Lead the Team (Top 2% of Podcasts)

After 10,000 Interviews...Rod McDermott, CEO of McDermott + Bull and founder of Activate 180, has noticed that the executives who win interviews…...aren’t always the ones who build results.And that’s the trap.It's so easy to fall for the wrong signals.The leader who owns the room.The polished answers.The one who leaves everyone thinking, “That was impressive.”But impressive DOESN'T SCALE.Rod reminded me:Leadership isn’t performance.It’s followership.The real test of a leader isn’t how they show up in the interview.It’s what happens after they leave the room.Do people trust them?Do people believe them?Do people want to follow them when things get difficult?That’s a very different standard.In this episode of Lead the Team, Rod shares what he’s learned from decades inside the world’s most elite boardrooms:• Why charisma wins interviews but loses organizations• The leadership trait that actually creates followership• How great CEOs strengthen the entire enterprise, not just the corner officeAre we still falling for impressive leaders… instead of effective ones?-----Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben FanningSpeaking and Training inquiresSubscribe to my Youtube channelLinkedInInstagramTwitter

Noise vs Focus.Bob McCuin, Chief Revenue Officer and EVP at Clear Channel Outdoor, has spent decades inside the attention economy...radio, sports media, and literally the most valuable billboards on the planet.When you live in that world long enough, you start to notice something about leadership.What's shaping how organizations behave.Bob told me that attention determines priority.Most leaders think priorities are set through goals, meetings, and KPIs.But teams don’t really follow the slide deck.They follow what the leader consistently pays attention to.If the leader reacts to the loudest issue…the team learns to chase noise.If the leader jumps to every new idea…the team learns that focus doesn’t matter.But when a leader consistently directs attention to what truly matters…the entire organization starts to align around it.Bob put it this way to me:“Where I place my attention determines the organizational energy.”That’s an enormous leadership responsibility.Because attention isn’t just something leaders give.It’s something they teach the organization to VALUE.What do you think?Are most organizations struggling with strategy…or with leaders who simply can’t stop chasing noise?-----Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben FanningSpeaking and Training inquiresSubscribe to my Youtube channelLinkedInInstagramTwitter

Leadership BlindspotAdam Block, Chief Revenue Officer at Motive, who helped scale the company to serve 100,000+ customers and more than a million drivers, shared a real wake up call with me.Early in his career, he spent a lot of energy trying to help struggling employees succeed. Then he realized something uncomfortable.“The people that suffer the most in that situation are actually the best players.”Because when leaders spend most of their attention fixing what’s broken… the people who are actually driving results start getting less attention.Less coaching.Less challenge.Less investment.And eventually, they start looking elsewhere.That insight changed how Adam approaches leadership today (and the results are undeniable).Instead of trying to make everyone great, he focuses on hiring great people and making them even better.And it raises a tough leadership question:Should leaders spend more time fixing weak performers… or investing in the people already carrying the team?-----Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben FanningSpeaking and Training inquiresSubscribe to my Youtube channelLinkedInInstagramTwitter

My AI just joined the meeting...I expected Abhijit Mitra, CEO of Outreach, a multi billion-dollar AI company, to tell me about their legendary tools and automation.Instead, he it took a different direction.When he’s in a meeting… his AI agents actually join the meeting and coach him in real time.Not summarize it later.Not send notes afterward.They’re in the meeting, helping him think, respond, and prepare.That’s when the real insight hit.Myself and most leaders today are experimenting with AI tools.But we aren't fully redesigning how our teams operate around AI.And Abhijit made something very clear:“It has to be a top-down initiative… this cannot be delegated downwards.”Boom!Because if that’s true, AI isn’t really a technology shift.It’s really a leadership shift.The leaders that win this era won’t just deploy better AI.They’ll have leaders willing to own the operating model change that comes with it.So consider... How many of us are treating AI like a project… when it might actually be the most important leadership decision we make this decade?-----Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben FanningSpeaking and Training inquiresSubscribe to my Youtube channelLinkedInInstagramTwitter

