42-Serve, Solve, and Thrive

Episode 45: Selling Is Problem Solving Become the Leader Podcast with Jody Holland, Mike Grigsby, Meghan Slaughter, and Maleah Berens Episode Overview Selling and leading run on the same engine: influence. In this episode, the team shares stories from their own time selling, from MLM recruiting pitches and door-to-door water filters to telemarketing and custom framing. The conclusion they all reach is that the best selling doesn’t feel like selling at all. It comes from genuine curiosity, careful listening, and solving a problem the other person actually has. The episode also covers what not to do (the “pitch slap”), why people buy the emotional outcome rather than the product, and why every executive is in a sales role whether they realize it or not. Key Learning Points If it doesn’t solve their problem, don’t sell it. Building on Donald Miller, Jody argues that the way to avoid feeling “salesy” is to only offer what genuinely helps. Every leader is in sales. Mike points out that executives are constantly selling budgets, rollouts, initiatives, and change. Lead with discovery, not the pitch. Strong questions help people get oriented, uncover their real priorities, and lower the anxiety that comes with change. People buy outcomes, not products. Zig Ziglar’s quarter-inch drill bit example: nobody wants the bit, they want the hole. Show the problem before offering the solution. Jody’s water filter sales took off once he started testing tap water against pool water, so homeowners could see a problem they hadn’t known about. Solve both the practical and the philosophical problem. The event is only the vehicle. What people really want is trust, belonging, and identity (the Bernays/”Carousel” example). Remove pressure to build trust. Meghan’s practice of saving quotes and inviting people to explore their options made them more comfortable, and more likely to buy. Avoid three sales turnoffs: the decade-late “Hey girl” connection tug, the pitch slap, and opening by criticizing the prospect’s past decisions (Stephan Schiffman’s “brown cow”). Listen for what matters. Small details people mention reveal their priorities. Being seen and heard is what drives conversion. Niche down. Become the answer person for one problem, and clients will come looking for you. Quotable Moments “People don’t like being sold to, but they love being helped.” — Meghan Slaughter “If you’re an executive, you’re in a sales role.” — Mike Grigsby “If my service doesn’t solve your problem, I don’t want you to buy it.” — Jody Holland “I have never sold anything, but I have helped countless people buy stuff.” — Mike Grigsby “You have to learn the art of the interrogative.” — Mike Grigsby “Sales is really about helping bridge somebody else’s anxiety.” — Mike Grigsby “People make decisions based on emotion and back it up with logic.” — Meghan Slaughter “Being seen and heard is what drives conversion.” — Maleah Berens “It’s a gentle pitch tap instead of a pitch slap.” — Maleah Berens “As soon as the pain annoys you enough to take action, that’s when you buy.” — Jody Holland “You’re never really selling anything. You’re just really good at solving one problem.” — Jody Holland Final Takeaways from the Hosts Meghan Slaughter: If you can solve someone’s problem, holding back your product does them a disservice. Mike Grigsby: Practice compassionate curiosity. Maleah Berens: Solve problems with people, not just for them. Jody Holland: Don’t try to be everything to everybody. Serve the niche that really needs you.

