When Maximos Lih's grandfather was abandoned as a baby at a Buddhist monastery, the villagers treated him with suspicion, assuming he came from "bad genes." The same person with the same hidden potential could have remained invisible forever—until he entered a different system. At 16, he lied about his age to join the military during wartime, where trust, meritocracy, and mission created the conditions for him to rise to become a four-star general in the Chinese army.

But this isn’t a “bootstraps” story. It’s actually one about systems, and it shapes everything Maximos believes about leadership: we're not managing people, we're expressing systems that either unlock or suppress what people are capable of becoming. In this conversation, Maximos introduces a powerful framework that challenges conventional leadership thinking—the difference between being a "hero" manager and being a "host" manager.

Hero managers, like characters in Western movies, swoop in to solve problems and then leave. They're constantly firefighting, looking for crises to resolve so they can move on to the next emergency. But host managers make space—they create conditions where hidden potential can emerge. As Maximos explains, his grandfather didn't pull himself up by his bootstraps; someone made the decision to teach him to read, and a manager had to approve giving that person time during their duties to invest in his development.

The conversation reveals how first-line managers hold extraordinary power to unlock potential through seemingly small decisions. Maximos shares a compelling example from Google, where a "net neutral" mandate for data centers (originally about dollars in, dollars out) led to carbon-neutral innovations, wind and solar contracts, and data centers built near natural cooling sources—all because host-oriented leaders created space for people to imagine beyond the original parameters.

We explore why management has become exponentially more complex, requiring leaders to be therapists, culture builders, hiring strategists, and AI implementers while managing P&L and navigating unexpected layoffs. Maximos, who has worked across 600 companies, offers both philosophical frameworks and practical strategies for managers trying to build something lasting while caring for their people in increasingly challenging systems.

Connect with Maximos on LinkedIn and mention Manager on a Mission for a free 60-minute strategy session

Michael C. Clark used to arrive late to pitch meetings because he was physically ill from nerves. Now he helps founders and nonprofits raise millions. His Personality Pitching methodology transformed him from an introvert who hated pitching into an expert who gets clients ready to pitch successfully in 30 days or less.

In this conversation, Michael shares his journey from film and television pitching to building a business that transforms founders, nonprofit owners, and creatives into pitch masters. His transformation began when he realized that not building relationships was costing him deals. Working with Hollywood mentors, he learned that pitching isn't about performing—it's about owning the room and presenting yourself as a valuable opportunity.

Michael introduces the "two Cs" that separate successful pitches from failed ones: Confidence and Clarity. Founders often get lost in technical details when investors care about vision and execution, and shifting from a performance mindset to an ownership mindset changes everything. Michael teaches introverts to "turn on the switch" when needed, then return to their natural state afterward.

This episode includes powerful success stories, from a founder who went from a 0-11 pitching record to raising $20 million with the same idea—just a different presence. Michael also shares why the same principles apply whether you're seeking investment or donations for your nonprofit.

We explore Michael’s comprehensive 90-day program that covers everything from initial pitch development to role-playing tough questions, creating FAQs in advance, and developing multiple pitch formats (elevator pitch, formal presentation, one-pagers). Michael's insight that successful companies like Facebook, Uber, and Airbnb started with humble pitch decks serves as encouragement for founders who see themselves as "little old startups" when they should be owning the room like the million-dollar companies they envision becoming.

1. Michael’s site: PersonalityPitching.com
2. Book a complimentary Strategy Session with Michael here (mention Manager on a Mission and receive bonus services!)
3. Michael on LinkedIn

After 15-20 years in the corporate fashion world, artist and teacher Chris Vabre felt a huge hole in her life. Despite working in creative industries, she realized she'd completely abandoned her own creative practice—the painting, sculpting, fashion design, and artistic exploration that had defined her childhood. Sound familiar?

In this conversation, Chris shares her journey from corporate creative to full-time watercolor teacher and coach who transforms students from feeling "unworthy and not good enough" to confident, clear artists who understand their unique style. Her path began unexpectedly when Skillshare reached out through her jewelry brand website, asking her to teach. 10 years later,, she's built a thriving business helping others reconnect with their suppressed creativity.

Chris addresses a crucial societal problem: we've been conditioned to say "I'm not creative" or "there's not a creative bone in my body," despite scientific proof that all humans are inherently creative. She explains how this conditioning particularly affects corporate professionals who've spent decades believing creativity is frivolous or separate from "real work."

The conversation offers practical pathways for rekindling creativity, from her free online community where her members provide kind, supportive encouragement, to her tiered programs that help students progress from basic techniques to discovering their unique artistic style to potentially teaching others. Chris also explores the exploding opportunities in creative business, from surface design (art on products) to licensing artwork, showing that creative careers are being invented "right and left."