Lives Depend.Parker Burke, Group President at Fluke Corporation, leads an organization whose tools help technicians safely test electrical systems in power grids, hospitals, factories, data centers, and mines around the world.So when a technician trusts the reading on a device…they’re trusting it with their life.A 99% success rate isn’t success.Because the remaining 1% can mean catastrophe.That reality forces a different kind of leadership perspective.Parker’s years in the Marines shaped how he approaches it.Not by carrying the weight alone…but by serving the people who carry it WITH him.If he didn’t lead that way, the pressure would crush a team.Fear would creep in.People would hesitate.And hesitation in environments like these can be dangerous.He explains in our conversation:- Reverse Rank LeadershipIn the Marines, officers eat last.Parker carries that mindset into Fluke — leaders support the team first because the mission depends on them.- Ending the “What If” SpiralIn high-stakes environments, leaders can’t allow teams to live in fear.Instead, Parker aligns people around a mission bigger than themselves:keeping the world up and running safely.- Process Is RespectWhen the stakes are this high, discipline isn’t bureaucracy.It’s how you honor the people trusting your products and decisions.The idea that sticks with me most:👉 Purpose crowds out fear.His teams don’t pursue excellence because a boss demands it.They pursue it because “good enough” actually betrays the people counting on them.How do you see leadership differently when someone’s life actually depends on the outcome?-----Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben FanningSpeaking and Training inquiresSubscribe to my Youtube channelLinkedInInstagramTwitter

Details Define You.Bob Hughes, President & CEO of Deltek, learned that in moments when the stakes were highest..on a nuclear submarine…in the middle of a $22B merger…and during a ransomware attack.He was inspired early in his career when a leader told him:“The devil’s in the details… but so is salvation.”I particularly appreciated his insight:“Operational discipline scales trust.”We’ve all seen the opposite play out too.One meeting starts late.One deadline gets missed.One “good enough” decision slips through.Trust doesn’t explode.It erodes....gradually.Bob’s team didn’t lose trust in those massive moments because he refused to let the small things slide when they mattered most.That’s what I keep thinking about:When leaders lose trust its rarely the big thing; it's because of the details long before.👉 What do you think the "details" say about leadership?-----Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben FanningSpeaking and Training inquiresSubscribe to my Youtube channelLinkedInInstagramTwitter

Elite CEOs and athletes share a belief.Usman Shuja, CEO of Bluebeam, learned it long before the boardroom, representing the USA national cricket team and becoming one of the top wicket-takers in U.S. history.Talking with him made me think about how differently pressure shows up across seasons of life.In sports, the pressure is loud and public.In leadership, it even heavier....Board expectations. Team decisions.Real consequences.For most of my career, I thought confidence was what carried leaders through those moments.Loved how Usman reframed it for me:Pressure is a privilege.It’s PROOF that what you’re doing actually matters.That belief was forged for him in a hostile away game in Nepal with 20,000 fans cheering against him and everything on the line.They even rioted❗Years later, he taps into that perspective everyday as CEO.Leadership isn’t about avoiding pressure.It’s about learning to INTERPRET IT differently than everyone else.👉 Is pressure the cost of leadership or the reward?-----Connect with Usman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/usmanshuja/Learn more about Bluebeam: https://www.bluebeam.com/resources/ebooks/aec-tech-outlook-2026)/-----Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben FanningSpeaking and Training inquiresSubscribe to my Youtube channelLinkedInInstagramTwitter

