Industrious, leads a company that has spent more than a decade observing how office space impacts human behavior (across hundreds of locations and millions of workdays).

Many leaders assume the office is just a place where work happens.

But it's far more than that!

She explains that the office space is quietly influencing things leaders usually attribute to culture, motivation, or performance.

In their work, incredible patterns emerged at scale in:

• How people show up at work

• How they interact

• What actions and behaviors are encouraged or avoided

• And how energy moves through the day

Leaders rarely talk about this...even though they’re already accountable for the office space and the very outcomes it shapes.

Do you ever think about how your office space can impact your results?

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Marcus Perez, President of Altera Digital Health, shares a moment that unfolded in a helicopter at low altitude (where mistakes don’t get a second chance) and still shapes how he leads today.

A rule had been broken the day before.

The next day, his commander took the controls.

He didn't get lectured.

He got something far more...

Intense.

Deliberate.

Unforgettable.

Some lessons just don’t need words.

After Marcus shared this story with me on the show, it became clear why that personal experience carried more weight than any traditional feedback session ever could.

Our conversation raises questions around:

✅ When the most dangerous leadership decision is when you choose not to step in.

✅ What really happens when you delay accountability under real risk.

✅ How you know when stepping in helps… and when it backfires.

👉 What mistake taught you the most?

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Jason Liu, CEO of Wood Mackenzie, felt that test immediately when he stepped into the role right after a major merger.

New team.

New culture.

Everyone watching how he’d show up.

Instead of trying to project confidence the traditional way, he made a choice that could’ve easily gone wrong.

It didn’t.

What surprised me wasn’t the move itself...

...it was what it revealed about fear, trust, and credibility at the highest levels of leadership.

Jason doesn’t talk about fear like something to eliminate.

He talks about how leaders carry it, manage it, and still move forward anyway.

You hear it in how he leads teams across 30+ countries.

You see it in why he choose to put himself out front as the face of a 100-year-old brand.

And you feel it in the moments where control would’ve been easier, but courage mattered more.

This conversation stuck with me.

When has leadership tested you the most?

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Josh Epstein, President & Chief Business Officer at Coder, learned this the hard way.

I’ve seen urgency do two very different things to teams.

Sometimes it sharpens focus and everything moves faster.

Other times, it creates stress, confusion, and quiet burnout—while leaders think they’re “pushing for results.”

Josh shared how early in his career, pressure felt like the right move… until it started costing trust and momentum.

Increasing pressure wasn’t creating more effort...or the results he expected.

It was one uncomfortable shift (that felt slower at first)...

...that ended up making everything faster.

We unpack the full story in this week’s episode.

So:

👉 When things slow down, how effective has pressure been for you?

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Erin Gajdalo, CEO of Pluralsight, joined me and what she revealed about why AI projects collapse disturbed me even more..

I expected to talk about tools, frameworks, and roadmaps.

Instead, Erin asked me question I wasn’t ready for:

“Is your team actually ready for this? How can you even tell?"

Um...

Because most leaders — myself included — push for AI adoption without slowing down to ask if our teams can actually absorb the shift.

Erin has led major transformations at Avantax, LPL, and now Pluralsight... and she’s seen the same silent pattern across industries:

Leaders blame the tech.

Teams blame the workload.

But the real problem is almost always hidden deeper.

Readiness....and getting their quickly....is everything.

In our conversation, she breaks down:

👉 The blind spot most CEOs overlook.

👉 Why 50% of AI projects fail.

👉 What separates teams that finish from those that stall.

👉 The first move every CEO should take when they realize their team can’t keep up.

👉 And how her transformation background gives her a unique advantage in the AI era.

This conversation changed the way I think about leading through AI.

What’s the biggest AI readiness challenge you’re seeing in your teams right now?

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A truth Phil Andrews, CEO of USA Fencing, came to understand through experience.

That’s the incredible story behind Team USA’s recent historic gold…

…and the leadership turnaround that made it possible.

When I sat down with Phil, I wasn’t expecting what came next.

He walked into a sport in crisis.

Broken culture.


Divided membership.


Declining trust.


High visibility.


Zero margin for error.

And somehow, he rebuilt all of it…before making Olympic & Paralympic history.

But not long after the gold, the pressure shifted….


Public controversy.


Intense scrutiny.


And—death threats no leader should ever face.

Leaders talk about “high stakes.”

BUT this is what high stakes actually looks like.

Phil shares:

• The day-one move that stabilized a fractured team


• The bold Olympic decision that changed everything


• The backlash that hit not long after the gold


• How he led through threats, scrutiny, and congressional attention


• The leadership tools he relied on when everything was on the line

This is a powerful story of crisis leadership, culture repair, and resilience.

If you’ve ever led under pressure, you’ll never forget this lesson.

What’s one leadership lesson pressure taught you?

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When things go well, it can actually blind you to areas where he needed to improve.

...and this is why so many successful leaders often fail.

Most top performers don’t realize they’re slipping until someone has the courage to tell them something they didn’t want to hear.

Dan shared that his initial reaction to feedback early in his career was to blame the person giving him the feedback...and years later, he’s more grateful for it than almost anything else.

And when he stepped into leading a 2,300-person organization, the stakes around feedback got even higher. Any past success wasn’t going to carry him anymore. Clear, direct communication had to.

That’s when he embraced the mantra that now guides his leadership:

“Coaching is caring.”

He even had a 3.5-hour feedback conversation with a leader on his team — not because something was broken, but because growth mattered that much.

Here’s the truth:

Feedback is rarely comfortable.

But avoiding it costs far more.

Great leaders choose the kind of discomfort that makes them better.

Agreed?

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Dennis Levene, CEO of Hometown, bet the business on his customers’ success… and it’s paying off.

Most CEOs obsess over market share and margins.

Dennis obsessed over a broken system robbing schools of money.

And he asked the question that changed everything:

“Why should $25 of my $100 school donation go to a fundraising company?”

That wasn’t frustration — it was a blueprint.

A blueprint for a company designed to win only when its schools do.

Now, Hometown helps thousands of school communities raise more, keep more, and invest directly into the programs that shape students’ futures.

Dennis shared the line that defines his entire model:

“We align ourselves with our schools… when they’re successful, we’re successful.”

This isn’t marketing.

It’s business architecture.

And it’s one of the most compelling leadership strategies I’ve seen.

This episode is a masterclass in:

-Engineering customer alignment into your business model

-Leading with purpose without sacrificing performance

-Turning shared success into a competitive advantage

The companies that endure aren’t built on extraction...

They’re built on shared victories.

What would it be like if you aligned more closely to your customers' success?

👇 I’d love to hear your perspective..-----

Follow Dennis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennis-levene/

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But when he returned, something was off.

The spark was gone. The ownership was gone.

And instead of hiding behind strategy decks or consultants, he did something far harder...

...he rebuilt the culture on truth.

“If there’s a problem, we’ll fix it together. No excuses. No hiding.”

That simple mindset — radical honesty + extreme ownership — changed everything.

Teams started moving faster. Accountability returned. People cared again.

It’s an incredible heartfelt turnaround story.

If you’ve ever felt like your company lost its spark, this episode will remind you how to get it back — from the inside out.

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Follow Hugues https://www.linkedin.com/in/huguesmeyrath/

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Rob Hahn, now COO at Pattern, knows exactly what that feels like.

Early in his career as a young leader at Amazon, he faced a decision no leader ever forgets.

At just 26 and leading thousands of people, a severe weather warning hit.

He made the call to shut everything down.

The storm never came.

And the decision cost the company millions.

But instead of hiding from it, Rob leaned in.

He owned it. He learned from it.

And that moment became the foundation for how he leads under pressure today.

When we talked on Lead the Team, I was struck by how deeply that one experience reshaped his leadership philosophy.

Rob shares how turning failure into fuel helped him rise to one of the top roles in a company that just completed a multi-billion-dollar IPO — and how you can do the same.

If you’ve ever carried the weight of a bad call or a decision that didn’t go as planned, this conversation will help you see it differently — and lead stronger because of it.

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Follow Rob on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-hahn-12136736/

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In his third appearance on Lead the Team, Jed reveals the hidden advantage behind Kenneth Cole’s continued success… and how purpose became their ultimate performance driver.

“Purpose can’t just be a campaign. It has to live in every part of the company.” — Jed Berger, Kenneth Cole CEO

What stood out to me is how Jed turns values into velocity.

It’s not theory — it’s execution, culture, and results working in sync.

If you’re leading a team, scaling a company, or just trying to build something that lasts…

This episode shows how to align purpose with performance — and win the right way.

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Follow Jed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jedalexanderberger/

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Dan Fachner, CEO of J&J Snack Foods — the company behind ICEE, Slush Puppie, and Dippin’ Dots — posted a video on LinkedIn that immediately caught my attention...

...he gets emotional while expressing gratitude to his team for their hard work and dedication.

