Ep 266 Ask, Don't Tell: What It Takes to Lead People Well with Josh Zolin

88% of organizational changes produce no lasting results. Harvard-trained behavioral scientist Jeff Wetherhold says the reason isn't resistance, it's that we've been teaching leaders the wrong skills for decades.In this conversation, Jeff and host, Tyler Dickerhoof, revel why inner work alone doesn't translate into better leadership, why "buy-in" is a trap, and why directive communication is quietly destroying trust inside organizations.Jeff brings more than 20 years of clinical change science into a surprisingly practical conversation about what it takes to lead people through uncertainty, how to listen for motivation and demotivation, why reflecting beats questioning in hard conversations, and how vulnerability stops being a buzzword and becomes a real skill.Connect with Jeff at jeffwetherhold.com.

What hides inside you controls you. What you face transforms you.In this episode, host Tyler Dickerhoof sits down with Brad Sugars — founder and CEO of ActionCOACH, the world's number one business coaching franchise with over 1,000 locations across 80 countries. Brad built a global empire, yet for years quietly avoided the spotlight. It took Gary Vaynerchuk telling him to "suck it up" in front of a thousand people to shift that.What followed was a deeper question: what are you hiding, and what is it costing you?Brad and Tyler dig into the real reasons business owners refuse to get out of their own way, the three stages of growth from manager to CEO to chairperson, and why the business is always building you whether you're ready or not. Brad shares his formula for goal-setting and action, why "how" is the enemy of every great goal, and what it took to blow up everything he built and rebuild it for a billion-dollar vision.If you're a business owner stuck in your own business, a leader who finds it lonely at the top, or someone who's been playing small because of a wound you haven't named yet, you'll enjoy this conversation.📲 Find Brad: bradsugars.com | actioncoach.com | Instagram @bradleysugars (DM him the word "playbook" for his success framework)

On this episode, host Tyler Dickerhoof, sits down with Josh Zolin, former Hollywood stuntman turned CEO of Windy City Equipment, an eight-figure HVAC company he inherited from his father and built into an Inc. 5000 business.Josh unpacks the leadership shift that changed everything for him: moving from telling people what to do, to asking questions that help them conclude it themselves. He goes deep on authenticity (and why the word itself can breed inauthenticity), the difference between power and force, what it really means to lead with empathy, and how vulnerability in a boardroom — or a termination meeting — can be your greatest asset.Josh is also the author of Blue Is the New White and host of the podcast Everything They Don't Tell You.Learn more at joshzolin.comConnect with Josh on LinkedIn👉🏻 Save your seat in the next Lead Without Hiding Challenge HERE.

Host Tyler Dickerhoof sits down with Erika Alessandrini — executive coach, facilitator, and author of Maybe It's Me — for a raw, honest conversation about what it really costs to be a high performer.Erika spent over two decades in corporate leadership before a brutally honest 360 review cracked open something she couldn't ignore: the results were real, but so was the damage.This conversation takes you down the childhood wounds that drive adult overachievement, the difference between controlling and leading, and why the people who need this work most are often the last ones to see it.Key Talking Points:Why high performers stay stuck: the beliefs that fuel chronic overcommitment and under-satisfactionErika's 360 feedback wake-up call, and why she still didn't believe it at firstGrowing up with an alcoholic father and learning that performance = protectionThe difference between control and shared power. Why one destroys relationshipsHow fear disguises itself as responsibility and caringThe "justification + postponement" pattern that keeps high performers stuck for yearsErika's nonprofit work at Aileron and her new program, Becoming a Leader at PeaceConnect with Erika on LinkedInLearn more about Erika: WebsiteGet a copy of Erika's Book: Maybe It's MeSubscribe: The Impact Driven Leader Newsletter

Ten seconds left. Down by one. His teammate is one point away from a milestone most players never reach. He has the shot. He doesn't take it. That single decision is the philosophy behind this episode.Record-setting former Wisconsin high school basketball coach and author Hunter Price joins host, Tyler Dickerhoof, to expose the lie almost every team believes: that everyone in the room "cares." They don't. Not really. And until you can tell the difference, you're coaching, managing, or leading blind.Hunter introduces his framework of four team archetypes: the Sloth (selfless but doesn't work hard), the Vortex (works hard but selfish), the Ally, and the Heartbeat — the rare person whose work ethic and selflessness pull the whole team forward.Tyler and Hunter dig into real world leadership examples including:Why comparison was the biggest mindset shift Hunter had to make to grow as a leaderThe generational shift from "what" to "how" to "why," and why today's teams need to trust you before they'll follow youCalling people "up" instead of calling them "out"Why hiring an assistant is really a test of pride and humilityAn unfiltered MJ vs. LeBron debate that turns into a lesson on leadership identityWhether you're coaching a team, running a company, or leading a family, this conversation will change how you think about what it means to care.Connect with Hunter: v3content.org

