Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast David Burkus Presents
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Best Leaders Aren't More Efficient, They're More Human with Caroline Webb | 08 Sep 2026 | 00:35:51 | |
The obvious response to AI eating more of the workday is to get more efficient — learn the tools, move faster, automate what you can. Caroline Webb, who's spent twenty-five years coaching leaders using cognitive and behavioral science, argues something closer to the opposite: the tasks AI still can't touch are the ones that actually decide whether you're a good leader, and most of us have never been taught to get better at them on purpose. Specificity over generality, humanity of technicality is what makes her five-step method for how to give feedback so effective. Not "good job." Not "be more proactive." A named observation, a named impact, and an invitation to hear the other side before you coach. It's the difference between feedback people shrug off and feedback people actually use. Deliberate wisdom, intrinsic inspiration, reasoned resilience — the three principles her new book is built around — are really one argument in three parts: as the machines get faster, the leaders who matter most will be the ones who get more deliberately human. Find out more about Caroline at https://carolinewebb.co // NEWSLETTER Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ leaders who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast // LEADERSHIP LESSONS -The best leaders aren't getting faster in the AI era — they're getting more human, doubling down on judgment, empathy, and trust. -Team complaining isn't an attitude problem — it's a sign the leader hasn't redirected attention to what's controllable. -Feedback isn't about telling people what to fix. It's about being specific enough that they can act on it. -Motivation isn't built with bonuses — it's built with competence and connection. -Resilience isn't pushing through — it's making the situation feel manageable and meaningful again. // SPEAKING Like what you heard? Learn more or find out how to bring me to your company or event: https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ // ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David’s forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are changing how companies approach leadership, teamwork, and collaboration. An organizational psychologist and professor at Columbia University, Dr. David Burkus is the bestselling author of five books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. Since 2017, David has been ranked multiple times as one of the world’s top business thought leaders. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS Mornings. David now works with leaders from organizations across all industries, including PepsiCo, Fidelity, Adobe, and NASA. David’s keynotes aren’t just entertaining and enlightening—they’re evidence-based and immensely practical, offering leaders at all levels a set of actionable takeaways they can implement immediately. //CONNECT LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| Leading After A Layoff | 31 Aug 2026 | 00:09:22 | |
The people who lost their jobs are gone but that doesn’t mean the layoff is over for the people who stayed. Research shows that employees who survive layoffs often experience anxiety, guilt, lower morale, reduced productivity, and a loss of trust in leadership. And trying to rush everyone back to “business as usual” can make things worse. I’ll walk you through how managers can rebuild trust through honest communication and consistency, redistribute workloads without creating burnout, recognize employees who are carrying additional responsibilities, and give the team something meaningful to work toward. If you’re managing a team through layoffs or organizational change, your people don’t expect you to have every answer. But they do need communication, honesty, consistency, and a leader they can count on. Chapters: 00:00 There was a layoff. Now what? 00:39 Meet Dr. David Burkus 00:54 Day One After A Layoff 02:05 Be Upfront From The Get-Go 03:16 Rebuild Trust Through Consistency 04:30 Be Smart About Delegation 07:31 Give The Team Something To Work Toward // NEWSLETTER Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ leaders who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast // SPEAKING Like what you heard? Learn more or find out how to bring me to your company or event: https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ // ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David’s forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are changing how companies approach leadership, teamwork, and collaboration. An organizational psychologist and professor at Columbia University, Dr. David Burkus is the bestselling author of five books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. Since 2017, David has been ranked multiple times as one of the world’s top business thought leaders. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS Mornings. David now works with leaders from organizations across all industries, including PepsiCo, Fidelity, Adobe, and NASA. David’s keynotes aren’t just entertaining and enlightening—they’re evidence-based and immensely practical, offering leaders at all levels a set of actionable takeaways they can implement immediately. //CONNECT LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| Why Pixar Deleted Toy Story 2 Twice | 24 Aug 2026 | 00:16:28 | |
In 1998, Pixar lost two months of Toy Story 2 to a stray delete command. A dozen people gave up a weekend to claw it back. Ten weeks later, four colleagues watched what they'd rescued and threw away more of it than the computer had. The interesting part isn't the accident. It's that the verdict came from people with no power to enforce it — and that's the reason it worked. Feedback research is uncomfortable here: across six hundred measurements, criticism made performance worse more than a third of the time, and what predicted the damage wasn't harshness. It was where the note landed. This is a case study in how one studio engineered its way out of that problem — the two rules that keep a hard note from becoming a referendum on a person, why stripping authority out of the room raised the quality of what got said, and what it cost the crew to learn it the expensive way. If you lead a team where someone can already see what's wrong and keeps saying the eighty-percent version of it, the fix isn't asking for more honesty. It's lowering what honesty costs. // NEWSLETTER Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ leaders who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/youtube // LEADERSHIP LESSONS -Separate the note from the power to enforce it — the moment criticism arrives with a chain attached, people defend their standing instead of the work -Ask for the diagnosis, not the cure — where someone got lost is a fact about the work, while what they'd do instead is a verdict on your judgment -Declare the bad first version expected, so finding problems stops reading as an indictment of whoever made it -Watch where feedback lands rather than how it sounds — identical words can arrive as information or as a referendum on competence -Treat candor as a price you lower with structure, not a character trait you hire for -Build the room that surfaces the problem in March, because hearing it in December is courage, and courage is expensive // SPEAKING Like what you heard? Learn more or find out how to bring me to your company or event: https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ // ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David’s forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are changing how companies approach leadership, teamwork, and collaboration. An organizational psychologist and professor at Columbia University, Dr. David Burkus is the bestselling author of five books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. Since 2017, David has been ranked multiple times as one of the world’s top business thought leaders. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS Mornings. A former business school professor, David now works with leaders from organizations across all industries, including PepsiCo, Fidelity, Adobe, and NASA. David’s keynotes aren’t just entertaining and enlightening—they’re evidence-based and immensely practical, offering leaders at all levels a set of actionable takeaways they can implement immediately. //CONNECT LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| Netflix Learned The Cost Of Silence | 17 Aug 2026 | 00:09:48 | |
What happens when everyone on your team thinks the boss is wrong...but nobody says anything? That’s exactly what happened at Netflix. In 2011, co-founder Reed Hastings made a decision that cost the company customers, millions of dollars, and a massive drop in stock price. The surprising part? Dozens of Netflix leaders suspected the decision would fail before it happened. They just stayed silent. In this video, I break down the psychology of organizational silence, why smart employees don’t speak up even when leaders genuinely want feedback, and how Netflix turned one of its biggest failures into a leadership practice called “farming for dissent.” More importantly, I’ll show you how to apply the same idea to your own team. Chapters: 00:00 You're boss just pitched a bad idea...what do you do? 00:17 What Netflix Did In 2011 01:22 The Mistake That Started It All 04:24 Research Calls This "Organizational Silence" 05:13 Reed Hastings' "Farming For Dissent" 06:45 The Lesson From The Mistake 07:21 Reed Hastings' "Socializing An Idea" 08:41 What I Hope For You // NEWSLETTER Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ leaders who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/youtube // SPEAKING Like what you heard? Learn more or find out how to bring me to your company or event: https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ // ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David’s forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are changing how companies approach leadership, teamwork, and collaboration. An organizational psychologist and professor at Columbia University, Dr. David Burkus is the bestselling author of five books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. Since 2017, David has been ranked multiple times as one of the world’s top business thought leaders. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS Mornings. A former business school professor, David now works with leaders from organizations across all industries, including PepsiCo, Fidelity, Adobe, and NASA. David’s keynotes aren’t just entertaining and enlightening—they’re evidence-based and immensely practical, offering leaders at all levels a set of actionable takeaways they can implement immediately. //CONNECT LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| Why Companies Get Worse As They Grow | 03 Aug 2026 | 00:23:15 | |
Does it feel like every business has gotten worse? Longer hold times, endless bureaucracy, frustrating customer service, and workplaces buried under layers of process. In this video, I explore why so many organizations feel broken—and why the problem isn't lazy employees or bad leaders. It's the systems we've built. Drawing on research in organizational psychology, I explain how concepts like suboptimization, Goodhart's Law, and goal displacement quietly shift companies away from serving people and toward serving metrics. From the Wells Fargo scandal to lessons from NVIDIA and KPMG, I'll show how even well-intentioned organizations drift into fragmentation, bureaucracy, and burnout—and what the healthiest companies do differently. We'll also explore why trust, psychological safety, meaningful work, and human-centered leadership matter more than ever in the age of AI. If you're a leader, manager, or simply someone who's tired of feeling like work has become more transactional and less human, this video will help you understand why—and what great organizations must do to stay human as they grow. // NEWSLETTER Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ leaders who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast // SPEAKING Like what you heard? Learn more or find out how to bring me to your company or event: https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ // ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David’s forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are changing how companies approach leadership, teamwork, and collaboration. An organizational psychologist and professor at Columbia University, Dr. David Burkus is the bestselling author of five books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. Since 2017, David has been ranked multiple times as one of the world’s top business thought leaders. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS Mornings. A former business school professor, David now works with leaders from organizations across all industries, including PepsiCo, Fidelity, Adobe, and NASA. David’s keynotes aren’t just entertaining and enlightening—they’re evidence-based and immensely practical, offering leaders at all levels a set of actionable takeaways they can implement immediately. //CONNECT LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| Protect Your Team From Toxic Leaders | 20 Jul 2026 | 00:06:41 | |
If you're managing under a toxic or chaotic senior leader, your job is more than just keeping projects on track. It's protecting your team. In this video, I share practical leadership strategies for managing up, shielding your team from unnecessary chaos, and building a healthy team culture even when senior leadership creates uncertainty. You'll learn how to act as a shock absorber instead of a stress amplifier, communicate with honesty without spreading panic, and create a strong micro-culture that keeps your team engaged and focused on meaningful work. I'll also explain when it's time to push back, how to give senior leaders feedback that actually gets heard, and when protecting your team may mean making a bigger career decision. Whether you're dealing with a toxic boss, poor executive leadership, constant organizational change, or workplace dysfunction, these research-backed leadership principles will help you lead with confidence and keep your team performing at its best. Chapters: 00:00 A Bad Leader Is All Too Common 01:00 Be The Shock Absorber 02:08 Be Transparent, But Know The Limit 02:56 Build A Micro-Culture 03:47 Keep Your Team Anchored 04:40 Know When To Escalate // NEWSLETTER Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ leaders who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast // SPEAKING Like what you heard? Learn more or find out how to bring me to your company or event: https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ // ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David’s forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are changing how companies approach leadership, teamwork, and collaboration. A skilled researcher and inspiring communicator, Dr. David Burkus is the bestselling author of five books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. Since 2017, David has been ranked multiple times as one of the world’s top business thought leaders. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS Mornings. A former business school professor, David now works with leaders from organizations across all industries, including PepsiCo, Fidelity, Adobe, and NASA. David’s keynotes aren’t just entertaining and enlightening—they’re evidence-based and immensely practical, offering leaders at all levels a set of actionable takeaways they can implement immediately. //CONNECT LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| The Real Challenge of Managing Freelancers | 06 Jul 2026 | 00:09:53 | |