You can see how much he truly cares about his people, and I knew right then I wanted to have a deeper conversation with him.

You see, Dan began his career delivering and servicing ICEE machines. That humble start shaped everything about how he leads today.

His guiding principle...

Care for people first.

That simple mindset turned a frozen drink into a billion-dollar leadership strategy—built on empathy, communication, and trust.

You're going to love this interview beause it will remind you that real leadership isn’t about hierarchy or authority—it’s about humility, gratitude, and care.

If you lead a team, run a company, or aspire to do both, Dan’s story will shift how you think about leadership.

🎧 The ICEE CEO’s Secret that Became a Billion-Dollar Leadership Strategy

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During one internal review, Bezos made a single comment — short, specific, and completely unexpected — that changed everything.

He looked at the team and said:

“I want Alexa to respond in under five seconds.”

That one sentence forced every engineer to rethink what “great” really meant.

They reimagined the architecture, redesigned the systems — and eventually, brought response times even lower.

That’s "Bezos' Law":

The tighter the constraint, the bigger the breakthrough.

I was honestly in awe hearing how that single challenge reshaped Amazon’s design culture — and even more amazed at how Chai is now weaving that same mindset into ActiveCampaign’s AI to help small and midsize businesses scale faster, smarter, and simpler.

It’s inspiring stuff — and it’ll change how you think about innovation, leadership, and speed.

🎧 Hear the full story on the interview — it’s one of those “I’ll never build the same way again” moments.

Your Turn: Have you ever had one short, sharp lesson from a leader that completely changed how you think or work?

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Follow Chai on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/atreya/

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When I sat down with Dan Faulkner, CEO of SmartBear, he told me he was once passed over for a leadership role because he “hadn’t done it before.”

The cruelest ceiling isn’t glass — it’s being boxed in by your own expertise.

Being great at something… and never trusted with more.

Instead of waiting for permission, Dan built his own readiness.

He studied marketing at night.

He learned product and finance from scratch.

He said yes to the jobs no one thought he could handle.

That rejection didn’t end his path — it defined it.

He stopped asking for chances and started creating them.

“You’re the steward of your own career,” he told me.

“If you’re not driving it, you’re going to get the default.”

Sometimes the most powerful motivation isn’t belief from others —

it’s the doubt they hand you.

Ever been told you weren’t ready?

What did you do next?

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Follow Dan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielfaulkner/

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He Led Troops in Combat — Now He Leads Billion-Dollar Companies

I first met Lance Olmsted, now President of IFS Copperleaf, expecting a story about discipline and precision.

What I didn’t expect was how deeply human it would be.

Lance served as a U.S. Marine. He learned to lead in the most uncertain environments imaginable — where hesitation could cost lives AND empathy wasn’t optional.

That’s right...empathy.

And you’ll never forget why when you hear his story.

Those lessons stayed with him and became a positive guiding force.

Today, he’s guiding global teams and helping industries use AI to make smarter, faster decisions.

Before that, he helped drive a $1 billion unicorn exit by applying the same mindset that got his Marines home safe:

✅ Focus on the mission, not the noise.

✅ Act fast and adapt faster.

✅ Build trust before you need it.

✅ Lead with empathy, even under fire.

His story is proof that military leadership still works — not because it’s rigid, but because it’s built on resilience, clarity, and purpose.

Leadership isn’t about power — it’s about people. What’s your take?

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Follow Lance on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lance-olmsted-98708568/

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Matthew Fitzpatrick, CEO of Invisible Technologies—the #2 fastest-growing AI company in America—leads with a principle many overlook:

AI may power the future, but people give it purpose.

What makes Matt’s leadership stand out isn’t the speed of growth—it’s the intentionality behind it.

He reminds us that real progress doesn’t come from louder voices or faster code.

It comes from people.

From listening.

From slowing down long enough to get it right.

Here are a few principles he shared that every leader—AI or not—can use:

🔹 “The loudest voice is often, if not always, wrong.” Quiet thinkers find the biggest breakthroughs.

🔹 Hire great people, then trust them to listen deeply to customers.

🔹 Bad data at scale isn’t innovation—it’s chaos.

His boldest move as CEO?

Removing layers of hierarchy so 380+ people can think and act like owners.

This isn’t just about AI.

It’s about leading with integrity, empathy, and purpose—when the pace of change feels relentless.

👉 How do you keep leadership human in an AI-driven world?

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Follow Matt on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-fitzpatrick-97b62722/

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Jakub Vanek, Chief Operating Officer at Genpact Americas, has moved six times across four countries while scaling teams of thousands inside a $5B global organization.

He admits the hidden cost of leadership isn’t just jet lag or late nights in the office—it’s missing his wife’s birthday, missing holidays, and asking himself the same question many ambitious professionals face: Family or Career?

But here’s the opportunity: Jakub learned that the real measure of leadership isn’t the title or the miles traveled—it’s the relationships you keep along the way.

“Sooner or later, this executive position will stop… Just keep those relationships.”

That reminder hit me hard.

The choice doesn't have to be family or career—that’s the trap.

Real leadership is designing a path where both thrive together.

👉 What have you learned about protecting what matters while chasing your career?

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Follow Jakub on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakubvanekeurope/

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When I spoke with Cyrill Kellerhals, COO of Andelyn Biosciences, I was struck by how calm and grounded he was while describing some of the toughest leadership moments of his career.

At Novartis, one of the industry’s legendary companies, he encountered the kind of regulatory challenge that every leader dreads — a moment that could define the company’s future.

Instead of panicking, he led his team through it and turned it into a success.

Later, he carried those lessons into scaling a $34M operation and building a $200M biopharma facility. But what impressed me most wasn’t the numbers — it was the way he talked about leading with humility, purpose, and service to his people.

His story is a reminder that real leadership isn’t about avoiding pressure. It’s about how you show up when the stakes are highest.

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Follow Cyril: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cyrill-k-82a73152/

Lean more about Andelyn Biosciences: https://www.andelynbio.com/

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But when the pressure’s on, many unintentionally create cultures where people hide mistakes.

Camilo Rueda — CEO of Aeropost and former U.S. Navy Submarine Officer — learned this lesson the hard way, thousands of feet below the ocean’s surface.

As a young officer, one bad call almost ended his career. In that moment, he had two choices:

👉 Hide the mistake and hope it stayed buried

👉 Or raise his hand, take ownership, and face the consequences

He chose ownership.

It cost him in the short term — but it built the trust and resilience that later fueled his journey from the Navy to McKinsey to CEO.

What struck me most in our conversation was this:

“Real ownership isn’t solving everything yourself. It’s raising problems early, so you can solve them together.”

That mindset shift changes everything.

It turns mistakes into momentum, and pressure into perspective.

💭 When leaders say “Don’t bring me problems, bring me solutions,” does it actually push teams to chase the “perfect” answer — and wait too long to speak up?

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Follow Camilo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/camilo-rueda-5a62669/

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Jeff Meredith, CEO of Chamberlain Group, has lived that moment. He took a 70-year-old garage door company and transformed it into a global tech powerhouse with 14M+ connected users.

But as Jeff shared with me, the toughest part wasn’t the technology or the strategy—it was earning back his team’s trust in the middle of massive change.

That resonated deeply with me. Because when the ground shifts under your feet, no business model or innovation will save you if your people stop believing.

Jeff opened up about the leadership mistake that nearly cost him his team—and the exact steps he used to win them back.

His story is a reminder that transformation isn’t just about vision; it’s about belief.

If you’re leading through uncertainty, Jeff’s example proves one thing: no leader succeeds alone.

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Follow Jeff on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-meredith-90a744112/

Learn more about Chamberlain: https://www.chamberlain.com/

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When I first heard Amy Martin, CMO at TruWest Holdings, talk about her “One Number” strategy the TURNAROUND stopped me in my tracks.

She didn’t know if leaders would embrace it… or fight to protect their own KPIs.

But once it landed, everything changed:

-True C-suite alignment

-Faster growth

-A culture of shared accountability

Instead of sales and marketing chasing different goals, they now share the exact same revenue target.

In our conversation, Amy shares how she:

-Won buy-in without causing whiplash

-Turned resistance into trust

-Built teams that row in the same direction

If your teams are working hard but not together, this is one you don’t want to miss.

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Follow Amy on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyallenmartin/

Learn more about TruWest: https://truwestholdings.com/

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But as Lucas Mendes (CEO of Revelo) told me, that almost never works.

Employees don’t resist because they’re lazy.

They resist because new tools feel intimidating, misunderstood, or disconnected from what really matters in their day-to-day.

That’s where leadership comes in.

Lucas shared how he turned an almost-failing startup into the backbone of AI — a network of 400k+ engineers powering the world’s top tech companies.

But more importantly, he revealed how to get teams to actually change how they work — even when the future feels uncertain.

If you’ve ever given a directive and wondered why nothing changed, this episode is for you.

🎥 I Turned a Failing Startup Into the Backbone of AI (400k+ Engineers)

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Follow Lucas on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lmzmendes/

Learn more about Revelo - https://www.revelo.com/

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He’s led billion-dollar teams, navigated career reinventions, and even learned leadership lessons on a windsurfing board.

In this episode, he opens up about the next leadership superpower every leader needs to survive — and thrive — in today’s AI-driven world.

You'll discover:

-Why the “career ladder” is gone for good

-The daily habit he uses to stay ahead with his own team

-How AI is shifting what makes a great leader

-Why the best CEOs embrace what they don’t know

-What windsurfing taught him about business risk and resilience

This isn’t theory — it’s real, hard-won insight from the front lines of leadership.

Only the leaders who adapt will last...

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Follow Thomas on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasneergaardhansen/

Learn more about Amplitude: https://amplitude.com/

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It’s about leading elite teams that deliver with precision, creativity, and resilience—day in and day out.

In this episode of Lead the Team, I sit down with Franceen Gonzales, Former President of Legoland Florida Resort—one of the hidden geniuses behind its success.

We cover:

- A strategy to inspire peak performance under relentless pressure.

- The blueprint for orchestrating thousands of moving parts—and people—flawlessly.

- The meeting structure that keeps teams performing at elite levels every day.

Whether you lead engineers, creatives, or front-line teams, you’ll walk away with leadership lessons you can put to work immediately.

So tell me—what’s one leadership habit that keeps your team winning?

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Follow Franceen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/franceengonzales/

Plan your next trip to Legoland: https://www.legoland.com/florida/

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Rishi Rana—CEO of Cyara and former global product leader at Microsoft—shares the leadership lesson you just can’t learn in a classroom.

His career has been incredible having shared the stage with Bill Gates. Tripled revenue in a brutal turnaround. Led global teams under immense pressure.

But what stands most in our interview?

...how he talks openly about the missteps—failed launches, fractured teams, moments where it could’ve all fallen apart.

It's a message for any leader trying to stay steady in the storm.

He shares:

✅ How to rebuild trust when things go sideways.

✅ The key to making clear decisions in the middle of chaos.

✅ A strategy to get teams focused on outcomes—not noise.

If you’re navigating complexity and want to lead with more clarity, grit, and impact—this for you.

Out now on Lead the Team: CEO-tested tools and strategies to lead your team better!

👉 Ever had a leadership moment that nearly broke you—but shaped you instead?

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Follow Rishi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rishi-rana-2397a9/

Learn more about Cyara: https://cyara.com/

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Erik Huddleston, CEO of Aprimo and a 6-time exited founder, breaks down what every modern leader needs to understand about scaling with AI—before it’s too late.

If you're leading a team and feeling the pressure of speed, complexity, and rising expectations… his message is for you.

"AI can produce more in a day than your entire team can in a year."

That sounds like progress—until your message, culture, and brand start spinning out of control.

Find out what most leaders overlook when adopting AI, and how to build the systems, guardrails, and leadership mindset to move fast without breaking trust.

Whether you’re running a Fortune 500 division or building a company from scratch, this conversation will challenge how you lead—and give you real tools to scale your team, protect your brand, and lead with purpose.

You’ll learn:

→ How to lead when AI is moving faster than your org chart.

→ Why scaling content isn’t the hard part—governance is.

→ What it really means to “scale with control”.

→ How to become the leader your team needs in uncertain times.

Move from overwhelmed…to undeniably clear about what do next with AI within your organization.

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Follow Erik on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ehuddleston/

Learn more about Aprimo: https://www.aprimo.com/-----

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Sanjib Sahoo, President of Ingram Micro’s Global Platform Group, was already preparing to lead under pressure—long before the headlines.

Before the headlines.

Before the cyberattack.

Before the world was watching…

When we recorded this conversation, none of us knew what was coming. But what Sanjib shared then feels even more powerful now.

You'll hear the bold transformation he's driving inside a $48B tech giant that touches nearly 90% of the world’s population—and the personal transformation leaders must go through to meet the moment.

“Doubt isn’t the enemy,” he told me. “It’s often the proof you’re doing something meaningful.”

He doesn't interpret fear as a sign to back down—but a signal you’re on the right track...

And when the pressure hits, how do you stay grounded—especially when everyone’s watching to see if you’ll crack or lead?

This isn’t a crisis interview.

It’s a real, unfiltered look at what leadership actually takes—when everything’s on the line.

Recorded before the headlines.

Proven after.

🎧 Listen now on Lead the Top (a top 2% podcast)—and rethink boldness, fear, and what it means to lead under pressure.

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Follow Sanjib on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanjibsahoodigital/

Learn more about Ingram Micro: https://www.ingrammicro.com/

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Sean Larkin, CEO of OnLogic, learned that lesson the hard way—just because your company is scaling doesn’t mean your people automatically will too.

This really stuck with me...

...the same strengths that drive today’s success often become tomorrow’s roadblocks.

He breaks out a 6-point professional development plan that’s as original as it is practical.

It’s a must-hear for any leader who wants their team to keep up with the pace of change.

You'll also discover:

👉 The subtle early signs your team’s falling behind.

👉 Why your best people may struggle to scale.

👉 How to help high performers keep evolving.

👉 What it really takes to lead when the speed (and growth) never slow down.

If you think your team is “probably” ready for what’s next… this one’s for you.

🎧 Episode’s live now.

Because scaling isn’t about working harder. It’s about thinking smarter.

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Follow Sean on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-larkin-nacd-dc-0517439/

Learn more about OnLogic: https://www.onlogic.com/

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Instead of staying in the spotlight, Ryan Stana, CEO of RWS Global, decided to build an entire world behind the scenes—one that now creates over a MILLION unforgettable moments every single day:

🚢 Cruise ships

🎢 Theme parks

🎭 Broadway

🏟️ Stadiums

🌍 Seven offices around the world

He wasn’t in it for the credit. He was in it to change the game.

And the way he did it? By staying true to who he was.

“Follow your dream, and the respect will come.”

That line stuck with me.

This conversation is memorable for me, because it’s such a powerful reminder: you don’t have to prove yourself to everyone. You just have to build something that matters.

In the episode, Ryan shares:

• Why authenticity earns respect faster than ego.

• How to scale creativity without losing your vision.

• The power of listening to every voice at the table.

• The framework that keeps 8,000+ creatives aligned.

• And the bold decisions that shaped his entire journey.

If you’ve ever wondered how to lead without chasing approval of your team, stakeholders and even your customers...this is worth a listen.

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Follow Ryan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanstana/

Learn more about RWS Global: https://www.rwsglobal.com/

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Leading a global coffee powerhouse is no small feat—especially when your brand ranks among the world’s most influential:

🌎 Over 4,100 stores across 37 countries

👥 More than 20,000 employees worldwide

🥤 Thousands of innovative self-serve Costa Express machines

🏆 #2 largest coffeehouse chain globally

🇬🇧 #1 coffee chain in the UK, with over 2,700 outlets and a 26% market share.

🎙️ In my recent conversation with Philippe Schaillee, CEO of Costa Coffee, we explored:

-How a single setback nearly ended his career—and why he now calls it his greatest gift

-The surprising reason not all coffee companies are winning hearts (and what Costa does differently)

-What happens when your boldest ideas come from the last place you expect

If you lead big teams or big brands, this episode is a masterclass in clarity, resilience, and influence.

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Follow Philippe - https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippe-schaillee-40196b1/

Learn more about Costa Coffee - https://www.us.costacoffee.com/

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Enter Duncan Fisher, Chief Show Operations Officer.

One of the world’s most iconic entertainment brands.

Gone.

Zero revenue. 5,000+ employees let go.

Bankrupt.

But instead of folding, they reimagined everything.

🔥 8 touring shows relaunched in just 18 months

🔥 Empowered teams operating 24/7 across the globe

🔥 Purpose-driven execution: entertain the world

Duncan Fisher led the charge—and his story is wild.

This episode has it all:

🎙️ A last-minute phone call from the U.S. Secret Service

🎙️ A presidential speech that almost didn’t happen

🎙️ 600 trucks packed and shipped across continents

🎙️ And a leadership philosophy forged under circus tents, spotlights, and survival

Want a masterclass in operational grit and brand resurrection?

🎧 Listen in.

This one will change the way you lead.

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Follow Duncan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/duncan-fisher-0964863b/

Book your next Cirque Du Soleil show: https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/

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When David Pinn, Brain Corp, stepped in as CEO —the company behind the world’s largest autonomous mobile robot fleet—he didn’t just scale innovation...

...he scaled belief.

They've unleashed the power of 40,000 robots around the world...

250 billion square feet cleaned and scanned

$190 million raised.

One big lesson?

Change management and leadership is at the very foundation of effective technology.

From Sam's club warehouse floors to NASA’s launchpads, BrainOS-powered robots are transforming how the world works today and tomorrow.

