The Influential Leader

How do you help people grow when you cannot make them change? John Eades joins Michael Diettrich-Chastain to explore the influence leaders have through mentorship, clear standards, honest feedback, and optimism grounded in reality. John shares his “double bounce” metaphor for helping others reach higher, explains why leaders need to understand their own identity, vision, and skills, and offers a practical approach to behavior change: show people why it matters, then make the first step small enough to take. They also discuss protecting focus, giving praise people can learn from, and building an impact that lasts beyond a title.Chapters:00:00:00 Meet John Eades and the value of seeking mentors00:05:00 The “double bounce” and a leader’s wider impact00:11:00 Why your impact can outlast your title00:17:00 Developing leaders through identity, vision, and skills00:22:00 Optimism that faces reality00:29:00 Choosing people and setting clear team standards00:35:00 Why specific, honest feedback matters00:41:00 ADHD, attention, and protecting your focus00:47:00 How to make behavior change easier to start00:52:00 John’s books, newsletters, podcasts, and closing thoughtsLinks and Resources:John Eades Website – https://www.johneades.com/LearnLoft – https://learnloft.com/The Sales Infrastructure – https://thesalesinfrastructure.com/Building the Best by John Eades – https://learnloft.com/building-the-best-book/The Optimistic Outlook Book – https://learnloft.com/the-optimistic-outlook/The Leadership Lens Newsletter – https://jeades.beehiiv.com/The Optimistic Outlook Newsletter – https://optimisticoutlook.beehiiv.com/The John Eades Podcast – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-john-eades-podcast/id1093687579The Optimistic Outlook Podcast – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-optimistic-outlook-with-john-eades/id1804989860Accelerate Leadership Program – https://learnloft.com/accelerate-leadership/Catalyst for Growth Program – https://learnloft.com/catalyst-organization/Lead the Room Presentation Skills Program – https://learnloft.com/lead-the-room/Good to Great by Jim Collins – https://jimcollins.com/books.htmlFirst Who, Then What by Jim Collins – https://www.jimcollins.com/concepts/first-who-then-what.htmlRegrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware – https://bronnieware.com/blog/regrets-of-the-dying/Dr. Myles Munroe / Munroe Global – https://www.munroeglobal.com/about-us/Jon Gordon – https://jongordon.com/The Bible in a Year with Father Mike Schmitz – https://app.ascensionpress.com/podcasts/bibleHoarders – https://www.aetv.com/shows/hoardersArc Integrated Website: https://www.arcintegrated.comStrategy Call Page: https://www.arcintegrated.com/leadership-strategy-callPodcast Page: https://www.arcintegrated.com/podcastMichael Diettrich-Chastain in Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mdiettrichchastainMichael Diettrich-Chastain in Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaeldiettrichchastain/Michael Diettrich-Chastain in Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michael.diettrichchastainArc Integrated in Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arc-integratedThanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to The Influential Leader? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And leave us a review!

