Leadership Launchpad – Team Development, & Performance Improvement for Aerospace & Technology Managers

In this episode, Susan Charlesworth, a specialist in human performance and former astronaut trainer for the European and UK Space Agencies, shares insights from her career in aviation psychology and leadership coaching. She discusses her path from early studies in psychology and aviation to working with astronauts and mission controllers, focusing on topics like leadership, teamwork, and communication. Susan Charlesworth explains the differences between structured, technical training environments and the realities of leadership in everyday organizations, highlighting the importance of trust, self-awareness, and adapting leadership frameworks to individual needs. The conversation also touches on the challenges technical professionals face as they move into management roles and the value of coaching and personalized development. Listeners interested in leadership development, especially within technical fields, will find practical advice and thoughtful reflection throughout the discussion.

In this episode, Paul Keutelian, CTO of Applied Atomics, discusses his experience leading teams to tackle complex engineering challenges in the nuclear and advanced industry sectors. He shares insights from his time at SpaceX, including the role of responsible engineers, the importance of ownership, and how to create a culture where mistakes are learning opportunities rather than career setbacks. The conversation explores how Applied Atomics approaches rapid innovation by aligning supply chain capabilities with practical engineering solutions, and how transparency and clear communication enable effective problem-solving. Paul Keutelian also emphasizes the significance of hiring the right team, building collaborative environments, and balancing discipline with creativity to achieve ambitious goals. The episode concludes with thoughts on leadership, accountability, and building companies that empower people to take responsible risks.

In this episode of Leadership Launchpad, guest Lauren Waldman, a learning professional with a background in neuroscience, joins the show during the Dev Learn conference in Las Vegas. Lauren shares insights on how understanding the brain's mechanisms is essential for effective learning, behavior change, and habit formation in the workplace. The discussion highlights the differences between behaviors and habits, emphasizing that true, lasting change comes from creating strong memories through focus, repetition, and time. Listeners, especially managers and leaders, will learn why developing habits—not just one-off behaviors—is crucial for organizational success. Lauren also offers practical advice for designing learning experiences that align with how the brain naturally functions.

In this episode of Leadership Launchpad, guest Jess Almlie, a strategic learning and talent development consultant, explains why training isn't always the solution to team performance issues. Drawing on her experience and insights from her book "L&D Order Taker No More," Jess Almlie shares practical examples and questions managers can use to diagnose workplace challenges, such as misaligned reward systems and process inefficiencies. Listeners will learn when training is appropriate and when other interventions are needed, making this episode valuable for managers seeking to improve team outcomes through thoughtful problem-solving and collaboration with learning teams.

In this episode, leadership coach and trainer Jen Recla discusses the vital role managers play in supporting and sustaining employee development after formal training ends. Drawing from her experience with executive leaders in smaller organizations, Jen emphasizes that true learning and change occur in the workplace, where ongoing coaching and follow-up from managers are crucial. She offers practical advice for leaders on prioritizing team support, effective delegation, and creating growth opportunities—all while managing the demands and potential burnout of leadership roles. The conversation also covers how organizations can better equip managers with resources and how collaboration between leaders and learning and development teams leads to more lasting impact.

In this episode of Leadership Launchpad, Dr. Alaina Szlachta, founder and chief measurement architect of By Design Development Solutions, shares her perspective on the importance of evidence-based training requests. Drawing from her background in academic research and learning analytics, Dr. Szlachta explains why managers should bring data and tangible evidence—not just hunches or anecdotes—when approaching training teams for support. She highlights how numbers, including team feedback and performance metrics, help training teams identify gaps, validate proposed solutions, and measure the impact of learning initiatives. The discussion also covers challenges in accessing relevant data and emphasizes the collaborative role managers play in facilitating effective learning outcomes.

In this episode of Leadership Launchpad, Brandon Carson, Chief Learning Officer at Docebo, shares his insights on the role of managers in the employee performance experience. Drawing from his extensive leadership background at major companies like Starbucks and Walmart, Brandon explores how managers can effectively connect individual strengths and opportunities to drive team performance. He emphasizes the importance of coaching, intentional talent development, and viewing training as an ongoing, business-connected process rather than a one-time event. Listeners will gain practical advice on building effective teams, adapting to the changing workforce, and developing managerial skills that foster continuous growth and high performance.