You'll find out that their success has less to do with hardware and more to do with humans.

Here’s what you’ll discover:

- Why being too expert stifles innovation.

- The game that always boost human and robot activity.

- What will really drive ROI in the future.

- Why curiosity—not code—is your most important leadership trait.

This is a story that every innovator needs to hear.

Listen to this if you lead people, work with tech, or just want to understand where the future is going (fast).

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Follow David on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dpinn/

Learn more about Brain Corp: https://www.braincorp.com/

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First week on the job at Skullcandy, Brian Garofalow scheduled a meeting called:

“Teach Brian how headphones work.”

Not a tech guy.

Not an audio engineer.

But a punk-rock marketer turned Silicon Valley founder turned private equity turnaround pro—

And the new CEO of Skullcandy.

What happened next?

He did the unthinkable...

🔥 Partnered with Bose—the supposed enemy.

🔥 Reintroduced Skullcandy to the world with a surprise drop in NYC.

🔥 Built a skate-ramp-in-the-office culture that people actually want to work in.

🔥 Launched the best-reviewed product in years… in just 4 weeks.

Oh—and he’s worn the same green sweater every day for 7 years to reduce decision fatigue.

(Steve Jobs would be proud.)

This episode is a masterclass in brand resurrection, strategic risk, and leadership that doesn't try to fit in.

💬 What brand do you think is overdue for a Skullcandy-style comeback?

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Follow Brian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-garofalow-02b7bb2/

Check out Skullcandy's latest new products: https://www.skullcandy.com/

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That’s the mindset Eldon Schaffer, CEO of TekniPlex, instills across 9,000 employees in 13 countries.

On his first day, they lost one of their top five customers.

Instead of blaming or panicking, Eldon...rallied the team to innovate fast— launching a new product and outpacing the competition in just 150 days.

Since then, they’ve doubled the business and led a sustainability revolution—one egg carton and coffee pod at a time.

🧠 200 Materials Science Experts

🧃 Billions of packaging components

🌎 Unseen, but everywhere

Here’s what stood out:

• “Failure is not fatal.”

• “Comfort zone kills growth.”

• “Strategy is who does what.”

• “Diversity drives better decisions.”

• “Own it. Fix it.”

🎧 Hear the full story on Lead the Team—a masterclass in leadership under pressure, fast decision-making, and what it really means to get everyone rowing in the same direction.

💬 What’s your favorite leadership mantra?

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Follow Eldon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eldonwschaffer/

Learn more about TekniPlex: https://tekni-plex.com/en

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Discover vital insights from Derek Coburn—author, wealth advisor, entrepreneur, co-founder of CADRE, an exclusive “un-networking” community for top business leaders, and now of the bold new book, Let’s Retire Retirement.

He challenges the outdated notion that your best years come after your career ends. 

Instead, he argues that meaning, purpose, and growth shouldn’t be delayed—they should be designed into your life now.

We unpack:

-Why traditional retirement is broken.

-The dangers of waiting to live fully.

-How to architect a life that blends success and significance.

If you’ve ever thought “I’ll do that when I retire”… this episode will make you rethink everything.

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Check out Derek's incredible and timely book here: https://www.derekcoburn.com/

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COO Gaurav Juneja didn’t climb the ladder—he took the hard route no one wanted… and built the ladder himself.

He failed early.

He raised his hand for the toughest projects.

He switched industries.

He even coached squash at Harvard before becoming COO of a national fiber infrastructure company (Consolidated Communications/Fidium Fiber)

🎧 Discover Gaurav's empowering ideas and strategies around:

• A “resume mindset” nearly held him back—and how he replaced it with a legacy mindset.
• The career move that didn’t work out… but built relationships that did.
• His mantra—“Stay calm in the eye of the storm”—guides how he leads under pressure.
• And why success isn’t about the title… it’s about leaving things better than you found them.

Whether you’re leading a company or just trying to figure out your next move—this conversation is a blueprint for transforming uncertainty into growth.

👇 What’s one lesson you learned from something not going your way?

-----

Follow Gaurav Juneja on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaurav-juneja-30787733/

Learn more about Fidium Fiiber: https://www.fidiumfiber.com/

Learn more about Consolidated Communications: https://www.consolidated.com/

-----

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Andy Mecs, President of Chicken of the Sea, didn’t just inherit a legacy—he reshaped it.

But not by chasing trends.

Not by copying the competition.

And definitely not by playing defense.

Instead, he made a series of bold moves that most would’ve avoided—

And in the process, turned a fading favorite into a rising force.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

The unexpected career moment that changed everything

How he rebuilt trust—and a team—during the Great Resignation

Why zigging while others zag became his leadership edge

🎧 What happened inside Chicken of the Sea is bigger than tuna.

💬 What’s a time you bet on a harder path… and it paid off?

-----

Follow Andy here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-mecs-b132486/

Learn more about Chicken of the Sea: https://chickenofthesea.com/

-----

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That’s where Joe Perkins, now COO of Carolina Handling, found himself early in his career —after pushing team productivity too far, too fast.

💥 His team walked out.

But instead of doubling down, Joe went back in—this time with humility.

Together, they rewrote the rules. Built a new plan. And blew past the goals he thought were impossible.

Joe went from player to coach, from telling to asking, and from forklift seller to logistics innovator.

You’ll learn:

🚫 Why “telling” doesn’t work

🧠 How to get teams to own strategy

💪 The 2 traits every employee needs

🎯 Why goal-setting needs to evolve—or fail

📬 And why his team now sends him postcards of their dreams

“Pour into your people.”

That’s Joe’s mantra—and after this conversation, you’ll never forget it.

💬 What’s one lesson that changed the way you lead?

-----

Follow Joe on LinkedIn:

Learn more about Carolina Handling: https://www.carolinahandling.com/

-----

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That’s the playbook for Ananta Islam, CEO at Körber Supply Chain Americas, who’s scaling a global operation with one mission:

Build teams that trust, strategies that empower, and a culture that moves at the speed of change.

Here’s what stood out in our conversation:

👉 Why leadership must flex across generations—even down to emojis

👉 The underrated power of self-awareness (and surrounding yourself with people who challenge you)

👉 Turning strategy into a daily practice, not a dusty PDF.

👉 Every company needs to “Find Their A”—and what that really means.

What’s one belief or behavior you had to flex to become a better leader?

-----

Follow Ananta on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ananta-islam-89580aaa/

Lean more about Körber:

Körber Group website: https://www.koerber.com/en/

Körber Business Area Supply Chain: https://koerber-supplychain.com/

Körber LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/k%C3%B6rber/

Körber Business Area Supply Chain LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/koerber-supply-chain/

-----

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Nicole Robinson, President of DataPath, shares the harrowing moment when her team’s satellite system—the world’s largest fleet of defense-certified terminals—helped civilians escape to safety....

...in the middle of a war. ⚠️

This wasn’t luck. It was leadership.

And for Nicole and her team, saving lives isn’t a one-time story—it’s the mission.

Every.

Single.

Day.

Imagine being stranded in the middle of a jungle. A desert. A ship at sea.

No cell towers. No Wi-Fi.

But the mission can’t wait—and lives are on the line.

That’s where Nicole and her team come in—building invisible lifelines that deliver connection, hope, and survival.

In this episode:

✅ The satellite launch that changed everything.

✅ How one employee’s awakening redefined impact.

✅ Why real leadership starts by challenging culture.

If you believe leadership is about more than metrics—if you believe purpose drives performance—this one’s for you.

Have you ever lead in a crisis?

🎙️ Check it out now on Lead the Team podcast, ranked in the top 2% globally

-----

Follow Nicole on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-robinson-a7a825b/

Learn more about DataPath: https://datapath.com/

-----

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Talent gets you started.

Obsession takes you further.

But it’s fire and vision that forges a true chef.

Mike Lata, James Beard Award-winning chef and founder of Charleston’s celebrated FIG and The Ordinary, didn’t just build restaurants —

...he's built a legacy grounded in passion, resilience, and relentless pursuit of excellence.

In this conversation, Mike shares what few ever see behind the plate:

🔥 The brutal early years most don't survive.

🔥 The moment he considered quitting — and what pushed him through.

🔥 The deep personal standards that light every dish, every service, every dream.

This isn’t just about food.

It’s about craft.

Vision.

Heart.

And the fire it takes to build something that lasts.

-----

Follow Mike on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikelata

Eat at his incredible restaurants:

FIG - https://eatatfig.com/

The Ordinary - https://eattheordinary.com/

-----

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Some leaders survive.

A rare few — power the world.

Brad Childers, President and CEO of Archrock, doesn’t just lead a company.

He fuels the infrastructure that powers modern life — keeping energy flowing when the world needs it most.

With over a decade as CEO and a 30-year career at the intersection of energy, innovation, and strategy, Brad has a deep conviction about the role energy plays in liberating humanity from darkness, cold, and toil — and a sharp eye for what’s next.

