How does an optimistic leader avoid burning out the team around them?

Steven Lerche, President of Goldstar Jewellery, joins host Rebecca Goodman-Stephens, CEO of Moses Singer, to talk about leading a large, multigenerational business through pressure and constant change.

Steven explains how his instinct toward optimism shapes his leadership, and why he leans on methodical people to balance his big-picture thinking. Rebecca, who admits her own version can tip into toxic positivity, digs into the friction that shows up when a leader hands off tasks without explaining the reasoning behind them, and why a colleague who pushes back is usually trying to help an idea succeed, not block it.

The conversation moves into leading through real pressure: commodity swings, a 56% tariff that forced Goldstar to open a new factory within 90 days, and where AI is actually useful in the business. Steven also shares the fear he considers the biggest of his life.

In This Episode

01:14 – The scale of the business Steven leads 05:24 – Employee tenure and company culture 08:07 – Optimism as a leadership style 10:01 – Objections as a sign of investment 11:08 – Delegating without full context 14:28 – Responding to the tariff crisis 17:39 – A therapy concept for business crises 19:28 – Rethinking the interview process 22:45 – Balancing fatherhood and business 25:30 – The fear of the second generation

Relevant Links

• Moses Singer: www.mosessinger.com
• Goldstar Jewellery: www.goldstarjewellery.com
• Connect with Rebecca Goodman-Stephens on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-goodman-stephens-b702665/

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