In this episode, Ali discusses the pivotal role of trust in leadership, emphasizing that without trust, nothing else matters. He shares his personal journey from growing up in a bookstore in Karachi, Pakistan, to becoming a leader and now an author of 'The All In Manager.'

Ali explains the concept of an accidental manager and the importance of transitioning to an all-in manager, characterized by insatiable learning, delivering meaningful results, and caring personally for team members. He highlights the significance of psychological safety in fostering innovation and effective communication within organizations.

Ali offers practical advice on becoming a better leader, including the importance of learning and listening, asking the right questions, and conducting difficult conversations. He also discusses burnout and managing up as common issues leaders face today.

The episode wraps up with Ali sharing his methodologies for training and coaching leaders and recommending essential books that have shaped his leadership philosophy.

00:00 Building Trust: The Foundation of Leadership

00:58 Ali's Leadership Journey: From Bookstore to Boardroom

02:45 Navigating the Workforce: Applying Self-Development

05:35 The Accidental Leader: Rising to the Challenge

11:04 Psychological Safety: Creating a Safe Culture

20:58 The Power of Candor: Speaking Truth with Kindness

24:02 Establishing Rules for Candor

24:43 Rewarding Candor in Leadership

25:40 Learning from Mistakes

26:24 Challenges Leaders Face with Candor

27:31 The Importance of Feedback

31:25 Practical Steps for Leaders

33:05 Coaching and Training Leaders

36:04 Common Issues Leaders Face

41:38 Advice for New Leaders

43:53 Recommended Books for Leaders

45:30 Where to Find More Resources

Connect with Ali Merchant:

• ali@allinmanager.com
• LinkedIn
• allinmanager.com
• 📚 Ali's Book Recommendations
  • The All-In Manager: Become a Better Leader Today, Not Someday – Ali Merchant: Ali’s full framework on moving from accidental to all-in, with tools, templates, and practical scripts.
  • Multipliers – Liz Wiseman
  • No Rules Rules – Reed Hastings & Erin Meyer
  • Zen and the Art of Firefighting - Chris Prentiss

Free Learning To Lead Resources

• Free Book: The Trust Gap
• The Learning To Lead Newsletter
• LeaderNotes

🔎 About LeaderNotes

LeaderNotes is a quick-hit companion to each episode of The Learning to Lead Show. In just 5–10 minutes, Mark Cundiff recaps the top leadership insights, frameworks, and action steps from each interview, designed for busy, growth-minded leaders who want to review and apply the episode’s biggest takeaways on the go.

It’s like the highlight reel + playbook—all in one.

Contact Mark at: mark@markjcundiff.com