In this conversation, Brad shares the real story behind leadership:

⚡ How to relieve the hidden weight the leaders carry.

⚡ The faith that keeps you moving.

⚡ A step to win the Future.

If you’ve ever wondered what it really takes to lead when everything’s on the line — this episode will change how you see leadership — and the power behind the modern world.

-----

Follow Brad and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-childers-7363955/

Learn More about Archrock: https://www.archrock.com/

-----

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Richard Leurig, President of Accruent, built an entire career out of beating industry titans — with speed, clarity, and purpose.

✅ Outlasted the mortgage meltdown

✅ Scaled MoneyGram in a federal crisis

✅ Built “The Better Everyday Way”

In this bold episode, he shares how to lead through chaos, simplify to grow, and turn setbacks into superpowers.

🎧 Listen now — and get the playbook for underdog victories.

👇

Question for you: When’s a time being the underdog actually gave you an edge?

-----

Follow RIchard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rkleurig/

Learn more about Accruent: https://www.accruent.com/

-----

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Dr. David Stern, CEO of Experity, opens up about his journey from the fast-paced world of urgent care to leading a tech company that serves thousands of clinics across the country.

But his isn’t just a story of business success—it’s a story of raw determination, personal growth, and leadership forged in the fires of crisis.

Dr. Stern reflects on the pivotal moments that nearly broke him—like the federal investigation that threatened everything he built. How did he pull through the darkest times?

What lessons did he learn as he transformed from a physician into the leader his company desperately needed?

In this powerful conversation, Dr. Stern shares the advice he would give to his younger self, how he rewired his approach to leadership, and the humbling truth he discovered when everything seemed lost.

This isn’t just about business—it’s about resilience, the courage to pivot, and the heart it takes to lead when the stakes are highest.

-----

Followed David on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/urgentcaredoc/

Learn more about Experity - https://www.experityhealth.com/

-----

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What if your biggest leadership breakthrough, started with a brutally honest performance review?

Well Shri Parikh, didn’t just turn around an underperforming team member—he changed that person’s life.

And in return? That person incredibly mentored his teenage son through one of the most difficult chapters of his life.

The result? A lifelong bond… and a leader reborn.

Shri is the President and Executive Vice President of Ovik Health, a subsidiary of the legendary Milliken & Company—recognized for over 160 years of innovation and values-driven impact across the globe.

He reveals how purpose, performance, and personal values come together to shape the kind of leader who builds trust that transcends the workplace.

If you’ve ever wondered how to lead with more heart, more impact, and more legacy… then Shri's message is for you.

Let's go!

-----

Follow Shri - www.linkedin.com/in/shri-parikh-a462244

Learn more about Ovik Health and Milliken - https://www.milliken.com/en-us

-----

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Today’s guest is Hans Stig Moller, CEO of Odyssey Logistics—a global logistics powerhouse that moves freight across 130 countries. But here’s the twist: Hans doesn’t lead with volume. He leads with calm. Curiosity. And radical humility.

Raised in Denmark, shaped by gritty experience in the shipping yards, and guided by a deeply people-first mindset, Hans opens up about what it really takes to earn trust at scale—without burning out or losing yourself in the title.

In this episode, you’ll hear how a moment behind the scenes in accounting forever changed how Hans views “leading by example”… how a career setback turned into an MBA on steroids… and why he believes listening—truly listening—is one of the most underrated executive skills.

We also go deep on how he tracks his time like a venture investment, why he says AI is transforming logistics quarter by quarter, and how his Danish roots still shape every boardroom and town hall he steps into.

If you’re leading a team, navigating growth, or just trying to become a more grounded, strategic version of yourself—this one will hit home.

-----

Follow Hans on LiinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hans-stig-moller/

Learn more about Oddessy Logistics: https://odysseylogistics.com/

-----

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Stan Howell, a pharmaceutical powerhouse with 25+ years at giants like Johnson & Johnson, Merck, and Novartis, shares a powerful message.

He's now risen to the corner office as COO at Wedgewood holding true to his personal values and guiding principles.

Wedgewood is the largest US veterinary compounding pharmacy, serving over 70,000 vets and one million animals yearly.

He didn't have some grand plan; he chose to seize the opportunities and learned along the way.

Stan's journey from a packaging line to leading global operations is packed with unexpected turns and powerful lessons in leadership, discipline, and the criticality of passion.

Learn how he navigated massive industry shifts and why he believes authentic communication is the only communication that truly resonates.

You'll also Discover

-A Surprising Key to Accelerating Your Career

-Why Motivation is Overrated in Leadership

-An Unexpected Downside of Becoming Indispensable

-How to Craft a Communication Strategy That Works

-A Simple 3-Word Blueprint for True Leadership

-----

What are your non-negotiable principles in your career?

-----

Follow Stan on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stan-howell/

Learn more about Wedgewood: https://www.wedgewood.com/

-----

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Dr. Tom Britton, CEO of Accanto Health, shares how his personal experience with addiction and recovery has shaped his approach to leadership.

He's powerfully leveraged it to build a thriving culture at Accanto Health, the parent company of the Emily Program and Gather Behavioral Health.

They focus on treating those impacted by eating disorders and other behavioral heath challenges.

You'll find how they effectively offer compassion and evidence-based care across a broad organization.

He opens up about the challenges he faced and the lessons he learned along the way, offering a powerful example of how leaders can turn personal struggles into sources of strength and inspiration.  

You'll Also Discover:

How to Overcome Challenges with Resilience

A Strategy for Building High-Performing Teams

Why Leading with Empathy Matters

A Step to Creating a Thriving Culture

An Unexpected Approach to Leadership Development

-----

Do you you think empathy is important for leaders?

-----

Follow Dr. Tom Britton on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-tom-britton-4021611a/

Learn more about Accanto Health here: https://accanto.com/

-----

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Andrew Frawley, CEO of Data Axle, shares the key for leveraging data and AI to create emotional connections at scale...a game-changer for EVERY business.

It's incredible they equip organizations to leverage a database of 90 million businesses and 300 million consumers to find their best customers.

Forget Mad Men, this is the new era of connection.

You'll learn how AI can predict emotional triggers...

....the power of understanding the "full person" (both as a consumer and as a professional)

....and the future of personalized content creation.

It's not just about having the data, it's about knowing how to use it to drive real outcomes.  

You'll also discover:

✅ How data help build customer relationships.  

✅ The data point that really inspires customer loyalty.

✅ The unexpected trait Andy instills in every employee  

----> Do you have the data you need to reach you customer?

Follow Andy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyfrawley/

Learn more about Data Axle: https://www.data-axle.com

Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning

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Ever wonder what happens when a leader loses their title? Josh Whitley, CEO of AlaTrade Foods, reveals the raw truth about leadership, identity, and the importance of life beyond the job.

In this gripping interview, Josh shares his journey from climbing the ranks to facing a layoff, and the profound lessons he learned along the way.

It's a wake-up call for any leader prioritizing their position over their people.

Discover how a leader learned the hard way that who you are is not what you do.

Hint: It involves a powerful lesson from a savvy boss, a meat processing plant, and some hard-earned wisdom.

You'll also discover:

A strategy to lead by example, not just words.

How to build a culture of trust and accountability.

Why "people first, chicken second" is a game-changer.

The surprising power of prioritizing safety and well-being.

A blueprint to avoid the "leadership vacuum".

------

What defines you outside of your job title?

-----

Follow Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-whitley/

Learn more about AlaTrade Foods:

-----

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Fredrik Thomassen, CEO and Founder of Superside, stands at the forefront of the AI creative revolution.

His mission is to empower in-house creative teams, often overlooked and under-resourced, by unlocking the transformative power of AI.

Superside, serving giants like Amazon, Salesforce, and Vimeo, is proving that AI is the creative edge that teams need.

You'll hear how Fredrik and his team are leveraging AI to...

-Alleviate Strain: Reducing the immense pressure on teams, enabling them to focus on true innovation.

-Drive Innovation: Fueling awe-inspiring campaigns that push creative boundaries.

-Pioneer New Workflows: Redefining the creative process with AI-driven efficiency.

-Deliver Unprecedented Savings: Providing significant cost and time benefits to clients.

This is the new creative landscape.

You'll also discover:

✅ How to leverage AI to scale your team.

✅ A strategy to build an AI-first system.

✅ Why remote creative teams have become the future of work.

✅ A step-by-step blueprint for implementing your AI workflow.

✅ The unexpected benefit of AI for creative work.

-----

What are your thoughts on the future of AI?

-----

Follow Fredrik on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fredrikthomassen/

Learn more about Superside: https://www.superside.com/

-----

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Ever been laid off?

Patricia Coan, COO at Pura, has not once, not twice, but THREE times!

But her story isn't one of defeat.

It's a powerful lesson in resilience and adaptability that every leader needs to hear.

How did those setbacks actually accelerate her career? You'll have to listen to believe it.