Google’s “Wolverine” is now a $100M+ CEOKeith Rabkin, CEO of PandaDoc, is one of the few leaders I’ve met who can bridge the gap between "big-tech discipline and scrappy underdog grit".At Google, Keith was one of only 25 people (out of thousands of geniuses) to win the "Great Manager Award."His secret isn't just a high IQ; it's what he calls the "Wolverine Mindset" .It’s a relentless, "never-give-up" grit that focuses on one thing: obliterating roadblocks so the team can win.Our conversation forced me to rethink my own leadership style, especially how much time I spend clearing roadblocks versus just setting direction.Three ways Keith has lived the Wolverine mindset:- How the best "strategic" leaders get into the details to accelerate progress.- Why Keith left the safety of a global giant (Adobe) to hunt for survival in the trenches.- The controversial move he made that instantly drove 5x profitability.Question: Are we overvaluing "vision" and undervaluing raw determination?-----Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben FanningSpeaking and Training inquiresSubscribe to my Youtube channelLinkedInInstagramTwitter

THE TRANSFORMATION WALLRandall Troutman, Winpak's, Chief Operational Excellence Officer leads a massive $1.1 billion transformation, tasked with turning 13 independent "kingdoms" into one efficient operating system.But there’s a moment in every change effort where leaders mistake resistance for failure, and that’s when teams stop following.Randall discovered that project success is never about the initial launch; it’s about what you do when the "physics of people" takes over.We went deep into the "Valley of Despair" in this interview... ...that predictable, dangerous phase where the initial hype dies and the true energy requirement sets in.EVERY BIG project I've ever been part of hits make-or-break moment! It’s the exact point where most leaders flame out, pack up, and say, "I knew it wouldn't work".In this episode, you'll discover:- How to recognize the "Valley" phase in real-time before it stalls your progress.- Why most change efforts quietly die exactly when they should be accelerating.- The framework for keeping thousands moving when fatigue and doubt peak.- The "Visual Roadmap" Randall used to make a global crisis actionable.If your initiative feels stalled, you aren't failing....you're just hitting THE WALL.It takes a courageous leader to admit they've lost momentum, but it takes a PRO to expect it and share the map to get out.Question: Ever had a big project lose momentum? What helped?-----Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben FanningSpeaking and Training inquiresSubscribe to my Youtube channelLinkedInInstagramTwitter

Leaders Are Built in the Blur.Jed Ayres, CEO of ControlUp, told me something most leaders won’t say out loud:Clarity usually comes after you move, not before.If you’re waiting for the perfect signal…You’re already late.That “responsible” decision you’re about to make?It might be the very thing slowing your flywheel before it ever turns.We talked about what it really takes to move when things aren’t clear:- When the leader (who drove 600% revenue growth in three years and a $1B valuation) believes the safe decision becomes the most dangerous one.- How a former dishwasher turned hotel owner turned tech CEO learned to scale transformation — long before collecting 10,000 metrics every three seconds.- What six Ironmans teach you about pushing when nothing feels like it’s moving.There’s a mental shift required when you can’t see the finish line.Many leaders miss it.So consider "Are you leading…or too focused protecting your downside?"Have you ever confused “responsible” with fear?-----Learn more about Jed and his organization here:https://www.controlup.com/-----Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben FanningSpeaking and Training inquiresSubscribe to my Youtube channelLinkedInInstagramTwitter

That first all-hands.Patrick Dennis, CEO of Avaya, walked in expecting nerves and optimism.Instead, one question he was asked changed the room.It wasn’t dramatic or confrontational.But it was revealing.It showed to him that the organization wasn’t aligned on reality.And misalignment at that level doesn’t stay neutral. It compounds.I’ve seen this pattern more times than I can count.Leaders hear a question and assume pushback.But sometimes the question asked IS THE DATA.Sometimes the raised hand is the WARNING LIGHT.What inspired me most in our conversation was how Patrick responded.No corporate speak or protecting people from the numbers.You'll hear in our conversation how he chose to communicate with clarity, knowing it would cost comfort.That decision shifted everything and ultimately made HUGE results possible.It shifted the organization's trajectory.So, when your team asks the uncomfortable question,how often do you treat it as resistance or as information?-----Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben FanningSpeaking and Training inquiresSubscribe to my Youtube channelLinkedInInstagramTwitter

