Claim OwnershipThe Frontline Leadership Podcast
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© 2025 Craig Coyle
Description
The Frontline Leadership Podcast presented by Operation Lead
Building Frontline Leadership Systems That Actually Work
If you're a manufacturing or operations leader watching good people walk out the door because of bad supervisors, this podcast is for you.
The biggest problems in your organization—turnover, disengagement, stalled performance—aren't caused by your workforce. They're caused by what your workforce is missing: frontline leaders who've been equipped to lead.
After managing high-stakes operations worth $330M+ globally, I noticed something I couldn't ignore. In aviation, we never let pilots fly without systematic training. Yet in manufacturing, we promote our best technicians to supervisor and hope they figure out leadership on their own.
That needs to change.
Here's the reality:
60% of new managers fail within their first 18 months.
70% of team engagement variance is driven by frontline managers.
57% of employees who quit cite poor leadership as the deciding factor.
Yet 59% of managers receive zero leadership training.
Your frontline leaders—supervisors, shift managers, team leads—create your culture. They're the daily point of contact for 80-90% of your workforce. When they're unprepared, overwhelmed, and left to figure it out alone, your organization suffers.
But when you equip them with the right systems? Everything changes.
This podcast gives you the blueprint.
It's built on a simple philosophy: treat leadership like a profession and develop leaders professionally—with systems, structure, and continuous support. That's how pilots, doctors, and engineers are trained. That's how your leaders should be developed.
Every week, I break down the frameworks, systems, and strategies manufacturing and operations leaders need to build frontline supervisors who actually lead. No corporate fluff. No generic advice. Just practical, battle-tested leadership development for high-pressure, operations-heavy environments.
Who is this podcast for?
Senior manufacturing and operations leaders (Directors, VPs, COOs, General Managers) who are:
Tired of losing talent to bad frontline leadership.
Frustrated that leadership training programs don't stick.
Ready to build systematic infrastructure, not run one-off workshops.
Looking to activate the workforce they already have.
Frontline leaders (supervisors, managers, team leads) who:
Feel thrown into the deep end without training.
Want to lead with confidence instead of reacting to problems.
Are ready to treat leadership as a profession, not just a role.
About Your Host:
Craig Coyle is a former Apache helicopter pilot, West Point graduate, and founder of Operation Lead. After managing toxic teams and high-stakes operations in military and aerospace environments, Craig discovered that leadership failures aren't personal failures—they're system failures. Now, he helps manufacturing and operations leaders build the frontline leadership systems their organizations need. His clients stop playing whack-a-mole with turnover and start building cultures people fight to be part of.
Ready to transform your frontline leadership?
New episodes drop weekly. Subscribe now and visit operationlead.com to learn more.
Let's build leaders who create results.
7 Episodes
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You wouldn't let a pilot fly a plane after watching a couple of YouTube videos. But we do that to leaders every single day—promote them, hand them the keys, and hope they figure it out.In Episode 6 of The Frontline Leadership Podcast, host Craig Coyle introduces the concept of Ground School for leaders: the foundational knowledge every professional leader needs before they can effectively lead people, manage performance, and navigate organizational complexity.Ground school is what pilots go through before ever touching the controls of an aircraft. They spend months learning aerodynamics, aircraft systems, weather, and aeromedical factors—the foundational knowledge that anchors every decision they'll make in the cockpit. Leadership requires the same systematic approach.In this episode, you'll discover:Why 60% of new leaders fail within 18 months—and how ground school prevents thisWhy skills and tactics fail without foundation (and Craig's personal story of leading with a cracked foundation early in his career)The shift from treating leadership as a role to be filled to treating it like the profession it isThe four foundational elements every leader needs: principles and values, emotional intelligence, broadened development, and systems thinkingHow self-awareness becomes the anchor for every healthy relationship—and why leadership is relational at its coreHow to honestly assess where you are in each ground school area—and chart a path forwardWhether you're a senior leader building systematic development infrastructure, an operations executive tired of watching new supervisors struggle, or a frontline leader ready to stop winging it and start leading like a professional—this episode gives you the foundation that everything else rests upon.Resources mentioned:Visit our Website: operationlead.comRequest a Call: operationlead.kit.com/requestcallConnect with Craig:Website: operationlead.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/operation-leadCraig's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/craig-coyleAbout the show: The Frontline Leadership Podcast helps frontline leaders become professional leaders by building systematic development infrastructure that activates your workforce. New episodes weekly.
