Level 10 Leaders

Even the best EOS® visionaries can unintentionally frustrate their teams. In this Power Tip, executive coach Ron Higgs explains why the issue is rarely a lack of ideas and almost always a lack of clarity. Thinking out loud fuels innovation, but without context it can overwhelm teams and slow execution.Ron’s fix is simple and practical. Clarify your intent out loud. Say “I’m brainstorming” or “we need to decide.” Then actively partner with your integrator to challenge unclear moments in real time. The result is higher trust, stronger accountability, better Level 10 meetings, and traction without killing creative momentum.Connect with Ron Higgs:LinkedInWolf Management Solutions👉 Resource: lvl10.us/lma-offer - Digital LMA® Diagnostic👉 Got a Level 10 Leaders podcast tip? - Submit your tip at lvl10.us/submit-tipWhere else you can find usWebsite: https://www.level10leaders.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/level10leaders/

Our host Ryan Castle sits down with Scott Anderson, former US Army Major and former UN humanitarian leader, now COO at Real Property Management Express in Sioux Falls.Scott’s career spans 21 years in the Army, tours in Afghanistan, foreign military sales in Saudi Arabia, and nearly a decade in humanitarian operations across Gaza and Jerusalem. He shares what leadership looks like when the stakes are real and the environment is unpredictable. We dig into three leadership anchors Scott relies on: know yourself (authenticity and consistency beat charisma), drown out the noise (focus on the few inputs that drive outcomes), and hire slow, fire fast (protecting culture and momentum).If you’re leading in a fast-moving business or managing a team under pressure, this episode offers practical lessons you can use immediately.Useful links:Connect with Jonathan B. Smith on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottanderson1967/👉 Resource: lvl10.us/lma-offer - Digital LMA® Diagnostic👉 Got a Level 10 Leaders podcast tip? - Submit your tip at lvl10.us/submit-tipWhere else you can find usWebsite: https://www.level10leaders.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/level10leaders/

In this Power Tip, Nina Schwark, founder and visionary of OpsLab, shares insights on using a State of the Company presentation to drive EOS® adoption beyond the leadership team.Nina explains how a simple, quarterly, company-wide presentation builds clarity, trust, and alignment by answering three key questions: where the company has been, where it is now, and where it is going. She also shares practical tips on balancing wins and challenges, keeping the format consistent, and involving the full leadership team.If you are an EOS® Integrator, fractional leader, or executive looking to create stronger alignment and buy-in across your organisation, this episode offers a practical approach you can use straight away.Useful links:Connect with Nina Schwark on LinkedInwww.opslab.ca👉 Resource: lvl10.us/lma-offer - Digital LMA® Diagnostic👉 Got a Level 10 Leaders podcast tip? - Submit your tip at lvl10.us/submit-tipWhere else you can find usWebsite: https://www.level10leaders.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/level10leaders/

Our host Ryan Castle sits down with Jonathan B. Smith, best-selling author of Fight Less, Win More, negotiations instructor, and EOS Implementer, just after the release of his new book.Jonathan is a senior practitioner with The Black Swan Group, founded by former FBI lead hostage negotiator Christopher Voss. In this conversation, Jonathan shares how elite negotiation skills apply far beyond the boardroom. We dig into how to remove yourself as a threat in high-stakes conversations, why being heard is often the real breakthrough in negotiation, and how better listening changes outcomes with clients, teams, and partners. Jonathan also unpacks practical tools for making hard decisions faster, negotiating under pressure, and avoiding the costly delay that holds leaders back.If you lead people, run a business, or negotiate every day and want better results with less conflict, this episode offers practical, field-tested strategies you can use immediately.Useful links:Get the book Fight Less, Win More by Jonathan B. Smith, available now on AmazonConnect with Jonathan B. Smith on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/staycuriousjbs/staycuriousjbs.com 👉 Resource: lvl10.us/lma-offer - Digital LMA® Diagnostic👉 Got a Level 10 Leaders podcast tip? - Submit your tip at lvl10.us/submit-tipWhere else you can find usWebsite: https://www.level10leaders.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/level10leaders/