A lot of leadership advice assumes everyone on your team actually works for you, but modern teams are often blended teams, full-time employees, freelancers, contractors, consultants, and fractional leaders all trying to move work forward with different schedules, incentives, and priorities. That can get messy fast. In this video, we’ll break down how to manage a blended team without wasting people’s time or creating resentment. You’ll learn why role clarity matters, how to protect contractors from unnecessary meetings, how to give fractional team members a reason to care, and how to address tension with your full-time employees before assumptions take over. Chapters: 00:00 Does your team look like this? 01:21 Meet Dr. David Burkus 01:32 Set The Foundation 03:13 Protect Their Time 04:41 Give Them A Reason To Care 06:12 Don't Ignore The Tension 07:57 Build Trust Through Small Actions // NEWSLETTER Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ leaders who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast // SPEAKING Like what you heard? Learn more or find out how to bring me to your company or event: https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ // ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David’s forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are changing how companies approach leadership, teamwork, and collaboration. A skilled researcher and inspiring communicator, Dr. David Burkus is the bestselling author of five books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. Since 2017, David has been ranked multiple times as one of the world’s top business thought leaders. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS Mornings. A former business school professor, David now works with leaders from organizations across all industries, including PepsiCo, Fidelity, Adobe, and NASA. David’s keynotes aren’t just entertaining and enlightening—they’re evidence-based and immensely practical, offering leaders at all levels a set of actionable takeaways they can implement immediately. //CONNECT LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| The Real Reason Your Team Procrastinates | 22 Jun 2026 | 00:08:55 | |
Is your team always waiting until the last minute...all the time? You'd be surprised. It’s not about laziness. It's usually about stress, unclear expectations, vague milestones, and bottlenecks leaders don’t always see. Now, don't you procrastinate here, I'm here to help! In this video, I’ll show you how to handle procrastination without micromanaging or becoming the boss nobody wants to work for. You’ll learn why teams stall, how psychological safety helps surface problems faster, and practical actions to take to create the best team ever. 00:00 Procrastination has infected the team! 00:13 Meet Dr. David Burkus 01:10 It's Not A Laziness Problem 02:17 Start A Conversation 03:15 Manage Each Person, Not Just The Project 04:42 Look In The Mirror 05:28 Break Down Deadlines Into Milestones 06:53 Make Timeliness A Team Value // NEWSLETTER Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ leaders who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast // SPEAKING Like what you heard? Learn more or find out how to bring me to your company or event: https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ // ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David’s forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are changing how companies approach leadership, teamwork, and collaboration. A skilled researcher and inspiring communicator, Dr. David Burkus is the bestselling author of five books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. Since 2017, David has been ranked multiple times as one of the world’s top business thought leaders. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS Mornings. A former business school professor, David now works with leaders from organizations across all industries, including PepsiCo, Fidelity, Adobe, and NASA. David’s keynotes aren’t just entertaining and enlightening—they’re evidence-based and immensely practical, offering leaders at all levels a set of actionable takeaways they can implement immediately. //CONNECT LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| You Have More Time Than You Think with Laura Vanderkam | 15 Jun 2026 | 00:28:09 | |
Most leaders treat time management like a logistics problem. Not enough hours. Too many demands. A calendar that's already full before Monday starts. So they grind harder—and still feel behind. Laura Vanderkam has spent two decades studying how people actually spend their time, and her research keeps arriving at the same uncomfortable finding: most of us aren't as busy as we believe. We're just zoomed in too close to see it. In this conversation, we dig into Laura's new book Big Time and the core insight behind it—that the way we frame time (in days, in tasks, in pressure) actively prevents us from seeing the abundance that's already there. We explore why high-earning leaders often feel the least in control of their schedules, what a dedicated weekly planning habit actually changes, and how leaders can model time abundance for their teams without it looking like bragging. If your people are burning out, and your answer is "we need to work smarter," this conversation will sharpen what that actually means. // NEWSLETTER Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ leaders who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast // LEADERSHIP LESSONS -Zoom out before you optimize. Most leaders experience scarcity because they plan in days. Shifting to weeks—and eventually to seasons and years—reveals space that the daily view hides entirely. -Busyness is often a framing problem, not a workload problem. The same week looks overwhelming in 24-hour slices and completely manageable across 168 hours. The math matters more than the feeling. -Leaders who hold the most power often have the most control over their time—if they choose to exercise it. Senior leaders frequently surrender schedule autonomy they technically have, out of habit or cultural pressure. -Track before you optimize. You wouldn't change a budget without looking at the numbers first. Time tracking—all 168 hours, not just work hours—gives leaders the data they need to make deliberate choices instead of reactive ones. -Modeling matters more than messaging. When you share how you spent your week, ask your team what they'd like to see you spend more time on, and visibly protect time for life outside work, you give your people permission to do the same—which is worth more than any policy. -Evening intentions are an underrated leadership tool. Encouraging your team (and yourself) to name one non-work, non-housework thing to do each evening changes how the whole week feels—less like a grind, more like a life. // SPEAKING Like what you heard? Learn more or find out how to bring me to your company or event: https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ // ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David’s forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are changing how companies approach leadership, teamwork, and collaboration. A skilled researcher and inspiring communicator, Dr. David Burkus is the bestselling author of five books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. Since 2017, David has been ranked multiple times as one of the world’s top business thought leaders. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS Mornings. A former business school professor, David now works with leaders from organizations across all industries, including PepsiCo, Fidelity, Adobe, and NASA. David’s keynotes aren’t just entertaining and enlightening—they’re evidence-based and immensely practical, offering leaders at all levels a set of actionable takeaways they can implement immediately. //CONNECT LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| What To Consider When Considering A Career Change | 08 Jun 2026 | 00:10:21 | |
Does something feel off at your job? The Sunday scaries creeping in harder and harder? Jealously bubbling up from other people’s work at other places? Or are simply bored? Well, it might be time for a career change. Before you make the leap to possibly brighter pastures that promise purpose and maybe even cure those Sunday scaries, take it from me, you’ll want to take a few strategic steps before doing so. In this video, I’ll tell you first hand why I made a career change a few times in my professional life and research backed steps to make it more effective. This is a big deal, and typically not an easy transition to make. But I can tell you, when done well, you’ll be looking back less and less and only regretting not taking that leap sooner. Chapters: 00:00 Does something feel off at your job? 00:18 Meet Dr. David Burkus 01:18 Why I Changed Careers 02:36 Investigate Why You’re Feeling The Pull 05:18 Making The Change 08:29 Give Yourself A Decision Deadline // NEWSLETTER Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ leaders who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast // SPEAKING Like what you heard? Learn more or find out how to bring me to your company or event: https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ // ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David’s forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are changing how companies approach leadership, teamwork, and collaboration. A skilled researcher and inspiring communicator, Dr. David Burkus is the bestselling author of five books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. Since 2017, David has been ranked multiple times as one of the world’s top business thought leaders. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS Mornings. A former business school professor, David now works with leaders from organizations across all industries, including PepsiCo, Fidelity, Adobe, and NASA. David’s keynotes aren’t just entertaining and enlightening—they’re evidence-based and immensely practical, offering leaders at all levels a set of actionable takeaways they can implement immediately. //CONNECT LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| Are You Being Managed Out? | 25 May 2026 | 00:08:48 | |
If you’ve ever felt the “vibe shift” at work, fewer responsibilities, less communication, and more criticism...you may be getting managed out. No one wants to be in this situation. And if that sounds like you, I'm here to help. In this episode, I break down the subtle signs your boss or organization may be quietly pushing you toward the exit, and more importantly, what you can do about it. It's not always over. Sometimes you can make changes and create a comeback story. But other times, well, don't be afraid to reignite that network just in case. 00:00 Something feels different... 00:16 Meet Dr. David Burkus 01:21 What "Being Managed Out" Looks Like 02:57 How To Reverse Course 03:07 Have A Direct Conversation 04:07 Understand the Bigger Picture 05:00 Assess The Problem 05:46 Activate Your Network 06:53 Prepare For An Exit // NEWSLETTER Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ leaders who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast // SPEAKING Like what you heard? Learn more or find out how to bring me to your company or event: https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ // ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David’s forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are changing how companies approach leadership, teamwork, and collaboration. A skilled researcher and inspiring communicator, Dr. David Burkus is the bestselling author of five books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. Since 2017, David has been ranked multiple times as one of the world’s top business thought leaders. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS Mornings. A former business school professor, David now works with leaders from organizations across all industries, including PepsiCo, Fidelity, Adobe, and NASA. David’s keynotes aren’t just entertaining and enlightening—they’re evidence-based and immensely practical, offering leaders at all levels a set of actionable takeaways they can implement immediately. //CONNECT LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| The Reason Your AI Rollout Isn't Working with Charlene Li | 18 May 2026 | 00:40:44 | |
Most organizations are treating AI like a software upgrade. Buy the licenses, hand it to IT, measure adoption rates, call it a transformation. It isn't. Charlene Li has spent the last several years inside organizations actually leading AI transformation — not just talking about it — and her diagnosis is blunt: the problem isn't the technology. It's that leaders keep handing off a leadership challenge to the wrong person. When the CEO outsources AI to the CIO, the whole organization stays stuck in adoption mode. Tools get installed. Behavior doesn't change. Value doesn't follow. In this conversation, Charlene and I dig into what leading AI transformation actually requires — why it has to start at the strategic level, how to move past the fear and stigma that keeps most employees treating AI like a cheat code, and what governance looks like when it accelerates instead of stalls progress. We also get into the jagged frontier debate, what AI fluency actually means for next-generation leaders, and why the most dangerous question you can ask your team isn't "are you using AI?" — it's "what are you using it for?" If you're a senior leader sitting on a pile of licenses and not much to show for it, this conversation is for you. // NEWSLETTER Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ leaders who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast // SPEAKING Like what you heard? Learn more or find out how to bring me to your company or event: https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ // ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David’s forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are changing how companies approach leadership, teamwork, and collaboration. A skilled researcher and inspiring communicator, Dr. David Burkus is the bestselling author of five books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. Since 2017, David has been ranked multiple times as one of the world’s top business thought leaders. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS Mornings. A former business school professor, David now works with leaders from organizations across all industries, including PepsiCo, Fidelity, Adobe, and NASA. David’s keynotes aren’t just entertaining and enlightening—they’re evidence-based and immensely practical, offering leaders at all levels a set of actionable takeaways they can implement immediately. //CONNECT LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| The Perfectionism Trap That's Slowing Your Team Down | 11 May 2026 | 00:07:00 | |