You can't win a retention battle by just trying to keep people from leaving. But you can build a culture so magnetic that people never want to leave in the first place.In Episode 5 of The Frontline Leadership Podcast, host Craig Coyle shifts from diagnosis to practical application—revealing exactly how to create an environment that taps into the psychological needs your workforce is subconsciously craving, whether they realize it or not.Most organizations are stuck playing a commodity game: competing on pay, perks, and benefits—the bottom tiers of Maslow's Hierarchy. But there will always be someone willing to pay more or offer better perks. It's a game you can't win long-term.The companies that win? They're competing on something nobody else can replicate: relationships and purpose. They've built cultures that fulfill the upper tiers of Maslow's Hierarchy—belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. And when people have that, they don't leave.In this episode, you'll discover:Why "how do we reduce turnover?" is the wrong question—and what to ask insteadThe garden principle: how culture cultivation works exactly like tending a garden (and what happens when you don't)The four core principles that create environments people never want to leaveThe infrastructure required to scale these principles beyond good intentions into lasting transformationThe three questions every employee is subconsciously asking—and how to answer them through daily operationsHow to shift from being a company that makes products to becoming a leader development organization that happens to make productsWhether you're a senior leader tired of watching good people walk out the door despite competitive pay, an operations executive who knows turnover is bleeding your bottom line, or a frontline supervisor trying to build a team worth staying for—this episode gives you the principles and the system to make it happen.Resources mentioned:Download The Leader's Preflight Checklist: operationlead.com/checklistRequest a Discovery Call: operationlead.kit.com/requestcallVisit our Website: operationlead.comConnect with Craig:Website: operationlead.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/operation-leadCraig's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/craig-coyleAbout the show: The Frontline Leadership Podcast helps frontline leaders become professional leaders by building systematic development infrastructure that activates your workforce. New episodes weekly.
Your frontline leaders aren't just managing people—they're creating your culture. And that culture is either driving engagement and retention or quietly bleeding your bottom line dry.In Episode 4 of The Frontline Leadership Podcast, host Craig Coyle reveals why the daily interactions happening on your factory floor, in your warehouse, or across your operations matter more than any company-wide initiative, HR policy, or executive vision statement ever will.Drawing from Gallup's research and his experience as both an Apache pilot and combat leader who transformed a toxic military unit, Craig breaks down the uncomfortable truth most senior leaders don't want to hear: 70% of team engagement variance is directly driven by frontline managers—yet these are the people we invest in the least.Here's what's really happening: your frontline supervisors are the daily point of contact for 80-90% of your workforce. They translate strategy into execution. They create the experience that determines whether people stay or leave. In short, your frontline leaders ARE your culture.In this episode, you'll discover:Why your frontline leaders have more influence over your culture than your entire senior leadership team combinedWhy culture is a lag measure, not a lead measure—and what that means for how you actually improve itThe invisible daily interactions that create (or destroy) psychological safety on your floorWhy "promoted but never trained" is costing you hundreds of thousands in turnoverThe strategic opportunity hiding in plain sight that your competitors are missingHow to stop treating frontline leadership as a tactical issue and start treating it as the strategic lever it actually isWhether you're a senior leader watching culture initiatives fail despite your best efforts, an operations executive tired of the same engagement problems recycling every quarter, or a frontline supervisor trying to lead without the support you need—this episode reveals exactly where the leverage point is and what to do about it.Resources mentioned:Download The Hidden Cause of Turnover, Disengagement & Stalled Performance: operationlead.com/retentionDownload The Leader's Preflight Checklist: operationlead.com/checklistRequest a Discovery Call: operationlead.kit.com/requestcallConnect with Craig:Website: operationlead.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/operation-leadCraig's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/craig-coyleAbout the show: The Frontline Leadership Podcast helps frontline leaders become professional leaders by building systematic development infrastructure that activates your workforce. New episodes weekly.
Turnover. Disengagement. Stalled performance. Every manufacturing and operations leader is battling these symptoms—but very few are addressing the actual cause.In Episode 3 of The Frontline Leadership Podcast, host Craig Coyle reveals why even good companies with competitive pay, solid benefits, and decent working conditions are still losing their best people. The answer isn't what most senior leaders expect—and it's been hiding in plain sight.Drawing from Gallup's latest research and his experience transforming toxic organizations as both an Apache pilot and combat leader, Craig breaks down the hidden system failure that's costing companies billions in turnover while killing engagement on the floor.Here's the uncomfortable truth: 70% of team engagement variance is directly driven by frontline managers. Yet most organizations promote their best technical performers into leadership roles and provide zero systematic training, no strategic support, and no continued development. Then we're shocked when turnover spikes and culture deteriorates.You're not stuck in a generational crisis. You're stuck playing a commodity game you can't win—competing on basic needs (pay, benefits, schedules) instead of psychological and self-actualization needs (belonging, growth, purpose). And the only people who can shift that equation are the leaders your workforce sees every single day.In this episode, you'll discover:Why the labor market has fundamentally shifted—and what that means for how you attract and retain talentThe real driver of engagement (hint: it's not ping-pong tables or pizza parties)Why 70% of your retention problem is actually a frontline leadership problemThe gap that prevents even strong companies from solving turnoverWhat happens when new leaders hit "the valley of despair"—and why most never make it outHow to break free from the commodity trap and activate the workforce you already haveWhether you're a senior leader watching good people walk out the door, an operations executive tired of firefighting the same culture issues, or a frontline manager drowning without support—this episode shows you exactly where the breakdown is happening and what to do about it.Resources mentioned:Download The Hidden Cause of Turnover, Disengagement & Stalled Performance: operationlead.com/retentionRequest a Discovery Call: operationlead.kit.com/requestcallConnect with Craig:Website: operationlead.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/operation-leadCraig's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/craig-coyleAbout the show: The Frontline Leadership Podcast helps frontline leaders become professional leaders by building systematic development infrastructure that activates your workforce. New episodes weekly.
