Most entrepreneurs don’t start out wanting to be leaders — they start because they’re great at something. Then one day, they wake up managing chaos and wondering why things keep breaking down.

In this episode, Sean sits down with Atiba De Souza, CEO Strategist, Author of The Delegation Trap, and long-time agency owner. Atiba shares his hard-earned lessons on leadership, accountability, and what it really takes to build a team that thrives without you.

They dive into:

• The leadership failure that changed Atiba’s life — and how his 5-year-old son called it out.
• Why most leaders mistake “doing more” for “leading better.”
• The CASE Method — a four-question framework that transforms delegation and team development.
• How to shift from judging questions to learner questions to unlock growth and trust.
• The illusion of the “one more thing” mindset that traps so many entrepreneurs.
• Why small business owners, not politicians, hold the real power to change the world.

This episode is packed with frameworks, humility, and wisdom for any business owner or leader ready to grow beyond the grind.

🎧 Listen now on Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2166090

📘 Connect with Atiba De Souza:

• Website: https://www.atibadesouza.com
  
  
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/atibadesouza
  
  
• Book: The Delegation Trap
  
  

Key Timestamps

• 00:00 – Why entrepreneurs struggle with leadership
• 03:50 – The leadership wake-up call from Atiba’s son
• 07:30 – Would your team follow you if you didn’t pay them?
• 13:00 – A CEO only does three things: people, numbers, and culture
• 18:00 – The power of asking learner questions
• 22:00 – The CASE Method for better delegation
• 32:20 – Escaping the “one more thing” trap
• 40:25 – How small business owners truly change the world

Guest Bio

Atiba De Souza is a CEO Strategist and Author of The Delegation Trap. With over 30 years of entrepreneurial experience, he’s helped countless business owners build systems and teams that perform without constant oversight. Known for transforming chaos into clarity, Atiba teaches leaders how to delegate effectively, build culture, and empower people to perform at their best.

👉 Follow Atiba’s work at https://www.atibadesouza.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.

If you’ve ever been told to “keep your head down and let your work speak for itself,” this episode is for you. In today’s fast-paced, AI-driven world, staying quiet can cost you influence, opportunity, and fulfillment.

In this inspiring conversation, Sean Patton talks with Neelu Kaur — executive coach, keynote speaker, and author of Be Your Own Cheerleader — about the power of self-advocacy, mindful leadership, and the importance of finding your authentic voice.

Neelu shares her journey from “staying under the radar” to helping leaders across Fortune 500 companies create inclusive, high-performing cultures. You’ll learn how to advocate for yourself with confidence, help your team share their best ideas, and lead with the one thing AI can’t replace — your human uniqueness.

💡 Episode Highlights

• Why “keeping your head down” is a recipe for being overlooked
• Cultural conditioning and how it shapes our ability to self-advocate
• Practical strategies for leaders to create psychologically safe spaces
• The “I vs. We” dial — how to balance individual and collective leadership
• The Lighthouse Effect and why self-advocacy is a generous act
• How to build mindful awareness and reclaim your creative energy in the AI era

Time Stamps:

00:00 – 00:57 Intro — Why “keeping your head down” can hold you back in today’s world
00:58 – 01:42 Meet Neelu Kaur — Executive coach, speaker, and author of Be Your Own Cheerleader
01:43 – 03:22 Defining self-advocacy for everyone, not just executives
03:23 – 05:25 Why self-advocacy feels uncomfortable — cultural and personal conditioning
05:26 – 07:33 How upbringing shapes our voice — the “silent generation” story
07:34 – 09:34 Creating psychological safety and “buckets of time” for team input
09:35 – 12:15 Knowing your team — tailoring leadership to each individual’s strengths
12:16 – 14:12 Energy management and the 70/30 rule for fulfilling work
14:13 – 16:25 The leader’s role in slowing down to speed up
16:26 – 18:28 Balancing intention with the fast pace of modern organizations
18:29 – 20:05 Using office hours and device-free time to recharge and refocus
20:06 – 22:16 How individuals can start practicing self-advocacy in low-stakes settings
22:17 – 24:38 Awareness as transformation — mindfulness and emotional ownership
24:39 – 26:02 The “I vs. We Dial” — shifting language based on context
26:03 – 27:27 Balancing servant leadership with self-leadership
27:28 – 28:45 Advocating for your own growth and development
28:46 – 31:06 How AI is changing leadership — what machines can’t replace
31:07 – 33:37 Staying human and creative in an AI-powered world
33:38 – 35:36 The Lighthouse Effect — how self-advocacy inspires others

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 solo episode, Sean Patton, host of The No Limit Leadership Podcast, breaks down one of the toughest transitions any leader faces — taking over a new team. Whether you’re stepping into a new role, leading a different department, or inheriting an established group, the first 90 days can define your long-term success.