Perfectionism feels like a strength, but it’s often the very thing slowing you down. In this video, we break down the hidden costs of perfectionism and how it quietly sabotages productivity, decision-making, and team performance. Drawing on research and real-world examples, you’ll learn the critical difference between pursuing excellence and chasing perfection, and why that distinction matters more than you think. I'll also explore the three types of perfectionism and how they show up at work, from being overly critical of yourself to placing unrealistic expectations on your team. More importantly, you’ll walk away with practical strategies to overcome perfectionism without lowering your standards, like setting guardrails, focusing on progress over perfection, and adopting a more process-driven mindset. Chapters: 00:00 Perfectionism Creeps In.... 00:23 Meet Dr. David Burkus 01:43 The Three Types Of Perfectionism 02:43 Audit The Cost Of Your Perfectionism 02:59 Questions For You To Try! 04:03 Focus On Process, Not Perfection 04:49 Experiment With “Good Enough” 05:33 As A Leader, Set The Tone // NEWSLETTER Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ leaders who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/youtube // SPEAKING Like what you heard? Learn more or find out how to bring me to your company or event: https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ // ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David’s forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are changing how companies approach leadership, teamwork, and collaboration. A skilled researcher and inspiring communicator, Dr. David Burkus is the bestselling author of five books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. Since 2017, David has been ranked multiple times as one of the world’s top business thought leaders. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS Mornings. A former business school professor, David now works with leaders from organizations across all industries, including PepsiCo, Fidelity, Adobe, and NASA. David’s keynotes aren’t just entertaining and enlightening—they’re evidence-based and immensely practical, offering leaders at all levels a set of actionable takeaways they can implement immediately. //CONNECT LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| Get Promoted (Without Office Politics) | 28 Apr 2026 | 00:08:57 | |
Want to get promoted and land the high-profile projects? Just doing great work isn't enough. You need a strong internal reputation that speaks for you even when you're not in the room. In this video, I'm breaking down five proven strategies to build your workplace reputation without playing politics. I'll show you how to make yourself visible, how to make others look good (and in turn make you look good), and why building relationships across your organization matters just as much as managing up. I'll also share why your external reputation can supercharge how colleagues see you internally and why consistency is the secret ingredient that ties it all together. Your reputation is being built right now, whether you're actively shaping it or not. Let's make sure you're taking charge of it. 00:00 What you want usually requires a good reputation. 00:11 Meet Dr. David Burkus 00:39 Why Your Internal Reputation Matters 01:34 The Problem With Playing Politics 02:38 Make Yourself Visible 03:58 Make Others Look Good 05:11 Build Relationships Across, Not Just Up 06:01 Don't Forget Your External Reputation 07:20 Be Relentlessly Consistent // NEWSLETTER Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ leaders who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast // SPEAKING Like what you heard? Learn more or find out how to bring me to your company or event: https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ // ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David’s forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are changing how companies approach leadership, teamwork, and collaboration. A skilled researcher and inspiring communicator, Dr. David Burkus is the bestselling author of five books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. Since 2017, David has been ranked multiple times as one of the world’s top business thought leaders. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS Mornings. A former business school professor, David now works with leaders from organizations across all industries, including PepsiCo, Fidelity, Adobe, and NASA. David’s keynotes aren’t just entertaining and enlightening—they’re evidence-based and immensely practical, offering leaders at all levels a set of actionable takeaways they can implement immediately. //CONNECT LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| The 5 Forces That Unlock Creative Collaboration with Josh Linkner | 20 Apr 2026 | 00:28:12 | |
Most leaders think creativity belongs to a handful of people on their team—the ones in marketing, R&D, or the corner office with the whiteboard. Everyone else executes. And that assumption, more than any lack of talent, is what's quietly killing your team's best ideas before they ever surface. Josh Linkner has spent years studying what actually happens when people create together at their best. His concept of co flow—a shared state of creative momentum, built on the dynamics of jazz improvisation—challenges the myth of the solo genius and replaces it with something more practical, more powerful, and more accessible to every leader and team. In this conversation, Josh and David explore what the research on collective intelligence reveals about high-performing teams, why domain fluency matters more than mastery, and how psychological safety functions as the on-ramp to creative collaboration. They also dig into the five forces Josh believes drive synchrony—and why optimizing them changes everything about how teams produce their best work together. If you've ever been on a team where time bends and the ideas just flow—this is why that happened, and how to build it on purpose. // NEWSLETTER Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ leaders who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/youtube // LEADERSHIP LESSONS -Reframe genius as a system, not a person. The most creative output on any team comes from the interplay between contributors—not from a single brilliant individual carrying the load. -Treat creative collaboration as a dial, not a switch. Co flow isn't something your team either has or doesn't have. It exists on a spectrum, and leaders can deliberately move the needle. -Domain fluency unlocks contribution; domain mastery can block it. Teams need members who know enough to play together—not experts so entrenched in their own domain that they can't receive ideas from outside it. -Risk permission is the prerequisite, not the bonus. Without psychological safety to try, share, and fail at small ideas, none of the other conditions for creative collaboration can take hold. -Creativity isn't a job title—it's a leadership mandate. Every role on your org chart is a creative role. If it isn't, you don't need a human being doing it. -Start small to build a creative culture. Micro-innovations—low-stakes experiments in better thinking—build the capability and confidence that compound into transformational creative output over time. // SPEAKING Like what you heard? Learn more or find out how to bring me to your company or event: https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ // ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David’s forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are changing how companies approach leadership, teamwork, and collaboration. A skilled researcher and inspiring communicator, Dr. David Burkus is the bestselling author of five books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. Since 2017, David has been ranked multiple times as one of the world’s top business thought leaders. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS Mornings. A former business school professor, David now works with leaders from organizations across all industries, including PepsiCo, Fidelity, Adobe, and NASA. David’s keynotes aren’t just entertaining and enlightening—they’re evidence-based and immensely practical, offering leaders at all levels a set of actionable takeaways they can implement immediately. //CONNECT LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| How to Bounce Back from a Failure at Work | 13 Apr 2026 | 00:05:53 | |
Failure at work isn’t the problem, it's how leaders respond to it is. In this video, I break down how great leaders turn mistakes into momentum by building trust, reinforcing psychological safety, and creating a culture where teams actually learn. You’ll learn a simple, practical framework: acknowledge what happened, separate effort from outcomes, run effective post-mortems, and reestablish clear direction. These aren’t just soft skills, they’re leadership behaviors that drive better performance, smarter risk-taking, and more engaged teams. Chapters: 00:00 Everyone makes mistakes. It happens. 00:13 Meet Dr. David Burkus 01:24 Step One: Acknowledge It. 02:34 Step Two: Conduct A Post-mortem. 04:10 Step Three: Reestablish Direction. // NEWSLETTER Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ leaders who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast // SPEAKING Like what you heard? Learn more or find out how to bring me to your company or event: https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ // ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David’s forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are changing how companies approach leadership, teamwork, and collaboration. A skilled researcher and inspiring communicator, Dr. David Burkus is the bestselling author of five books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. Since 2017, David has been ranked multiple times as one of the world’s top business thought leaders. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS Mornings. A former business school professor, David now works with leaders from organizations across all industries, including PepsiCo, Fidelity, Adobe, and NASA. David’s keynotes aren’t just entertaining and enlightening—they’re evidence-based and immensely practical, offering leaders at all levels a set of actionable takeaways they can implement immediately. //CONNECT LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| How to Lead Without a Title | 30 Mar 2026 | 00:10:11 | |
Most people think leadership comes with a title. A promotion. A team. But in reality, leadership starts long before any of that...and often without it. In this video, we’re unpacking what it really means to lead without formal authority. Because stepping up without the title isn’t just a career move, it’s a proving ground. It’s where you build the skills, relationships, and reputation that make leadership possible in the first place. But let’s be honest: it’s not easy. There’s extra work, social risk, and no positional power to fall back on. Which means if you want people to follow you, they have to want to follow you. Chapters: 00:00 Authority isn't always tied to a fancy title. 00:16 Meet Dr. David Burkus 00:56 Why Lead Without a Title? 02:24 The Costs Of Stepping Up 04:02 How to Lead Well Without the Title 04:17 Lead With Expertise, Not Ego. 05:23 Build Relationships Before You Need Them. 06:33 Clarify the Goal, Not the Roles. 07:50 Model the Behavior You Want to See. 08:49 Make Others Look Good. // NEWSLETTER Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ leaders who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast // SPEAKING Like what you heard? Learn more or find out how to bring me to your company or event: https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ // ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David’s forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are changing how companies approach leadership, teamwork, and collaboration. A skilled researcher and inspiring communicator, Dr. David Burkus is the bestselling author of five books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. Since 2017, David has been ranked multiple times as one of the world’s top business thought leaders. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS Mornings. A former business school professor, David now works with leaders from organizations across all industries, including PepsiCo, Fidelity, Adobe, and NASA. David’s keynotes aren’t just entertaining and enlightening—they’re evidence-based and immensely practical, offering leaders at all levels a set of actionable takeaways they can implement immediately. //CONNECT LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| Managing A Toxic High-Performer | 16 Mar 2026 | 00:07:54 | |
