Are you an entrepreneur or leader struggling to scale your business and empower your team?

In this episode of No Limit Leadership, host Sean Patton sits down with Sam Davidson, CEO of the Nashville Entrepreneur Center, seasoned founder, and leadership expert. Together, they explore how to transition from founder to leader, build trust with teams you didn’t hire, and develop the mindset and systems required to grow a purpose-driven business.

Whether you're leading a startup, stepping into a legacy organization, or simply trying to improve your leadership impact, this conversation is packed with tactical advice and powerful insights.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why sales, public speaking, and leadership are the three essential skills for long-term influence
• How to lead with vision and trust, especially when inheriting legacy systems and teams
• The difference between managing systems and leading people
• Why purpose, not ego, creates lasting culture and sustainable growth
• How self-awareness shapes leadership capacity at every stage of growth

Sam also shares behind-the-scenes lessons from building multiple companies and now mentoring over 400 entrepreneurs each year.

Sam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samdavidson/
Nashville Entrepreneur Center: https://ec.co/

Host, Sean Patton: https://seanpattonspeaks.com/
Host, Sean Patton on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanpattonpresents/
Host, Sean Patton on IG: https://www.instagram.com/seanpattonspeaks

No Limit Leadership is the go-to podcast for growth-minded executives, middle managers, and team leaders who want more than surface-level leadership advice. Hosted by executive coach and former Special Forces commander Sean Patton, this show dives deep into modern leadership, self-leadership, and the real-world strategies that build high-performing teams. Whether you're focused on leadership development, building a coaching culture, improving leadership communication, or strengthening team accountability, each episode equips you with actionable insights to unlock leadership potential across your organization. From designing onboarding systems that retain talent to asking better questions that drive clarity and impact, No Limit Leadership helps you lead yourself first so you can lead others better. If you're ready to create a culture of ownership, resilience, and results, this leadership podcast is for you.

Why long-term success starts with self-leadership and how to align who you are with the business you’re building.

Why You Need to Listen:

Most entrepreneurs focus on tactics and hustle, but overlook the one thing that actually determines long-term success: self-leadership. In this episode, business coach and columnist Chris Wilkinson joins Sean Patton to break down why your inner game is the key to outer performance. If you're building a business but feel stuck, scattered, or unfulfilled, this conversation is your mirror and your momentum.

About the Guest:

Chris Wilkinson is a holistic business coach, five-time entrepreneur, and longtime leadership columnist. With 20+ years of business experience, Chris specializes in helping entrepreneurs develop self-leadership, clarity, and sustainable performance. He's also the co-owner of a senior care franchise, a former hockey captain, and a prolific contributor to business and leadership thought.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why self-leadership is the foundation of all business growth
• The “wheel of leadership” framework Chris uses with every client
• How to reframe failure using the “100 no’s” mindset
• Why most vision statements fall short and how to align your life and business
• The difference between confidence and worthiness
• How to get out of your own way by identifying your “brake pedal”
• What you're really willing to suffer for and why that matters

Episode Chapters:

0:00 – Why you need to hear this
2:30 – From hockey to holistic coaching: Chris’s story
6:00 – What is self-leadership and why it matters
9:15 – Clarity, energy, mindset, and the 8-factor leadership wheel
14:30 – Why entrepreneurs overestimate 1 year and underestimate 5
18:45 – The “100 no’s” method and the problem with chasing outcomes
24:20 – Locus of control: what’s in your hands vs. what’s not
30:45 – The gas and brake metaphor: what’s holding you back
35:50 – How to build resilience (and what you’re willing to suffer for)
41:00 – The power of purpose, giving, and intentional leadership
45:00 – Final mindset shift: from “I have to” → “I get to”

Connect with Chris:

Website: https://www.coachingwithchris.ca/

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

More from Sean & No Limit Leaders

Subscribe to the newsletter: www.nolimitleaders.com/growth

www.seanpattonspeaks.com

www.nolimitleaders.com

No Limit Leadership is the go-to podcast for growth-minded executives, middle managers, and team leaders who want more than surface-level leadership advice. Hosted by executive coach and former Special Forces commander Sean Patton, this show dives deep into modern leadership, self-leadership, and the real-world strategies that build high-performing teams. Whether you're focused on leadership development, building a coaching culture, improving leadership communication, or strengthening team accountability, each episode equips you with actionable insights to unlock leadership potential across your organization. From designing onboarding systems that retain talent to asking better questions that drive clarity and impact, No Limit Leadership helps you lead yourself first so you can lead others better. If you're ready to create a culture of ownership, resilience, and results, this leadership podcast is for you.

In this episode of No Limit Leadership, I sit down with Jim Stevenson—founder and CEO of the Bletchley Group, a global growth consultancy helping organizations align strategy, culture, and technology.

We dive into what most leaders get wrong about data, why OKRs (not KPIs) are the key to alignment, and how AI is transforming leadership in real time. Jim shares how to create psychological safety, drive clarity, and build teams that win.

If you’re a growth-minded leader who wants to future-proof your organization, this conversation is your blueprint.

What You’ll Learn:
• The difference between data and useful data
• Why OKRs are more than just goals—they shape culture
• How to build teams that adapt and execute at speed
• What limits real growth—and how to remove them
• How AI is reshaping leadership, communication, and trust
• Why psychological safety is a performance multiplier

Chapters:
00:00 – Intro & why this episode matters
01:05 – The origin of Bletchley Group & purposeful tech
04:00 – Breaking limits and AI’s next frontier
10:00 – Superintelligence, free will & leadership
17:03 – What makes data actually useful
23:00 – OKRs vs KPIs: what leaders get wrong
29:30 – The 70% rule: unlocking high performance
32:20 – Incentives: unleash or destroy greatness
36:00 – What elite teams do differently
37:33 – Culture: the real transformation
41:54 – Creating psychological safety
44:00 – Red team thinking & decision ownership
48:39 – Eliminate blockers. Uncover your strategy.

Guest: Jim Stevenson
Founder & CEO, Bletchley Group
🌐 Website: www.bletchleygroup.com
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimstevenson/

No Limit Leadership is the go-to podcast for growth-minded executives, middle managers, and team leaders who want more than surface-level leadership advice. Hosted by executive coach and former Special Forces commander Sean Patton, this show dives deep into modern leadership, self-leadership, and the real-world strategies that build high-performing teams. Whether you're focused on leadership development, building a coaching culture, improving leadership communication, or strengthening team accountability, each episode equips you with actionable insights to unlock leadership potential across your organization. From designing onboarding systems that retain talent to asking better questions that drive clarity and impact, No Limit Leadership helps you lead yourself first so you can lead others better. If you're ready to create a culture of ownership, resilience, and results, this leadership podcast is for you.