You inherit a team of 35 people. Morale is in the basement. Processes don't exist. Nobody knows what success looks like. And somehow, you're supposed to turn this around.

Most leaders would panic. Ryan Ford built a system.

In this episode, Ryan breaks down exactly how he transformed an underperforming team into a high-functioning operation—not through motivation speeches, but through structured systems, clear metrics, and a decision-making framework that stopped making him the bottleneck.

The Reality of Inheriting a Broken Team

Ryan walked into 35 people with low morale, unclear expectations, and no real processes. The kind of situation where everyone's busy but nothing meaningful gets done.

His first move wasn't motivation—it was understanding. Before changing anything, he invested time learning the team dynamics and figuring out where the breakdowns actually happened.

The uncomfortable truth: Sometimes the people aren't the problem. The lack of clear expectations and accountability systems is.

The LEAF Decision Framework: Stop Being the Bottleneck

Here's where most leaders kill their own productivity: they become the decision-maker for everything.

LEAF Decisions - Low-impact decisions that don't require leadership approval. If it's a LEAF decision, the team makes the call and keeps moving.

How to implement it: Create a decision tree with your team. Map out what requires your input and what doesn't. Give them permission to make LEAF decisions without asking. Then get out of their way.

The Turnaround System: Metrics, Accountability, and Cadence

Ryan didn't turn around his team with a single meeting. He built a system with three core elements:

Clear Metrics: Everyone knew what "good" looked like. No more subjective performance reviews.

Accountability Structure: Regular check-ins where progress was reviewed and blockers were identified. Not micromanagement—strategic support.

Rapid Adjustment: When the plan wasn't working, they changed it. No ego about sticking to a failing strategy.

Real example: Ryan led a critical product launch with tight timelines. He established daily check-ins, tracked progress against milestones, and adjusted when reality didn't match the plan. The product launched successfully because the system caught problems early.

From Individual Contributor to System Builder

The hardest transition for new leaders: realizing your job is no longer about what you personally accomplish. It's about what your team accomplishes through the systems you build.

What Ryan learned to love about leadership:

• Setting people up for success
• Building cultures where high performance becomes normal
• Creating teams that function even when he's not in the room

Why Systems Beat Heroics Every Time

Heroic leaders jump in and save the day. They make all the critical decisions. And they become the ceiling on their team's performance.

System-building leaders create frameworks that allow their teams to solve problems without them. They empower LEAF decisions and reserve their energy for choices that actually need their expertise.

The result: Teams that perform consistently, not just when the leader is present.

The teams that win aren't the ones with superhero leaders. They're the ones with systems that turn ordinary people into high performers.

You can learn more about Ryan Ford over on LinkedIn.

Want help designing systems that make your business more effective? Let’s talk about creating a customer experience that catches problems early and turns your team into problem solvers. You can join the next Customer Experience Zoom Workshop to find out how to improve your customer experience and get more referrals.

You know your expertise inside and out. You've got proven processes that deliver real results. But here's the problem: your business only grows as fast as you can personally deliver.

Sound familiar?

This week's guest, Ryan Musselman, cracked the code on something most service business owners struggle with—creating systems that scale your expertise without making everything feel automated and soulless.

The Custom GPT Framework That Saves 15+ Hours Per Week

Ryan didn't just throw ChatGPT at his content problem. He built an interconnected ecosystem of custom GPTs that generate stories, case studies, and sales copy that actually sounds human. Here's what makes his approach different: each GPT knows exactly what it's supposed to do, how it should sound, and what outcomes to deliver.

The result? Content that scales without sacrificing quality or authenticity.

Why Your AI Content Sounds Like a Robot (And How to Fix It)

Most business owners try AI once, hate the generic output, and give up. Ryan shares his process for identifying the telltale phrases that scream "this was written by AI" and systematically eliminating them from his system.

This isn't a one-time setup—it's a continuous improvement loop that gets better with each iteration. Sound like someone's approach you know?

The Onboarding System That Catches Problems Before They're Expensive

Here's where it gets really interesting for service businesses: Ryan built a centralized feedback system that gathers client input from day one. No more wondering if your onboarding process has friction points. No more clients silently struggling with parts of your program.

Instead, you get immediate visibility into what's working and what needs adjustment—before small issues become big problems that cost you clients.

