The Leadership Podcast Podcast By Jan Rutherford and Jim Vaselopulos experts on leadership development cover art

The Leadership Podcast

The Leadership Podcast

By: Jan Rutherford and Jim Vaselopulos experts on leadership development
Listen for free

LIMITED TIME OFFER | Get 3 months for $0.99 a month

$14.95/mo thereafter-terms apply.
We interview great leaders, review the books they read, and speak with highly influential authors who study them.Copyright © 2016-2025 Rafti Advisors, LLC & Self Reliant Leadership, LLC - All Rights Reserved. Economics Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • TLP495: The Accountability Paradox

    TLP495: The Accountability Paradox
    Jan 21 2026
    Patrick Veroneau is CEO of Emery Leadership Group and author of The Leadership Bridge: How to engage your employees and drive organizational excellence and The Missing Piece: What Great Teams Do That Others Overlook. In this episode, Patrick explains why organizations' increasing focus on accountability systems over the past five years has coincided with employee engagement hitting a 10-year low. He reveals the accountability paradox: the harder you push for accountability, the further you get from ownership. Patrick discusses why leaders fall short in closing the gap between intention and impact—we intellectually understand leadership concepts, but fail to apply them consistently. Patrick explains the sequence that moves teams from compliance to genuine commitment (support → celebrate → own), reveals the invisible habit great teams practice (recognizing progress along the journey, not just outcomes). If you're tired of accountability systems that aren't working and want to build real ownership on your team, this episode will change how you lead. Find episode 495 on The Leadership Podcast, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! Watch this Episode on YouTube | Patrick Veroneau on The Accountability Paradox https://bit.ly/TLP-495 Key Takeaways [02:57] Patrick said growing up in a large family made him more intuitive because he was always around older people having adult conversations. [04:43] Patrick explained that leaders fall short because they intellectually understand concepts but don't apply them consistently or model the behaviors they expect. [06:58] Patrick shared that social exclusion triggers the same brain response as physical pain, and unexpected recognition spikes dopamine while unrecognized effort decreases it. [11:47] Patrick revealed the accountability paradox: average teams focus on accountability first, but great teams support and celebrate first to create ownership. [14:25] Patrick shared Stephen Covey's insight that leaders need to trust other people first, not wait for others to trust them. [17:32] Patrick said the invisible habit of great teams is celebrating progress along the way, not just the final outcome. [21:34] Patrick said companies that aren't flexible on remote work will be at a disadvantage, but connection must be intentional and meaningful. [26:49] Patrick shared that Rear Admiral Cutler Dawson's success came from "walking the deck plates"—connecting with people at all levels, not his authority. [33:24] And remember..."Leadership is not about a title or a designation. It's about impact, influence and inspiration. Impact involves getting results, influence is about spreading the passion you have for your work, and you have to inspire teammates and customers." - Robin S. Sharma Quotable Quotes "Don't settle for accountability. It's the low bar. Shoot for ownership." "To be on a great team, you have to first commit to being a great teammate." "Average organizations focus on accountability first. Great teams support and celebrate first, then create ownership." "We need to trust other people first. You need to give before you get." "When people feel they should be recognized and aren't, their dopamine levels go down. That's what we experience as disengagement." "Accountability is included in ownership. But not the reverse." "Humility is the circuit breaker on overconfidence." "Walking the deck plates—connecting with people at all levels. We've overcomplicated what it means to lead." "If you don't commit first to being a great teammate, you absolutely won't be part of a great team because you're the weakest link." "Look for work, look for stuff to do, look where you can help." These are the books mentioned in this episode Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Emery Leadership Group Website | www.emeryleadershipgroup.com Emery Leadership Group Facebook | www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063653920372 Patrick Veroneau LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-veroneau Patrick Veroneau Instagram | @patrickveroneau
    Show more Show less
    34 mins
  • TLP494: When Leadership Is About Who You Serve: Mark Steffe's Story