Bill Treasurer was afraid of heights even while diving from more than 100 feet. In this conversation with Michael, he explains how practicing at gradually greater heights shaped his approach to courage at work. They explore how leaders can create safety before challenging people, receive difficult feedback without becoming defensive, ask more questions than they make statements, and address conflict before avoidance becomes costly. Bill also reflects on authenticity, family, succession, and a question from his mentor that still brings him back to his own motives. The episode closes with practical lessons from six of his books and a reminder to pause before reacting.Chapters:00:00:00 Courage at Work and Bridging Differences00:07:00 Bill’s Fear of Heights and High Diving00:14:00 What Is Your Courage For?00:21:00 Psychological Safety and Receiving Feedback00:28:00 Authenticity, Family, and Work Identity00:35:00 How to Build Leadership Training That Works00:42:00 Ask More Questions and Address Conflict Debt00:49:00 Succession Planning at Giant Leap Consulting00:56:00 Finding Purpose Beyond Work and Asking Why01:03:00 Practical Lessons From Bill’s Six Books01:10:00 The Beautiful Beat and Starting the Day WellLinks and Resources:Giant Leap Consulting Website – https://www.giantleapconsulting.com/Courage Building Website – https://couragebuilding.com/Right Risk – https://bkconnection.com/products/9781576758854_right-riskCourage Goes to Work – https://bkconnection.com/products/9781523098569_courage-goes-to-workLeaders Open Doors – https://www.giantleapconsulting.com/leaders-open-doors/A Leadership Kick in the Ass – https://www.giantleapconsulting.com/kickass/The Leadership Killer – https://www.giantleapconsulting.com/killer/Leadership Two Words at a Time – https://www.giantleapconsulting.com/2words/Bill Treasurer’s Coaching Q Cards – https://www.giantleapconsulting.com/digital-qcards/Margie Warrell – https://margiewarrell.com/StoryBrand by Donald Miller – https://storybrand.com/ storybrand.comRadical Candor Framework – https://www.radicalcandor.com/our-approachThe Good Fight by Liane Davey – https://lianedavey.com/books/goodfight/Conflict Debt by Liane Davey – https://lianedavey.com/conflict-debt/The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson – https://books.google.com/books?id=galpAAAAMAAJArc Integrated Website: https://www.arcintegrated.comStrategy Call Page: https://www.arcintegrated.com/leadership-strategy-callPodcast Page: https://www.arcintegrated.com/podcastMichael Diettrich-Chastain in Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mdiettrichchastainMichael Diettrich-Chastain in Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaeldiettrichchastain/Michael Diettrich-Chastain in Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michael.diettrichchastainArc Integrated in Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arc-integratedThanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to The Influential Leader? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And leave us a review!

What happens to a team when its leader acts from insecurity? Victor Cho joins Michael Dietrich-Chastain to explore how self awareness, empathy, and transparency shape trust at work. Victor explains why he asks questions before advocating for a decision, and why employees at every level should be able to flag a problem when they see one. He also introduces his Fourth Stakeholder Framework, which asks leaders to consider how their companies affect society beyond their customers, employees, and shareholders. As the conversation turns to AI, Victor makes the case for planning how organizations will change and protecting trust in digital communication. It is a conversation about the questions leaders ask, the problems they choose to see, and the example they set for everyone around them.Chapters:(00:00:00) - Victor Cho on Leadership, Inquiry, and AI(00:05:02) - Defining Your Three Circles of Purpose and Impact(00:09:40) - How Insecurity, Empathy, and Transparency Shape Leadership(00:16:07) - Inquiry Versus Advocacy: How Leaders Influence Behavior(00:22:43) - CEO Frameworks and Emotional Intelligence(00:29:41) - The Fourth Stakeholder and Business Responsibility to Society(00:36:33) - Business Ripple Effects and the Employee Red Button(00:43:21) - AI Strategy and the Future Structure of Companies(00:50:11) - Deepfakes and Trust in Business Communication(00:54:03) - Why Leaders Must Address Their Own InsecurityLinks and Resources:Website - https://www.victorcho.com/4 Stakeholder - https://www.victorcho.com/4th-stakeholderCEO Career Accelerator - https://www.victorcho.com/courseInquiry vs. Advocacy - https://www.victorcho.com/course-lesson-4Leadership Frameworks - https://www.victorcho.com/resourcesThe Deming Institute - https://deming.org/What Should We Tell the Kids? Navigating Work, Learning, and Purpose in the Age of AI - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMnIJJ3_khAArc Integrated Website: https://www.arcintegrated.comStrategy Call Page: https://www.arcintegrated.com/leadership-strategy-callPodcast Page: https://www.arcintegrated.com/podcastMichael Diettrich-Chastain in Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mdiettrichchastainMichael Diettrich-Chastain in Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaeldiettrichchastain/Michael Diettrich-Chastain in Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michael.diettrichchastainArc Integrated in Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arc-integratedThanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to The Influential Leader? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And leave us a review!

