Deep Leadership

Stop Managing People and Start Building Owners Most leaders spend their careers trying to manage people. What if the real goal isn't better management... but building owners? In this episode of the Deep Leadership podcast, I sit down with keynote speaker, leadership advisor, and bestselling author Greg Hawks to explore why ownership is the missing ingredient in so many organizations. Greg shares his powerful Owners, Renters, and Vandals framework and explains how leaders unintentionally create disengaged employees by limiting autonomy, discouraging contribution, and rewarding compliance over commitment. We also discuss how great leaders...

Why Working Harder Is Making You Less Effective | Alex Davids Most leaders believe the path to better results is simple: work harder, stay busy, and push through. But what if that mindset is actually making you less effective? In this episode of the Deep Leadership podcast, I sit down with performance expert Alex Davids to explore the neuroscience behind sustainable high performance. Drawing on more than 20 years of experience working with Fortune 500 companies and fast-growing startups, Alex explains why our brains weren't designed for constant busyness and how recovery, focus, and intentional space are essential...

Most people think great leaders have always dreamed of being in charge. But what if the opposite is true? In this episode of Deep Leadership, I sit down with Jessie Hathcock, President of The Loading Dock and founder of Scale Simple, to explore how purpose, humility, and service shape exceptional leaders. Jessie shares her remarkable journey from middle school teacher and nonprofit leader to leading one of North Carolina's most successful coworking communities through the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. We discuss why the best leaders often never planned to lead, how a clear personal...

Your Body Knows You're Burned Out Before You Do What if the warning signs of burnout show up long before you recognize them? In this episode of Deep Leadership, I sit down with Melissa Gonzalez, author of The Purpose Pivot, to explore why so many high achievers ignore the signals their bodies are sending them until it's too late. After a life-threatening health crisis forced her to stop, Melissa discovered that true leadership isn't about pushing harder. It's about learning to recognize the difference between healthy ambition and unsustainable hustle. We discuss why...

Stop trying to control everything. Most leaders believe their job is to control outcomes, manage every detail, and have all the answers. But what if that mindset is actually making leadership harder? In this episode, Yining Wang joins me to discuss why the best leaders stop trying to control everything and instead focus on developing inner clarity, self-awareness, and purpose. Drawing on his experience advising leaders around the world, Yining explains how fear, uncertainty, and the need for control can cloud judgment and create unnecessary stress. We also explore resilience, entrepreneurship, the future...

Why Your Excuses Are Holding You Back What if the biggest thing standing between you and success isn't your circumstances, your competition, or your limitations... but the excuses you've accepted as truth? In this episode of Deep Leadership, I sit down with Patrick Engasser, bestselling author, business coach, motivational speaker, and former top-performing sales leader. Patrick has been blind since birth, yet he built a remarkable career leading sales teams, coaching entrepreneurs, and helping leaders achieve extraordinary results. Patrick shares how he transformed what many would see as a limitation into a competitive...

What makes people trust a leader? And why do some teams thrive under pressure while others fall apart? In this episode of Deep Leadership, I sit down with trust experts Dr. Michelle Reina and Dr. Dennis Reina, co-founders of Reina Trust Building and authors of The Art of Trust Building, to explore the real impact trust has on leadership, culture, and performance. We dive deep into: Why high-trust teams consistently outperform low-trust teams The hidden damage caused by micromanagement The three dimensions of trust every leader must understand How leaders unintentionally break trust What...

Most companies think innovation is about technology, strategy, or process. Dr. Bruce Vojak says they’re wrong. In this episode of Deep Leadership, Jon Rennie sits down with innovation expert Dr. Bruce Vojak to explore why innovation succeeds or fails based on the people inside the organization. Drawing from decades of experience at companies like Motorola and from his research on “serial innovators,” Bruce explains how breakthrough ideas actually happen and why mature companies must innovate if they want to survive. They discuss: Why innovation is more than creativity or new technology The connection betwee...

Most leadership advice tells you to “just be authentic.” But what happens when the workplace pressures you to become someone else? In this episode of Deep Leadership, I sit down with leadership coach, consultant, and author Dr. Rashida Leverett to explore why authentic leadership is so difficult in today’s workplace. Drawing from over 30 years of experience in the military, government, higher education, and corporate leadership, Rashida explains how many leaders struggle with what she calls “identity fragmentation” — becoming one person at work and another everywhere else. We discuss: Why middle managers are often the most ove...

What happens when AI enters the workplace at full speed? In this episode of Deep Leadership, I sit down with futurist, bestselling author, and workplace expert Jacob Morgan to discuss why the future of work will reward high performers more than ever before. We explore the return of accountability in the workplace, the growing divide between high performers and average contributors, and why AI won’t replace the best employees—it will amplify them. Jacob also shares insights from his new book, The 8 Laws of Employee Experience, including: Why “entitlement culture” at work is...

