“Leadership isn’t for me. I’m naturally introverted, quiet, and shy - no one would ever listen to me.”

Although this isn’t a direct quote, it’s a common excuse we hear from coaches, leaders, and business owners alike as to why they can’t (or won’t) lead or have the impact they want on those around them. And to put it bluntly, this topic doesn’t get the amount of discussion it deserves.

That’s why in today’s episode Victor Hall, VP of Operations at EXOS, provides insight on his own experience pursuing impactful leadership as an introvert. Together, we explore how to influence others, navigate different conversational styles and break through the barriers of shyness.

Victor Hall has spent over 20 years training athletes, leading performance teams, and educating fellow coaches and trainers. During that time, he has worked within collegiate, private facilities, and military environments. Victor joined EXOS in 2010 as a Performance Manager of a Human Performance Program for the Department of Defense, and currently serves as the Vice President of Operations at EXOS.

We cover a few key components that make up this pursuit of effective leadership, including:

• The secrets of making an impact as an introvert
• How self awareness contributes to leadership and creating a lasting impact
• Where his natural tendencies haven’t served him in the past
• What he does to embrace authenticity instead of trying to “fix” himself

Related Resources:

E202: Why Facts & Logic Don’t Change Our Minds

E227: Stu McMillan: No B.S. Leadership Lessons from an Olympic Coach

E240: The 4 Styles of Communication

How to Connect with Coach Hall:

vhall@teamexos.com

The Antihero Advantage: https://theantiheroadvantage.com/

Preorder Bulk Copies For your Team or Friends through Porchlight:

https://www.porchlightbooks.com/products/antihero-advantage-brett-bartholomew-9780593712825

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We all go through different seasons in life—and there will likely be at least four periods when we lose friends, gain new ones, or realize that certain relationships no longer work the way they once did.

These changes rarely happen in isolation. They often arrive alongside job loss, career changes, family transitions, and other identity shifts that can make it feel like everything is happening at once.

In this episode, Brett goes into the mailbag to answer questions from listeners dealing with flaky friends, one-sided relationships, career uncertainty, and major changes in how they see themselves.

He covers how to have hard conversations with friends who may not be doing their part, how to take an honest look at whether you’re doing yours, and how to navigate these changes without constantly wondering, “Is it me?” “Am I screwed?” or “What the hell am I going to do now?”

If nothing else, you’ll walk away with practical ways to handle the messy moments when your relationships, career, and sense of identity all seem to be shifting at once.

For more practical guidance on navigating the messy realities of leadership and life, preorder Brett’s latest book, The Antihero Advantage.

The Antihero Advantage: https://theantiheroadvantage.com/

Preorder Bulk Copies For your Team or Friends through Porchlight:

https://www.porchlightbooks.com/products/antihero-advantage-brett-bartholomew-9780593712825

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Website: ArtofCoaching.com

Instagram: @coach_brettb

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In this more personal, laid-back episode, Brett gives you a few of his favorite recent reads, the Nerf guns he’s currently using to blast his son, the music he’s listening to right now, and a short teaser from his newest book, The Antihero Advantage.

Sometimes it’s nice to just get a peek behind the curtain. This is one of those episodes you can throw on, roll the windows down, and enjoy—along with a few ideas, recommendations, and a first look at what’s coming in the new book.

More sneak peeks from The Anti-Hero Advantage are coming soon. Until then, you can pre-order your copy at theantiheroadvantage.com or on Amazon.

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Website: ArtofCoaching.com

Instagram: @coach_brettb

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There’s no shortage of information out there. If anything, we’re drowning in it.

Wisdom is different.

Wisdom is perspective you can actually use. It’s information that’s been distilled, reflected upon, screwed up a few times, revisited, and battle-tested in the real world.

With about four months left in the year, I wanted to take stock of what I’ve learned, re-learned, and been reminded of throughout 2026.

Some came from my own personal and professional experiences. Others came from conversations with clients and people we work with at Art of Coaching. None are meant to be earth-shattering. That’s kind of the point.

