A group of porcupines huddling together in winter provides an unlikely but powerful metaphor for leadership. In this episode, John Eades dives into the critical importance of direct dialogue and the necessity of difficult conversations for team performance, accountability, and growth.

You’ll learn:

• Why avoiding conflict is more harmful than facing it

• The 3-part formula for effective direct dialogue: Standards, Evidence, and Courage

• How to act on the truth behind Alex Hormozi’s quote: “Confronting someone in the short term always beats resenting them in the long term for things left unsaid.”

Whether you're leading a team, managing a project, or striving for healthier relationships, this episode will equip you to speak up, lean into conflict, and lead with clarity.

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"Great leadership inspires followership. It get people to follow the strategy. Followership doesn’t happen by just telling people what to do."

Adam Weber joins the show in this week's episode. He is the former Chief People Officer at 15Five, co-founder of Emplify, and author of Lead Like a Human.

You can learn more about Adam here

Interested in booking a free workshop for your organization, go here.

Talent gets the headlines, but character wins championships.

In this episode, John Eades shares a story from NBA All-Star Draymond Green about his rookie teammate Trace Jackson-Davis — and the quiet, selfless act that every team leader should notice.

Then, John introduces the Talent Cross Model, a practical tool for evaluating the people on your team through two powerful lenses: ability and selflessness.

If you want to build a team that performs at a high level and elevates one another, this episode is a must.

🔑 In this episode:

• Why selfless teammates are more valuable than you think

• The 4 types of talent on any team

• How to use the Talent Cross Model to guide hiring, development, and accountability

You can watch the video on youtube here.