The Hard SeasonMatt Zilli, CEO of Planview, told me the hardest years of leading a company through billion-dollar growth (including restructures, tough people decisions, and uncertainty) became the most valuable leadership training of his career.That really resonated for me. Some of the most uncomfortable stretches building my podcasts and business were the exact moments I wondered if I should pivot, slow down, or walk away. The audience wasn’t growing yet.The results weren’t obvious. The path felt uncertain.Ever had the "uncomfortable stretch"?You know, those seasons forced me to get clearer, tougher, and more patient as a leader.Matt called it in our conversation “SCAR TISSUE"...the kind you only earn by staying in the work when it’s not fun, not fast, and not guaranteed.Wins build confidence. Hard seasons build leaders.Looking back, the seasons I wanted to escape were often the ones doing the most to shape how I lead today.Question: Do you think we leave the hard season too early or make a mistake by preventing it all together?-----Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben FanningSpeaking and Training inquiresSubscribe to my Youtube channelLinkedInInstagramTwitter

Is obsession with "The Win" actually preventing it?John Leach CEO of FLS Transportation shared with me that fixating on the win is the fastest way to lose control.He breaks down what happens when he walked away from "personality-first" leadership to build a system where success isn’t a roll of the dice.It made me reflect on some of my own team's results where we delivered short term but they weren't always sustainable. Wish I'd chatted with John years ago!We discuss:The End of the "Charismatic" Leader: Why being "outgoing" eventually fails and the specific system that must replace it.Volatility Proofing: How to lead through government-induced market shifts and economic chaos.Transactional vs. Transformational: The only shift that allows you to scale a resilient team.The CEO Secret: Why elite performers ignore the final numbers to focus on controllable actions.Stop chasing the outcome. Start mastering the activity.Question: Could your team repeat last year's wins without you looking over their shoulder?-----Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben FanningSpeaking and Training inquiresSubscribe to my Youtube channelLinkedInInstagramTwitter

Missed Opportunity.Greg Smith, Founder of Thinkific, shared with me how most leaders are sitting on their most undervalued asset: their own expertise.And I’ve been guilty of this too.For years, I thought growth meant building something new (a new product, new offering, new initiative).BUT some of the biggest growth I’ve seen (in my own business and with companies I work with) came from teaching what they already knew.Not as marketing.Not as training.As a product.When leaders and their organizations share their thinking clearly and consistently, something powerful happens:Trust grows faster.A new sales channel opens.Revenue flows.Education and training used to be a COST CENTER. Now it’s becoming the new GROWTH CHANNEL.And truly, it makes sense because customers don’t just want vendors anymore.They want guides.Why are leaders still hesitant to monetize what they already know?-----Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben FanningSpeaking and Training inquiresSubscribe to my Youtube channelLinkedInInstagramTwitter

High performance deceives.Alain Dias, CEO of Nortal Americas, knows a thing or two about building at scale..after all his team helped build the world’s very first "digital nation."When a leader with his kind of track record speaks about growth, I'm in!His interview is a gut-check for most organizations:If your expansion depends on a "Hero," you aren't ready to scale.In many cultures, we celebrate the "firefighter" who pulls the all-nighter to save the project. We give them the shout-outs and the awards.But as Alain points out, constant heroics are actually a warning sign.When you rely on individual brilliance to save the day, you aren't building a resilient business...you’re building a dependency.Beware "The Heroic Trap":- The Bottleneck: Critical knowledge stays trapped in one person’s head.- The Single Point of Failure: Your best people become your biggest risk for burnout.- The Chaos: As growth accelerates, clarity vanishes, and your "Hero" simply can't keep up.What I admire about Alain’s approach is the focus on maturity.World-class leadership is designing systems that make heroics unnecessary.Your vision can’t outrun your systems.Have you seen the limits of heroics?-----Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben FanningSpeaking and Training inquiresSubscribe to my Youtube channelLinkedInInstagramTwitter