You’ve probably worked with someone like this: they hit every deadline, their numbers look great, and leadership sees them as a star performer. But ask the rest of the team, and you’ll hear a...very...different story. In this episode, I tackle a challenge almost every leader faces: how to handle a high performer who creates friction on the team. The truth is, performance isn’t just about individual results. It’s about how someone’s work affects everyone around them. In modern organizations, success is a team sport. Chapters: 00:00 High performer? Or team breaker? 01:19 Redefine What High Performance Looks Like. 02:28 Make Teamwork Expectations Specific. 03:33 Position This As A Growth Oppurtunity. 05:58 If All Else Fails, Make The Tough Decision. // NEWSLETTER Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ leaders who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast // SPEAKING Like what you heard? Learn more or find out how to bring me to your company or event: https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ // ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David’s forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are changing how companies approach leadership, teamwork, and collaboration. A skilled researcher and inspiring communicator, Dr. David Burkus is the bestselling author of five books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. Since 2017, David has been ranked multiple times as one of the world’s top business thought leaders. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS Mornings. A former business school professor, David now works with leaders from organizations across all industries, including PepsiCo, Fidelity, Adobe, and NASA. David’s keynotes aren’t just entertaining and enlightening—they’re evidence-based and immensely practical, offering leaders at all levels a set of actionable takeaways they can implement immediately. //CONNECT LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| How Great Teams Create Meaning with Daniel Coyle | 09 Mar 2026 | 00:30:51 | |
Most leaders are searching for the formula. The right strategy, the right talent, the right incentive structure. And when teams underperform, they add more—more process, more accountability, more pressure. What they almost never do is pause. In his new book Flourish, Daniel Coyle spent five years visiting the highest-performing teams, organizations, and communities on the planet—and he never found a single person thriving alone. Not one. Meaning, he argues, is not something you discover in isolation. It's something you build together. And the leaders who understand that aren't just more effective—they're building something that actually lasts. In this conversation, Daniel and I dig into what separates teams that merely function from teams that genuinely flourish. We talk about the Cleveland Guardians, who've won as many games as the Yankees while spending over a billion dollars less—by redesigning how players develop themselves. We talk about Ed Catmull at Pixar, who built a culture where "I might be wrong" is the starting point, not an admission of weakness. And we talk about what Daniel Coyle calls "awakening cues"—the small, almost invisible moments where leaders either create connection or quietly kill it. If you've ever been on a team where everything just clicked—and had no idea how to explain it afterward—this conversation is the closest thing to a map. // NEWSLETTER Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ leaders who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast 0:00 Introduction to Daniel Coyle and Flourish 1:15 Why Meaning Is a Social Construct (Not a Solo Journey) 3:30 Awakening Cues: The Leadership Move Most People Miss 6:00 What Mr. Rogers Got Right About Leading People 8:30 The Cleveland Guardians and Constraints-Led Development 12:00 Complicated vs. Complex: Why Leaders Need to Probe, Not Push 16:00 Total Football, Group Flow, and the Team Brain 19:30 The Humanist Revival: Are Leaders Finally Catching Up 23:00 Key Takeaways // SPEAKING Like what you heard? Learn more or find out how to bring me to your company or event: https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ // ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David’s forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are changing how companies approach leadership, teamwork, and collaboration. A skilled researcher and inspiring communicator, Dr. David Burkus is the bestselling author of five books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. Since 2017, David has been ranked multiple times as one of the world’s top business thought leaders. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS Mornings. A former business school professor, David now works with leaders from organizations across all industries, including PepsiCo, Fidelity, Adobe, and NASA. David’s keynotes aren’t just entertaining and enlightening—they’re evidence-based and immensely practical, offering leaders at all levels a set of actionable takeaways they can implement immediately. //CONNECT LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| Introverts Can Make Better Leaders. Here's Why. | 16 Feb 2026 | 00:10:40 | |
We tend to picture leaders as bold, charismatic extroverts. The loudest voice in the room. But that stereotype is costing organizations great talent. In this video, I break down the research on introverted leaders and why quiet, thoughtful professionals often make some of the most effective managers and team builders. You’ll also learn practical strategies introverted leaders can use to build high-performing teams, including leveraging deep listening, maximizing one-on-ones, sharing the spotlight, and designing a leadership style that fits your energy. Chapters: 00:00 Myth: Introverts Don't Make Good Leaders (Wrong!) 01:11 What Does "Introverted" Mean? 03:22 How To Actually Succeed as an Introverted Leader 04:11 Lean Into Listening 05:42 Share the Spotlight Strategically 07:46 Plan Around Your Energy 09:03 Don't Forget Your Own Development // NEWSLETTER Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ leaders who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast // SPEAKING Like what you heard? Learn more or find out how to bring me to your company or event: https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ // ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David’s forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are changing how companies approach leadership, teamwork, and collaboration. A skilled researcher and inspiring communicator, Dr. David Burkus is the bestselling author of five books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. Since 2017, David has been ranked multiple times as one of the world’s top business thought leaders. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS Mornings. A former business school professor, David now works with leaders from organizations across all industries, including PepsiCo, Fidelity, Adobe, and NASA. David’s keynotes aren’t just entertaining and enlightening—they’re evidence-based and immensely practical, offering leaders at all levels a set of actionable takeaways they can implement immediately. //CONNECT LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| The Science of High Performance with James Hewitt | 09 Feb 2026 | 00:29:40 | |
Most leaders think high performance is a simple equation: more hours, more hustle, more grit. And in a short-term crisis, that approach can even look like it’s working—war rooms, late nights, and relentless pressure that “proves” productivity. But sustained high performance doesn’t come from staying on all the time. It comes from knowing when to push—and when to recover—so your energy, judgment, and emotional control don’t quietly degrade the very results you’re chasing. In this conversation with James Hewitt, we unpack why “always on” leadership can actually reduce inspiration, erode psychological safety, and trap teams in reactive cycles. And we explore a smarter alternative: treating recovery as a strategic advantage, using small experiments to shift behavior, and building teams that can respond skillfully under pressure instead of just grinding harder. If you want high performance that lasts—without burnout—this is the mindset shift that changes everything. // NEWSLETTER Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ leaders who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast // SPEAKING Like what you heard? Learn more or find out how to bring me to your company or event: https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ // ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David’s forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are changing how companies approach leadership, teamwork, and collaboration. A skilled researcher and inspiring communicator, Dr. David Burkus is the bestselling author of five books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. Since 2017, David has been ranked multiple times as one of the world’s top business thought leaders. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS Mornings. A former business school professor, David now works with leaders from organizations across all industries, including PepsiCo, Fidelity, Adobe, and NASA. David’s keynotes aren’t just entertaining and enlightening—they’re evidence-based and immensely practical, offering leaders at all levels a set of actionable takeaways they can implement immediately. //CONNECT LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| Fix Your Focus at Work (And Get More Done) | 02 Feb 2026 | 00:07:19 | |
Are all your productivity tools actually making you...less productive? The average knowledge worker toggles between platforms 1,200 times a day. That’s four hours lost just reorienting your brain. Email, Slack, project tools, shared docs… they were supposed to help us, not hijack our focus. In this video, I’ll break down why productivity platforms often backfire and how to fix it. We’ll look at how context switching drains your cognitive energy, how to reclaim your focus with one central task list, and why organizing work visually boosts momentum. Chapters: 00:00 This stat should scare you. 01:09 Where Did Our Attention Go? 01:59 Stop Treating Your Brain Like a Task Manager 02:47 Create a Single Source of Truth 04:00 Organize Work in a Way That Makes Action Easier 05:17 Redefine What Responsiveness Means // NEWSLETTER Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ leaders who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast // SPEAKING Like what you heard? Learn more or find out how to bring me to your company or event: https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ // ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David’s forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are changing how companies approach leadership, teamwork, and collaboration. A skilled researcher and inspiring communicator, Dr. David Burkus is the bestselling author of five books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. Since 2017, David has been ranked multiple times as one of the world’s top business thought leaders. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS Mornings. A former business school professor, David now works with leaders from organizations across all industries, including PepsiCo, Fidelity, Adobe, and NASA. David’s keynotes aren’t just entertaining and enlightening—they’re evidence-based and immensely practical, offering leaders at all levels a set of actionable takeaways they can implement immediately. //CONNECT LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| How To Delegate Without Losing Control | 19 Jan 2026 | 00:07:51 | |
If you're struggling to delegate as a manager, it's time to fix that. Have no fear. In this video, I break down the most common mistakes managers make when delegating and then I’ll give you strategies to delegate in a way that actually builds high-performing, autonomous teams. We’ll talk about task vs. ownership, how to create trust without micromanaging, and why delegation isn’t about offloading your least favorite tasks. Delegation isn’t just a skill. It’s a responsibility. And when you do it right, you don’t just get more tim, you build a team that gets stronger every time you hand something off. 00:00 The struggle to delegate is real. 00:46 Mistake: delegating tasks instead of ownership 01:44 Mistake: never really letting go 02:35 Mistake: delegating the wrong work 03:44 Solution: Match Responsibility to Readiness 04:36 Solution: Establish Checkpoints 05:22 Solution: Share Real Authority 06:21 Close the Loop 06:50 Question to ask when reflecting on delegation // NEWSLETTER Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ leaders who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/youtube // SPEAKING Like what you heard? Learn more or find out how to bring me to your company or event: https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ // ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David’s forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are changing how companies approach leadership, teamwork, and collaboration. A skilled researcher and inspiring communicator, Dr. David Burkus is the bestselling author of five books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. Since 2017, David has been ranked multiple times as one of the world’s top business thought leaders. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS Mornings. A former business school professor, David now works with leaders from organizations across all industries, including PepsiCo, Fidelity, Adobe, and NASA. David’s keynotes aren’t just entertaining and enlightening—they’re evidence-based and immensely practical, offering leaders at all levels a set of actionable takeaways they can implement immediately. //CONNECT LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| How To Be More Productive | 05 Jan 2026 | 00:08:09 | |
We all make the same promise, sometimes more than once: "This time, I’ll be more productive.” But most productivity goals fail, not because we lack motivation, but because we’re managing the wrong thing. Based on powerful research, we’ll uncover how your natural energy rhythms can unlock your peak performance. You’ll learn how to identify your personal energy peaks, timebox your workday, and make space for real rest, not as a reward, but as a requirement for high performance. Let’s fix how you work so you can do your best work ever. 00:00 I want to be more productive! 0:13 Meet Dr. David Burkus 01:48 Chronotypes 02:55 Timebox Your Day 04:35 Strategize Your Breaks 05:52 Focus on the Most Important Task //ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David Burkus’ forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are helping leaders and teams do their best work ever. He is the best-selling author of five books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, USAToday, Fast Company, the Financial Times, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS This Morning. Since 2017, Burkus has been ranked as one of the world’s top business thought leaders by Thinkers50. As a sought-after international speaker, his TED Talk has been viewed over 2 million times. He’s worked with leaders from organizations across all industries including Google, Stryker, Fidelity, Viacom, and even the US Naval Academy. A former business school professor, Burkus holds a master’s degree in organizational psychology from the University of Oklahoma, and a doctorate in strategic leadership from Regent University. //NEWSLETTER Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/youtube //SPEAKING Like what you heard? Find more on David's speaking page (and find out about bringing him to your company or event) at https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ //CONNECT + LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ + Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus + Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus + Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| 2026 Predictions For Leaders | 01 Jan 2026 | 00:12:46 | |