For anyone who's stuffed down their creative dreams so long they're not sure they're real anymore, Chris offers both permission and a roadmap. Her message is clear: that creative yearning isn't random—it's coming from somewhere important, and there's never been a better time to answer its call.

1. The Watercolor Journey free group in Skool
2. The Membership Community
3. The Art Style Clarity Formula course/group coaching
4. The Creative Online Teaching Mentorship 12-week 1-On-1 Program
5. Chris on Instagram
6. Chris on YouTube
7. You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay

When Kevin Hubschmann joined event management platform Splash as one of its first 10 employees, he simultaneously launched a comedy career that would eventually replace his tech job entirely. But he didn't quit corporate life to become a standup comedian—he discovered something more powerful: comedy skills are the ultimate professional development tool, and most organizations desperately need them.

In this conversation, Kevin introduces the concept of "Laughter as a Service" (LaaS) and makes a crucial distinction that changes everything: there's a stark difference between trying to be funny and using comedy skills to create moments of laughter. While the former leads to awkward jokes in meetings, the latter builds psychological safety, enhances emotional intelligence, and creates genuine human connection.

During the pandemic, when comedy clubs shut down, Kevin pivoted to bringing comedians to corporate Zoom audiences. But what started as simple entertainment evolved into something deeper—custom professional development programs that use improv and comedy techniques to address specific business challenges. From healthcare workers to lawyers, sales teams to C-suites, his team develops targeted curricula based on what organizations actually need: better listening, going off script gracefully, creating psychological safety, or simply having each other's backs.

The conversation reveals surprising insights about why improv training works so well in corporate settings. It's not about performance or making people laugh—it's about presence. As Kevin notes, many of our favorite moments from movies and TV shows were improvised, created by people being fully present rather than following a script. The same principle transforms workplace interactions.

We also explore Kevin's concept of the "after-work comic"—professionals who use comedy as a training tool for growth without quitting their day jobs. His advice for bringing humor to work is counterintuitive: forget the jokes, focus on presence, and connection will follow.

Kevin's Work

1. Laugh.events - Corporate comedy skills training and professional development
2. LaughRx Newsletter
3. LinkedIn: Kevin Hubschmann

Books Mentioned

1. Sick in the Head by Judd Apatow
2. Sicker in the Head by Judd Apatow

After spending most of her life denying she had feelings, Christy Pretzinger built a business based largely on helping others develop them. Now CEO of WG Content and founder of The Better Leader Project, she's on a mission to help Gen Z develop the human skills that will make them irreplaceable in an AI-driven world—while creating workplaces where Sunday scaries become extinct.

In this conversation, Christy reveals a crucial insight: while AI might excel at tasks, our survival depends on our humanity—except we're terrible at being human. We struggle with vulnerability, curiosity, and empathy—the very skills that make us irreplaceable. This paradox sits at the heart of the workplace crisis facing younger generations who crave authenticity but lack the tools to practice it professionally.

Christy shares her observations about Gen Z's relationship with work: they want genuine connection, refuse to leave their emotions at home, and are opting out of traditional management roles after watching their elders get "chewed up and spit out." But notably, they're not opting out of leadership—they just can't reconcile being themselves with the management models they've witnessed.

The conversation takes a personal turn when Christy discusses her COVID-era leadership challenges, including having to lay off a third of her company while navigating her own tendency to err too far on the empathy side. Her vulnerability about not being able to do any of the jobs in her company anymore, despite having done them all, offers a refreshing take on what authentic leadership really looks like.

We explore practical approaches to bringing appropriate emotion into professional settings, the difference between kindness and weakness, and why the leader's primary job is to remove barriers to their team's success. Christy's framework for helping people practice their humanity in small cohorts offers a tangible path forward for organizations struggling to bridge generational divides while maintaining professional standards.

For anyone wondering how to create environments where people can be both human and high-performing, or leaders trying to model authenticity without sacrificing effectiveness, this conversation provides both philosophical grounding and practical guidance.

• Your Cultural Balance Sheet by Christy Pretzinger
• The Better Leader Project - Movement to help Gen Z develop human skills for work
• ChristyPretzinger.com
• LinkedIn
• WGContent.com

After failing to become a professional basketball player in Australia, Chris March took a leap that would define the next 16 years of his life—and his entire leadership philosophy. What started as a rite of passage trip to London became a career spanning three continents, multiple industries, and a deep understanding of what middle managers really need to thrive in "the squeeze."

In this conversation, Chris shares his journey from Sydney to London to Vancouver to Toronto and finally back home, revealing how each bold move taught him that growth comes from putting yourself in slightly uncomfortable positions. Now an executive coach working with middle managers and seven- to nine-figure founders through The Entourage, Chris brings a unique perspective on navigating the challenging space between frontline work and senior leadership.