What Actually Matters When You're Building a Business

In a refreshingly honest moment, Ryan pulls back the curtain on his personal systems for maintaining perspective. Daily exercise. Journaling. Prayer. These aren't just nice-to-haves—they're the foundation that keeps him from getting lost in the weeds of running a 7-figure coaching business.

Because here's the truth: the best systems in the world won't matter if you burn out trying to implement them.

The Most Valuable Insight

There's no single "right way" to grow a service business. Ryan's systems work brilliantly for him, but the real lesson isn't about copying his exact approach. It's about finding the systems and processes that align with your personality and strengths.

Some coaches thrive on intimate, high-touch relationships with a small group of clients. Others excel at scaling through group programs and automation. Both can build highly successful businesses—they just require different systems.

Why This Matters for Your Business

If you're running a service-based business and feel stuck at your current revenue ceiling, chances are it's not a strategy problem. It's a systems problem.

Ryan's approach shows you how to:

• Leverage AI without losing the human touch that makes your business special
• Build feedback loops that help you improve continuously
• Create operational systems that free up your time instead of consuming it
• Stay grounded in what actually matters while scaling

This episode is packed with practical, implementable ideas you can test in your business this week. No fluff. No theory. Just real systems from someone who's already figured out what works at scale.

Listen now to discover how to build magnetic systems that help your business grow without requiring you to clone yourself.Want help designing systems that make your business more effective? Let's talk about creating feedback loops that catch problems early and turn your team into problem solvers.Learn more about working together.

Most service business owners are asking the wrong question about AI. They're wondering "What can AI do for me?" when they should be asking "How can AI help me understand what my customers really need?"

Dan, an AI systems expert who works with founders who refuse to blend in, sat down with us to flip the AI conversation on its head. His background in ministry and psychology gives him a unique lens on technology—one that puts human understanding first and automation second.

The Hidden Gold Mine in Your Customer Conversations

Here's what keeps most service business owners up at night: They know their customers are telling them valuable things, but there's simply not enough time to capture and act on all those insights.

Dan shares how AI can analyze your customer interview transcripts and surface patterns you'd never catch manually—the repeated pain points, the subtle language your customers actually use, the themes that connect seemingly unrelated conversations.

This isn't about replacing human judgment. It's about augmenting it so you can actually use all that customer wisdom you're currently leaving on the table.

Your AI Project Manager (That Never Takes a Day Off)

Forget the hype about AI replacing workers. Dan reveals how he uses AI as a personal project manager to stay organized, track priorities, and document daily wins—essentially creating a second brain that remembers everything you'd otherwise forget in the chaos of running a business.

The key? Maintaining control. Dan walks through his process for continuously refining AI systems through "meta-prompting"—having the AI itself suggest improvements to how it serves you. It's like having an assistant who proactively figures out how to be more helpful.

Real Results: The Valuation Firm Case Study

Theory is nice, but results matter. Dan shares how he helped a valuation company transform their data extraction process from legal documents. The result? Dramatically increased team capacity without hiring.

But here's what makes this different from typical automation stories: The AI handled the tedious extraction work so the humans could focus on the high-value analysis and client relationships. The business became more human-centered by letting AI handle the robotic parts.

The Bottom Line for Service Business Leaders

If you're running a service business, you're sitting on mountains of customer insights and drowning in administrative tasks. Dan's approach shows how AI can help you:

• Capture and act on customer feedback you're currently missing
• Stay organized and strategic instead of constantly reactive
• Free your team to do the work only humans can do
• Scale your capacity without sacrificing the personal touch that makes you valuable

The businesses that will win with AI aren't the ones that use it to remove humans from the equation. They're the ones who use it to make their teams more effective at understanding and serving customers.

Want to explore how AI could work specifically in your service business? The conversation is just getting started.

This episode is essential listening for any service business owner who's drowning in data, struggling to scale, or wondering how to use AI without losing the human touch that built their business.

Most service business owners make the same hiring mistake: they either clone themselves or swing too far in the opposite direction. Dave MacDonald, founder of The MacDonald Group, has cracked the code on bringing in leadership that elevates your business without losing what makes it profitable.

In this episode, Dave shares his battle-tested approach to hiring leaders who bring proven systems from larger operations—without the disconnect that kills profitability. If you've ever wondered how to scale past $10M, $20M, or beyond without chaos, this conversation is your roadmap.