STAY INTERVIEWS: KEEP YOUR BEST PEOPLE BEFORE THEY DECIDE TO LEAVE Become the Leader Podcast | Jody Holland & Meghan Slaughter EPISODE SUMMARY Why wait until employees resign to find out what went wrong? In this episode, Jody Holland and Meghan Slaughter explore how stay interviews help leaders improve retention, strengthen workplace culture, and build trust before employees decide to leave. Discover the questions that uncover what motivates employees, what makes them feel valued, and what might cause them to start looking for another job. Learn a practical approach to conducting stay interviews that creates meaningful conversations and stronger teams. KEY TAKEAWAYS Stay interviews beat exit interviews. Learn what matters to employees before they decide to leave. Money isn't always the real reason. Disrespect, poor management, lack of appreciation, and limited growth often trigger job searches. Listen more than you talk. Aim for 80% listening and 20% thoughtful questioning. Dig beneath the surface. Follow-up questions uncover the real reasons behind employee responses. Make employees feel heard. Feedback builds trust when leaders listen and take meaningful action. Discuss their future. Understanding employee aspirations creates opportunities for growth and retention. Make it a habit. Conduct monthly one-on-ones and dedicate two conversations per year to stay interviews. QUOTABLE MOMENTS "Most people are not being recruited by another business. They are going and looking for another job, and there were some catalysts." — Jody Holland "If I don't ask about your future, you might at some point go, is this it? Is this all there is?" — Jody Holland "You serve your team just as much as your team serves you." — Meghan Slaughter "The digging deeper gets you the real answer." — Jody Holland FREE RESOURCE: STAY INTERVIEW GUIDE Ready to start having conversations that improve retention? Get our Stay Interview Guide, featuring practical questions and a proven conversation framework to help you conduct effective employee stay interviews in just 20–45 minutes. GET THE STAY INTERVIEW GUIDE BY CLICKING HERE Become the leader you would actually follow.

The Frightening Cost of Unclear Expectations Become the Leader Podcast Co-hosts: Jody Holland, Meghan Slaughter, Mike Grigsby, and Maleah Berens Episode Summary Unclear expectations can be one of the scariest problems in leadership. When employees receive conflicting instructions, lack proper training, or are expected to read their manager's mind, frustration grows, performance suffers, and great people leave. In this Halloween-themed episode, Jody, Meghan, Mike, and Maleah share workplace horror stories and explore the hidden costs of poor communication. They discuss the curse of knowledge, the importance of managing expectations up, down, and across an organization, and practical strategies for creating clarity, accountability, and trust. Key Takeaways - Clarity is a leadership responsibility. Never assume employees understand expectations simply because instructions were given.- Manage expectations in three directions. Effective leaders communicate clearly with their teams, their peers, and their own supervisors.- Beware the curse of knowledge. What seems obvious to an experienced employee or manager may be completely unfamiliar to someone learning a new skill.- Use the three questions of clarity. What do you want? When do you need it? How will you both know it was done correctly?- Verify understanding and follow up. Ask employees to teach back instructions, provide regular feedback, and distinguish between a lack of skill and a lack of willingness.- Make communication actionable. Clear processes, concise updates, and documented expectations eliminate confusion and increase accountability. Quotable Moments "You cannot expect what you do not inspect." — Meghan Slaughter "The scariest thing about unclear expectations is that people can think that they're doing the right thing and feel like they're on the right path but still end up failing." — Maleah Berens "Did I give the instruction the right way? Did I set the expectation correctly so that they knew how to behave?" — Mike Grigsby "The quality of your communication is measured by the quality of the response that you get from others, not your intention." — Jody Holland Final Takeaway If your people don't understand what success looks like, don't be surprised when they fail to achieve it. Great leaders don't expect mind readers. They create clarity, confirm understanding, and take ownership of their communication. The frightening truth is that many performance problems begin with expectations that were never clearly communicated.

