Ashley Herd is the founder of Manager Method, former Head of HR North America at McKinsey & Company, national keynote speaker, top 10 business podcast host, and a LinkedIn Top Voice who has trained over 250,000 managers. With a background that spans law, HR, and corporate leadership across global companies like McKinsey and Yum! Brands, Ashley brings a rare blend of practical wisdom and real-world empathy. Her new book, The Manager Method, provides a simple, powerful framework—Pause, Consider, Act—to help managers lead with confidence, avoid burnout, and create high-performing teams.

On this episode we talk about:

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  How Ashley made her first dollar as a Subway “sandwich artist” and the lessons it taught her about leadership

  
  


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  Why she left a high-profile role at McKinsey to build her own leadership training business

  
  


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  The surprising similarities between corporate leaders and front-line managers

  
  


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  How social media helped her reach millions with practical management advice

  
  


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  Ashley’s three-step “Pause, Consider, Act” framework from her book The Manager Method

  
  


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  What it’s really like to write and publish a book with Hay House

  
  

Top 3 Takeaways

1. 
   

   Great management isn’t about titles or degrees—it’s about practicing empathy, communication, and self-awareness.

   
   


2. 
   

   Social media can democratize leadership training, giving valuable education to people at every level.

   
   


3. 
   

   Pausing before reacting—whether as a leader, coworker, or entrepreneur—can turn a difficult moment into a growth opportunity.

   
   

Notable Quotes

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  “The smartest people in the world often need practical training just like everyone else.”

  
  


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  “Whether it’s a McKinsey partner or a McDonald’s manager, everyone deserves access to good leadership training.”

  
  


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  “Sometimes the hardest thing about leadership isn’t knowing what to do—it’s taking a breath before you do it.”

  
  

Connect with Ashley Herd:

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  LinkedIn: Ashley Herd on LinkedIn

  
  


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  Twitter/X: @managermethod

  
  


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  Instagram: @managermethod

  
  


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  Website and Book: managermethod.com

  
  

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