Send us Fan Mail That gut-drop moment when you think, “I’m not supposed to be here,” can hit even the strongest leaders, and it often shows up right when you are growing. We sit down with executive coach and former military officer Mike Sweeney to talk about imposter syndrome in leadership, why it feels so personal, and why it is also incredibly common. Mike shares a candid story from a demanding, high-performance environment where he went back to his boss and asked if he was hired for the ri...

Send us Fan Mail Leading without authority is not a soft, vague idea. It’s the reality of modern work, where you’re expected to drive change across teams, influence frontline leaders, and move projects forward without a direct reporting line. We kick off a new three-host format by welcoming Alex Aranda, then get honest about what actually builds influence when you can’t lean on a title. We start with moments that shape a leader fast: hearing a frontline manager describe how “management shows...

Send us Fan Mail What if kindness wasn't a "nice to have," but the backbone of a high-performing company? We sat down with Christy Pretzinger—founder and CEO of WG Content and creator of the Better Leader Project—to unpack how a clear intention, supported by daily attention, can transform culture from a poster on the wall into a competitive advantage. Christy takes us inside the operating system of her team: four punchy values—empowered, curious, kind, fun—brought to life through monthl...

Send us Fan Mail We look back at season three and connect some of the big lessons we took away: people-first leadership, leading hybrid teams and flow states, better strategy deployment, trust-centered training, clear communication, and culture as the engine of operational excellence. We share what surprised us, what resonated with us, and what we’re building for our next season. Here are some of the Season-3 highlights we discuss: • lifelong learning as a leadership anchor • team...

Send us Fan Mail Think leadership is about having the answers? We take a different path with GBMP president Dan Fleming, unpacking how the Shingo Model helps leaders turn values into daily behaviors that actually move results. Dan shares a relatable early-career story—being “the title” in the room while the people closest to the work were sidelined—and how respect every individual and lead with humility transformed how he built teams, solved problems, and measured success. We break down...

Send us Fan Mail Ever feel like your team is playing whack-a-mole with issues that keep coming back? We dive into a practical, leader-ready system for turning chaos into continuous improvement by defining problems clearly, separating facts from opinions, and focusing on prevention instead of blame or endless reminders. Along the way, we unpack Taiichi Ohno’s challenge, “Having no problems is the biggest problem” and show how that mindset shift fuels better safety, quality, and performance. W...

Send us Fan Mail Safety culture doesn’t live on posters; it lives in what leaders choose to value every day. We sit down to unpack how treating safety as a core value—not a rotating priority—changes everything from trust to engagement to operational excellence. Instead of telling people to “be safe,” we share the specific habits that make safety visible and real: asking open-ended questions that spark thinking, turning walkthroughs into hazard-spotting sessions, and responding to issues in th...

Send us Fan Mail Salvatore Manzi knows firsthand the paralyzing fear of public speaking. As an introverted, analytical-minded person, his first time on stage ended with his voice literally evaporating mid-presentation. That humbling experience launched him on a 20-year journey studying cognitive psychology and neuroscience to develop frameworks that help leaders communicate with clarity and confidence. Throughout this illuminating conversation, Salvatore reveals why brilliant people with poo...

Send us Fan Mail Derek Crager shares his journey from skilled tradesperson to creating Amazon's highest-rated leadership training program, drawing on his unique perspective as someone diagnosed with autism, ADHD, and dyslexia at age 50. Here are some of the highlights of this episode with Derek. • Building relationships and establishing trust before transferring knowledge is the foundation of effective training • Psychological safety is crucial for team members to feel comfortable communicat...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Mark Reich shares what he learned during his 23 years at Toyota—and why most companies struggle with strategy deployment. Drawing from his new book Managing on Purpose, Mark explains how Toyota's approach, called Hoshin Kanri, focuses on a few clear priorities, aligns teams at every level, and develops people along the way. You’ll hear how techniques like “catch ball” build ownership and break down silos, and how even a seafood restaurant used Toyota principl...