The "Descending Ladder" Hiring Strategy That Changes Everything

Dave's counterintuitive approach: hire leaders from companies roughly double your size. Not too small (they won't bring new systems), not too large (they'll lose touch with the hands-on work that drives profit).

The sweet spot: If you're running a $20M service business, target leaders from $40M firms. They've seen the systems that work at scale, but they're still close enough to remember the grind.

The danger zone: Hiring someone from a $100M operation for your $20M business. They'll design systems for problems you don't have yet—and profitability vanishes while they build their empire.

"Throw Them in the Pool" - The Onboarding System That Reveals Everything

Forget the standard two-week onboarding playbook. Dave's approach tests what really matters: can they swim when unexpected challenges hit?

Phase 1 - The Pool

Phase 2 - The Brick

Phase 3 - Juggling

The Three I's: Building a Culture That Repels the Wrong People

Dave's non-negotiable cultural framework filters out mismatches before they become expensive problems:

Integrity - Takes a full year to truly assess. You can't shortcut this one.

Intensity - Either they match your pace or they don't. Create an environment where low intensity feels awkward.

Intentionality - Can be taught, but natural focus is gold. Look for people who think three steps ahead.

Systems That Actually Improve (Instead of Just Existing)

The Annual Rewrite: Every Standard Operating Procedure gets completely rewritten yearly. Yes, completely. This forces evolution and prevents "we've always done it this way" from killing your growth.

The Weekly Rhythm

Feedback loops that matter

The People-First AI Strategy for Service Businesses

Dave's refreshingly practical take on AI: "Old-world values with today's most robust technology."

What they're actually using AI for:

• Writing and presentation creation
• Back-office automation (invoicing, payroll)
• Initial candidate screening

What they're NOT doing:

• Chasing bleeding-edge tools that aren't proven
• Replacing the human connection in recruiting
• Top-down AI mandates

Why This Matters for Your Service Business

If you're stuck between $5M and $20M, you're probably missing one thing: leaders who've already solved the problems you're facing. The systems you need exist—you just need someone who's lived them.

Dave's approach removes the guesswork. Hire people who've already built what you're trying to build. Test them hard and fast. Build a culture so strong that mediocrity feels uncomfortable.

Most importantly: don't let your systems gather dust. Annual rewrites might sound exhausting, but it's the difference between a business that scales and one that plateaus.

Want to transform your hiring and onboarding systems? These aren't just recruitment tactics—they're the foundation for scalable growth. The question isn't whether you can afford to implement these systems. It's whether you can afford not to.

Ever feel like you're drowning in your own business? Nick Lawless was running two companies, writing a book, and battling a lawsuit—all while his ADHD brain was working overtime. His solution? An AI-powered system his team calls "The Lawless Longhouse."

This isn't another theoretical discussion about AI. This is a real-world case study of how one entrepreneur went from chaos to control using systems designed specifically for his brain.

The Entrepreneur's Paradox

We dive into why the skills that make you great at starting businesses often sabotage your growth. Nick shares the hidden cost of entrepreneurial ADHD and why structure isn't actually your enemy. You'll hear his journey from government work to founding two security companies, and the moment he realized something had to change.

When Your Brain Works Against Your Business

Nick opens up about the turning point when he realized his biggest bottleneck was himself. We explore why traditional productivity systems fail for neurodivergent entrepreneurs and uncover the surprising connection between vision, values, and staying organized. This conversation will resonate with anyone who's ever felt like their own mind was working against their business goals.

Building Your AI Chief of Staff

Jennifer Spielman reveals the "Lawless Longhouse" system in detail. You'll discover how AI now manages Nick's calendar, coordinates his teams, and bridges his personal and professional life. Jennifer walks through the specific automation that saved Nick hundreds of hours and explains why this isn't about replacing humans—it's about freeing them to do what they do best. The real results speak for themselves: Nick's productivity transformed even during a lawsuit.

The System Behind the System

We tackle the reality that your best system today will need updating tomorrow. The conversation explores how to build review processes that actually stick and shares the framework for iterating on what works while ditching what doesn't. This is where the rubber meets the road for sustainable business growth.

The Leadership Lesson That Changes Everything

Nick shares the mentorship that shaped his entire approach to leadership. He reflects on what Amy Whiteman taught him about authentic leadership and why empowering others is the ultimate scaling strategy. Most importantly, he reveals how to lead effectively when everything feels like it's falling apart.