2025 was a noisy year. Quiet quitting, quiet firing, corporate catfishing? Yeah, we heard it all. But as we head into 2026, smart leaders aren’t chasing headlines, they’re looking for the signal in the noise. I break down the workplace trends that actually matter and how to lead your team through them. From hybrid work to generative AI, flexibility to psychological safety, we’ll cover what’s here to stay and what’s just buzz. If you’re ready to future-proof your leadership and build your best team ever, you’re in the right place. 00:00 The Buzzwords of 2025 00:35 Meet Dr. David Burkus 01:00 The Return to Office Push 03:56 AI as the New Coworker 07:15 The Fractional Workforce 10:08 The Generational Shift //NEWSLETTER Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast //ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David Burkus’ forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are helping leaders and teams do their best work ever. He is the best-selling author of four books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, USAToday, Fast Company, the Financial Times, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS This Morning. Since 2017, Burkus has been ranked as one of the world’s top business thought leaders by Thinkers50. As a sought-after international speaker, his TED Talk has been viewed over 2 million times. He’s worked with leaders from organizations across all industries including Google, Stryker, Fidelity, Viacom, and even the US Naval Academy. A former business school professor, Burkus holds a master’s degree in organizational psychology from the University of Oklahoma, and a doctorate in strategic leadership from Regent University. //SPEAKING Like what you heard? Find more on David's speaking page (and find out about bringing him to your company or event) at https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ //CONNECT + LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ + Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus + Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus + Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| How To Pitch An Idea | 08 Dec 2025 | 00:12:27 | |
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast You’ve got a great idea. A new workflow. A game-changing tool. A better way to run meetings. You bring it to your manager…and get hit with “let’s stick with what we know.” Sound familiar? I'm breaking down why smart people reject great ideas, and more importantly, how to sell your best ideas to your boss, your team, or your entire organization. Chapters: 00:00 "We tried something like that before...and it didn't work." 00:55 Meet Dr. David Burkus 01:18 Why Your Idea Isn’t Landing 01:50 Reason 1: The Success Trap 02:40 Reason 2: The Sunk Cost Fallacy 04:18 Reason 3: Risk Asymmetry 05:20 Reason 4: The Status Quo Bias 07:05 Solution 1: Frame the problem before the idea. 07:42 Try these phrases! 08:12 Solution 2: Make it easy to imagine. 09:23 Solution 3: Don’t defend, explore. 10:41 Solution 4: Build the culture. //ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David Burkus’ forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are helping leaders and teams do their best work ever. He is the best-selling author of four books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, USAToday, Fast Company, the Financial Times, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS This Morning. Since 2017, Burkus has been ranked as one of the world’s top business thought leaders by Thinkers50. As a sought-after international speaker, his TED Talk has been viewed over 2 million times. He’s worked with leaders from organizations across all industries including Google, Stryker, Fidelity, Viacom, and even the US Naval Academy. A former business school professor, Burkus holds a master’s degree in organizational psychology from the University of Oklahoma, and a doctorate in strategic leadership from Regent University. //SPEAKING Like what you heard? Find more on David's speaking page (and find out about bringing him to your company or event) at https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ //CONNECT + LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ + Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus + Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus + Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| AI & Creativity | 24 Nov 2025 | 00:08:05 | |
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast AI can boost creativity, but is it killing collaboration? It'a true, tools like ChatGPT can help and also hurt your team's ability to innovate together. I’ll walk you through research-backed insights showing how over-reliance on AI can lead to sameness, less surprising ideas, and fewer true breakthroughs. Creativity isn’t a solo sport, it’s a team sport, and great teams thrive on psychological safety, cognitive diversity, and yes, a little friction. If you lead a team and want more innovation, better brainstorming, and stronger collaboration, watch this before your next meeting. And no, copying this video into ChatGPT for a summary isn’t going to cut it. Chapters: 00:00 Can AI Make Your Team More Creative? 01:40 Meet Dr. David Burkus 01:59 Creativity Is a Team Sport 04:06 Get More People Involved 05:27 Encourage Productive Friction //ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David Burkus’ forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are helping leaders and teams do their best work ever. He is the best-selling author of four books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, USAToday, Fast Company, the Financial Times, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS This Morning. Since 2017, Burkus has been ranked as one of the world’s top business thought leaders by Thinkers50. As a sought-after international speaker, his TED Talk has been viewed over 2 million times. He’s worked with leaders from organizations across all industries including Google, Stryker, Fidelity, Viacom, and even the US Naval Academy. A former business school professor, Burkus holds a master’s degree in organizational psychology from the University of Oklahoma, and a doctorate in strategic leadership from Regent University. //NEWSLETTER Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/youtube //SPEAKING Like what you heard? Find more on David's speaking page (and find out about bringing him to your company or event) at https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ //CONNECT + LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ + Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus + Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus + Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| Goal-Setting That Actually Works | 10 Nov 2025 | 00:07:48 | |
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast Most leaders know goal setting matters, but most are doing it wrong. I’ll break down the common mistakes leaders make when setting goals and how they unknowingly sabotage performance, trust, and motivation on their teams. I’ll show you how to distinguish between performance and learning goals, why your team needs both (but not at the same time), and how to clarify the purpose behind every metric. Because metrics aren’t meaning, but the right goals, set the right way, can turn a group of individuals into a high-performing team. 00:00 Goals Are Important, But Are You Using Them Right 00:45 Meet Dr. David Burkus 01:05 What Leaders Get Wrong About Goal Setting 01:15 Mistake #1 Setting Too Many Goals 01:46 Mistake #2 Confusing Stretch with Stress 02:19 Mistake #3 Mixing Up Learning and Performance Goals 03:09 How To Set Goals That Work 03:20 Solution #1 Choose a Focus 04:05 Solution #2 Set Goals that Clarify Purpose 05:13 Solution #3 Co-create and Take Feedback 06:22 Solution #4 Watch for Signs of Goal Fatigue //ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David Burkus’ forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are helping leaders and teams do their best work ever. He is the best-selling author of four books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, USAToday, Fast Company, the Financial Times, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS This Morning. Since 2017, Burkus has been ranked as one of the world’s top business thought leaders by Thinkers50. As a sought-after international speaker, his TED Talk has been viewed over 2 million times. He’s worked with leaders from organizations across all industries including Google, Stryker, Fidelity, Viacom, and even the US Naval Academy. A former business school professor, Burkus holds a master’s degree in organizational psychology from the University of Oklahoma, and a doctorate in strategic leadership from Regent University. //NEWSLETTER Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/youtube //SPEAKING Like what you heard? Find more on David's speaking page (and find out about bringing him to your company or event) at https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ //CONNECT + LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ + Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus + Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus + Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| Let's Fix Corporate Jargon in the Workplace | 27 Oct 2025 | 00:08:49 | |
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast Ever sit through a meeting where someone says, “Let’s circle back and align our KPIs”—and everyone just nods, while you're silently wondering what on earth that even means? Yeah. Corporate jargon is everywhere. And while some of it can help teams move faster, too often it just muddies the waters and slows everyone down. We’re breaking down the real impact of workplace jargon, when it helps, when it hurts, and how it might be damaging your leadership credibility more than you think. Clarity isn’t just a communication tactic. It’s a leadership strategy. It builds trust. And trust fuels performance. When people understand each other clearly, they move faster, work smarter, and build something meaningful together. Chapters: 00:00 Jargon...you know it when you hear it. 00:32 Meet Dr. David Burkus 00:55 “Let’s Holistically Evaluate the Pain Points Driving Our Misalignment” 03:10 Know Your Audience 04:53 Default to Clarity 06:18 Challenge Fake Complexity //ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David Burkus’ forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are helping leaders and teams do their best work ever. He is the best-selling author of four books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, USAToday, Fast Company, the Financial Times, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS This Morning. Since 2017, Burkus has been ranked as one of the world’s top business thought leaders by Thinkers50. As a sought-after international speaker, his TED Talk has been viewed over 2 million times. He’s worked with leaders from organizations across all industries including Google, Stryker, Fidelity, Viacom, and even the US Naval Academy. A former business school professor, Burkus holds a master’s degree in organizational psychology from the University of Oklahoma, and a doctorate in strategic leadership from Regent University. //NEWSLETTER Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/youtube //SPEAKING Like what you heard? Find more on David's speaking page (and find out about bringing him to your company or event) at https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ //CONNECT + LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ + Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus + Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus + Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| What Leaders Get Wrong About Emotional Intelligence | 13 Oct 2025 | 00:08:22 | |
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast In today’s hybrid world, where the lines between work and life are blurrier than ever, leaders can’t afford to ignore how emotions shape performance for themselves and the people they manage. If you want a team that stays engaged, communicates well, and actually enjoys working together, you need to sharpen your emotional intelligence. This is a concept that's been around for decades, and yet, leaders still misunderstand it. In this episode, I break down what emotional intelligence really means (hint: it’s not about group hugs), and walk through the four key competencies every manager needs to master: self-awareness, self-regulation, social awareness, and relationship management. No fluff, just real-world, actionable insights to help you lead better, especially when tensions run high. Whether you’re leading in-person, remote, or somewhere in between, this video is your playbook for becoming the kind of leader your team actually wants to follow. 00:00 Emotional Intelligence is still misunderstood 01:01 Meet Dr. David Burkus 01:20 What Emotional Intelligence Is Not 03:03 Self-Awareness 04:43 Self-Regulation 05:47 Social Awareness 06:58 Relationship Management //ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David Burkus’ forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are helping leaders and teams do their best work ever. He is the best-selling author of four books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, USAToday, Fast Company, the Financial Times, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS This Morning. Since 2017, Burkus has been ranked as one of the world’s top business thought leaders by Thinkers50. As a sought-after international speaker, his TED Talk has been viewed over 2 million times. He’s worked with leaders from organizations across all industries including Google, Stryker, Fidelity, Viacom, and even the US Naval Academy. A former business school professor, Burkus holds a master’s degree in organizational psychology from the University of Oklahoma, and a doctorate in strategic leadership from Regent University. //NEWSLETTER Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/youtube //SPEAKING Like what you heard? Find more on David's speaking page (and find out about bringing him to your company or event) at https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ //CONNECT + LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ + Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus + Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus + Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| How To Lead High-Performers On Your Team | 29 Sep 2025 | 00:08:55 | |