Serve, Solve, and Thrive In this episode of Become the Leader, Jody Holland is joined by Mike Grigsby, Meghan Slaughter, and Maleah Berens to explore how customer service shapes business success. Through stories from hospitality, retail, banking, healthcare, and public safety, the group shows how small moments of care can build loyalty—and how dismissive experiences can drive customers away. Key takeaways Customers are more likely to return when they feel valued as people, not treated as transactions. Remembering names, preferences, and personal details can make service feel genuine rather than scripted. A poor interaction can affect how customers view an entire organization, not just one employee or department. Complaints are useful signals: listening without defensiveness can reveal problems in policies, processes, or delivery. Customer loyalty starts with leadership and workplace culture. Employees who feel respected are better positioned to serve customers well. Stellar service gives people a reason to talk about—and return to—a business. What you’ll hear Mike’s hotel story about personalized service that inspired him to leave a positive review. Meghan’s perspective on making customers feel welcome, including a framing-store story where a customer chose the more expensive option because of the care she received. Maleah’s example of a local restaurant remembering her regular order. Jody’s contrasting banking experiences—and how a small gesture helped turn a prospective customer into a loyal one. The group’s discussion of “United Breaks Guitars” and the cost of ignoring customer concerns. Mike’s story about how respect and communication helped de-escalate a tense situation. Practical advice for creating customer loyalty, including greeting people warmly, asking thoughtful questions, and treating feedback as an opportunity to improve.  Guest advice Meghan: Greet people warmly, see them as individuals, and take a moment to connect before moving into the transaction. Maleah: Ask more thoughtful questions that invite people to share something meaningful. Mike: Treat customers as people with their own hopes and challenges, and recognize that they chose to do business with you. Jody: Listen to feedback, examine the underlying issue, and start with leadership when improving customer service.

How to Retain Top Performers Become the Leader Podcast Episode Summary Why do great employees stay, and what finally pushes them to leave? Jody Holland joins Mike Grigsby, Meghan Slaughter, and Maleah Berens to explore the experiences that shape employee loyalty. Through personal stories and practical leadership insights, they examine why autonomy, appreciation, clear expectations, meaningful work, and opportunities to grow matter so much to high performers. They also discuss the hidden costs of overloading dependable employees, tolerating poor performance, and adding unnecessary workplace friction. The central message: keeping your best people requires leaders who coach, recognize, and develop them—not simply manage their output. Key Points Give top performers autonomy and room to grow. Micromanagement and artificial limits can drive talented people away. Build a culture of appreciation. Specific recognition, strong relationships, and a sense of belonging make demanding work more rewarding. Set honest, clear expectations. When roles or responsibilities change without communication, frustration and disengagement can build gradually. Stop rewarding great work with everyone else's work. Unequal workloads, weak accountability, and lack of recognition can exhaust the people you most want to keep. Protect meaningful work. Employees want to contribute to a purpose that aligns with their values, not just collect a paycheck. Reduce bureaucracy and unnecessary technology friction. Added administrative demands can drain the energy and effectiveness of strong performers.  Pay attention to six psychological drivers discussed in the episode: certainty, autonomy, relationship, significance, growth, and purpose. Develop leaders who coach instead of control. The quality of day-to-day leadership shapes whether top performers thrive or start looking elsewhere. Quotable Moments "Your job as a leader is to show the compass, not a map." — Mike Grigsby "Lead with humility and spend time intentionally learning what people's work is and not just what you're paying them to do." — Maleah Berens "You want to try to make sure that they get to do their area of brilliance, not just everything you can throw at them." — Jody Holland "Lead with intention and respect because you have to earn your position just as much as they do." — Meghan Slaughter "If you ever believe that you're done learning the skills of leadership, you are going backwards." — Jody Holland The Takeaway Top performers don't simply want more work—they want meaningful work, trust, recognition, and a future worth staying for. The best retention strategy starts with leaders who keep growing themselves and create the conditions for others to do their best work. Explore leadership development resources at www.jodyholland.com.

