Guest: Chris Slaydon, President & CEO, Dealer Blue Sky

In this ABOVE CENTER® Leadership Podcast episode, Chris Slaydon shares wisdom earned from leading across diverse industries—from flipping bars and building dealership empires to growing marketing operations in automotive and beyond. His view on leadership? It all begins with duty—to your people, your vision, and the higher standard you hold yourself to.

Chris reminds us that the foundation of real leadership comes down to three things:

1️⃣ A clear, compelling vision

2️⃣A sense of direction for how to get there

3️⃣A culture where people feel wanted on the journey

When things get off track, Chris doesn't spiral—he pauses, revisits his purpose, and leads from what he calls the height of wisdom: the avoidance of stupidity. Inspired by Charlie Munger’s theory of inversion, Chris simplifies business by focusing not just on what to do, but what not to do.

Highlights from this episode include:

➡️Why great leaders are great storytellers—and how Chris keeps 15–30 personal stories ready to share at any moment to unite teams and reinforce vision

➡️His Two-Page Framework for working through chaos: one page for emotion, one page for fact

➡️The "epiphany bridge" storytelling method: share the problem, struggle, discovery, and resolution to captivate, teach, and inspire

➡️How to scale company culture without losing fidelity to the vision—even as employee #80 joins the team

➡️The importance of quick feedback loops and focusing on micro-adjustments over massive pivots

Chris encourages future founders not to get caught up in logos and business plans, but instead to focus on the problem they want to solve—and start solving it. Because ultimately, movement beats perfection.

He lives the ABOVE CENTER® mindset every day: driven by purpose, grounded in humility, and constantly aligning actions with the vision of who he wants to be.

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ABOVE CENTER® is brought to you by REVEL®, an Executive Search and Coaching firm that helps people and companies grow through the power of great leadership.

Our ABOVE CENTER® approach is about staying grounded, clear, and resilient, especially when the stakes are high. In this podcast, we feature leaders in corporate America who share how they navigate the pressures of leadership while living ABOVE CENTER®.

We uncover the mindsets, strategies, and personal philosophies that drive high-performing executives to lead themselves and their teams to success. From hiring and retaining top talent to thriving in the first 90 days of a new role, these conversations go beyond leadership—they're about building a career and a life with purpose, impact, and joy in the journey.