This week’s Level 10 Leaders Power Tip comes from Hector Alvarado, Optimize Business Systems, who reminds us that the real CEO superpower isn’t hustle: it’s strategic focus. Growth doesn’t come from adding more initiatives, products, or meetings. It comes from strategic subtraction and executing a small number of aligned priorities relentlessly.Hector draws on lessons from Bezos, Buffett, and Musk to show why saying no is often the most powerful move a leader can make. If you’re juggling too many priorities or feel your team is busy but not moving the needle, this tip reframes your role: success comes from deciding what not to do.Connect with Hector Alvarado:LinkedInThe Inner Circleoptimizebusinesssystems.com 👉 Resource: lvl10.us/lma-offer - Digital LMA® Diagnostic👉 Got a Level 10 Leaders podcast tip? - Submit your tip at lvl10.us/submit-tipWhere else you can find usWebsite: https://www.level10leaders.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/level10leaders/

Ryan Castle sits down with Megan Long, founder of Second First and longtime second-in-command, to explore what really makes the visionary–integrator partnership work. Megan explains why business operating systems like EOS® or Scaling Up are just the “Windows layer,” and how the right “software” on top – clear roles, better same-page meetings, and a shared end game – prevents organizational whiplash and turns Rocket Fuel into reality. She also unpacks why executive growth requires “extreme discomfort,” and makes the case that integrators, more than visionaries, benefit most from coaching and peer groups because they are the true force multipliers in the business.Useful links:Connect with Megan Long on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganclong/ Second First: https://www.secondfirst.com/ The Right Hand Roadmap podcast: https://www.secondfirst.com/podcast Second First on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yoursecondfirst👉 Resource: lvl10.us/lma-offer - Digital LMA® Diagnostic👉 Got a Level 10 Leaders podcast tip? - Submit your tip at lvl10.us/submit-tipWhere else you can find usWebsite: https://www.level10leaders.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/level10leaders/

This week’s Level 10 Leaders Power Tip comes from Dianne Cubinar, Co-Founder of RO’I Ops & Beyond, who shines a light on a hidden operational risk: the invisible pothole of uncertainty. Dianne explains how silence in a team triggers guesswork, slows execution, erodes trust, and quietly kills your rocks.Her tip reframes feedback as a system problem, not a people problem. She shares a simple move leaders can make in their next Level 10 Meeting: pause on a metric that’s already on track and ask the owner what system or conversation kept it green. That small step turns success into a repeatable process rather than an accident. If you’ve been struggling with hesitation, rework, or a team that’s “busy but unclear,” this power tip helps you build a cleaner, clearer feedback loop, and stop uncertainty from stealing your traction.Connect with Dianne Cubinar:https://www.linkedin.com/in/diannecxhRO'I Ops & Beyond roiopsandbeyond.co👉 Resource: lvl10.us/lma-offer - Digital LMA® DiagnosticWhere else you can find usWebsite: https://www.level10leaders.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/level10leaders/

Ryan Castle sits down with Jen Hamilton, Fractional COO, COO mentor and founder of Hamilton COOs, whose career took a hard left turn from CPA to operations. Jen shares how starting life in the numbers gave her a powerful edge in running businesses, and why she now prefers fixing broken systems, coaching leaders and building high performing teams over doing the detailed work herself.Jen unpacks what a great fractional COO actually does for an EOS business: using data and scorecards to spot the real problems, turning client complaints into retention and referral engines. She explains how to separate doer seats from leader seats, why mixing them kills growth, and how to use fractional talent to avoid overpaid generalists. Finally, Jen shares her playbook for onboarding a fractional integrator the right way, including what visionaries must stop doing if they want real leverage. If you are a visionary or integrator wondering whether a fractional COO could help you get to 100 percent strong, this episode will give you clear, practical answers.Useful links:Connect with Jen Hamilton on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferdawnhamilton/www.HamiltonCOOs.com Sign up for free monthly roundtables with peers: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hamilton-coos/events 👉 Resource: lvl10.us/lma-offer - Digital LMA® Diagnostic👉 Got a Level 10 Leaders podcast tip? - Submit your tip at lvl10.us/submit-tipWhere else you can find usWebsite: https://www.level10leaders.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/level10leaders/

This week’s Level 10 Leaders Power Tip comes from Shawn Dan, Fractional Integrator at Integrate to Impact, who shares a practical reminder for SMBs running on EOS®: read the room, understand the intent behind the tools, and right-size the system to fit your business. Shawn explains how his team trims meeting clutter, uses async tools to cut noise, and simplifies scorecards without losing discipline.If you’ve been trying to run EOS® “by the book” when your company needs a leaner version, this tip will help you keep the spirit of the system while removing friction. Small tweaks to meetings, documentation, and communication can create meaningful momentum.Connect with Shawn Dan:https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawndan/👉 Resource: lvl10.us/lma-offer - Digital LMA® DiagnosticWhere else you can find usWebsite: https://www.level10leaders.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/level10leaders/