In this episode, David James, Chief Learning Officer at 360Learning and host of the Learning and Development Podcast, shares insights on how training should directly relate to the work employees do. He emphasizes that effective training isn't just about delivering broad topics, but about addressing the real needs and skills required for specific roles. The discussion covers the importance of integrating learning with everyday work, focusing on closing proficiency gaps, and using data-driven approaches to development. Listeners will also hear practical advice on mapping out essential skills for teams and defining what good performance looks like. This conversation is especially valuable for managers and organizations aiming to align their training programs more closely with business outcomes.

In this episode of Leadership Launchpad, Ryan Austin, founder and CEO of Cognota, shares his insights on what managers should understand about training and talent development. Drawing from his experience working with various learning teams, Ryan emphasizes the crucial role managers play in identifying capability gaps within their teams and making strategic investments to achieve business goals. The conversation highlights how managers, being close to frontline challenges, can offer valuable input in shaping training initiatives—often bridging the gap between top-down directives and real team needs. Practical advice is given on how managers can approach collaboration with learning and talent teams, helping foster trust and effective communication. This episode offers actionable guidance for managers seeking to empower their teams and drive organizational success through targeted development efforts.Want more advice on how to build leaders who lead high performance teams? Sign-up for our newsletter.https://www.bettereverydaystudios.com/sign-up

In this episode of Leadership Launchpad, Kevin Yates joins the conversation to share insights on what managers should know about training and talent development. Drawing on his global experience as the "L&D Detective," Kevin highlights the importance of aligning development initiatives with business goals. He emphasizes that performance improvement is a collective effort, involving not just the manager and talent development, but also teams like marketing, product development, and software developers. The discussion covers the concept of a workplace performance ecosystem and introduces tools for conducting performance needs analysis, helping managers determine the most effective solutions for their teams. This episode offers practical advice for managers seeking to drive meaningful impact through collaboration and targeted strategies.

In this episode, Debbie Richards, an international keynote speaker and AI strategist, shares insights from her experience working with enterprise organizations at the intersection of AI and learning. She emphasizes the importance of treating talent development as a strategic partner rather than just a source of training. Debbie discusses why simply implementing training isn't always the solution to business problems, highlighting the need for managers to provide context, feedback, and ongoing support after training sessions. She introduces the concept of using business-driven metrics for measuring success and explains her "AI North Star" approach to aligning training initiatives with real business challenges. This episode offers practical advice for managers to collaborate more effectively with talent development teams to achieve meaningful results.

In this episode, Senior Space Editor and author Eric Berger joins the show to discuss the evolving landscape of the space industry. Drawing on his extensive reporting experience, he explores major trends such as the rise of China as a space power and the shift toward commercial space companies like SpaceX. Eric Berger shares insights into workplace culture, leadership traits, and the intense sense of mission driving innovation at companies like SpaceX and Stoke Space. The conversation covers the challenges of sustaining hard-driving environments, the importance of compelling vision, and alternate cultural models emerging within the industry. Listeners will also hear Berger’s perspective on the future of spaceflight and what excites him most about upcoming missions and technology.

This solo episode delves into the common misconception that training is a quick fix for workplace issues. Drawing insights from a recent industry conference, the discussion focuses on why training often fails to address real business problems and outlines four essential questions managers should ask before pursuing a training solution. Listeners will learn how to distinguish between individual performance issues and broader organizational challenges, the importance of proper documentation and resource availability, and the critical role of feedback in driving behavioral change. The episode offers practical guidance for managers looking to implement effective training that truly impacts performance, while also previewing a series of upcoming conversations with learning leaders from major organizations.

In this episode, Lucie Nurdin, a chemical engineer and former interim technical director at Terraform Industries, shares her journey transitioning from academia to the startup world and from individual contributor to manager. She discusses the technical challenges of developing economically viable synthetic fuels from CO2 and sunlight, and reflects on her experiences leading and growing a technical team. Lucie Nurdin talks about building trust, effective delegation, fostering team communication, and the importance of empowering people by leveraging both their strengths and weaknesses. She also offers insight on how to create a collaborative and feedback-driven work environment, drawing on lessons learned from both academic research and her leadership role in industry.