Ever walked out of a meeting agreeing with everything, then immediately started venting about it in the hallway? That's called back-channeling and it's a silent culture killer.On this episode of the Tyler Dickherhoof show, Tyler sits down with Laurie Maddalena, certified speaking professional and author of The Elevated Leader, to unpack the six leadership saboteurs quietly wrecking teams everywhere.Lack of self-awarenessLack of focusLack of delegationLack of team engagementConflict avoidanceAnd passive leadershipLaurie shares a raw story from her own career — watching a brilliant CEO give his team the silent treatment for three days after a disagreement — and what it taught her about psychological safety, insecurity, and why "toxic boss management" shouldn't be an employee's job.In this episode you'll learn:Why the shift from traditional to facilitative leadership demands a completely different skill setThe parallel between today's AI overload and the email/cell phone disruption of 2006Why delegation is really a driving lesson: bumps, scrapes, and allThe "80% rule" that frees up your time and grows your teamConnect with Laurie: lauriemaddalena.comOn LinkedIn: @lauriemaddalena

What does a heavy metal guitarist turned military weapons storage CEO know about leadership? A lot more than you'd expect.Tom Kubiniec built Secure It Gun Storage into the global leader in military armory design — supplying the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, and law enforcement agencies worldwide. But for years, he kept hitting the same ceiling: $5 million in sales, three different companies, same problem every time.The culprit? He was managing when he should have been leading.In this episode, Tom shares the mindset shift that took his company from $5M to $18M in four years, and why the hardest part had nothing to do with strategy.You'll hear:Why delegating felt like becoming irrelevant (and why he did it anyway)The "generals don't dig foxholes" principle that changed everythingHow near-bankruptcy forced him into an $800M market he never saw comingWhy telling people what to do — instead of how — unlocks performance you didn't know your team hadThe fail-fast framework he uses to course correct without losing momentumConnect with Tom on LinkedInOr visit his website at: SecureItTacticalYouTube: @SecureItLegacy

What if everything you've been told about leadership only covers 10% of the picture?Mark Miller, co-author of the international bestseller The Secret, former VP at Chick-fil-A, and co-founder of Lead Every Day, joins show host Tyler Dickerhoof to expose why 82% of managers still can't lead effectively, and why most leadership training is destined to fail before it starts.In this episode, Tyler and Mark dig into:The iceberg model of leadership and why most organizations are only developing the visible tipWhy promoting your best doers into leadership roles is quietly destroying your teamThe difference between delegating and developing, and the fear that keeps leaders stuckThe 5 fundamentals every leader must master (and the one that matters most)Why busyness is the real leadership crisis — and how to escape the quicksand before it buries youConnect with Mark Miller:📱 678-612-8441🌐 leadeveryday.comThe Secret, 4th Edition is available now.

She had the apartment, the travel, the income, the friends — everything that should've meant she'd "made it." Then she fell 20 feet and everything stopped.Christie Garcia is a leadership coach, Forbes Coaches Council contributor, founder of the Mindful Choice Leadership Academy, and author of Your Ego Is Showing.In this episode, she and host Tyler Dickerhoof, unpack the three ego types — the Complier, the Protector, and the Controller — and why every single one of them is just insecurity wearing a costume.They get into why "self-awareness" isn't the same as ownership, why high achievers are often the most insecure people in the room, and why your ego thrives in the climb but sabotages you the moment you become a leader, a parent, or a partner.Christie also shares the framework she now uses to help executives — and her own kids — recognize when their ego is driving instead of them.If you've ever wondered why success didn't fix the thing you thought it would, this conversation will hit close to home.Connect with Christie at: mindfulchoiceacademy.comOn LinkedIn: @ChristieGarciaIf this episode brought value into your life, a rating and review helps more people find conversations like this one. Thank you!

What if the life that looks perfect from the outside is the one making you miserable on the inside? Christina Lecuyer spent over a decade playing golf with CEOs and executives — and discovered that the people who'd "made it" were often the least happy people she knew.Now a consultant and host of Decide, It's Your Turn, Christina works with wildly successful people who have the house, the money, the title... and still feel empty.In this episode, host Tyler Dickerhoof and Christina dig into why people are so afraid of gratitude, why the "secret" to success is really just doing small, boring things over and over again, and why indecision is itself a decision (one that quietly costs you the most).Christina also opens up about turning down a $2 million contract because she was crystal clear on what actually mattered to her and why most people never get that clear.If you've ever wondered why having everything doesn't feel like enough, this conversation is for you.Connect with Christina LecuyerInstagram @BeChristinaLinkedIn Christina LecuyerWebsite : ChristinaLecuyer.com