Key Takeaways for Your Business

Your systems should fit YOUR brain, not the other way around. Nick's ADHD isn't a weakness to overcome—it's a factor to design around. This fundamental shift in thinking can transform how you approach building processes in your business.

AI isn't the future—it's the present. The Lawless Longhouse isn't science fiction. It's working right now, coordinating schedules, managing tasks, and keeping a multi-company CEO on track. This episode demonstrates practical applications you can start implementing today.

Structure doesn't kill creativity; it protects it. The more automated and systematic Nick's routine tasks became, the more mental space he had for strategic thinking. This is the paradox that busy business owners need to understand.

Systems are never "done." Even the best processes need regular review and iteration—especially when your business faces unexpected challenges. Nick's experience with the lawsuit proves that adaptable systems are resilient systems.

The best leaders make themselves less necessary. Nick's ultimate goal demonstrates the power of magnetic systems: build processes so good that your businesses can thrive without you constantly intervening.

What happens when you take manufacturing efficiency principles and apply them to an industry built on human care? Most leaders would say it's impossible. Alen, COO of Cedars-Sinai Medical Network, proved them wrong.

In this episode, Alen reveals how he's using Lean methodology to standardize processes across one of the nation's leading healthcare systems—without turning patients into numbers or doctors into robots.

What You'll Learn:

The Lean Healthcare Paradox How Cedars-Sinai Medical Network reduces waste and inefficiency while maintaining deeply personalized patient care. Alen breaks down the systems that allow standardization and customization to coexist.

The Resistance Turnaround Alen shares a powerful story about implementing a change that employees initially hated. Instead of pushing harder, he did something counterintuitive—he listened. What happened next transformed not just the process, but the culture around change itself.

The CEO Who Changed Everything Learn about the former CEO who mentored Alen and demonstrated that even in massive organizations, leaders can make genuine personal connections. This isn't soft skills fluff—it's a systematic approach to building trust at scale.

Listening Rounds That Actually Work Alen reveals his system for staying connected with frontline employees across dozens of clinics. He doesn't just visit randomly—he tracks connections to ensure every employee feels seen. This simple metric has profound implications for engagement and retention.

When Feedback Changes the Plan Most leaders say they're open to feedback, but few have systems to actually capture and act on it. Alen walks through a specific example where frontline staff feedback completely changed his implementation approach—and why that made the system stronger.

Perfect For:

• Healthcare leaders struggling to balance efficiency with patient care
• COOs and operations executives implementing change in large organizations
• Business owners who want to bring Lean principles to service-based businesses
• Leaders who've faced employee resistance and need a better approach
• Anyone building systems in industries where "the human element" can't be sacrificed

Key Quotes:

"The frontline staff knew something we didn't. Our job wasn't to convince them we were right. Our job was to listen until we understood what they were seeing."

"You can't mandate connection. But you can build systems that make it more likely to happen—and measure whether it's actually happening."

Why This Episode Matters:

If you've ever thought "systems and processes will make us too rigid" or "our industry is different—we can't standardize," this conversation will challenge everything you believe about the relationship between efficiency and humanity.

Alen proves that the right systems don't constrain care—they create the space for it to flourish.

Listen now to discover how one of America's leading medical networks eliminates waste, engages employees, and delivers world-class care—all at the same time.

Episode Length: 45 minutes

Guest: Alen Voskanian, COO of Cedars-Sinai Medical Network

Host: Karl Staib, Systematic Leader

Want to build systems that improve the customer experience without losing your company's soul? This is the episode you've been waiting for.

Learn more about Alen Voskanian over at Reclaiming the Joy of Medicine. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn. You can check out his book (link to Amazon).

You can get the Magnetic Systems Method (and other systems guides) to find issues before they become expensive problems

As always, if you have any questions or want to submit an amazing guest for the podcast, just reach out to me on the Systematic Leader website, and I’ll do my best to get them on. If you enjoy the interview, please take 30 seconds to rate the Systematic Leader podcast on your favorite platform. Thanks!

Ever wonder how successful entrepreneurs make decisions that consistently drive growth? Sam Vander Wielen, the powerhouse behind a thriving seven-figure legal education business, sits down with Karl to reveal the exact systems she uses to scale while staying true to her unique voice.

The Curiosity Framework That Transforms Teams

Sam drops a game-changer: curiosity as a core business value. But this isn't just feel-good leadership fluff. She shares the specific techniques she uses to turn her team into problem-solvers who aren't afraid to experiment and fail forward.