In this episode, leadership strategist and executive coach Andrea Wanerstrand shares insights from her experience inside global companies like Microsoft, Meta, and T-Mobile. Andrea discusses the cultural and leadership transformation at Microsoft, highlighting the shift from a know-it-all to a learn-it-all mindset and the importance of psychological safety, growth mindset, and resilience. The conversation also covers her A3 philosophy—authentic, autonomous, and accountable leadership—and practical ways leaders can build trust, give effective feedback, and foster autonomy in their teams. Andrea emphasizes the value of consistent authenticity, clear communication, and caring leadership that balances kindness with accountability. The episode also touches on Andrea’s experience running a lavender farm as a way to find balance and stay grounded outside the corporate world.

Why is it so hard to get things done in large companies? In this solo episode of the Leadership Launchpad, Matt explores the benefits and the struggles of bureaucracy and gives tips every leader can use to help fight it on their teams. If you want your teams to be productive in a world that doesn't stop changing, you have to watch this episode.Want more tips on being an effective manager? Sign-up for our weekly newsletter: https://www.bettereverydaystudios.com/sign-upVisit us at https://www.bettereverydaystudios.com

In this episode, Yaron Alfi, co-founder and CEO of Magenta, discusses his experiences in software and manufacturing at companies like SpaceX and ABL Space Systems. He explains why legacy software can be a limiting factor in manufacturing, the importance of building tailored software solutions, and how Magenta is leveraging AI to streamline manufacturing workflows. Yaron also shares leadership lessons from his time at SpaceX, his approach to building and scaling teams, and the value of trust in both formal and informal leadership roles. The conversation covers challenges in hiring for software roles, managing change, and providing effective support to technical teams in high-pressure environments.

In this episode, Warren Ernst joins the show to discuss his extensive experience in learning and development across several innovative startups, including SpaceX, Karma Automotive, Heliogen, and Impulse Space. The conversation focuses on the significant impact that manager development has on company success, especially in fast-growing organizations. Warren shares insights on common skill gaps for new managers, such as giving feedback, delegating tasks, and meeting discipline. He also highlights how lack of proper training for managers can lead to drops in productivity, retention issues, and culture challenges. The episode offers practical advice for both organizations and individual managers aiming to improve leadership effectiveness and team performance.

In this episode, guest Tom Kelly, co-founder of Evona, a recruitment firm specializing in the space industry, discusses the current talent landscape and the impact of AI on recruitment. The conversation explores the most in-demand roles within the space sector, highlighting ongoing shortages in both engineering (especially electrical engineering) and sales positions. Tom shares insights into how AI-driven tools are transforming the hiring process, from sourcing candidates to automating outreach, as well as potential challenges, such as increased spam and the loss of personal connection in recruiting. He also considers the future of talent acquisition, including how candidates might use AI to empower their own job searches. The episode provides a practical look at both the opportunities and hurdles of integrating AI into recruiting, with a focus on maintaining meaningful human connections.

In this repeat episode with Chris Kaufield, we explore the intricacies of high cadence engineering and leadership. Chris, VP of SaaS Growth at Stoke Space, shares how distributed ownership in engineering leads to collaborative success. We delve into Stoke’s mission to achieve rapid, reusable rocket flights, drawing parallels between hardware and software development. Chris highlights optimizing products by focusing on immutable laws and customer-centric approaches while emphasizing data-driven decision-making and traceability. Tune in to uncover how leadership and cultural shifts forge groundbreaking technologies and drive organizational growth. Whether you're an engineering enthusiast or a leader aiming for excellence, this episode is packed with invaluable insights. Don’t miss out! 🌟🚀Connect with Chris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chriskaufield/Want more tips on effective training? Sign-up for our weekly newsletter: https://www.bettereverydaystudios.com/newsletterVisit us at https://www.bettereverydaystudios.com#Leadership #Engineering #Innovation #HighCadence #OrganizationalCulture #Stokespace #RocketDevelopment #DistributedOwnership #Traceability #ProductOptimization #DataDriven #SaaS #Breakthrough #Collaboration #ChrisKaufield #MattGjertsen