In this episode, I get into:

•⁠ ⁠Why you need to define what success actually means to YOU—and periodically revisit that definition. •⁠ ⁠Why knowing who you aren’t can sometimes be just as useful as knowing who you are. •⁠ ⁠What conflict tells you about the ceiling of a personal or professional relationship. •⁠ ⁠Why you shouldn’t expect the truth from someone who is lying to themselves. •⁠ ⁠The difference between what organizations say they value and what people are actually incentivized to protect. •⁠ ⁠Why old-fashioned things like handwritten notes, thoughtful messages, common courtesy, and simply giving a shit still matter. •⁠ ⁠Something I’ve been reminded of throughout the process of releasing my new book: people are often far more willing to help than we convince ourselves they are.

There’s plenty of noise competing for your attention right now. My hope is that there are at least one or two things in here that make you stop, think, or look at something in your own life a little differently.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

•⁠ ⁠How to separate your definition of success from everybody else’s. •⁠ ⁠Why self-awareness without conviction doesn’t get you very far. •⁠ ⁠What conflict, self-deception, and organizational politics can teach you about dealing with people. •⁠ ⁠Why some of the simplest habits still have an outsized impact on relationships and reputation.

PRE-ORDER HERE NOW! https://theantiheroadvantage.com/

Follow Us:

Website: ArtofCoaching.com

Instagram: @coach_brettb

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In this follow-up episode, Brett doubles down on why being liked isn’t a prerequisite for effective leadership, while also exploring where the limits of that advice begin to show.

Using a real-world case study of a high-performing professional who believes they were fired due to not being liked, and another client who thinks they were passed over for a promotion because they weren’t perceived as likable, Brett examines the more complex relationship between likability, competence, power, and leverage.

He breaks down why doing great work isn’t always enough to protect you, how easily people can misread the political dynamics operating around them, and why your ability to withstand interpersonal friction often depends on how difficult you are to replace.

The episode also explores research on why people sometimes prefer a likable colleague over a more competent one, when that preference flips, and why understanding who holds power—and what leverage you actually have—is essential to navigating any organization.

The goal isn’t to become more agreeable or start chasing approval. It’s to understand the context you’re operating in well enough to know whose opinion matters, what makes you valuable, where your leverage comes from, and when being disliked can actually cost you.

For more like this, pre-order Brett’s new book, The Antihero Advantage, now to learn more practical strategies for navigating power dynamics, communicating with different personalities, and making a bigger impact without relying on the tired leadership formulas that rarely survive contact with the real world.

PRE-ORDER HERE NOW! https://theantiheroadvantage.com/

For reference, see these previous episodes mentioned in this episode:

•⁠ ⁠ Episode 214 of The Art of Coaching Podcast, “Why Great Leaders Shouldn’t Worry About Being Liked”: https://artofcoaching.com/e214/ •⁠ ⁠ Episode 438, “You Don’t Have to Be Liked: The Power of Not Being for Everyone” with Nathalia Melo: https://artofcoaching.com/e438/

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:

•⁠ ⁠How to audit how much leverage you actually have

•⁠ ⁠Why being great at your job may not be enough

•⁠ ⁠ How to tell if your relationships are helping or hurting your career

•⁠ ⁠ Ways to spot power dynamics you may be missing

Follow Us:

Website: ArtofCoaching.com

Instagram: @coach_brettb

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My guest this episode is Nathalia Melo, a globally recognized fitness and performance coach, former Olympia champion, and Harvard Medical School Certified Wellness Coach.

Nathalia is a globally recognized fitness and performance coach with over 17 years of experience helping high-performing women build bodies that support the level at which they operate in their careers and lives. A former Olympia champion and Harvard Medical School Certified Wellness Coach, Nathalia has spoken in over 30 countries, presented for Fortune 500 companies and AM100 law firms, and been featured in magazines worldwide.

Today, she leads a multidisciplinary coaching practice that integrates training, nutrition, behavioral psychology, and lifestyle strategy to help busy professionals improve their physical capacity, energy, and long-term health.

