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
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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
  • TLP507: Disrupt or Be Buried: The Mindset That Changes Everything

    TLP507: Disrupt or Be Buried: The Mindset That Changes Everything
    Apr 15 2026
    Patrick Leddin is an army veteran, entrepreneur, and NYT and WSJ Bestselling Author. He is the co-author, with James Patterson, of "Disrupt Everything—and Win: Take Control of Your Future." Most leaders treat disruption as something to survive. Patrick argues that's exactly the wrong frame. The gap between leaders who thrive in uncertainty and those who get buried by it isn't talent or timing — it's mindset. And that can be learned. In this conversation, Patrick explains why disruption doesn't always mean blowing things up. Sometimes it means doubling down when everyone else pivots. He breaks down the five roles people play in change and shares a practical way to assess the odds before you commit. For any leader feeling overwhelmed by the pace of change, this episode offers a more honest and more useful way to think about what's actually in front of you. Find episode 507 on The Leadership Podcast, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! Watch this Episode on YouTube | Patrick Leddin on Disrupt or Be Buried: The Mindset That Changes Everything https://bit.ly/TLP-507 Key Takeaways [02:08] Patrick reveals he failed out of junior college before the Army changed everything. [03:50] Patrick explains how a COVID-era Vanderbilt crisis leadership course — and a guest lecture from James Patterson — planted the seed for the book. [08:06] Patrick reframes disruption as opportunity, not threat — and why hitting pause before reacting is the move most leaders skip. [12:50] Patrick shares the KPMG story where saying "just get me to lunch" turned into a $12 million project. [15:29] Jan asks Patrick which of the book's five roles he was playing in that moment — Trailblazer, then Torchbearer as the team grew. [16:35] Jim asks Patrick how timing plays a role in disruption and whether being too early kills commercial success. [19:31] Patrick walks through the back-of-envelope math he used with Vanderbilt's Chancellor to turn a 15% shot at co-authoring with Patterson into a 50% one. [25:08] Patrick outlines how to tell the difference between fear that signals danger and discomfort that signals growth. [28:51] Patrick confirms that everyone is wired for disruption — and offers the single smallest first step to prove it. [34:14] Patrick challenges every listener to identify one relationship that's gone sideways and disrupt it — for good. [36:08] And remember…"The reason why it is so difficult for existing firms to capitalize on disruptive innovations is that their processes and their business model that make them good at the existing business actually make them bad at competing for disruption." - Clayton M. Christensen Quotable Quotes "A disruption is anything that causes you to pause and consider — knocks you out of your normal routine." "Sometimes you disrupt something by choosing to double down on what you're already committed to — even when everyone else says go the other way." "We say disrupt everything. We don't say change everything." "Anybody who tells you they know where AI is going to be next year is either lying or just foolish." "The status quo is deceptive. Things aren't going to stay that way. But that's okay — because you're wired to handle it." "Sometimes you gotta bet on yourself. Sometimes you gotta step back and do some math." "You won't make any shots you don't take." "Don't wait until after the meeting to tell your friend the vibe is wrong. Say it in the room." "We live in a sea of relationships — and relationships shouldn't just be transactional." 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 Patrick Leddin Website | patrickleddin.com Patrick Leddin Podcast | patrickleddin.com/podcast Patrick Leddin LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/patrickleddin Patrick Leddin Instagram | @patrickleddin
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    37 mins
  • TLP506: Retention Is Dead: The Workquake Reshaping Talent

    TLP506: Retention Is Dead: The Workquake Reshaping Talent
    Apr 8 2026

    Steve Cadigan is a global talent strategist, author of "Workquake: Embracing the Aftershocks of COVID-19 to Create a Better Model of Working," and LinkedIn's founding Chief HR Officer.

    Steve believes the world of work is going through a "workquake" — a fundamental shift that's breaking the old employer-employee contract. At the core of it is a false premise: the idea of long-term loyalty that neither side can reliably keep.

    In this conversation, Steve explains why many of the world's most successful companies have surprisingly short employee tenure, why the workforce isn't disloyal but loyal to growth, and why leaders should focus less on retention and more on creating meaningful development while people are with them.

    For leaders navigating turnover and rapid change, this episode offers a more honest way to think about talent and what it actually takes to build teams that perform.

    Find episode 506 on The Leadership Podcast, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts!

    Watch this Episode on YouTube | Steve Cadigan on Retention Is Dead: The Workquake Reshaping Talent

    https://bit.ly/TLP-506

    Key Takeaways

    [03:40] Steve defines a workquake as any shift so fundamental it renders the existing architecture of work obsolete.

    [04:46] Steve argues that most employer-employee relationships begin on a false premise — and that dishonesty is where the breakdown starts.

    [06:42] Steve reframes retention: instead of demanding loyalty, commit to making the employee's time with you the most growth-oriented chapter of their career.

    [09:12] Steve uses Chick-fil-A as a model for honest talent strategy — celebrating alumni, not just retaining them.

