This summer, we're revisiting some of our most popular episodes.

How to Start a Meeting - the first in a three part series.

Enjoy!

Produced and edited by Sound of a Rose.

A quick update about the future of the Podcast and our plans for the summer.

Everyone wants to stand out at work. Berry Mansfield figured out that the secret isn't being the loudest or the smartest — it's being the easiest. As President of Mitsubishi Logisnext Americas, Berry has built an entire career on one principle: be easy to work with. In this episode, he traces how that idea carried him from accounting all the way to the president's chair, and why the simplest principles are usually the most powerful ones.

In this episode, Adam sits down with Jenni Catron, leadership expert, founder of The 4Sight Group, and author of Culture Matters , to talk about one of the most important and most overlooked responsibilities of any leader: building a healthy organizational culture. Jenni brings clarity and practical wisdom to a topic that can feel abstract, and this conversation will leave you with both a better understanding of why culture matters and what you can actually do about it.

We've all done it: said yes before we even finished thinking, then immediately regretted it. Clay and Adam dig into why people-pleasing feels like the kind thing to do, why it isn't, and what it quietly costs you as a leader: trust, clarity, energy, and the hard conversations that only get harder the longer you wait. Plus, five moves to start breaking the reflex this week.

Most leaders run one-on-ones every week. Almost none of them run one-on-ones their people actually want to show up to. The problem isn't effort — it's a fundamental mismatch: you think you're running a status meeting. Your direct report came hoping for something else entirely.

In this episode, Adam and Clay break down why the most powerful recurring meeting on your calendar is also the most wasted one — and what to do about it. You'll learn the difference between a status meeting and a trust meeting, what your direct reports actually need from 30 minutes with you, and a handful of small shifts that turn a hollow check-in into the best meeting of someone's week.

This podcast is produced by Sound of a Rose.

When 18 out of 23 leaders in a room all gave the same answer — people — to the question "What's the most puzzling part of leadership?", it was hard to ignore. This episode unpacks why.

Drawing on a distinction from Arthur Brooks' new book, we explore the difference between complicated problems (ones that can be solved) and complex problems (ones that can only be managed). The cruel irony of leadership? Solve enough complicated problems and you get promoted into a world full of complex ones — and the skills that got you there are almost useless in this new game.

If you've ever tried to spreadsheet your way through a relational conflict or a disengaged high performer, this one's for you. We'll talk about what it actually looks like to stop trying to solve the unsolvable — and why leaning into the mystery might be the most important thing you can do as a leader.

Podcast produced by ⁠Sound of a Rose

What does it really mean to lead from a place of wholeness and why does trust feel so elusive in today's organizations? In this episode, Adam sits down with Dr. Rob McKenna, author of Whole Leaders, Wild Trust, for a conversation that challenges everything you thought you knew about leadership development.

Dr. McKenna explores why the most effective leaders aren't the ones who have it all figured out, but the ones who are willing to show up fully; with their strengths, their struggles, and their humanity intact.

He unpacks the idea of "wild trust": the kind of deep, unguarded confidence that teams extend to leaders who are genuinely known, not just professionally polished.

Whether you're leading a team of five or an organization of thousands, this episode will leave you rethinking how you show up and what it truly means to be trusted.

Learn more about Dr. McKenna: https://www.wildleaders.org/

Pick up a copy of Dr. McKenna's book: https://a.co/d/046Ru6Kb

Podcast produced by Sound of a Rose