Patricia shares how those experiences shaped her leadership, offering invaluable insights on navigating career curveballs and leading with empathy.

Find out how the strategy she applied to build high-performing teams and revolutionize an industry.

Her journey is a testament to turning adversity into your greatest advantage.

You'll also discover:

A Strategy to Build Unstoppable Resilience.

How to Turn Setbacks Into Superpowers.

Why Adaptability is Your #1 Asset.

A Surprising Key to True Empathy.

The Unexpected Gift of Getting Fired.

=> What's a career curve ball you've ever faced?

-----

Follow Patricia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patriciabuck/

Learn More about Pura: https://pura.com/

-----

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Imagine the challenge of uniting three rival companies with distinct cultures and values into a cohesive team.

This is the situation he faced when he took the helm at Planview.

You'll learn the powerful strategy he used to build trust, establish a shared vision, and align incentives among the team.  

You'll Also Discover:

Why Culture Matters

A Step to Visionary Leadership

The Surprising Way to Resolve Conflict

=> Have you ever experienced a merger or acquisition?

----

Follow Razat on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/razatgaurav/

Learn more about Planview: https://www.planview.com

-----

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The future of energy is changing, and business leaders NEED to know what's coming.

Michael Ginsburg, President of Tokamak Energy USA, distills he groundbreaking potential of fusion energy and how it can revolutionize our world! 🤯

This is NOT just a pipe dream!

Michael, a leading expert in energy and the fusion industry, boils down the opportunity, the latest advancements, and why fusion is closer than ever to becoming a reality.

You'll see why AI and machine learning are accelerating breakthroughs and what needs to happen to make fusion power commercially viable.

This is a MUST-LISTEN episode for anyone interested in the future of energy and the incredible possibilities fusion holds.

Tune in to learn about the exciting developments that lie ahead and how fusion could solve our energy problems for good! 💡

You'll Also Discover:

How to Invest in Fusion Energy.

The Country Winning the Fusion Race.

A Strategy to Translate Science into Commercial Success.

The Geopolitical Impact of Fusion Energy.

Emotional Intelligence and Leadership in Science .

-----

Have you heard of fusion? What do you the think the impact will be? 👇

-----

Follow Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeljginsberg/

Learn more about Tokamak Energy -https://tokamakenergy.com/

-----

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Jeff Mills, President of iMerit, shares a difficult moment in his career when he was asked to do something that completely went against his core values.

What do you do when your leader asks you to do something that you don't believe in?

For Jeff, it was an easy decision, but it wasn't a popular one.

What would you do in this situation?

He also shares why fear is a relic of the past, a short-sighted strategy that stifles innovation and drives away top talent.

Isn't better when were in the trenches together, working towards a common goal. You'll Also

Discover:

How to Motivate Your Team.

A Strategy for Leading in the Age of AI.

Why Retention is Critical for AI Success.

A Step to Disrupt Your Industry with AI.

The Three Impacts of AI on FTE Models.

Follow Jeff on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmills/

Learn More about iMerit: https://imerit.net/

-----

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Kristy Knichel, President and CEO of Knichel Logistics, shares THE defining moment in her leadership journey.

Despite being appointed President, Kristy faced a situation that challenged her authority and tested her resolve.

Discover how she defied expectations, navigated family dynamics, and took courageous action to protect her company.

Learn from her experience and gain valuable insights for your own leadership journey.

You'll Also Discover:

How to Overcome Self-Doubt

A Strategy for Building a Strong Support System

Why Embracing Vulnerability is Key to Growth

A Step to Leading with Authenticity

An Unexpected Outcome of Taking Risks

-----

How do you think taking on a big challenge helps you grow?

-----

Follow Kristy on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristyknichel/

Learn more about Knichel Logistics - https://www.knichellogistics.com/

Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning

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Do you feel like you and your team are barely keeping up?

Marco Santos, Global CEO of GFT Technologies, shares his insights on navigating change and leading in a world of constant transformation...specifically the AI revolution.

His journey from computer science student to global CEO provides an incredible perspective on adapting to new technologies and leading teams through uncertainty.

You'll find out what happens when a team begins to embrace change, fosters a culture of learning, and aligns their personal visions with corporate goals.

This episode is a must-listen for leaders looking to not just survive, but thrive in the new world of AI.

You'll also Discover:

A Strategy for Leading Through AI Disruption

How to Build a Culture of Trust

The Key to Inspiring Your Team

A Surprising Approach to Delegation

Why Vulnerability Matters in Leadership

-----

What's been helpful to you in adapting to AI? Share in the comments.

-----

Follow Marco on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marco-santos-gft/

Learn more about GFT Technologies: https://www.gft.com

-----

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Carolyne Doyon, President and CEO of Club Med North America and the Caribbean, reveals how prioritizing kindness fuels business success.

Discover how Club Med's values, mirroring Carolyne's own, create a positive work environment that boosts employee engagement and customer satisfaction.

Learn how kindness can be a powerful tool for achieving extraordinary results, fostering a supportive and thriving team, and driving overall business growth.

You'll Also Discover:

How to Cultivate Kindness..

The Strategy for a Positive Workplace.

Why Values Matter.

A Step to Team Cohesion.

An Unexpected Key to Success

Is it important to you to prioritize kindness in your workplace?

-----

Follow Carolyne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolyne-doyon-a708926b/

Check out Club Med now: https://www.clubmed.us/

-----

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Matt Hartman, Chairman and CEO of One Compass Holdings and FST Logistics, shares a candid story about a painful realization that led to monumental business growth.

This difficult moment drove Matt's decision to conduct 60+ personal interviews with employees and customers.

It uncovered a critical issue that changed everything.

You'll hear why Matt's story is a testament to the power of vulnerability and receptiveness in leadership.

You'll Also Discover:

How to Build a Culture of Excellence

A Strategy for Employee Engagement

Why Vulnerability is Key to Leadership

A Step to Better Decision-Making

Why Mistakes Can Enable Success

What's one decision you've made that significantly impacted your business?

Follow Matt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthartman3/

Learn more about FST Logistics

-----

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How does a 15-year-old emancipated minor go on to become the CEO of a leading healthcare organization?

Lynn Mason, CEO North America of IVI RMA Global, shares her extraordinary journey from emancipated teen to securing a full-ride scholarship to Washington University and attending Stanford Business School as one of just six black women in her class.

Discover how these experiences fueled her dedication to paying it forward and pulling others up along the way.

Her story is a true testament to the power of resilience, determination, and the unwavering support of those who believed in her.

Despite facing immense challenges, she never gave up on her dreams and now leads an innovative company that's changing lives and shaping the future of reproductive medicine.

You'll gain insights on leadership and mentorship that will inspire you to reach for your full potential, no matter your background.

You'll Also Discover:

How to Cultivate Positive Relationships.

A Strategy for Mission-Driven Leadership.

Why the Dyad Model Works.

5 Steps to Embracing a Global Perspective.

A Blueprint for Overcoming Adversity.

What's one thing you've learned from a mentor or leader that's helped you in your career?

-----

Follow Lynn on on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clynnmason/

Learn more about IVI RMA: https://www.ivirma.com/

-----

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John Ruane, President of The Giant Company, plays a higher-level game in the grocery biz.

Everyone chases the same metrics that drive razor-thin margins, relentless competition, and ever-shifting consumer demands. The grocery industry is a pressure cooker.

Yet, they aren't just surviving, they're thriving.

He shared a surprising philosophy with me – one that's driving dramatic improvements in both customer satisfaction and employee morale.

It's not about algorithms or aggressive pricing. It's something much more fundamental.

MORE HUMAN.

Can't wait for you to hear this conversation filled with John's incredible insights and stories that help leaders of every industry!

You'll Also Discover:

The Secret Strategy for Low cost, High Growth.

How to Lead a Team Transformation.

Debunking a Common Customer Myth.

The Winning Formula for Fueling innovation.

The Necessary Shift to Start Thriving.

Follow John on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-ruane-3583093b/

Learn more about The Giant Company, which includes brands like GIANT, MARTIN'S, GIANT Heirloom Market, GIANT Direct and MARTIN’S Direct: https://giantfood.com/

-----

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Co-President of SoftwareOne, North America, Shane Cronin, shares a story about a team member going above and beyond for a Fortune 50 customer.

It's a story that demonstrates the power of customer obsession and the impact it can have on a business.

This interview will make you think differently about how you approach customer service and the importance of empowering your team to go above and beyond. You'll hear how SoftwareOne's customer-centric approach has helped them become a leader in the tech world. And you'll learn how to create a culture of customer obsession that can drive incredible results.

You'll also discover:

• A Strategy for "Why"
• How to Build a Framework
• The Key to Data-Driven Decisions
• A Blueprint for Going the Extra Mile
• How to Create a Customer-Centric Culture

Have you ever experienced a moment of truly exceptional customer service? Share your story in the comments below!

