In this powerful and timely conversation, we sit down with Damien Bruckard, Founder and Geopolitical Strategist, to unpack what leadership really looks like when the stakes are global.

Drawing from his lived experience as a Western diplomat inside Moscow, Damien offers rare, firsthand insight into:

• Leading under pressure in high-risk, high-uncertainty environments

• Navigating power, culture, and influence behind closed doors

• Decision-making when information is incomplete and consequences are real

• Personal leadership lessons forged in one of the world’s most complex geopolitical arenas

This episode goes beyond headlines and theory. It’s a candid look at character, resilience, and clarity—and how those qualities are shaped not in comfort, but in complexity.

Whether you’re a leader, strategist, or someone grappling with uncertainty in your own arena, this conversation will challenge how you think about leadership, perspective, and growth.

EP Guest: Damien Bruckard
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/damien-bruckard-b94079134/
Website: https://www.geopolitical-strategy.com/
Newsletter: https://www.geopoliticaldispatch.com/

In this episode of Grappling Growth, Joe sits down with Simon Court — coach to founder-CEOs, speaker, author of Founder’s Legacy, and co-founder at Value Partnership. Simon draws from decades of experience helping scale-up leaders navigate the shift from founder to CEO and shares powerful insights on what separates founders who thrive from those who stall.

Simon unpacks the core idea behind his book, Founder's Legacy - Fifty Game-Changing Leadership Lessons for Building a Great Business, and reveals why the most successful leaders focus first on working on themselves — not just their business. He also challenges one of the biggest myths in entrepreneurship: you don’t need to be right 100% of the time… you just need to be right 51% of the time to drive momentum and sustainable growth.

Tune in for practical wisdom on mindset, decision-making, resilience, and leading with purpose — especially when the familiar ways of thinking stop serving you.

EP Guest: Simon Court: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simoncourt?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app

Founder's Legacy Book: Founder's Legacy: 50 Game-Changing Leadership Lessons for Building a Great Business: Amazon.co.uk: Court, Simon: 9781639090297: Books

In this episode of Grappling Growth, we sit down with Jack Skeels—CEO, former RAND researcher, and trusted advisor and coach to executives—to unpack one of the biggest questions facing leaders today: Is AI really coming for our jobs?

Jack brings a rare blend of deep research, real-world leadership experience, and practical wisdom as he shares how project-based organizations can redesign the way work actually works in the age of AI. Instead of fear-driven narratives, this conversation explores what’s really changing, which roles are most at risk, and how leaders can future-proof their teams by rethinking systems, workflows, and human value.

If you’re a business leader, executive, or professional navigating uncertainty, this episode will challenge your assumptions, sharpen your thinking, and help you see AI not just as a threat—but as a catalyst for smarter, more meaningful work.

EP Guest: Jack Skeel

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackaskeels/