Fear plays a bigger role in leadership than most of us want to admit. In this episode, Mike Konrad shares the conversation that revealed his fear-based decision making — and how that moment became the turning point that reshaped his leadership, his business, and ultimately, his life.

From being dismissed by his employer to building a company that has lasted more than 30 years, Mike opens up about the internal shifts behind his external success. He talks candidly about ego, bravado, revenge, approval, self-awareness, and the uncomfortable process of learning to lead differently.

If you’re navigating growth, change, or the uncomfortable realisation that what once worked no longer does, this conversation will speak to you.

• The surprising ways fear shows up in leadership decisions
• The mentor conversation that changed everything
• How fear-based thinking shapes cash flow, choices, and culture
• Making peace with the worst-case scenario
• Why early leadership traits often become later limitations
• The “starter fluid” analogy for ego, bravado, and urgency
• How Mike shifted from proving himself to serving others
• Why true leadership requires self-awareness and humility
• The mindset shift from doing everything yourself to trusting a team
• Redefining success as freedom — not validation
• What leaders at the early, frantic stage need to hear

01:26 The fear-based decisions hiding in plain sight

03:49 Becoming aware of the “lenses” shaping choices

09:50 Making peace with the worst to break decision paralysis

12:24 The conversation that sparked his business

19:50 How rejection triggered motivation and identity

23:54 The complicated emotional mix behind early leadership

30:39 When your strengths become your liabilities

33:06 The “starter fluid” metaphor for the early years

36:57 From smartest in the room to “stupidest in the room”

38:42 Redefining success as freedom

45:26 Leading less from proving, more from serving

47:03 Advice for leaders in survival mode

Mike Konrad is the founder and CEO of Aqueous Technologies, a global leader in electronics reliability solutions, and the host of two podcasts:

• Reliability Matters
• The Reluctant Entrepreneur

He writes and speaks widely on leadership, business growth, and the mistakes that shape us.

• Website: mikekonrad.com
• Podcast: reluctantentrepreneurpodcast.com
• Aqueous Technologies: aqueoustech.com

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In today’s episode, I’m joined by Nigel Cumberland — leadership coach, co-founder of The Silk Road Partnership, and author of several bestselling books including 100 Things Successful Leaders Do.

Nigel and I get into:

• The pivotal conversation that helped him redefine who he was
• His early career as a very young finance director
• Why mistakes became his greatest teachers
• Imposter syndrome & how he learned to handle it
• Culture clashes and the importance of understanding differences
• The evolution of leadership across decades
• Why leadership starts with self-awareness
• Leadership beyond titles — influencing in everyday life
• Why leaders today are more overwhelmed than ever
• His framework: Grounded • Connected • Purposeful
• The biggest thing leaders need to unlearn
• The one leadership principle he believes changes everything
• The hidden cost of poor leadership
• How leaders can stay human in a very digital world

This is an honest, insightful, deeply human conversation about leadership — the kind that helps you rethink the way you show up in your work and life.

Nigel’s Website

👉 https://nigelcumberland.com/

Nigel’s Books

👉 https://www.amazon.com/stores/Nigel-Cumberland/author/B0034P71X2

LinkedIn Learning Courses

👉 https://www.linkedin.com/learning/instructors/nigel-cumberland

Speaking Enquiries

👉 https://www.wsb.com/speakers/nigel-cumberland/

00:00 Intro

01:04 The conversation that changed Nigel’s life

04:30 Resetting your identity after a big career shift

05:53 Mistakes that shaped him as a young leader

09:10 Imposter syndrome in early leadership roles

10:50 Culture clashes and understanding differences

14:05 Why self-awareness matters more than ever

16:40 Leadership beyond titles and formal roles

18:50 Role modelling at home and at work

19:22 The rise of empowerment in leadership

20:00 Helping people see themselves as leaders

23:00 Leadership in a disrupted, digital world

24:30 Grounded, Connected, Purposeful framework

29:44 What leaders struggle with most today

30:50 What people crave in leaders

34:21 Leading with a full tank: self-care and burnout

38:09 The most important principle healthy leaders live by

41:20 When bad leaders survive — and why they shouldn't

42:26 Closing thoughts

The best growth often starts with a meaningful conversation — thank you for being part of this one.

In this episode of Conversations That Grow, Sadaf Beynon sits down with Anastasia Ristovska, co-founder of Next Generation and Books At Ease, to explore the deeper conversations that helped her shift from control to trust—and from doing everything herself to building high-performing, empowered teams.

Anastasia shares two pivotal conversations: one that forced her to stop thinking like an employee and start thinking like a business owner, and another with a team member who challenged her to trust more and let go. These moments reshaped her leadership, led her to create a 90-day training system, and helped her grow two companies without burning out.

If you’ve ever struggled with delegation, micromanaging, or trusting your team, this episode will speak directly to you.

• Why micromanaging is rooted in fear, not ego
• The conversation that shifted Anastasia’s identity from doer to leader
• How trusting your team creates long-term growth
• What it takes to train your team to work independently
• How to lead without knowing all the answers
• Why leadership isn’t a destination—but a daily practice
• The mindset shift that stops you from being the bottleneck

• booksease.com
• nextgeneration.eu
• linkedin.com/in/anastasia-ristovska

This is the podcast where we explore the conversations that shape who we become as leaders and people. Because growth starts with the conversations we’re willing to have—especially the ones we have with ourselves.Companies mentioned in this episode: