What do you do when you’re the newest leader… and everyone you’re leading is older than you?

In this episode of Leading Ain’t Easy, we get real about what it feels like to lead without seniority, including the anxiety, the imposter thoughts, the pressure to prove yourself, and the temptation to overplay authority just to feel “legit.”

Ryan shares what it was like being the youngest in the Marine Corps and then again in the workplace, including an early-career mistake that created an instant credibility problem. Erny breaks down what it means to be “new to power,” why “because I said so” backfires, and how humility and ownership are often the fastest path to real respect.

If you’re the youngest manager in the room right now, this one’s for you.

Key takeaways:

• How to earn respect without demanding it
• Why proving yourself through posturing kills credibility
• The role of listening, consistency, and authenticity
• How to introduce change without triggering resistance
• Why “I was wrong” is one of the hardest (and most powerful) sentences in leadership

"Leading Ain’t Easy, but you don’t have to do it alone."

Leading Ain’t Easy is hosted by Ryan Calkins and Erny Epley.

• Ryan is the founder of Reframe & Rise, a career and leadership coaching practice helping veterans and other professionals realign their work and lead with purpose.
• Erny runs Bus Pro Network, supporting school transportation leaders across California with training and development.

Subscribe to the show on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram for clips, prompts, and behind-the-scenes updates.

If this episode resonated, please leave a review, as it helps more leaders find us.

Being the "new guy" is hard. Being the new leader is harder.

In this episode, Ryan Calkins and Erny Epley sit down with special guest, Matt Quinn, to talk about what it really takes to earn trust when you walk into a new job with zero social capital; especially when the people around you have been doing the work longer than you’ve been alive.

They cover what to do (and more importantly, what NOT to do) in your first stretch, how to listen without getting played, why “past practice” can be a trap, and the surprisingly powerful leadership habit Matt tells every new manager: clean the bathroom.

In this episode:

• Why leaders should listen first before changing anything
• How to avoid walking into a job and “moving pieces” you don’t understand
• The difference between proving yourself and performing for approval
• Why the best trust-builder is often: “I don’t know, can you teach me?”
• “Past practice” vs best practice (and why that distinction matters)
• The leadership lesson that sticks: clean the bathroom (AKA: do the job nobody wants)

"Leading ain’t easy, but you don’t have to do it alone."

This episode does contain some explicit language

Leading Ain’t Easy is hosted by Ryan Calkins and Erny Epley.

• Ryan is the founder of Reframe & Rise, a career and leadership coaching practice helping veterans and other professionals realign their work and lead with purpose.
• Erny runs Bus Pro Network, supporting school transportation leaders across California with training and development.

Subscribe to the show on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram for clips, prompts, and behind-the-scenes updates.

If this episode resonated, please leave a review, as it helps more leaders find us.

Setting boundaries with your boss is about doing what matters without burning yourself out. Ryan and Erny break down how to set boundaries respectfully, stay consistent, and protect your time without damaging trust or credibility.

In this episode of Leading Ain’t Easy, we talk about one of the most common leadership traps: being so responsive and available that you accidentally teach people your time doesn’t matter.

We unpack:

• How to set boundaries without sounding lazy or “bare minimum”
• Why consistency matters (and why moving your boundary teaches people it isn’t real)
• The difference between your boundary being the problem vs your environment being the problem
• Tools that help: scheduled send, clear framing (“something else has to give”), and simple expectation-setting
• The hidden issue for high performers: getting punished with more work
• What happens when boundaries collide with real deadlines (and why you need backup systems)

Listener question: What’s one boundary you know you need, but haven’t set yet?

“Leading ain’t easy, but you don’t have to do it alone.”

Leading Ain’t Easy is hosted by Ryan Calkins and Erny Epley.

• Ryan is the founder of Reframe & Rise, a career and leadership coaching practice helping veterans and other professionals realign their work and lead with purpose.
• Erny runs Bus Pro Network, supporting school transportation leaders across California with training and development.

Subscribe to the show on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram for clips, prompts, and behind-the-scenes updates.

If this episode resonated, please leave a review, as it helps more leaders find us.