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast Every team needs A-Players. But spotting and supporting your high performers isn’t just nice to do, it’s essential leadership. In this episode, I’ll show you how to find the real A-Players on your team (hint: they’re not always the loudest in the room), and more importantly, how to lead them so they stay motivated, energized, and on your team. Because if you don’t know how to manage A-Players, someone else will, and they’ll gladly recruit yours. This isn’t about micromanaging or piling on more work. It’s about creating clarity, challenge, and support. Chapters: 00:00 The A-Players 00:44 Meet Dr. David Burkus 01:11 How to Actually Spot Your High Performers 04:07 How to Support Them and Keep Them from Leaving 04:25 Don't just pile on more work. 05:19 Do set clear, ambitious expectations. 06:09 Don’t micromanage. 06:54 Do help them find meaning. 07:30 Don't try to keep them to yourself. //ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David Burkus’ forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are helping leaders and teams do their best work ever. He is the best-selling author of four books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, USAToday, Fast Company, the Financial Times, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS This Morning. Since 2017, Burkus has been ranked as one of the world’s top business thought leaders by Thinkers50. As a sought-after international speaker, his TED Talk has been viewed over 2 million times. He’s worked with leaders from organizations across all industries including Google, Stryker, Fidelity, Viacom, and even the US Naval Academy. A former business school professor, Burkus holds a master’s degree in organizational psychology from the University of Oklahoma, and a doctorate in strategic leadership from Regent University. //NEWSLETTER Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/youtube//SPEAKING Like what you heard? Find more on David's speaking page (and find out about bringing him to your company or event) at https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ //CONNECT + LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ + Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus + Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus + Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| 14 Life-Changing Books On Leadership | 15 Sep 2025 | 00:14:38 | |
There's a stack of leadership books I continue to draw from all the time that not only shape how I think, but some that have really changed my mind in the past. They've influenced me in numerous way including when I wrote my book, "Best Team Ever." Chapters: 00:32 The Opposable Mind by Roger Martin 01:33 The Culture Map by Erin Meyer 02:29 The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier 03:34 What Got You Here Won't Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith 04:17 Team of Teams by General Stanley McChrystal 05:18 The No Asshole Rule by Robert Stutton 06:11 Radical Candor by Kim Scott 07:11 Good to Great by Jim Collins 08:19 Creativity Inc. by. Ed Catmull 09:18 The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle 10:13 Leadership and Self-Deception by The Arbinger Institute 11:03 The Leadership Challenge by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner 12:24 Switch by Chip Heath and Dan Heath 13:23 Best Team Ever by David Burkus //ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David Burkus’ forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are helping leaders and teams do their best work ever. He is the best-selling author of four books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, USAToday, Fast Company, the Financial Times, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS This Morning. Since 2017, Burkus has been ranked as one of the world’s top business thought leaders by Thinkers50. As a sought-after international speaker, his TED Talk has been viewed over 2 million times. He’s worked with leaders from organizations across all industries including Google, Stryker, Fidelity, Viacom, and even the US Naval Academy. A former business school professor, Burkus holds a master’s degree in organizational psychology from the University of Oklahoma, and a doctorate in strategic leadership from Regent University. //NEWSLETTER Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/youtube //SPEAKING Like what you heard? Find more on David's speaking page (and find out about bringing him to your company or event) at https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ //CONNECT + LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ + Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus + Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus + Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| How to Manage a Cross-Functional Team (and Not Fall Back Into Silos) | 02 Sep 2025 | 00:10:52 | |
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/youtube You’ve just been asked to lead a team…but it’s not really your team. It’s a mix of folks from different departments. Marketing. Sales. Legal. Each bringing their own priorities, habits, and maybe even a hidden agenda or two...Welcome to the world of cross-functional teams. They’re supposed to help organizations move faster and collaborate better. But the reality? Most are dysfunctional. In this video, I’ll break down why that happens, and more importantly, what you can do about it. I’ll walk you through how to align goals, create clarity around roles, and build the kind of communication norms that keep things moving and keep people from defaulting back to their silos. Chapters: 00:00 Welcome to a Cross-Functional Team! 00:42 Meet Dr. David Burkus 01:05 What’s the Real Problem Here? 02:41 Clarify Goals and Roles 03:44 Set Communication Norms 04:27 The Key Questions to Ask 05:10 Build Common Understanding and Practice Empathy 06:20 Build Psychological Safety 08:37 Set Checkpoints and Celebrate Wins //ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David Burkus’ forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are helping leaders and teams do their best work ever. He is the best-selling author of four books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, USAToday, Fast Company, the Financial Times, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS This Morning. Since 2017, Burkus has been ranked as one of the world’s top business thought leaders by Thinkers50. As a sought-after international speaker, his TED Talk has been viewed over 2 million times. He’s worked with leaders from organizations across all industries including Google, Stryker, Fidelity, Viacom, and even the US Naval Academy. A former business school professor, Burkus holds a master’s degree in organizational psychology from the University of Oklahoma, and a doctorate in strategic leadership from Regent University. //NEWSLETTER Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/youtube //SPEAKING Like what you heard? Find more on David's speaking page (and find out about bringing him to your company or event) at https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker //CONNECT + LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ + Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus + Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus + Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| Managing Your Friends Without Losing Them | 18 Aug 2025 | 00:08:04 | |
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast Can you keep your work friends now that you're the new boss? Now that you’re leading the same people you used to grab happy hour with…it's awkward, right? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. That shift from friend to boss can get messy if you’re not careful. I'll help you break down what actually changes when your work buddies become your direct reports and how to handle it without tanking your credibility or your friendships. Chapters: 00:00 Can you be the boss and a friend at the same time? 01:02 Meet Dr. David Burkus 01:24 Don’t Be That Friend, or That Boss... 02:15 Address the New Identity Directly and Soon 03:14 Accept Your New Role, and Act Like It 04:55 Be Consistent to Avoid Favoritism 06:07 Re-evaluate Your Social Media Habits //ABOUT DAVIDOne of the world’s leading business thinkers, David Burkus’ forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are helping leaders and teams do their best work ever. He is the best-selling author of four books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, USAToday, Fast Company, the Financial Times, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS This Morning. Since 2017, Burkus has been ranked as one of the world’s top business thought leaders by Thinkers50. As a sought-after international speaker, his TED Talk has been viewed over 2 million times. He’s worked with leaders from organizations across all industries including Google, Stryker, Fidelity, Viacom, and even the US Naval Academy. A former business school professor, Burkus holds a master’s degree in organizational psychology from the University of Oklahoma, and a doctorate in strategic leadership from Regent University. //NEWSLETTERWant to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/youtube //SPEAKINGLike what you heard? Find more on David's speaking page (and find out about bringing him to your company or event) at https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ //CONNECT+ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/+ Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus+ Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus + Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| The Secret to Getting Change to Stick | 04 Aug 2025 | 00:10:34 | |
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast You poured time, energy, and passion into your new initiative…only to find it quietly fizzling out weeks later. Sound familiar? You’re not alone. The truth is, getting your team excited about a new process is easy—getting that change to stick is the hard part. In this video, I break down why so many great ideas fail to take root and what the research says actually makes them stick (and not stick). We’ll dive into the “improvement paradox,” explore why initiative fatigue and the, "Curse of Knowledge," sabotage your best efforts, and learn how to design your change message for real impact on your team. Want your change initiatives to succeed? It starts here. 00:00 You're message isn't landing...feel familiar? 00:49 Meet Dr. David Burkus 01:10 Why Things Don’t Stick 03:47 Sometimes Our Ideas Cloud Our Vision 06:24 Find the Core and Make it Compact 07:02 Explain in Human Actions and Sensory Information //ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David Burkus’ forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are helping leaders and teams do their best work ever. He is the best-selling author of four books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, USAToday, Fast Company, the Financial Times, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS This Morning. Since 2017, Burkus has been ranked as one of the world’s top business thought leaders by Thinkers50. As a sought-after international speaker, his TED Talk has been viewed over 2 million times. He’s worked with leaders from organizations across all industries including Google, Stryker, Fidelity, Viacom, and even the US Naval Academy. A former business school professor, Burkus holds a master’s degree in organizational psychology from the University of Oklahoma, and a doctorate in strategic leadership from Regent University. //NEWSLETTER Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/youtube //SPEAKING Like what you heard? Find more on David's speaking page (and find out about bringing him to your company or event) at https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ //CONNECT + LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ + Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus + Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus + Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| How To Lead A Global, Multicultural Team | 21 Jul 2025 | 00:13:03 | |
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast Leading a multicultural or global team isn’t just about managing projects—it’s about managing people who see the world differently. Most leadership advice is built on Western ideals like autonomy and egalitarianism, but most of the world’s workforce comes from more collectivist, hierarchical cultures. This is where cultural intelligence can really be a game changer for managers. I’ll break down what cultural intelligence (CQ) really means, why psychological safety looks different across cultures, and how to lead global teams more effectively. You’ll learn practical tips to build trust, reduce friction, and adapt your leadership style so every team member feels valued. Whether you’re managing a remote team, a hybrid team, or an international workforce, these strategies will help you unlock collaboration and drive high performance. 00:00 Teams spread out across the world need to work well. 01:08 Meet Dr. David Burkus 01:30 What is Cultural Intelligence? 02:03 David Livermore's Work on Cultural Intelligence 03:14 What Do People Get Wrong About Managing Across Cultures? 08:27 How Do I Break Through the Cultural Barriers? 09:57 The SPLIT Method 10:10 Tsedal Neeley's SPLIT Method //ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David Burkus’ forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are helping leaders and teams do their best work ever. He is the best-selling author of four books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, USAToday, Fast Company, the Financial Times, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS This Morning. Since 2017, Burkus has been ranked as one of the world’s top business thought leaders by Thinkers50. As a sought-after international speaker, his TED Talk has been viewed over 2 million times. He’s worked with leaders from organizations across all industries including Google, Stryker, Fidelity, Viacom, and even the US Naval Academy. A former business school professor, Burkus holds a master’s degree in organizational psychology from the University of Oklahoma, and a doctorate in strategic leadership from Regent University. //NEWSLETTER Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/youtube //SPEAKING Like what you heard? Find more on David's speaking page (and find out about bringing him to your company or event) at https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ //CONNECT + LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ + Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus + Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus + Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| AI Isn’t a Tool, It’s Your Next Teammate (And Here’s How to Use It) | 07 Jul 2025 | 00:08:50 | |