EPISODE SUMMARY Most annual plans fall apart quietly. Goals get set in January, and by November the team says it "ran out of time." Jody Holland and Meghan Slaughter explain why that happens and how a disciplined quarterly review fixes it. They cover breaking annual goals into quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily targets, putting facts before causes, scoring every quarter on two measures, and making progress visible so the whole team stays accountable. KEY TAKEAWAYS Break the year down. Know where you need to be at the end of each quarter, month, and week. Jody says that once he started tracking revenue by the week, he hit his annual targets almost every year. Busy is not the same as productive. Celebrate the outcomes you achieved, not how hard you worked. Look at the gain before the gap. Start each review with what you accomplished and learned. Then look honestly at what you missed. Facts first, then causes. Compare what you said you'd do with what you actually did, and leave blame out of it. Then check which assumptions turned out to be wrong. Score every quarter twice. First ask whether you got the results. Then ask whether you executed the way you said you would. Executed well but missed the results = your strategy needs to change. Got the results without executing = you got lucky, and you can't count on that again. Executed well and got the results = keep doing it. Change the behavior, not the label. Ask for specific, measurable changes, like "arrive 15 minutes earlier," not "fix your personality." Keep a scoreboard. A whiteboard, paper, or a tool like Monday.com all work. If you can't see the score, you can't change your strategy at halftime. Do your 20 Mile March. Make steady progress every day in good conditions and bad. That beats bursts of effort. Make your work visible. When the team shares daily actions and wins, nobody wants to let anyone else down. Leaders set the pace. QUOTABLE MOMENTS "We didn't run out of time. We just didn't have the right priorities." – Jody "Without something measurable, you don't know if you're actually going to be successful." – Meghan "Am I really committed to getting better results this next quarter? If the answer is no, then I like my excuses better." – Jody "Celebrating our wins together gives us a reason to not let each other down." – Jody RESOURCES MENTIONED - The 12 Week Year by Brian P. Moran- The Gap and The Gain by Dan Sullivan- Good to Great and Great by Choice by Jim Collins- Monday.com, Goodreads, and Fable- Previous episode: The Habits for Success CONNECT Enjoyed the episode? Share it with a friend and leave a rating. Do you have an idea for a future show? Send it through the contact form at jodyholland.com. Become The Leader You Would Follow.

Habits of Success What if nearly half of what you do every day happens without you consciously thinking about it? In this episode of Become The Leader, Jody Holland, Mike Grigsby, and Meghan Slaughter explore how habits shape our success, leadership, energy, and personal growth. Rather than relying on motivation or willpower, successful people intentionally build routines and systems that move them toward their goals. Jody shares his personal Key Three—learn something, teach something, and create revenue—and explains how identifying a few repeatable behaviors can make progress far more automatic. Key Takeaways 1. Your habits eventually become part of who you are.The word *habit* is rooted in the idea of how you “hold yourself.” Repeated actions eventually become second nature and help shape identity. 2. Identify your Key Three. Ask yourself: *What three things, if I consistently did them every day, would make success significantly more likely? Jody’s business Key Three:- Learn something.- Teach something.- Create revenue. 3. Forget the 21-day rule.Habit formation varies significantly by individual and behavior. Research discussed in the episode suggests an average closer to 66 days rather than the commonly repeated 21-day claim. 4. Design your environment instead of depending on discipline. Willpower is difficult to sustain. Build routines, cues, environments, and systems that naturally lead you toward the behaviors you want. 5. Turn goals into daily behaviors.A goal tells you where you want to go. A habit determines whether you actually get there. Ask: What habit would make this goal almost automatic? Five Habits of Successful Leaders Create clarity each morning.Identify your top one to three priorities before allowing email, notifications, and other people’s priorities to take control of your day. Protect your energy.Sleep, movement, nutrition, and recovery aren't separate from leadership performance—they support it. Write your goals and connect them to habits.Don't simply identify what you want. Determine what you need to consistently do to achieve it. Reflect and prepare.Take time at the end of the day to evaluate what happened, learn from it, and prepare intentionally for tomorrow. Grow deliberately.Read. Learn. Attend training. Seek coaching. Participate in conversations that stretch your thinking. Growth rarely happens accidentally. Quotable Moments “ What are the three things that, if you did those things every day, your success would become automatic?” — Jody Holland “If I learn, teach, and bill for it, my success becomes automatic.” — Jody Holland “Doing something to grow every single day will set you up for success down the road.” — Meghan Slaughter “What habit makes the goal automatic?” — Jody Holland “The engine that drives your habit is your character.” — Mike Grigsby “Character is who you are when no one is watching. Habits are what happen when no one is applauding.” — Mike Grigsby “The public applause that's missing is actually substituted by fulfilling the promise you made to yourself.” — Mike Grigsby “Don't rely on willpower. Rely on habits and systems.” — Jody Holland The Leadership Challenge Take a few minutes and identify your own Key Three. What are three behaviors that, performed consistently, would dramatically improve your leadership, health, relationships, business, or personal success? Then stop waiting to feel motivated. Build those behaviors into your environment and your routine until success becomes less dependent on how you feel—and more dependent on the systems you have intentionally created. Become the leader you would follow.