----------

Follow Shane on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanecronin/

Learn more about SoftwareOne: https://www.softwareone.com/en-us

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Pinakin Patel, CEO of IT Concepts, didn’t start at the top—he built IT Concepts from scratch, now projected to hit $375 million in revenue.

But one misstep almost derailed everything, forcing him to rethink how he led his team.

That failure, instead of breaking him, became the foundation for his unique approach to culture, trust, and leadership.

In this episode, find the hard-won lesson that reshaped his company and elevated his career and also the critical moment that changed everything...

You'll also discover:

How transform failure into opportunity

The secret to scaling trust

The mentorship underestimated impact

When culture becomes a growth driver

How design thinking redefined leadership

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Follow Pinakin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pinakin/

Learn more about his company

-----

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What if a single, unexpected phone call could redefine your leadership approach...and transform your team's performance? 🤔

Craig Strickler, President of Americas for Valor Hospitality Partners, shares a powerful story that reveals the profound impact of genuine appreciation.

He explains the unique strategy behind a surprising call he received and what he learned.

It wasn't the type of call you'd expect...

Leading a team in today's demanding business environment requires more than just setting goals and delegating tasks.

It's about understanding the human element - the motivations, challenges, and aspirations of each individual.

Leaders face the constant pressure to drive results while fostering a positive and supportive work environment.

How do you inspire your team to go the extra mile, even when they're facing their own personal or professional hurdles? How can you show them that they are valued?

Intrigued? In this episode, Craig also dives into:

The "Human-First" Approach: How prioritizing your team's well-being can lead to exceptional results.

• Beyond the Bottom Line: The surprising power of empathy in creating a high-performing culture.
• The Ripple of Recognition: How a simple gesture can boost morale and ignite a passion for excellence.
• Tailoring Your Leadership: Why understanding individual needs is crucial for effective management.
• Unexpected Lessons from the Front Lines: How valuable insights can be found in every role within an organization.

What's the most impactful leadership lesson you've learned from an unexpected source? Share your thoughts in the comments! 👇

Follow Craig here on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigstrickler/

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Bill Salak, CTO of Brainly, reveals how he's transforming education for over 10 million users, and his journey began with dropping out of high school.

You'll hear where the current education system is riddled with outdated methods that fail to cater to individual learning styles, and how this results in widespread disengagement and missed potential.

Millions of students get left behind, and the consequences are far-reaching.

We're facing a crisis of comprehension, not just a lack of information.

The system needs needs a overhaul and that's where Bill's message comes in. Technology offers a powerful pathway to personalize learning, and the future is unfolding now.

You'll Discover:

From Dropout to CTO: The unconventional path that fueled innovation.

AI's Role in Revolutionizing Education( Beyond the Hype).

Why not knowing the obstacles can lead to breakthroughs.

The Paradigm Shift of Comprehension Over Answers.

How to pursue your career while making a meaningful impact.

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Follow Bill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billsalak/

Learn more about Brainly: https://brainly.com/

-----

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What does it take to exit a company you co-founded—and leave a legacy that puts your team first?

Jessica Wolf, co-founder of Skye, shares her inspiring journey of building a revolutionary coaching platform and the unexpected impact of her exit.

After successfully exiting to Sounding Board, she reflects on the lessons learned, the importance of transparency during significant transitions, and the necessity of fostering trust within small teams.

As a community builder at heart, Jess discusses how her experiences shaped her understanding of what people truly seek in their professional lives: meaningful connections and support.

You'll dive deep into the challenges of scaling a startup, the intricacies of the coaching industry, and the power of intentional gatherings.

Discover how Jess transformed a fragmented coaching market into a cohesive platform, creating impactful connections along the way.

You'll also discover...

A strategy to build trust and transparency.

The power community of connection.

A tip to lead through a successful acquisition.

How a coaching platform unlocks success.

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Follow Jess on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicarwolf/

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Donnie Ransbottom, UnCruise's Hotel Leader, shares a powerful story of what happened when he began to see his team not just employees, but untapped potential waiting to shine.

His story is incredible....

...he started his journey scrubbing decks and serving guests—only to rise to senior leadership by lifting others along the way.

Discover how mentorship, trust, and bold encouragement can turn ordinary moments into life-changing growth.

You'll also uncover:

How Leaders Turn Doubt to Pride.

Unlocking Potential on the Open Sea.

The Mentorship Moment That Changed Everything.

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Check out UnCruise for some incredible adventure and vacation options: https://benleads.com/cruise

-----

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Jared Orton, President of the Savannah Bananas, has built a sports experience like no other.

With a ticket wait list stretching over two million, the Bananas have become a phenomenon, reinventing baseball with bold moves, a fresh game format, and a relentless focus on each fan’s experience.

In this episode, Jared pulls back the curtain on the philosophy that drives their success: making every single fan feel like they’re part of something unforgettable. From humble beginnings flipping burgers to leading a sports revolution, Jared’s journey is a masterclass in...

...inspiring teams

...building a powerful community

...creating lasting impact.

Listen in to discover how the Bananas are changing the game—one fan at a time.

Follow Jared on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-orton-18a11a56/

Join the Savannah Bananas Waitlist: https://thesavannahbananas.com/

-----

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Suresh Krishna, Northern Tool + Equipment Former CEO and President, flipped the leadership script over his 35-year career, uncovering game-changing ideas where most leaders never bother to look.

The biggest secrets to success aren’t hiding in a boardroom—they’re on the front lines.

It's a bold shift (but vital one) for any leader on a mission for positive impact, effectiveness, and profitability.

Are you bold enough to embrace a leadership philosophy that challenges traditional leadership practice?

You'll also Discover:

The Truth About Real Ideas.

The Barriers Quietly Stunting Progress.

The Secret Power of Humility.

A Tip to Truly Serve Your Teams.

How to Learn from Your Customers.

Why Collaboration Isn’t What You Think.

Follow Suresh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/-suresh-krishna/

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Mastering storytelling is the secret weapon every leader needs.

In this episode, Ben unveils a powerful yet simple framework to help you craft compelling stories that captivate your audience, inspire action, and leave a lasting impact.

You’ll discover how to tap into your personal experiences, find the emotional core of your message, and structure your story for maximum effect.

Whether you’re...

...addressing your team

...pitching an idea

...leading a conversation...

this episode will give you the tools to narrate, captivate, and dominate.

Tune in and start transforming the way you communicate now.

You’ll Also Discover:

How to Unlock Your Stories That Stick

A Framework for Instant Impact

How to Transform Words into Influence

Make an Emotional Connection Fast

Craft a Story That Leads

Some of the big ideas:

Takeaways:

Storytelling is a powerful tool for leaders to communicate messages effectively and memorably.

Brainstorming emotional stories can help create relatable narratives for your audience.

Using the Fields Paradigm framework simplifies storytelling into three acts: setup, confrontation, and resolution.

Practice storytelling using different energy levels to discover the most effective delivery.

Focus on the emotional impact of stories to enhance audience engagement and retention.

A well-crafted story can lead to memorable lessons and impactful calls to action.

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Amber Burke, COO of Burn Boot Camp, faced a crisis—and what happened next will leave you rethinking leadership.

In this episode, you'll uncover Amber’s extraordinary journey through a high-stakes challenge, where vulnerability became her greatest asset.

Discover how she navigated the fallout, rebuilt trust, and transformed a moment of adversity into an opportunity for growth.

You'll also hear how Burn Boot Camp’s (44 States and 360 locations) mission to empower women aligns with Amber’s own leadership philosophy, shaped by her background as a competitive athlete.

This is more than a leadership story—it’s a masterclass in resilience, connection, and creating a culture that lifts everyone higher.

You'll also discover:

✅ What Turns a Crisis into an Opportunity.

✅ A Mission to Empower Women in Fitness.

✅ The Key to High-Performance.

✅ Why Vulnerability Builds Trust.

✅ A Strategy to Navigate Triggers and Stay Healthy on the Go.

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Follow Amber on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amber-burke-78879010/

Learn More About Burn Boot Camp: https://burnbootcamp.com/

----

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Bentina Terry, CEO of Southern Linc and Southern Telecom, shares a pivotal moment that shaped her leadership, including the unexpected power of stepping into the field and leading from the front.

Sometimes executives lean primarily on leading from the...

...boardroom

...spreadsheet

...and the powerpoint

but Bentina challenges that perspective with her own story of facing fear, getting out of her comfort zone, and deeply connecting with front-line leaders.

You'll hear how the results have been incredible!

Her powerful leadership principles and authentic approach will inspire you to embrace fear, challenge your limits, and become the hero in your own career story.

You'll also discover:

✅ How fear can drive success.

✅ How to use boundaries for better leadership.

✅ The power of learning in unfamiliar territory.

Following Bentina on LinkedIn; https://www.linkedin.com/in/bentina-chisolm-terry/

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The more you force it, the further away you get from what truly drives success.

