In this kickoff to the Lead Like a Gardener series, we explore why so many leaders default to pressure, control, and quick fixes—especially in fast-paced environments. Drawing on the contrast between mechanic-style leadership and gardener-style leadership, this episode unpacks how true growth doesn’t come from tightening bolts, but from tending to the soil people grow in. If you’ve ever felt like you're the only one driving results, or like you’re stuck being the fixer instead of the leader—this conversation is for you.

Because even in a mechanic-first world, you still get to choose how you lead.

In this opening episode of the Lead Like a Gardener series, we introduce a leadership mindset that trades control for cultivation. Inspired by years of learning and leading at Thrive, Ryan contrasts “mechanic-style” leadership—quick fixes and control—with the steady, intentional work of gardeners who prepare, plant, nurture, and wait.

Great leaders don’t force growth. They create the conditions for people to thrive.

This episode lays the foundation for the series and invites listeners to rethink how they lead: not by tightening bolts, but by tending the soil

In the final episode of our Fantastic Four series, we explore how curiosity keeps teams engaged, adaptive, and human.

We unpack what healthy curiosity looks like—and how unhealthy curiosity can subtly erode trust. You’ll learn how curiosity is rooted in trust, agency, and hope—and why cultivating it makes leadership easier, not harder. We offer practical ways to model and inspire curiosity on the frontline, including how to turn reactive moments into reflective ones.

Plus, we dig into how humility powers curiosity, and how staying open as a leader helps your team grow. Because when you lead with curiosity, you don’t just solve problems—you develop people.

In this episode of Your Preshift, we explore the quiet but powerful role of hope in frontline leadership. Hope isn’t just wishful thinking—it’s the belief that the future can be better, and that we have a role in making it so. We talk about how hope grows in gritty, everyday moments, how it connects to trust and agency, and why it can feel so out of reach when people are just trying to survive. You’ll hear how leaders can inspire hope through presence, truth-telling, and belief—especially when hope is hardest to find. And we’ll close with two practical challenges to help you give hope to your team and yourself this week.

Resources:

1. Workplace Stability by Ruth Weirich

What if the real power of leadership isn’t just about giving direction—but giving people the belief that they can lead too? In this episode of Your Preshift, we explore the second trait in our Fantastic Four of frontline leadership: agency.

Agency is more than motivation or job clarity—it’s the deep, internal belief that I can act, I can decide, and what I do matters. We’ll talk about how leaders inspire agency by giving trust, not just tasks—and why believing in someone’s judgment is what actually helps them grow.

You’ll learn how to spot the difference between low-agency and high-agency language, why connecting work to human impact is essential, and how the way you describe a job can either flatten or elevate a person’s sense of purpose.

Plus, we offer three practical challenges you can try this week to build agency on your team—one step, one conversation, one shift at a time.

Research Links:

1. Center for Self Determination Theory
2. Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2020). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation from a self-determination theory perspective: Definitions, theory, practices, and future directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 61, 101860. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2020.101860

In this episode of Your Preshift, we explore what it means to inspire trust—not build it, earn it, or create it. Inspiring trust is different because it’s rooted in presence and belief, not performance or control. The big idea: when leaders GIVE trust freely, they spark ownership, but when they make people earn it, they create compliance and entitlement. We talk about how giving trust connects to the human spirit, shifts power dynamics, and develops both the team and the leader. Plus, we’ll reflect on how trustworthy we are as leaders—and challenge ourselves to take one small step toward trust this week.

Resources:

The Thin Book of Trust by Charles Feltman

Toseef M, Kiran A, Zhuo S, Jahangir M, Riaz S, Wei Z, Ghauri TA, Ullah I, Ahmad SB. Inspirational Leadership and Innovative Communication in Sustainable Organizations: A Mediating Role of Mutual Trust. Front Psychol. 2022 Jul 28;13:846128. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.846128. PMID: 36003091; PMCID: PMC9394427.

Martino J, Pegg J, Frates EP. The Connection Prescription: Using the Power of Social Interactions and the Deep Desire for Connectedness to Empower Health and Wellness. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2015 Oct 7;11(6):466-475. doi: 10.1177/1559827615608788. PMID: 30202372; PMCID: PMC6125010.

Vagisha, P S J, Iyer V. Mapping inspiration in human resources: A systematic review of themes and approaches. F1000Res. 2023 Jun 16;12:694. doi: 10.12688/f1000research.128853.1. PMID: 37635944; PMCID: PMC10448870.

Legood, A., van der Werff, L., Lee, A., & Den Hartog, D. (2021). A meta-analysis of the role of trust in the leadership-performance relationship. European Journal of Work andOrganizational Psychology, 30(1), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2020.1819241

In this episode of Your Preshift, we explore what inspiration really means on the frontlines of leadership—and why it’s not about big speeches or grand gestures. Instead, real inspiration happens in everyday moments through presence, belief, and how you show up. Ryan introduces the “Fantastic Four” of frontline leadership: Trust, Hope, Agency, and Curiosity—the four human experiences every great leader inspires in their team. Tune in to discover how small shifts in your daily leadership can create big ripple effects.

Some of Ryan's favorite inspirational talks from real life:

I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Power of Vulnerability by Brene Brown

and from movies: (some have explicit language)

Any Given Sunday Pre-Game Speech (Al Pacino)

Barbie - America Ferrera's Speech

Miracle Speech Herb Brooks (Kurt Russell)

Welcome to the very first episode of Your Preshift—the 10-15-minute podcast for leaders who want to show up more human and lead with heart.

In this kickoff episode, host Ryan Bond—Chief People Officer at Thrive Restaurant Group—shares why frontline leaders are the true game-changers in any organization. With nearly 8,000 team members across 185 restaurants, Ryan brings real-world insight into what it really takes to lead people on the frontlines of work.

💥 If you’re leading a shift, managing a team, or just trying to make it through a busy day—this episode is your reminder that what you do matters.

🎯 In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why frontline leadership is the most influential role in the business
• How every business result traces back to people—and their leaders
• Why real change starts with human connection, not spreadsheets
• What makes the relationship between a person and their leader the most powerful force in the workplace

This podcast is your space to recharge, refocus, and reconnect with what matters. Insight. Encouragement. Action. All in under five minutes.

📝 Got feedback or a story to share? Email us at hello@yourpreshift.com

👍 Like what you hear? Follow, subscribe, and leave a review to help more frontline leaders find their way here.

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Your Preshift

Showing up human. Leading with heart.