    TLP494: When Leadership Is About Who You Serve: Mark Steffe's Story
    Jan 14 2026
    Mark Steffe is President and CEO of First Command Financial Services, bringing over 30 years of financial services leadership. In this episode, Mark explains why he left his dream job working with ultra-high-net-worth families to serve military members who truly need financial guidance. He shares how military families face unique challenges including frequent relocations, spouse underemployment, and modest pay, requiring advisors who understand their sacrifices. Mark demonstrates how building trust and psychological safety enables difficult financial conversations, comparing financial advisors to doctors who need honest patient information. He outlines his quality control approach for serving the tight-knit military community, emphasizing mission alignment, compliance-first culture, and protecting reputation. Discover practical strategies for leading with mission over metrics, building trust for difficult conversations, and coaching teams to improve rather than simply demanding better results. Find episode 494 on The Leadership Podcast, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! Watch this Episode on YouTube | Mark Steffe on When Leadership Is About Who You Serve https://bit.ly/TLP-494 Key Takeaways [04:06] Mark explains he left ultra-high-net-worth services because he wanted to change lives, not just help wealthy people get wealthier. [07:26] Mark reveals how much military families sacrifice, putting our interests and safety ahead of their own. [11:34] Mark notes COVID year one was easier as crisis mode, but year two's transition back proved harder. [14:34] Mark explains First Command uses AI for exponential growth without adding employees, upskilling workers instead. [17:27] Mark credits Simon Sinek's "Start with Why" for emphasizing communicating the why, not just what and how. [21:54] Mark reframes the financial mess as reflecting "how busy you've been taking care of everybody else," not personal failure. [27:42] Mark outlines quality control requires mission-aligned hiring and rejecting the false choice between profitability and compliance. [33:13] Mark tells his "throw strikes" story: His son didn't need parents yelling commands, he needed a coach to fix his mechanics. [38:52] And remember..."Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives." - James Madison Quotable Quotes "Our job was to help wealthy people get wealthier. I wanted to change lives instead." "If Jack's not throwing strikes, he doesn't need someone to yell at him to throw strikes. He needs the coach to walk out to the mound and help him adjust his mechanics." "If employees aren't performing at the level you need, it's not because they don't want to. They don't know how yet." "What became an accommodation for concern of people's health and safety became an entitlement." "We can either be profitable or we can be compliant. The answer is always AND—we have to be profitable AND we have to be compliant." "Early in your career you get promoted for what you do. Later, it's how you lead, how you communicate, how you paint a vision." "Your messy finances are a reflection of how busy you've been taking care of everybody else, not personal failure." "If you take care of your clients and do the right thing for them, the profits will show up." These are the books mentioned in this episode Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Mark Steffe Website | www.firstcommand.com Mark Steffe LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/mark-steffe Below are two articles from Mark about his leadership philosophy and communication strategies and the financial challenges facing military families and the importance of financial advisors. ● https://medium.com/authority-magazine/impactful-communication-mark-steffe-of-first-command-financial-services-inc-on-5-essential-e60d3e4855f7 ● https://usveteransmagazine.com/usvm/helping-military-families-overcome-historic-money-struggles/
    Show more Show less
    40 mins
  • TLP493: "Sand People" - The Hidden Drag on Your Team's Performance

    TLP493: "Sand People" - The Hidden Drag on Your Team's Performance
    Jan 7 2026
    Jim and Jan tackle the uncomfortable truth about "sand people," those team members who grind everything to a halt, and why even your best glue guy can't overcome the friction they create. Drawing from their coaching experience, Jim and Jan reveal how to identify and deal with sand people before they destroy your team. They explore the telltale signs—projecting, hoarding resources, passive-aggressive behavior—and explain why leaders consistently wait too long to act. They also share the harsh truth that someone who is not performing well is costing more than they produce, and costing opportunities and damaging team morale in ways that are difficult to quantify. In this episode, you'll learn how sand people self-identify through their behavior, the specific ways they inhibit high performance, and most importantly, why it's critical to move quickly.. Find episode 493 on The Leadership Podcast, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! Watch this Episode on YouTube | Jim and Jan on "Sand People" - The Hidden Drag on Your Team's Performance https://bit.ly/tlp-493 Key Takeaways [01:35] Jim coined the term "sand people" to describe team members who act as sand in the gears, preventing smooth team operation. [03:05] Jan noted that 60% of people in the U.S. are not in high-value jobs with only 31% engagement, creating a disconnect between economic growth and worker fulfillment. [05:12] Sand people often project by complaining about what others aren't doing, which is exactly what they themselves aren't doing. [07:34] Jan confirmed that one bad person on a team poisons everything, making it impossible to have a successful team experience. [12:33] A-players immediately avoid sand people and start looking for better teams because they expect leaders to uphold standards. [16:04] Jim witnessed Larry Yost pick up a cigarette butt when no one was watching, demonstrating how modeling behavior matters more than words. [19:17] Jan admitted being a sand person as a young cynical military officer, making wisecracks without anyone coaching her on the impact. [21:05] Jim acknowledged being too harsh early in his management career and emphasized the importance of learning from mistakes. [22:06] Jan's biggest business mistake was bragging about new hires then keeping them too long trying to fix them instead of recognizing sunk costs. [23:49] Jim advocated hiring for unteachable qualities like curiosity in salespeople rather than skills you can train. [26:34] Jan recommended "Top Grading" by Brad Smart for distinguishing between easy-to-change skills and hard-to-change qualities like energy and passion. [33:36] Leaders must be attracted to friction to identify where to remove resistance and lubricate the machine for team effectiveness. [29:57] Jan identified two coaching buckets: helping people prioritize time strategically and having difficult conversations about performance expectations. [33:21] And remember… "The path of least resistance is the path of the loser." - H. G. Well Quotable Quotes "If getting rid of people is easy for you and you don't lose sleep over it, you're probably a sociopath." "The day it gets easy for you is the day you've kind of lost your soul." - "We've got to have good friction. Friction that produces traction, not friction that produces drag." "Your culture becomes the worst behavior you tolerate." "One bad person, even if they're a little bad, is way more powerful than the best person for a team." "Look for work, look for things to do, and give more than you take." - "Sand people are limiting your culture. They are in effect a toleration of sub optimal performance of weakness." "If we pay people that aren't getting the job done, then they're either a charity case or they are a thief." "As a leader, I think we need to be attracted to friction." "People are not fine wine." These are the books mentioned in this episode Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Jan Rutherford LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/janrutherford Jan Rutherford X | @JanRutherford Jim Vaselopulos LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/jimvaselopulos Jim Vaselopulos xX | @jim_va
    Show more Show less
    34 mins
All stars
Most relevant
I've been listening for 3 years and every time I listen to a show I feel like I can go apply the practices discussed in my personal life and lower to mid management career. I have 100% grown as a leader from listening to this show.

Focus on evergreen topics. Meaning they don't cover current events. Only leadership focused self improvement topics.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.