Change is inevitable—but leading it well is a choice. In this episode of the Become The Leader Podcast, Jody Holland, Mike Grigsby, Meghan Slaughter, and Maleah Berens explore what actually happens when people experience change and what leaders can do to reduce resistance, create clarity, and build genuine commitment. We discuss: • Why people naturally move through shock, resistance, exploration, and commitment • Why leaders often underestimate how much time employees need to process change • The importance of clearly defining what success looks like • Why communication must happen repeatedly—not just once • How giving people input into the process increases ownership • Why leaders should honor what worked in the past before introducing what comes next • The difference between announcing change and actually leading change Jody also breaks down his C.H.A.N.G.E. Model: C – Clarify the Case H – Honor the Ending A – Align a Coalition N – Navigate the Neutral Zone G – Generate Quick Wins E – Embed It Into the Culture The key takeaway: Don’t expect people to instantly arrive at a change you’ve had weeks or months to process. Give them time, clarity, conversation, and a meaningful role in moving forward. Become the leader you would follow.

How Personality Impacts Workplace Behavior Why do some people at work instantly click while others clash? In this episode of Become The Leader, Jody Holland, Mike Grigsby, and Meghan Slaughter explore how personality, temperament, and behavior shape workplace relationships, communication, leadership, and team performance. They discuss tools like DISC, PXT Select, Myers-Briggs, and the Enneagram, while emphasizing that assessments should create better questions and greater self-awareness, not labels or excuses. A central idea of the conversation is that we often do not dislike someone’s personality. We dislike the behaviors they express. The team also explores why great leaders learn to adapt their communication, recognize when people are stretching outside their natural strengths, and avoid using personality as an excuse for poor behavior. Key takeaways include: Personality and behavior are not the same thing. Self-awareness helps you become more adaptable. Assessments should create conversations, not labels. Different people require different communication approaches. Personality should never excuse destructive behavior. Curiosity is more productive than judgment. Leadership begins with learning to lead yourself. Mike summarizes the mindset with two powerful words: compassionate curiosity. The better you understand yourself, the better equipped you become to understand, communicate with, and lead others. Become the leader you would follow.

In this episode of Become the Leader, Jody Holland and Meghan Slaughter explore Patrick Lencioni’s Six Types of Working Genius and how understanding the way you naturally work can improve performance, teamwork, and job satisfaction. They break down the six geniuses—Wonder, Invention, Discernment, Galvanizing, Enablement, and Tenacity—and explain the difference between your areas of genius, competency, and frustration. Jody and Meghan also share their own Working Genius profiles and discuss how different strengths can either create conflict or become a powerful advantage when teams understand how each person contributes. Key Takeaways Your Working Genius represents the kinds of work that naturally give you energy. Competencies are things you can do well, but they may drain you over time. Frustrations are areas that can become exhausting when you are required to operate in them continuously. Strong teams do not need everyone to think alike—they need the right mix of strengths. Understanding Working Genius can help leaders diagnose conflict, burnout, communication issues, and team gaps. The six geniuses align with three stages of work: Ideation, Activation, and Implementation. Leaders can use Working Genius to structure meetings, assign responsibilities, coach employees, and build stronger teams. The goal is not to eliminate your frustrations. It is to spend more time working where you naturally create the greatest value. The episode also explores an important leadership question: Are people burning out because they are working too much or because they are spending too much time doing work that drains them? Understanding how you and your team naturally approach work can create a shared language for collaboration, reduce unnecessary friction, and help people spend more time doing the work they were built to do. Become the leader you would follow.