We explore the reality of being a middle manager—carrying the organization's vision and culture while managing up, down, and sideways with limited resources and often conflicting priorities. Chris introduces the concept of "the squeeze," where middle managers bear the weight of organizational expectations while trying to maintain their own sanity and career progression. His advice? Ask for feedback early and often, turning what most people fear into a powerful tool for growth and team building.

Chris shares his daily self-coaching routine using AI, including powerful reflection questions like "What will make today great?" and "What outcome today moved you closer to your overall goal?" He demonstrates how modern tools can democratize access to coaching insights, making professional development accessible even without a formal coach.

We also discuss why fear-based leadership is not just outdated but fundamentally counterproductive. Chris's message to middle managers is clear: You're doing important work, and with the right mindset and tools, you can navigate the squeeze while building toward your next career chapter.

Chris March on LinkedIn

chrismarchcoaching.com

The Entourage

Something fundamental is broken in how we approach leadership when only 19% of employees trust their company's leadership and engagement hovers around 20-30%. Sébastien Page, Chief Investment Officer at T. Rowe Price and author of The Psychology of Leadership, brings 25 years of money management experience and deep psychological research to explain why our narrow focus on goal achievement might actually be killing both performance and engagement.

Drawing from sports psychology, Sébastien introduces the critical distinction between ego mindset (focused on KPIs, rankings, and external validation) and mastery mindset (focused on improvement for its own sake). While organizations chase sales targets and quarterly metrics, they miss what actually drives engagement: the excitement of getting better at how we do things, whether that's improving research processes or simply running better meetings.

The conversation takes a powerful turn when Sébastien shares his personal encounter with goal-induced blindness. His own near-death experience serves as a stark warning about what happens when we pursue goals at any cost. He shares the example that Everest climbers have a 4% chance of dying—a statistic that should make us question our own "summit or die" mentality in business.

We dive deep into the lessons in Sébastien’s book, including why leaders need to master being disagreeable about 10% of the time—picking battles that matter while avoiding both excessive agreeableness and tyrannical behavior. His "10% rule" offers a practical framework for leaders struggling to balance consensus-building with decisive action.

Sébastien and I discuss personality traits that predict leadership success, particularly openness to experience—using an interesting spectrum of Jim Morrison (maximum openness) to the Pope (maximum tradition). The key insight: effective leaders need both the innovation that comes from openness and the discipline that comes from structure.

Throughout, Sébastien challenges conventional wisdom, arguing that our KPI obsession creates ego-driven cultures where people optimize for metrics rather than mastery. His research-backed approach offers a path forward for leaders who want to build organizations where people are genuinely engaged, not just hitting numbers.

• The Psychology of Leadership by Sébastien Page
• NSFW - A good manager’s guide to better feeling work in a toxic culture by me
• Sébastien Page - business profile on LinkedIn
• Sébastien’s Instagram for his book

What if everything we've been taught about goal-setting is fundamentally wrong for the work we actually do today? In today’s episode, Radhika Dutt, author of Radical Product Thinking, makes the case that traditional goal-setting methodologies are solving a 1940s problem and aren’t helping organizations deliver their best work anymore - and haven’t been for decades.

What worked for repetitive assembly line tasks simply doesn't translate to today's creative problem-solving environment.

The research is clear: goal-setting excels when there's one right way to do something (like crunches at the gym), but fails spectacularly when applied to strategic puzzles with multiple possible solutions. Instead of targets that create what Radhika calls "soul-sucking" work environments, she proposes thinking in terms of puzzles and experiments—shifting from "Did we hit the number?" to "What did we learn and what will we try next?"

We explore Radhika’s proprietary framework which replaces the red/yellow/green status updates of traditional goal tracking with meaningful conversations about actual progress and learning. This approach emphasizes psychological safety, where teams can share both successes and failures without fear of retribution—because in puzzle-solving, failures are data, not deficiencies.

Radhika also introduces us to "product diseases"—the common ailments that plague organizations including Pivotitis, Obsessive Sales Disorder, and Hero Syndrome. These diseases often emerge from misaligned goal-setting practices that prioritize metrics over meaningful progress.

For managers caught in OKR-obsessed organizations, Radhika offers practical advice on introducing puzzle-thinking gradually, starting with your own team and slowly shifting organizational conversations from targets to learning. The key is creating psychological safety where messengers aren't shot for bringing bad news, and where "How well did it work?" becomes as important as "Did we achieve it?"

Radhika's Website

Her books: Radical Product Thinking: The New Mindset for Innovating Smarter and the upcoming book on Goals and OKRs

Radhika Dutt on LinkedIn - Share your OLA experiences for potential inclusion in her upcoming book

Download Radhika's free toolkit