Sean draws from decades of leadership experience — from the battlefield to the boardroom — and coaching top executives to share:

• The five biggest mistakes leaders make when taking over a team.
• The five proven steps to lead effectively in your first 90 days.
• How to balance trust, culture, and clarity so your team thrives.

This episode is packed with practical wisdom, mindset shifts, and field-tested tools for any leader ready to step up and build trust fast.


🧠 Key Takeaways

• Don’t try to prove yourself too fast — confidence builds through calm, deliberate action.
• Prepare personally and physically before leading others.
• Listen before leading — communication starts with curiosity.
• Avoid making promises too early; observe first, commit later.
• Never ignore team culture — it’s your most valuable asset.
• Apply Sean’s five-step system for your first 90 days: prepare yourself, gather intel, use the one-third rule, hold 1:1s, and communicate your vision.

If this episode helped you, share it with a leader who’s stepping into a new role. Subscribe to The No Limit Leadership Podcast and join Sean each week to challenge limits, develop leaders, and fuel greatness.

🕒 Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome and why taking over a new team matters
04:10 – The 5 biggest mistakes leaders make
22:30 – Step 1: Prepare yourself first
31:00 – Step 2: Information is power
38:00 – Step 3: The one-third rule
46:00 – Step 4: Initial one-on-ones and personalized coaching
53:00 – Step 5: Communicate your vision and leadership philosophy
01:01:00 – Final thoughts: From managing to leading


🔗 Listen Now

🎧 Listen to this episode on Buzzsprout


🧩 About Sean Patton

Sean Patton is a leadership coach, speaker, and former U.S. Army Special Forces officer. As the founder of No Limit Leadership, he equips individuals and organizations to lead with clarity, character, and courage. His mission: help leaders master self-leadership so they can elevate others.

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.

If you can’t communicate your vision clearly, your leadership—and your impact—will stall. In this episode of No Limit Leadership, Sean sits down with Eva Daniel, executive communication coach and founder of The Speak Shop
, to explore why public speaking is a non-negotiable leadership skill.

Eva has coached executives from billion-dollar companies, top authors, and nationally recognized speakers. She shares the frameworks, mindset shifts, and practical tactics that help leaders communicate with clarity and confidence—whether it’s a Monday morning meeting or a keynote stage.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• (01:00) Why speaking is a core leadership skill
• (06:30) The link between content prep and delivery
• (09:28) Eva’s SPARK Framework for presentations
• (17:12) How to use storytelling to make your message stick
• (26:10) Why you should never end on Q&A
• (37:46) Common mistakes leaders make in presentations—and how to avoid them
• (44:53) Why the most powerful speeches come from the heart

🔗 Listen to the full episode here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1234567/episodes/9876543

🌐 Connect with Eva Daniel: The Speak Shop

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.

Did you know nearly 1 in 3 adults don’t get enough quality sleep? For leaders, that lack of rest shows up everywhere—lower energy, weaker focus, poor moods, and costly decision-making mistakes.

That’s why this week’s guest is Mollie Eastman—sleep coach, entrepreneur, and host of the top-rated podcast Sleep Is a Skill. Mollie went from years of insomnia and burnout to becoming one of the most trusted experts helping high performers reclaim their sleep, avoid sleep anxiety, and build the recovery systems they need to thrive.

This conversation with Sean Patton dives deep into how leaders can use sleep as a superpower for performance, health, and leadership.

🔑 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• (00:44) Why sleep is the foundation of leadership and performance
• (02:48) Mollie’s personal battle with insomnia and how it fueled her mission
• (11:33) Why CBT-I and ACT-I are the gold standard (not sleeping pills)
• (18:20) Can you make up for lost sleep—and what science really says
• (26:48) How to find your personal sleep need (7, 8, or 9 hours?)
• (31:39) Top 5 habits for better sleep: light, temperature, food timing, thought timing, and more
• (44:52) What companies can do to improve employee performance through sleep

📌 Links!

• Website & Sleep Assessment: sleepisaskill.com
• Podcast: Sleep Is a Skill (available on Apple, Spotify & more)
• Newsletter: Weekly sleep strategies delivered every Monday

🎧 Listen: https://nolimitleadership.buzzsprout.com

📩 Subscribe to Sean’s newsletter for more leadership insights: www.nolimitleaders.com/growth

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.

What does poker, psychology, and AI have in common? Blake Eastman. From teaching forensic psychology at CUNY to coaching elite poker players, and now running cutting-edge AI companies, Blake has built a career around decoding human behavior. In this episode, Sean and Blake dive deep into the nonverbal cues leaders often miss, the hidden org charts that drive real influence, and the future of leadership in a world where AI is reshaping everything.

Blake brings hard-hitting insights on how rising leaders can avoid critical communication mistakes, how to “play the game” inside organizations without losing authenticity, and why embracing AI isn’t optional for tomorrow’s leaders. They also explore the looming societal shifts AI will cause, the importance of agency in our personal and professional lives, and how to prepare for the uncertain future ahead.

If you’re ready to sharpen your influence, think differently about leadership, and prepare for the next decade of disruption—this episode is a must-listen.

Episode Topics & Timestamps

• 00:00 – Sean introduces Blake and their shared connection
• 02:17 – Blake’s journey: forensic psychology, poker, and building businesses
• 04:45 – The #1 nonverbal mistake leaders make on Zoom
• 07:20 – Why leadership is fundamentally about people (and adapting to culture)
• 13:27 – How to build a “real” org chart & play the political game at work
• 17:25 – Measuring true value: would your company miss you if you were gone?
• 18:55 – Generational differences, communication, and culture fit
• 23:57 – Diversity, sameness, and avoiding groupthink in organizations
• 25:31 – AI’s role in mental health, disruption, and the job market
• 33:19 – Policy, robot taxes, and the global AI arms race
• 36:11 – What individuals must do to survive and thrive in the AI era
• 39:58 – Smaller, high-agency teams vs. bloated corporations
• 42:20 – Fear of becoming obsolete & the mental health implications
• 45:30 – Why agency is everything—work, family, and personal life
• 50:03 – Could AI run governments better than people?
• 52:28 – Where to find Blake: nonverbalgroup.com/newsletter

Links

• Blake’s Newsletter: nonverbalgroup.com/newsletter
• Subscribe to Sean’s newsletter: www.nolimitleaders.com/growth

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.

Live events aren’t just “nice to have.” They’re the highest ROI activity a leader can invest in—accelerating trust, building culture, and creating connections that no email or Zoom call can replace.

In this episode, Sean Patton sits down with Wendy Porter—founder of Wendy Porter Events, vice chair of the Live Event Coalition, and a powerhouse with 20+ years of experience designing high-impact events. Together, they unpack how leaders can reframe events as leadership tools that drive results.

🔑 What you’ll learn in this episode:

• (02:24) Why live events deliver the highest ROI in today’s digital world
• (05:04) How intentional event design builds trust in hybrid & remote teams
• (06:12) The Ruby Ribbon Experience Strategy for unforgettable events
• (10:19) Why cramming agendas backfires—and what to do instead
• (14:41) Surprise & delight moments (including therapy horses at a trade show!)
• (16:08) If you can do it on Zoom, don’t do it in the room
• (19:03) ROI of leaders showing up authentically at events
• (25:43) Why even small leadership retreats need professional strategy
• (27:08) How to define ROI levers and measure event success
• (30:36) Staying calm and creative when things go off-script
• (34:23) Leadership lessons Wendy carried from her military family roots
• (41:34) Mistakes to avoid when planning events (and how to do it right)

🔗 Connect with Wendy Porter:
Website: wendyporterevents.com

📩 Stay in the loop: Subscribe to Sean’s newsletter for more leadership insights → www.nolimitleaders.com/growth

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.

What role should HR truly play inside organizations? Compliance police? Culture architects? Or trusted business partners? In this episode, Celeste Warren — Global HR and DEI leader, consultant, and author of The Truth About Equity — joins Sean to answer that question with 40 years of hard-won experience.

Celeste shares her journey from leading HR and DEI at Merck to launching her own consultancy, and explains why equity is not a “nice-to-have” but a core business strategy. We dig into how HR can become a force multiplier, what inclusive leadership looks like in practice, and why today’s leaders must learn to facilitate hard conversations in an increasingly polarized world.

If you’re leading people and shaping culture, this conversation gives you actionable strategies and a long-term playbook for equity that drives business results.

Main Topics & Timestamps

• [00:39] Celeste’s career journey — from Merck to launching her own practice
• [04:50] Why HR isn’t compliance police — it’s a strategic partner
• [09:29] The CEO–CHRO partnership and how culture flows from the top
• [14:23] Building influence as an HR leader — business acumen and persuasion
• [23:35] Why Celeste wrote The Truth About Equity — and why DEI is under attack
• [27:36] The pendulum swings: social activism, backlash, and the speed of change
• [35:58] HR’s role in building inclusive policies and guiding hard conversations
• [43:24] Why facilitating productive dialogue is now a core leadership skill
• [44:49] Where to find Celeste’s book, consulting, and YouTube channel

Links

• Celeste's website: crwdiversity.com
• Book: The Truth About Equity — Amazon link
• Celeste’s YouTube: Celeste Warren Equity
• Connect on LinkedIn: Celeste Warren
• Subscribe to Sean’s newsletter: www.nolimitleaders.com/growth

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.