If every decision still lands on your desk, how much room does your team really have to think for themselves? Chad Littlefield, cofounder of We and Me and coauthor of Ask Powerful Questions, joins Michael to explore how leaders can build trust and help people take greater ownership. Drawing on stories from his work and family life, Chad shares how to ask questions that get beyond predictable answers and give employees the freedom to figure things out. The conversation also gets into what meaningful mentorship requires and why your next good idea might need more thinking time before it becomes another project for your team. Throughout the episode, Chad makes a practical case for giving connection more attention, from noticing work that usually goes unseen to creating meetings people actually want to attend. For busy leaders looking to improve engagement, there is plenty here to bring into your next conversation.Chapters:(00:00:00) - Chad Littlefield on Leadership and Human Connection(00:06:50) - Personal Growth Through Challenge and Connection(00:13:35) - Asking Better Questions and Listening With Intention(00:20:20) - Employee Engagement and the Power of Slowing Down(00:27:19) - Employee Autonomy and Three Keys to Effective Mentorship(00:33:58) - Building Company Culture Through Transparency(00:40:58) - Leadership Confidence and Building Team Trust(00:47:30) - How to Influence People With Better Invitations(00:54:23) - AI and the Future of Human Connection(01:01:16) - Leading Through Uncertainty With an Entrepreneurial MindsetLinks and Resources:Ask Powerful Questions - https://shop.weand.me/products/ask-powerful-questionsWe! Connect Cards - https://shop.weand.me/products/we-connect-cardsThe Art of Learning - https://www.joshwaitzkin.com/the-art-of-learningWorthy Goal Framework - https://www.mbs.works/books/Chad Littlefield on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@chad.littlefieldConnectors Summit - https://weand.me/connectors-summit/Liberating Structures - https://www.liberatingstructures.com/Liberating Structures Resources - https://www.liberatingstructures.com/resources-1Arc Integrated Website: https://www.arcintegrated.comStrategy Call Page: https://www.arcintegrated.com/leadership-strategy-callPodcast Page: https://www.arcintegrated.com/podcastMichael Diettrich-Chastain in Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mdiettrichchastainMichael Diettrich-Chastain in Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaeldiettrichchastain/Michael Diettrich-Chastain in Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michael.diettrichchastainArc Integrated in Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arc-integratedThanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to The Influential Leader? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And leave us a review!

Why does a behavior keep showing up even after coaching, training, and clear expectations? Dr. Jade Teta joins Michael Dietrich-Chastain to explore the stories and identities that may sit beneath what leaders see at work. He shares a three part approach to difficult conversations that begins with recognizing someone’s humanity, showing empathy, and asking a question that helps them speak honestly. Jade also explains why he puts connection before correction, how to care deeply while holding someone accountable, and what it means to believe in a person without taking responsibility for their choices. Later, he describes using AI to challenge his ideas and spot his own patterns. The conversation gives leaders a way to look more closely at what is driving behavior before deciding what to do next.Chapters(00:00:00) - Dr. Jade Teta on Identity, Leadership, and Essentia(00:10:37) - Unconscious Patterns and the Identity Beneath Behavior(00:21:25) - Three Rules for Difficult Employee Conversations(00:31:37) - Connection Through Service and Leading Through Struggle(00:42:33) - Extreme Ownership and Three Responses to Suffering(00:52:24) - Fulfillment, Purpose, and Movement Beyond Mission Statements(01:03:23) - Rewrite, Rewire, Retrain: Changing Identity and Behavior(01:09:08) - The Morpheus Effect and Confident Detachment(01:17:43) - How to Use AI to Think With You, Not for You(01:27:59) - The Story You Live and the Story Your Team FollowsLinks and Resources:Johari Window – https://johari-window.com/aboutInternal Family Systems (IFS) – https://ifs-institute.com/The Charisma Myth – https://www.charismamyth.com/Rewrite, Rewire, Retrain – https://www.nextlevelhuman.com/blog/identity-based-changePygmalion Effect – https://dictionary.apa.org/pygmalion-effectGolem Effect Research – https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01581/fullWispr Flow – https://wisprflow.ai/Next Level Human – https://www.nextlevelhuman.com/Dr. Jade Teta on Substack – https://substack.nextlevelhuman.com/Dr. Jade Teta – https://www.jadeteta.com/Arc Integrated Website: https://www.arcintegrated.comStrategy Call Page: https://www.arcintegrated.com/leadership-strategy-callPodcast Page: https://www.arcintegrated.com/podcastMichael Diettrich-Chastain in Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mdiettrichchastainMichael Diettrich-Chastain in Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaeldiettrichchastain/Michael Diettrich-Chastain in Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michael.diettrichchastainArc Integrated in Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arc-integratedThanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to The Influential Leader? Have some feedback you’d like to share? Connect with us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And leave us a review!