Scale deceives.Barry Mainz, CEO of Forescout Technologies Inc., reveals how leaders unknowingly become responsible for massive risks they never personally approved.As your organization grows, leadership doesn’t just get harder, the real issues become harder to see.More effort stops producing better outcomes.And more hustle just starts masking risk.Barry’s work shows something unsettling:even elite tech leaders are often blind to 30–50% of the devices actually connected to their networks inside their own organizations.But that’s not a technology failure; it’s a leadership one.In our conversation, you’ll discover:- The Hidden Effort Tipping Point- The Great Leadership Management Flip- The Habit That Sabotages Scale- Why Hustle Is A Warning- The Dangerous Illusion Of ControlIf you spend all your time working in the business, you’ll may miss the off-radar decisions forming around you...until they surface as a crisis.A leadership question to consider:Is the leader who knows every detail actually a pro… or just a bottleneck in disguise?

Vikram Savkar, CEO of VitalEdge Technologies, shares how a demanding moment pushed him to rethink how he was operating...AND why choosing to reset earlier than most leaders do changed how he showed up as a leader, at work, and at home.The business here wasn’t the problem.But time at home was shrinking.And the way work followed him everywhere wasn’t something he wanted to normalize.Instead of waiting for a breaking point, Vikram created deliberate daily reset—and what happened next accelerated his results.We talked about that moment on Lead the Team, along with some unexpected influences that shaped how he leads today........including lessons from a surprising classic book most executives never read and a truly unforgettable early-career experience working for the iconic conductor Benjamin Zander.You don’t have to wait until life forces a reset.You can learn from a CEO who already has.Do you have a daily reset that helps you?-----Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben FanningSpeaking and Training inquiresSubscribe to my Youtube channelLinkedInInstagramTwitter

Pressure doesn't change the game...it reveals the leader. Mitch Stevison, President & CEO of Frontgrade Technologies, recently shared how a high-stakes missile test forced a decision no textbook could prepare him for. In this conversation, we break down the one skill he leaned on when the eyes of two nations—and a Senior Admiral—were watching.If you've ever had to make a high-stakes call under a microscope, Mitch’s insight on trust is a masterclass in leadership. What is the most important trait for a leader to have during a crisis? Subscribe to the show so you don't miss an episode on Lead the Team.-----Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben FanningSpeaking and Training inquiresSubscribe to my Youtube channelLinkedInInstagramTwitter

Questioning unlocks elite performance.Pete Harris, President of Pipedrive, was at the pinnacle of his previous profession (one that he’d spent his entire career pursuing).Everything was on track... the prestige and the rank. But while many founders and leaders might push uncomfortable thoughts aside, Pete did something different.He used a specific type of curiosity to ask himself a question that 99% of leaders are too afraid to face....a question that forces you to confront whether you’re actually on the path you’re meant to be on.Answering it meant walking away from the very finish line everyone expected him to cross.That moment of clarity unlocked a version of himself he hadn't met yet......one capable of:- Finishing full-distance Ironmans.- Leading a global engine for 100,000+ businesses.Most leaders are too afraid the deeper question because they’re terrified of the answer.Pete leaned in and shows us this conversation how we all can too.When has asking the right question helped you?-----Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben FanningSpeaking and Training inquiresSubscribe to my Youtube channelLinkedInInstagramTwitter

Your office is deciding results.Anna Squires Levine, President of Industrious, leads a company that has spent more than a decade observing how office space impacts human behavior (across hundreds of locations and millions of workdays).Many leaders assume the office is just a place where work happens.But it's far more than that!She explains that the office space is quietly influencing things leaders usually attribute to culture, motivation, or performance.In their work, incredible patterns emerged at scale in:• How people show up at work• How they interact• What actions and behaviors are encouraged or avoided• And how energy moves through the dayLeaders rarely talk about this...even though they’re already accountable for the office space and the very outcomes it shapes.Do you ever think about how your office space can impact your results?-----Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben FanningSpeaking and Training inquiresSubscribe to my Youtube channelLinkedInInstagramTwitter