Every profession dealing with high stakes has a systematic development process. Pilots go through flight school. Doctors go through medical school. Engineers earn degrees and certifications. But leaders? We often just hope they figure it out.In Episode 2 of The Frontline Leadership Podcast, host Craig Coyle breaks down the proven system that develops professional aviators—and shows you how to apply it to leadership development. Drawing from his experience as both an Apache pilot and a combat leader who transformed a toxic organization with a 90% disapproval rating, Craig reveals why systematic development changes everything.Most organizations promote their best performers into leadership and walk away. No training. No support. No development. Then six months later when turnover spikes, we blame the person instead of the system that set them up to fail.The problem isn't the people. The problem is we've never treated leadership like the profession it is.In this episode, you'll discover:The five-phase system the military uses to develop pilots (and why it works for leaders too)Why "learning on the job" is negligence in every other high-stakes profession—except leadershipThe Lead Like a Pilot™ framework: Flight School, Preflight, and ProgressionWhat changes when you stop leaving leadership to chance and start developing it systematicallyThe bridge between training and execution that most leadership development completely missesWhether you're a frontline leader winging it on your own, a senior leader watching your best performers crash and burn in management, or an operations executive who knows your culture is created on the floor—this episode gives you the roadmap.Resources mentioned:Download The Leader's Preflight Checklist: operationlead.com/checklistThe Developing Leaders Weekly Lessons: operationlead.kit.com/developing-frontline-leadersRequest a Discovery Call: operationlead.kit.com/requestcallConnect with Craig:Website: operationlead.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/operation-leadCraig's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/craig-coyleAbout the show: The Frontline Leadership Podcast helps frontline leaders become professional leaders by building leader development ecosystems that actually work. New episodes weekly.
60% of new leaders and managers fail within their first 18 months. But here's what nobody talks about: it's not their fault. It's the system.In this inaugural episode of The Frontline Leadership Podcast, host Craig Coyle shares his own story of falling flat on his face as a first-time leader—despite West Point, Apache pilot training, and access to world-class leadership development. Because management training doesn't teach you how to lead.Every day, great technicians and operators get promoted into leadership roles—excited, motivated, and ready to make an impact. 60 to 90 days later, they're firefighting, stressed, and doubting why they ever took the promotion.The problem isn't the people. The problem is the system.In this episode, you'll discover:Why 60% of new managers fail (and why it's a predictable outcome, not a character flaw)The hidden cost of promoting people without developing them how to leadHow 70% of team engagement is directly influenced by frontline supervisorsWhy leadership needs to be treated like a profession—not left to trial and errorThe transformation from individual contributor to leader (and why most organizations ignore it)Whether you're a frontline supervisor trying to figure it out on your own, a mid-level manager developing your team, or a senior leader who knows your frontline leaders ARE your culture—this episode will reframe how you think about leadership development.Resources mentioned:Download The Leader's Preflight Checklist: operationlead.com/checklistConnect with Craig:Website: operationlead.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/operation-leadCraig's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/craig-coyleAbout the show:The Frontline Leadership Podcast helps frontline leaders become professional leaders by building leader development ecosystems that actually work. New episodes weekly.
There's a plethora of leadership resources available today.New, aspiring, and frontline leaders don't need more information. They need a guide. Something to help them navigate the journey and steer through the clutter.Leadership is a profession, not an innate talent. The Frontline Leadership Podcast aims to provide a step-by-step approach to leadership transformation, guiding frontline leaders into becoming the successful professional leaders that grow businesses and improve lives.This podcast is for you if:You're a frontline leader trying to navigate your own journeyYou're a mid-level manager attempting to develop the leaders on your teamOr you're a senior leader wondering how to overcome the turnover and disengagement holding your organization backDon't wait. Let's start your transformation today.Learn more at operationlead.com.
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