Our host Ryan Castle sits down with Sarah Williams, founder of Leading Culture, whose career shifted the moment she stepped out of accounting and onto the factory floor. A single project revealed a truth that changed her path: numbers don’t transform businesses, people do! That realisation sparked a decades-long journey helping organisations turn culture into their competitive advantage.Sarah shares the four systems every organisation needs to thrive across generations: clarity, decision-making, recognition, and belonging. She explains why Gen Z demand authenticity, why improvement ideas almost always live with the people closest to the work, and how leaders can create cultures where everyone feels they matter and they belong. If you're leading teams through generational change or want a clearer foundation for a strong culture, this episode delivers practical, grounded guidance.Useful links:Connect with Sarah Williams on LinkedInwww.leadingculture.co.nzLeading Culture Limited on LinkedIn👉 Resource: lvl10.us/lma-offer - Digital LMA® Diagnostic👉 Got a Level 10 Leaders podcast tip? - Submit your tip at lvl10.us/submit-tipWhere else you can find usWebsite: https://www.level10leaders.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/level10leaders/

This week’s Level 10 Leaders Power Tip comes from Beth Jacob, President and Co-CEO of vChief, who delivers a sharp reminder that leadership momentum doesn’t come from perfect plans, it comes from action. Using a simple surfing story, Beth shows how progress accelerates when we stop overthinking, fill leadership gaps quickly, and get someone “in the water” now.If you’ve been stuck in analysis paralysis or delaying key hires, this power tip will challenge you to move faster, learn faster, and keep your business rowing in the right direction. A small step this week could save months of stalled progress.Connect with Beth Jacob:https://www.linkedin.com/in/beth-jacobs-55952b18/vchiefs.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/vchief/👉 Resource: lvl10.us/lma-offer - Digital LMA® DiagnosticWhere else you can find usWebsite: https://www.level10leaders.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/level10leaders/

Our host Ryan Castle sits down with Dan Kasper, former Navy SEAL officer and co-founder of Piloteer.ai, a relationship-intelligence platform using AI to capture real-time leadership behaviour. After leading teams in 33 countries, Dan has become obsessed with the art and science of high-performing teams and is now using technology to help leaders see what really happens in the room when they communicate, decide, and coach.We dig into what it means to be a “chameleon with a backbone,” why great leaders flip the org chart and work for their teams, and how to turn “thought leadership” into “thought-doership.” Dan unpacks decision-making under pressure, the power of micro-wins, and how AI plus human coaches can create fast feedback loops that actually change behaviour.If you’re scaling a fast-growing team and know your only real edge is your people, this episode shows you how to train leaders the way Olympians train in the pool – with constant reps, data, and coaching.Useful links:Connect with Dan Kasper on LinkedInPiloteer.ai on LinkedInPiloteer.ai👉 Resource: lvl10.us/lma-offer - Digital LMA® DiagnosticWhere else you can find usWebsite: https://www.level10leaders.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/level10leaders/

This week's Level 10 Leaders Power Tip is by executive coach and EOS Implementer Adam Goldschmiedt, who shares a practical 15-minute exercise to help leaders get unstuck and regain clarity fast. It’s a guided framework built for real decision-making: identify what you truly want more of, uncover what’s blocking you, and take specific action this week to move forward. If you’re spinning your wheels or stuck in the weeds, this power tip is your reset button.Connect with Adam Goldschmiedt on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-goldschmiedt/👉 Resource: lvl10.us/lma-offer - Digital LMA® DiagnosticWhere else you can find usWebsite: https://www.level10leaders.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/level10leaders/

Our host Ryan Castle sits down with Gretchen Heinen, Founder and CEO of Authsnap Inc. She went from ER nurse to tech founder, driven by the injustice she saw when patients were denied insurance payout. Authsnap uses AI to turn clinical data and denial letters into fast, high quality appeal letters so more people get the care they deserve.We focus on the leadership journey behind that leap. How she risked comfort to step into purpose. How she built structure the right way with a lawyer first approach. How she surrounded herself with elite capability and stayed transparent when she did not yet know the answers. Gretchen shares how she scaled her own capacity through coachability, discipline, and execution. This conversation is a blueprint for leaders who want to use everything they have and who refuse to leave their potential on the table.Useful links:Connect with Gretchen Heinen on LinkedInhttps://authsnap.ai/👉 Resource: lvl10.us/lma-offer - Digital LMA® DiagnosticWhere else you can find usWebsite: https://www.level10leaders.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/level10leaders/