The Networking Mistake That Could Cost You Your Career What happens when you lose your job… and realize you have nobody to call? In this episode of Deep Leadership, I sit down with networking expert and author Greg Roche to discuss why so many professionals wait too long to build meaningful relationships and how that mistake can quietly damage careers. Greg shares how losing his HR leadership role forced him to rethink networking completely. As an introvert, traditional networking events felt awkward, exhausting, and ineffective. So he developed a different approach built around au...

Why do smart people get things so wrong? In this episode of Deep Leadership, I sit down with Professor Peter Lamont to explore a powerful idea: it’s not what you think that matters most—it’s how you think. We dive into his concept of Radical Thinking—a different approach to critical thinking that challenges you to examine the roots of your beliefs. Peter explains why every one of us is operating from a limited view of reality, shaped by what we notice—and what we miss. If you're a leader, this conversati...

Why Self-Awareness Is the Leadership Skill Most Leaders Lack Most leaders don’t fail because they lack skill, experience, or good intentions—they fail because they don’t truly understand themselves. In this episode of Deep Leadership, I sit down with Margaret Andrews, author of Manage Yourself to Lead Others, to unpack why self-awareness is the foundation of effective leadership—and why so many leaders struggle without it. We talk about the gap between intentions and behaviors, why leaders often feel misunderstood, and how a lack of self-awareness quietly erodes trust, communication, and performa...

Leadership Decisions You Can’t Afford to Get Wrong In this episode of Deep Leadership, I sit down with Dr. Linda Henman, advisor, author, and expert in high-stakes decision-making, to talk about the leadership decisions you simply can’t afford to get wrong. Most organizations are full of people who know how to execute. They run fast, deliver results, and get promoted. But when the stakes are high, execution isn’t enough. The real differentiator is knowing which decisions matter most—and getting them right under pressure. Drawing on her research into resilience—including...

Most leaders don’t fail because they don’t care. They fail because no one ever taught them how to lead. In this episode of Deep Leadership, I sit down with Robert Heath Sr., a former Marine Corps officer, attorney, and leadership coach, to unpack one of the biggest traps leaders fall into—the need to be the fixer. If you’re the person everyone relies on to solve problems, this conversation might hit close to home. Because the truth is this: The skills that made you successful as an individu...

What happens when your best performer becomes your worst leader? In this episode of Deep Leadership, I sit down with Dr. Peter James, President and CEO of HCG Strategic Partners, to unpack one of the most common (and costly) mistakes organizations make: promoting great individual contributors into leadership roles without preparing them to lead. Peter brings a rare perspective shaped by leadership in the military, corporate America, and higher education. Together, we break down why being great at your job doesn’t automatically make you a great leader—and what actually does. We dive...

Broken Trust: How Great Leaders Fix It Trust is at some of the lowest levels we’ve ever seen—and leaders are paying the price. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Darryl Stickel to unpack what trust really is, why it’s collapsing in today’s uncertain world, and how great leaders rebuild it inside their teams. We talk about the real definition of trust (it’s not what you think), why confidence without certainty destroys credibility, and how leaders can create “pockets of excellence” even in broken organizations. If you’re lead...

What if you didn’t wait for permission… and just claimed authority? In this episode of the Deep Leadership podcast, I sit down with Tom Kubiniec, President and CEO of Securit Tactical, who built multiple successful companies without a degree, corporate experience, or a traditional playbook. Tom shares how he carved out a leadership position in an industry that had no clear expert—and why sometimes the fastest way forward is to step up, take ownership, and back it up with action. We also dig into: Why simplicity beats complexity in business How to...

Crisis Is Coming. Are You Ready? Every leader will face a crisis. The question is whether you’ll be prepared—or caught off guard. In this episode of Deep Leadership, I sit down with Stephanie Craig, President of Kith, to talk about what most leaders get wrong about crisis management—and how to fix it before it’s too late. Stephanie shares why crisis preparedness is a mindset, not a checklist, and how trust, clarity, and communication determine whether your organization survives—or comes out stronger. We also dive into: Why most c...

Stop Fixing Problems! Most leaders are trained to hunt problems, fix issues, and eliminate failure. But what if that mindset is actually limiting performance? In this episode, Jon sits down with George Pesansky, author of Super Performance, to challenge the way we think about leadership, operations, and improvement. Instead of obsessing over what’s broken, George explains how the best leaders identify what’s working—and then scale it. You’ll learn: Why focusing on failure holds teams back The concept of the “Golden Hour” and how to replicate peak performance How leaders unkn...