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast This isn’t just another tech rollout. It’s a mindset shift. I’ll show you how to move beyond seeing AI as a threat or just a productivity tool, and instead see it for what it really is: a teammate. From simplifying the mundane to enhancing your strategic decisions, the right mindset unlocks AI’s real value for your team. Whether you’re leading a small group or scaling across an enterprise, this shift is essential. Let’s get you and your team ready to work smarter, together with AI. 00:00 The Wrong AI Questions 02:02 Move From Slower to Simpler 04:08 Use this prompt to get started. 04:38 Move From Simpler to Smarter 05:27 My favorite work prompt to use. 07:08 Build Smarter Team Habits //ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David Burkus’ forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are helping leaders and teams do their best work ever. He is the best-selling author of four books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, USAToday, Fast Company, the Financial Times, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS This Morning. Since 2017, Burkus has been ranked as one of the world’s top business thought leaders by Thinkers50. As a sought-after international speaker, his TED Talk has been viewed over 2 million times. He’s worked with leaders from organizations across all industries including Google, Stryker, Fidelity, Viacom, and even the US Naval Academy. A former business school professor, Burkus holds a master’s degree in organizational psychology from the University of Oklahoma, and a doctorate in strategic leadership from Regent University. //NEWSLETTER Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/youtube //SPEAKING Like what you heard? Find more on David's speaking page (and find out about bringing him to your company or event) at https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ //CONNECT + LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ + Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus + Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus + Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| Leading Your Team Through Change and Uncertainty | 23 Jun 2025 | 00:08:10 | |
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast Don't let silence speak for you. When a crisis hits, the instinct for most leaders is to project strength—to act like they’ve got it all figured out. But the truth is, certainty can cost you during a crisis. In this video, I unpack why adaptability is a far more powerful asset than rigid confidence. And I make the case for something that might surprise you: vulnerability. Not oversharing. Not self-doubt. But honest, intentional transparency. When leaders admit what they don’t know, and commit to learning out loud, it builds more trust, not less. Your team doesn’t need a hero. They need a leader they can follow through uncertainty. 00:00 Don't be fooled by the leadership cliches 01:21 I'm Dr. David Burkus 01:43 Embrace the Discomfort of Not Knowing 02:48 Rehearse for Change 04:30 Communicate Transparently and Promptly 06:12 Follow This Outline //ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David Burkus’ forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are helping leaders and teams do their best work ever. He is the best-selling author of four books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, USAToday, Fast Company, the Financial Times, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS This Morning. Since 2017, Burkus has been ranked as one of the world’s top business thought leaders by Thinkers50. As a sought-after international speaker, his TED Talk has been viewed over 2 million times. He’s worked with leaders from organizations across all industries including Google, Stryker, Fidelity, Viacom, and even the US Naval Academy. A former business school professor, Burkus holds a master’s degree in organizational psychology from the University of Oklahoma, and a doctorate in strategic leadership from Regent University. //NEWSLETTER Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/youtube //SPEAKING Like what you heard? Find more on David's speaking page (and find out about bringing him to your company or event) at https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ //CONNECT + LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ + Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus + Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus + Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| What to Do With the B Players On Your Team | 10 Jun 2025 | 00:11:13 | |
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast We need to talk about the B players on your team. No, not the rockstar A players. I'm breaking down why B players matter more than you think, and how to lead them well. We’ll cover why not everyone wants to climb the corporate ladder, how to keep these essential team members engaged, and how to avoid the Peter Principle trap (a org-psych classic) that’s plagued promotions for decades. 00:00 The B Players 00:48 Meet Dr. David Burkus 01:09 The Difference Between A Players and B Players 02:49 The Peter Principle 04:53 The Different Types of B Players 07:08 B Players Often Need Permission 08:19 Have a Clear Path for the B Players //ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David Burkus’ forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are helping leaders and teams do their best work ever. He is the best-selling author of four books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, USAToday, Fast Company, the Financial Times, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS This Morning. Since 2017, Burkus has been ranked as one of the world’s top business thought leaders by Thinkers50. As a sought-after international speaker, his TED Talk has been viewed over 2 million times. He’s worked with leaders from organizations across all industries including Google, Stryker, Fidelity, Viacom, and even the US Naval Academy. A former business school professor, Burkus holds a master’s degree in organizational psychology from the University of Oklahoma, and a doctorate in strategic leadership from Regent University. //NEWSLETTER Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/youtube //SPEAKING Like what you heard? Find more on David's speaking page (and find out about bringing him to your company or event) at https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ //CONNECT + LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ + Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus + Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus + Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| Manage Up to These 3 Types of Bad Bosses | 27 May 2025 | 00:10:05 | |
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast So…you don’t trust your boss anymore. Maybe it’s the broken promises. Maybe it’s the constant micromanaging. Maybe it’s just the feeling you’re on different teams, even though you’re technically supposed to be on the same one. Whatever the reason—if trust is broken, your work, your well-being, your career is going to suffer. In this video, I break down how to deal with bad bosses—and more importantly, how to manage up. Whether you’re dealing with a micromanager, a ghost who’s never around, or a volatile boss, I’ve got tactics to help you navigate the chaos and still do your best work ever. 00:00 So, you've had it. 00:34 Meet Dr. David Burkus 00:55 The Kind of Boss You’re Probably Dealing With 01:47 Have The Conversation You’re Avoiding 02:31 Try these key phrases in your next conversation 03:33 Different Methods for Different Bad Bosses 06:56 Build Relationships and Trust Laterally 08:52 When To Walk Away //ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David Burkus’ forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are helping leaders and teams do their best work ever. He is the best-selling author of four books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, USAToday, Fast Company, the Financial Times, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS This Morning. Since 2017, Burkus has been ranked as one of the world’s top business thought leaders by Thinkers50. As a sought-after international speaker, his TED Talk has been viewed over 2 million times. He’s worked with leaders from organizations across all industries including Google, Stryker, Fidelity, Viacom, and even the US Naval Academy. A former business school professor, Burkus holds a master’s degree in organizational psychology from the University of Oklahoma, and a doctorate in strategic leadership from Regent University. //NEWSLETTER Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/youtube //SPEAKING Like what you heard? Find more on David's speaking page (and find out about bringing him to your company or event) at https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ //CONNECT + LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ + Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus + Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus + Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| Is It a Mistake…or a Betrayal? How Great Leaders Rebuild Trust | 12 May 2025 | 00:06:14 | |
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast Someone on your team let you down—and now trust is broken. What happens next is critical. In this video, I’ll walk you through how to respond when trust is violated at work, without turning a misstep into a meltdown. Whether it was a dropped deadline, a half-truth, or just too little transparency, not every betrayal is the same…and not every one deserves the same response. I’ll show you how to diagnose the damage—competency, integrity, or psychological safety—and choose a path forward that restores the trust loop or resets the rules. This is the tough but necessary work of leadership. Because while trust doesn’t break in a single moment, it does rebuild one decision at a time. 00:00 The trust has been broken...now what? 01:05 Meet David Burkus 01:21 Acknowledge the Emotion 02:02 Clarify the Violation 03:35 Decide If You’re Open to Repair 04:22 Communicate Boundaries and Expectations 05:26 Watch the Behavior, Not the Words //ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David Burkus’ forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are helping leaders and teams do their best work ever. He is the best-selling author of four books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, USAToday, Fast Company, the Financial Times, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS This Morning. Since 2017, Burkus has been ranked as one of the world’s top business thought leaders by Thinkers50. As a sought-after international speaker, his TED Talk has been viewed over 2 million times. He’s worked with leaders from organizations across all industries including Google, Stryker, Fidelity, Viacom, and even the US Naval Academy. A former business school professor, Burkus holds a master’s degree in organizational psychology from the University of Oklahoma, and a doctorate in strategic leadership from Regent University. //SPEAKING Like what you heard? Find more on David's speaking page (and find out about bringing him to your company or event) at https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ //CONNECT + LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ + Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus + Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus + Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| Build Trust As A New Leader | 28 Apr 2025 | 00:07:56 | |
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast If you're stepping into a new leadership role and wondering, "How do I build trust with a team I just inherited?"—you’re not alone. Most leaders know trust is essential, but few know how to truly create it with a team they didn’t choose themselves. In this video, I break down exactly what new managers and leaders need to do to build sustainable trust with an inherited team. It’s not about cramming your calendar with one-on-ones or awkward team-building exercises. Trust isn’t just given—or even earned. Trust is reciprocated. 00:00 Do these people trust me? 00:56 Meet Dr. David Burkus 01:12 What Is The Trust Loop? 02:03 Signal Vulnerability 02:51 Share Privileged Intel 03:51 Prepare for the leaps and embrace them. 05:07 Practice Active Listening 06:06 Share Credit 06:17 Treat Disagreements as Collaboration //ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David Burkus’ forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are helping leaders and teams do their best work ever. He is the best-selling author of four books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, USAToday, Fast Company, the Financial Times, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS This Morning. Since 2017, Burkus has been ranked as one of the world’s top business thought leaders by Thinkers50. As a sought-after international speaker, his TED Talk has been viewed over 2 million times. He’s worked with leaders from organizations across all industries including Google, Stryker, Fidelity, Viacom, and even the US Naval Academy. A former business school professor, Burkus holds a master’s degree in organizational psychology from the University of Oklahoma, and a doctorate in strategic leadership from Regent University. //SPEAKING Like what you heard? Find more on David's speaking page (and find out about bringing him to your company or event) at https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ //CONNECT + LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ + Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus + Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus + Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| How To Rebuild Trust On A Team (When It's Your Fault) | 14 Apr 2025 | 00:06:31 | |