Through her Powerhouse coaching programs, Nathalia and her team, which includes Registered Dietitians and Licensed Counselors, have helped more than 5,000 women navigate the challenges of maintaining their health while leading demanding careers and families.

Her work focuses on a population often overlooked in traditional wellness conversations: high-achieving women who understand health intellectually but struggle to apply it consistently within the realities of leadership, long hours, and high responsibility.

Her mission is to help women operate at the highest level without sacrificing the health and physical capacity that makes sustained success possible.

In this episode, Brett and Nathalia talk about how critical it is to be deliberate in all the things you do, but also to quit worrying about being liked. They talk about how, especially in today's performative culture where people are so worried about seeking validation, it will often derail you personally and professionally.

The conversation spans:

-Professional development

-Nathalia's backstory

-Navigating conflict with your partner

-Understanding how to better interact with your children

-Figuring out and owning your real voice without constantly backtracking or seeking approval

You'll get things you can use immediately and then build off of that.

Find Nathalia:

Website: nathaliamelofit.com

Podcast: Unfiltered Fit Life (Apple, Spotify)

Instagram: @nathaliamelofit

YouTube: @natmelofit

Follow Us:

Website: ArtofCoaching.com

Instagram: @coach_brettb

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We’ve all done it.

There’s a conversation we need to have—whether it’s making a request, delivering difficult news, sharing information, repairing a relationship, or even giving a speech or presentation. Yet before we ever say a word, we convince ourselves it’s going to go far worse than it probably will. We think we’re going to annoy somebody, bother somebody, ruin a relationship, lose an opportunity, or otherwise be viewed in a negative light.

In this episode, we’ll explore some of the scientific principles behind why we do this. We’ll discuss why we have a negativity bias, why we tend to keep things to ourselves, why we avoid conflict, and why we’re so quick to assume people are going to disrespect us, deny us opportunities, misread our intentions, or see us differently than they actually do.

We’ll also talk about first principles and practical strategies you can use to continue showing up in a way that’s genuine to you—without getting caught in a doom loop of overthinking that ultimately costs you opportunities or makes situations worse than they ever needed to be.

For more on these topics, check out my new book, The Anti-Hero Advantage. It’s literally written to help people navigate hard conversations, conflict, self-doubt, and learn how to channel these challenges into strengths so they can become more effective and adaptable in any relationship—personal or professional.

Published by Portfolio/Penguin Random House, it’s the most meaningful work I’ve ever done.

Pre-order your copy today at TheAntiHeroAdvantage.com or on Amazon.

And yes, I’ll be narrating the audiobook myself.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:

•⁠ ⁠ Why your brain creates worst-case scenarios

•⁠ ⁠How to better manage the narrative in our minds

•⁠ ⁠How to avoid catastrophizing

•⁠ ⁠ Why we avoid difficult conversations

•⁠ ⁠ A simple framework to stop making monsters out of moments

Follow Us:

Website: ArtofCoaching.com

Instagram: @coach_brettb

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In this episode, Brett talks about the importance of taking a first step — and not in some kind of cheesy way, but in a way that applies regardless of whether you're trying to write a book, whether you want to start a new job, whether you're beginning a new relationship. Whatever road you're taking, and no matter how daunting it seems before you, you've got to take that first step. This dives into why we often overthink, why we often overprepare, and how that can actually keep us stuck; and why it's important to just get the metaphorical shitty rough draft out there.

By taking action and being willing to take the risk, look foolish, fail a little bit, yet tweak it as we go — that is always when we're going to be able to make the most progress. So many motivational episodes are going to give you some kind of framework or something else. This just tells you what you already know, but perhaps in a clear way: you need to get started now, in the simplest way possible, because the sooner you do that, the more you're going to be able to tweak and refine and adapt as you go. And progress always favors the bold and those who don't procrastinate.

For more tips on how to overcome your own internal doubts and demons — whether that's perfectionism, overthinking, or imposter phenomenon — check out Brett's latest book, The Antihero Advantage, now available for preorder at theantiheroadvantage.com.

Follow Us:

Website: ArtofCoaching.com

Instagram: @coach_brettb

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