The Voice-of-Customer System That Drives Real Results

Here's where Sam gets tactical. She reveals her quarterly feedback system that goes beyond basic surveys. This isn't about collecting compliments – it's about gathering data that actually changes how she builds products and crafts messaging.

The twist? Sometimes the data forces her to pivot away from her own assumptions. Sam shares how customer feedback helped her make decisions that felt counterintuitive but drove significant growth.

AI Integration Without Losing Your Soul

Sam's approach to AI is refreshingly strategic. She's not jumping on every shiny new tool – instead, she's thoughtfully integrating AI for specific tasks while fiercely protecting what makes her business unique: her voice and perspective.

She reveals exactly where she uses AI (social media, email reminders) and where she draws hard lines (core content creation).

Why This Matters for Your Business

If you're a small business owner struggling with:

• Team members who wait for direction instead of taking initiative
• Making decisions based on gut feeling rather than solid data
• Wondering how to use AI without losing what makes you different
• Scaling while maintaining quality and authenticity

...then Sam's systems provide a blueprint you can actually implement.

The Bottom Line

Sam proves that systematic curiosity and strategic feedback loops aren't just nice-to-haves. They're the engines that power sustainable growth. Her approach shows how the right systems can help you scale without sacrificing the human elements that make your business special.

Ready to build magnetic systems that make your team more proactive and your customers more engaged? This conversation gives you the roadmap.

Want to design feedback systems that actually drive growth in your business? Let's talk about how to turn your people into problem-solvers who help you scale smarter, not harder.

Learn more about Sam Vander Wielen over at her website. You can also connect with her on LinkedIn.

You can get the Magnetic Systems Method (and other systems guides) to find issues before they become expensive problems.

As always, if you have any questions or want to submit an amazing guest for the podcast, just reach out to me on the Systematic Leader website, and I’ll do my best to get them on. If you enjoy the interview, please take 30 seconds to rate the Systematic Leader podcast on your favorite platform. Thanks!

Related podcasts and articles:

• The Hidden Force Behind 95% of Your Team’s Decisions with Mark C. Crowley
• The Power of Systems Thinking in Your Company

Ever wonder how some business owners seem to effortlessly scale while others work 70-hour weeks just to stay afloat? Dr. Thomas Powell cracked the code, and he's sharing the exact system that turns struggling founders into magnetic leaders.

What You'll Discover:

The "Green, Yellow, Red" Dashboard Secret

• Why tracking daily activities beats obsessing over outcomes every time
• The simple 3-color system that keeps founders accountable without micromanaging
• How this dashboard prevents expensive problems before they crash your business

The "Old Bold Guys" Principle for Smart Risk-Taking

• Why most entrepreneurs fail at balancing bold moves with smart caution
• The skiing lesson that could save you from catastrophic business decisions
• How to assess risk-reward like a seasoned pro (without losing your entrepreneurial edge)

The PLOD Method: Turn Your Team Into Problem-Solving Machines

• The 4-letter framework that transforms how you receive feedback
• Why most leaders think they're listening but are actually just waiting to talk
• How curiosity becomes your secret weapon for uncovering hidden friction points

AI as Your Personal Business Coach

• How Dr. Powell uses ChatGPT for brutal self-reflection (and why it works better than traditional coaching)
• The "prompt engineering" technique that exposes your biggest blind spots
• Why technology amplifies human systems instead of replacing them

From Family Dreams to Business Reality

• Real talk about supporting ambitious family goals while building sustainable businesses
• How personal systems mirror business systems (and why both must work together)

The Hidden Gem:

Dr. Powell reveals why founders struggle with talent retention and compensation alignment - plus the systematic approach that fixes both problems simultaneously.

Bottom Line: This isn't another "work harder" interview. It's a blueprint for working smarter through magnetic systems that make your business run like clockwork.

Ready to stop throwing away time and money on broken processes? This conversation shows you exactly how to build the feedback loops that fuel sustainable growth.

Listen now and discover the systematic approach that transforms chaotic operations into profit-generating machines.

You can learn more about Thomas J. Powell at his website. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn.

Check out similar episodes here:

• Why the ‘Open Door Policy’ Is Failing With Mark Reich
• Your Story Is the Bridge to Their Trust with Matthew Dicks