    [17:42] Steve explains how LinkedIn turned its recruiting struggle into a competitive advantage by aligning the employee experience with the product promise.

    [26:26] Steve warns that over-indexing on experience and ignoring transferable talent is one of the most costly mistakes leaders make today.

    [30:36] Steve makes the case that learning must be designed into work itself — not treated as a perk or a line item that gets cut first.

    [33:53] Steve challenges leaders to ask honestly which companies today are actually building for 100 years — and why so few are.

    [38:14] Steve argues that AI is being misused as a cost-cutting tool when its real power is making people more capable, not replacing them.

    [41:13] Steve leaves leaders with one directive: stop waiting for a benchmark that doesn't exist — and be willing to become one.

    [42:58] And remember..."Nonetheless, the only place success comes before work is in the dictionary." - Vince Lombardi.

    Quotable Quotes

    "If you want people here because they want to be here, you're running a company. If you don't, you're running a prison."

    "The workforce is incredibly loyal — just not to you. They're loyal to growth."

    "If your talent strategy is not changing as fast as the outside world, your employee relationship is near its end."

    "If the outside world is changing faster than the inside, the end is near."

    "You can't have a job today that takes someone five years to figure out."

    "We have so over-indexed on experience and so overlooked talent."

    "There is no benchmarking for this moment — you're going to have to be the benchmark."

    "People want to be on teams that are going somewhere."

    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

    • Steve Cadigan X | @SteveCadigan

    • Steve Cadigan Facebook | www.facebook.com/thestevecadigan

    • Steve Cadigan LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/cadigan

    • Steve Cadigan Instagram | @stevecad
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    44 mins
  • TLP505: Why Leadership Coaching So Often Fails

    TLP505: Why Leadership Coaching So Often Fails
    Apr 1 2026
    Will Linssen is the CEO of Global Coach Group, and the author of "Triple Win Leadership Coaching: The Coach's Guide to More Impact, More Coaching, and More Clients." In this conversation, Will challenges the traditional model of leadership coaching. Too often, coaching focuses on the leader while leaving the team out of the equation—one reason why team satisfaction frequently remains low even when leaders feel they've made progress. Will explains how great coaches assess coachability before the work even begins, why ego is often the biggest barrier to meaningful change, and what leaders in global, multicultural environments consistently misunderstand about communication and feedback. We also explore the impact of AI on leadership. Will argues that decades of accumulated expertise are losing their advantage. The leaders who will thrive going forward aren't the ones with all the answers—they're the ones who know how to ask the right questions. If you've ever wondered why leadership development often fails to stick inside organizations, this conversation offers a candid look at what's missing—and what needs to change. Find episode 505 on The Leadership Podcast, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! Watch this Episode on YouTube | Will Linssen on Why Leadership Coaching So Often Fails https://bit.ly/TLP-505 Key Takeaways [03:26] Will reveals why traditional coaching fails: coworkers are left out, so their satisfaction with the leader's growth drops to as low as 18%. [05:23] Will reframes leadership development from "project me" to "project we" — and why that single shift drives real momentum. [10:30] Will explains how quarterly co-worker feedback keeps both the leader and the team mutually accountable for results. [12:01] Will names the two biggest predictors that a leader won't change: ego and job insecurity. [17:03] Will shares what 100,000+ leaders across six continents have in common — and where culture changes the game. [21:37] Will makes the case for leading with questions in high-hierarchy cultures as the fastest way to unlock smart, silent people. [26:20] Will reveals the belief about leadership he changed his mind about most after 30 years: outside-in behavioral change beats inside-out every time. [28:13] Will walks through the Triple Win business case that connects leader behavior to team behavior to measurable numbers. [35:50] Will warns that AI is depreciating your leadership experience premium fast — and what that means for your role. [39:16] Will's single action item for every leader in 2026: ask your team what advice they have for you, pick one thing, and go. [40:29] And remember..."A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." - Jackie Robinson Quotable Quotes "Leadership is not about the leader. It's about the people the leader is leading." "You need to change the leader's system, not just the leader." "The more you make leadership about "we" and the less you make it about "me" — realizing that "we" includes "me" — the more it makes total sense." "Leadership is co-creating change with coworkers." "Ego is total poison for coaching." "If adults don't want to change, they will not change." "We're not perfect people every day, but we can commit to being better every day." "We don't focus on those who need our help the most. We focus on those who want our help the most." "Don't ask closed questions. Ask the how question — that's where execution breaks down." "The moment you start making leadership about yourself, you're already making the first misstep." "Leaders only change when the new outcome is important enough to them." "As human beings, we have more in common than our passports divide us." "Smart people with AI can out-leader you very quickly. Be ready for that." "The leader is like a symphony orchestra conductor — the one who makes everything work together without playing an instrument." 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 Will Linssen | www.facebook.com/coachlinssen Will Linsse LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/wlinssen Global Coach Group Website | globalcoachgroup.com
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    41 mins
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