Aamir Paul, Schneider Electric President North America, believes culture isn’t created in boardrooms or through corporate slogans—it’s something you invite others to join, not impose.

What if the key to transforming your organization is letting go of control and truly reducing the micro management?

If you’re ready to hear the uncomfortable truth about why culture initiatives fail, this could change everything for you...

You'll also discover:

How crisis fuels cultural change

Why kindness builds unshakable trust

The surprising power of transparency

How sustainability drives innovation

Why empowered teams outperform every time

Leadership’s deeper purpose: community first

🎧 Ready to rethink leadership? Listen now!

-----

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When Ryan Kean, CIO at TQL (Total Quality Logistics...one of the largest freight brokers in the nation), stepped into his first leadership role in his career, he was eager to prove himself.

But his team, leaderless for months, wasn’t immediately receptive.

One pivotal conversation changed everything—forcing Ryan to rethink his approach to leadership entirely.

Discover in this episode what he learned that transformed his career and even reshaped the way his team approached their work.

Now it's drives positive change within his company and far beyond.

You’ll Also Learn:

What You’ll Discover:

✅ How to Unlock Your Team’s Leadership

✅ The Trust-Building Blueprint

✅ The Hidden Edge of Leadership

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What can a Major League Baseball player teach us about executive leadership and success?

Bill McCarthy, former Braves MLB player and now president of Securitas Healthcare, shares the lesson learned from the field that transformed his approach to business.

A powerful challenge from Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker shaped Bill’s perspective on what truly drives results.

Uncover how this lesson transcend sports, inspiring leaders to think differently about teamwork, execution, and personal growth.

You’ll Discover:

A surprising leadership mantra that shifts the focus from effort to results.

The unexpected strategy that builds trust and accountability in high-pressure environments.

What a baseball manager’s challenge can teach you about effective action at work.

The hidden connection between physical health and peak professional performance.

A behind-the-scenes story of transformation from athlete to executive leader.

🎧 Ready to uncover the game-changing insights?

Listen now!

———

Follow Bill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-mccarthy-a6455b14?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app

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Imagine turning a simple idea into a solution used by over 28,000 locations. That’s exactly what Vishal Agarwal, founder and CEO of Checkmate, accomplished—but it didn’t happen overnight.

In this latest podcast episode, you'll discover...

💡 How a chance elevator encounter with Five Guys changed everything.

🍔 The genius behind integrating delivery platforms directly into restaurant POS systems.

📈 The leadership disciplines that turned challenges into HUGE WINS!

This isn’t just a story for tech founders or restaurant pros—it’s a masterclass in understanding customer pain points, building meaningful relationships, and leading with resilience.

Curious about the elevator pitch that unlocked a restaurant revolution?

🎧 Listen now and discover how vision, grit, and adaptability can transform any industry.

Follow Vishal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vishalagarwal82/

Learn more about Checkmate: https://www.itsacheckmate.com

-----

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Naomi Brezi, Seasoned Executive Leader, opens up about the pivotal moment when her leadership was falling short.

Struggling to connect with a resistant team of senior colleagues, she realized a mindset and approach shift was necessary.

That transformation didn’t just change the dynamic—it reshaped every interaction moving forward, ultimately leading the team to win Sales Team of the Year and share the stage in celebration. 💡

You'll also discover:

The Leadership Breakthrough You Didn’t Expect

Turning Resistance Into Results

The Surprising Strength of Vulnerability

Redefining Opportunities in the Workplace

This isn’t just Naomi’s story—it’s a masterclass in resilience, adaptability, and servant leadership.

👉 Listen now and let Naomi’s journey inspire your own leadership evolution.

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Follow Naomi here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/naomibrezi/

-----

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Discover the revolutionary idea brought to life by Steven Galanis, co-founder and CEO of Cameo:

✨ A billion-dollar platform changing how celebrities connect with fans.

✨ Over 70,000 talents from every corner of the entertainment world.

✨ Personalized experiences that turn fleeting fame into lasting impact.

You'll hear:

• 🧠 The aha moment that inspired Cameo—why social media stars needed more than just likes to thrive.
• 📈 How Cameo skyrocketed during the pandemic, creating a lifeline for sidelined stars.
• 💡 Lessons in authentic leadership during rapid growth and remote work.
• 🌟 Insights into the new "long tail" of fame and how digital platforms are rewriting the rules.

Ready to hear how Steven transformed the celebrity-fan connection and reshaped what it means to be famous in the digital age?

🔗 Tune in now and join the conversation on the future of fame, connection, and innovation.

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Follow Steven on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevengalanis/

Learn More about Cameo: https://www.cameo.com/

-----

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Michael Travars President & GM of LifeSafer Ignition Interlock, shares the bold question that drove the company’s transformation from the #1 U.S. ignition interlock provider to a global leader in road safety solutions, now spanning 11 countries. 🌎

It all started with one question that he posed to his team.

You'll hear how they've expanded beyond LifeSafer’s core technology and address the global issues of drunk driving, distracted driving, and speed-related fatalities.

Through an open culture that values dissent and encourages risk-taking, he’s cultivated a team that doesn’t settle for the status quo.

His philosophy?

Listen to objections as fuel for innovation, not as setbacks.

They have have an incredible groundbreaking program in Washington D.C. that mandates intelligent speed assist devices for high-risk drivers, and Travers' ambitious vision to double the company’s impact on road safety.

This conversation is a masterclass in leadership that challenges us all to think bigger and lead with purpose. Don’t miss it!

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Follow Michael Travars: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-travars-875948/

Learn More About Lifesafer: https://www.lifesafer.com/

-----

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What does it really take to persevere when everything’s on the line?

Anthony Cali, CEO of Cipher North America, reveals how an injury on the football field shaped his approach to leading in high-stakes situations.

From a pivotal moment in his college football days to navigating the unpredictable world of cybersecurity, Anthony shares insights on resilience, accountability, and the mindset needed to overcome any challenge.

He shares why adversity isn't just something to survive but a crucial step to success—and how his journey can inspire you to lead through your own challenges.

Get his surprising take on embracing setbacks, building trust, and fostering a winning team culture. This conversation is more than a playbook; it’s a lesson in thriving no matter what the world throws at you.

Follow with Anthony on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-cali-9425a832/

Learn more about Cipher: https://www.cipher.com/

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Power Quotes:

"Trust, belief, and accountability are the three key things needed to lead an organization, just like in a team."

"Cybersecurity is an ever-changing landscape, which makes it both fun and challenging to stay ahead of the bad actors."

"The most successful companies are proactive with their cybersecurity, not reactive."

"Being with a good organization that supports your career puts you ahead."

"Just because you've been successful doesn't mean you can get complacent."

Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning

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Legendary CEO David Cote, who transformed Honeywell from a $20 billion to a $120 billion powerhouse, shares his insights on how companies can harness productivity to enhance global standard of living.

With a wealth of experience, Dave shares a compelling answer for why business is the greatest force for good, improving lives and creating opportunities.

He breaks down the essential elements that every leader can focus on to thrive in today's complex landscape.

His strategies can elevate your career, organization, and foster a culture of success including:

📈 How productivity shapes economies and enhances quality of life.

💡 Why cash flexibility is the ultimate shield against uncertainty.

🛠️ The power of simplifying complexity to lead effectively in turbulent times.

🤝 How fostering honesty and transparency builds resilient, high-performing teams.

🔮 Insights into preparing your organization for the challenges of tomorrow.

We even dive into the high-impact actions that very leader needs to navigate today’s complex landscape.

✨ Curious to know what makes a business not just survive but thrive?

🔗 Listen now to uncover lessons that could reshape your leadership journey.

Follow Dave on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmcote/

Dave's Books:

Winning Now, Winning Later: https://www.amazon.com/Winning-Now-Later-Companies-Investing/dp/1599510219

How to Be a Leader: https://www.amazon.com/How-Leader-Communication-Resiliency-Creativity/dp/1400343852

Learn more about Vertiv: https://www.vertiv.com/en-emea/

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Horst Gallo, Chief People Officer at Orion Innovation, shares a surprising perspective on accelerating your success as a leader.

Too many leaders wait for mentorship to find them.

Instead, Horst challenges us to proactively take the initiate.

He says:

"The best way to find a mentor is to proactively reach out to someone who inspires you or has expertise in an area you want to develop. Most people are willing to help if you take the initiative."

With 20+ years at IBM and now guiding people strategy at a leading digital transformation firm, you'll find actionable insights from his own fascinating journey—like moving to London without knowing English and mastering leadership across global teams, and ...

☑ How to fuel your growth.

☑ Why transparency builds trust—and why asking for help isn’t a weakness but a strength.

☑ How to turn a perceived disadvantage into unexpected advantage.

Time to lead with empathy, adaptiveness, and strategic foresight....

...don’t miss Horst’s roadmap for thriving in the future. 🌟

Follow Horst on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/horst-a-gallo/

Learn More about Orion Innovation: https://www.orioninc.com/

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