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast Most leaders think a simple “I’m sorry” is enough to repair broken trust. But you know that's not really enough. Real trust isn’t rebuilt with words—it’s rebuilt with actions. In this video, I break down the strategy behind how leaders can truly restore trust after a misstep. Because when trust is broken, you don’t just reset the relationship—you break the trust loop that connects you to your team. And if you want to fix that loop, it starts with full accountability. If you’ve ever said, “That wasn’t my intention,” or “I didn’t mean it that way,” this video is for you. Because intention doesn’t rebuild trust—action does. Chapters: 00:00 You messed up, didn't you? 01:05 Meet Dr. David Burkus 01:26 Own the mistake fully/Apology Structure 02:43 Apologize and mean it. Your team will sense an empty gesture. 03:27 Allow open monitoring of your actions. 05:12 Follow through on your commitments. //ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David Burkus’ forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are helping leaders and teams do their best work ever. He is the best-selling author of four books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, USAToday, Fast Company, the Financial Times, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS This Morning. Since 2017, Burkus has been ranked as one of the world’s top business thought leaders by Thinkers50. As a sought-after international speaker, his TED Talk has been viewed over 2 million times. He’s worked with leaders from organizations across all industries including Google, Stryker, Fidelity, Viacom, and even the US Naval Academy. A former business school professor, Burkus holds a master’s degree in organizational psychology from the University of Oklahoma, and a doctorate in strategic leadership from Regent University. //SPEAKING Like what you heard? Find more on David's speaking page (and find out about bringing him to your company or event) at https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ //CONNECT + LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ + Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus + Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus + Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| How Trust Empowers Your Team | 31 Mar 2025 | 00:12:24 | |
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast Most leaders know trust matters. But when it comes to actually building it on a team, too many well-intentioned leaders fall into the trap of personality tests, trust falls (yikes), and awkward icebreakers. Here's what they don't know: trust isn’t earned. It's reciprocated.. In this video, I break down the neuroscience of trust (yes, we’re talking oxytocin), how the “Trust Loop” actually works, and the three things every leader needs to do to spark trust first—vulnerability, celebration, and transparency. If you’ve ever felt like your team was holding back, not speaking up, or not quite bought in…you don’t have a communication problem. You’ve got a trust loop problem. 00:00 The truth about trust. 00:50 Meet David Burkus. 01:11 Trust begets trust. 01:20 Dr. Paul J. Zak 02:53 Trust Loop: Trust 04:37 Celebrate failures. 05:36 Share privileged intel. 06:46 Trust Loop: Leap 07:54 Make space for risks. 08:43 Trust Loop: Respect 08:48 Model active listening. 09:35 Treat conflict as collaboration. 11:00 Amplify unheard voices. //ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David Burkus’ forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are helping leaders and teams do their best work ever. He is the best-selling author of four books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, USAToday, Fast Company, the Financial Times, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS This Morning. Since 2017, Burkus has been ranked as one of the world’s top business thought leaders by Thinkers50. As a sought-after international speaker, his TED Talk has been viewed over 2 million times. He’s worked with leaders from organizations across all industries including Google, Stryker, Fidelity, Viacom, and even the US Naval Academy. A former business school professor, Burkus holds a master’s degree in organizational psychology from the University of Oklahoma, and a doctorate in strategic leadership from Regent University. //SPEAKING Like what you heard? Find more on David's speaking page (and find out about bringing him to your company or event) at https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ //CONNECT + LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ + Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus + Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus + Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| Does Hiring For "Culture Fit" Work? | 17 Mar 2025 | 00:07:20 | |
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast Hiring for “culture fit” sounds great in theory. You want people who vibe with the team, align with the mission, and are just easy to work with. But in practice? It’s often a shortcut for hiring people who think, act, and look like the rest of the team. And that’s a problem—for innovation, for problem-solving, and for long-term success. In this video, we’re unpacking the REAL meaning of culture fit—and why hiring for “culture contribution” is a much better approach. We’ll break down the research, show you what works (and what doesn’t), and give you actionable steps to build a high-performing, values-driven team. Spoiler: It’s less about “fit” and more about fostering shared values while embracing diverse perspectives.00:00 Intro 01:16 This is actually about values and adaptability. 03:52 Managers need to build bridges in their teams. 04:52 Prevent culture clash. 06:17 Hiring for culture fit is a long game. Be patient. //ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David Burkus’ forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are helping leaders and teams do their best work ever. He is the best-selling author of four books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, USAToday, Fast Company, the Financial Times, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS This Morning. Since 2017, Burkus has been ranked as one of the world’s top business thought leaders by Thinkers50. As a sought-after international speaker, his TED Talk has been viewed over 2 million times. He’s worked with leaders from organizations across all industries including Google, Stryker, Fidelity, Viacom, and even the US Naval Academy. A former business school professor, Burkus holds a master’s degree in organizational psychology from the University of Oklahoma, and a doctorate in strategic leadership from Regent University. //SPEAKINGLike what you heard? Find more on David's speaking page (and find out about bringing him to your company or event) at https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ //CONNECT + LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ + Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus + Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus + Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| How to Manage Across Generations (Gen Z + Boomers) | 03 Mar 2025 | 00:08:06 | |
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast Are generational clashes at work really as big of a deal as people make them out to be? We’ve all heard the stereotypes—Millennials got participation trophies, Gen Z is lazy, Boomers are out of touch. And let’s be honest, Gen X…well, people just forget to mention Gen X. But what if I told you these so-called generational differences aren’t actually the problem? The real issue isn’t when someone was born—it’s where they are in life. Millennials are balancing careers and family, Boomers are thinking about legacy, and Gen Z is just starting out, trying to figure out where they fit. And yet, we talk about these differences like they’re unbridgeable gaps when, in reality, they’re just different life stages. The truth is, the more we emphasize generational labels, the more we create unnecessary tension. It’s not age that divides teams—it’s the assumptions we make about each other. And as leaders, we have to stop managing based on stereotypes and start focusing on strengths. 00:00 Intro 00:49 Forget generations. It’s about life stages. 02:08 Talk to each other! 03:51 Focus on strengths instead of labels. 05:25 Make mentoring a two-way street. //ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David Burkus’ forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are helping leaders and teams do their best work ever. He is the best-selling author of four books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, USAToday, Fast Company, the Financial Times, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS This Morning. Since 2017, Burkus has been ranked as one of the world’s top business thought leaders by Thinkers50. As a sought-after international speaker, his TED Talk has been viewed over 2 million times. He’s worked with leaders from organizations across all industries including Google, Stryker, Fidelity, Viacom, and even the US Naval Academy.A former business school professor, Burkus holds a master’s degree in organizational psychology from the University of Oklahoma, and a doctorate in strategic leadership from Regent University. //SPEAKING Like what you heard? Find more on David's speaking page (and find out about bringing him to your company or event) at https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ //CONNECT + LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ + Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus + Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus + Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| Work-Life Balance Isn't Real | 17 Feb 2025 | 00:08:13 | |
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast Work-life balance sounds great in theory—keep work over here, life over there, and somehow balance it all so that everything runs smoothly. But here’s the truth: it doesn’t work. Work and life aren’t two separate spheres. They’re intertwined. And trying to keep them perfectly separate? Research shows that just creates more stress, drains your energy, and makes managing teams even harder. In this video, I'll show you helpful tactics for creating better flexibility in your life, that doesn't include making barriers between different parts of it. And no, I'm not asking you or your team to be available and working 24 hours a day. There's a better way, trust me. Watch and find out. 00:00 Drawing hard lines between work and life is not practical. 01:17 What does the research tell us? 03:17 Stop chasing balance. Embrace integration. 05:39 Develop transition strategies. 06:38 Change your mindset about the 9-5 workday. //ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David Burkus’ forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are helping leaders and teams do their best work ever. He is the best-selling author of four books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, USAToday, Fast Company, the Financial Times, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS This Morning. Since 2017, Burkus has been ranked as one of the world’s top business thought leaders by Thinkers50. As a sought-after international speaker, his TED Talk has been viewed over 2 million times. He’s worked with leaders from organizations across all industries including Google, Stryker, Fidelity, Viacom, and even the US Naval Academy. A former business school professor, Burkus holds a master’s degree in organizational psychology from the University of Oklahoma, and a doctorate in strategic leadership from Regent University. //SPEAKING Like what you heard? Find more on David's speaking page (and find out about bringing him to your company or event) at https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ //CONNECT + LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ + Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus + Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus + Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| Should This Meeting Be An Email? Here's How To Decide | 03 Feb 2025 | 00:07:28 | |
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast We've all been there—stuck in a meeting that feels like a complete waste of time, wondering, "Couldn't this have just been an email?" But here's the truth—not every meeting can be an email, and not every email should even be an email. There's a fine line between productive meetings and unnecessary ones, and the key is knowing how to tell the difference. In this video, I break down the science of communication, why meetings sometimes need to happen, and when an email (or even no message at all) is actually the better option. We'll explore research on miscommunication in emails, the hidden dangers of assuming you're being clear, and a simple framework to help you decide whether to hit "send" or book the conference room. Chapters: 00:00 Email or meeting? 00:22 Meet David Burkus 00:41 What does the research tell us? 01:09 Is ego the real problem here? 03:22 Ask: What's the goal here? 04:01 Ask: Is this a monologue or a dialogue? 04:48 Ask: How complex is the information? 05:35 Ak: Is this a quick yay or nay? 06:30 Recap, and start rethinking your meeting calendar! //ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David Burkus’ forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are helping leaders and teams do their best work ever. He is the best-selling author of four books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, USAToday, Fast Company, the Financial Times, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS This Morning. Since 2017, Burkus has been ranked as one of the world’s top business thought leaders by Thinkers50. As a sought-after international speaker, his TED Talk has been viewed over 2 million times. He’s worked with leaders from organizations across all industries including Google, Stryker, Fidelity, Viacom, and even the US Naval Academy. A former business school professor, Burkus holds a master’s degree in organizational psychology from the University of Oklahoma, and a doctorate in strategic leadership from Regent University. //SPEAKING Like what you heard? Find more on David's speaking page (and find out about bringing him to your company or event) at https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ //CONNECT + LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ + Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus + Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus + Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| Why You're So Tired At Work | 20 Jan 2025 | 00:07:54 | |
Want to build your best team ever? Join 25,000+ who receive these insights in my free newsletter: https://davidburkus.com/podcast Are you constantly tired, overwhelmed, or feeling mentally drained?You might be suffering from "Decision Fatigue," a scientifically proven phenomenon that happens when your brain is overloaded by too many choices. As humans, we all make countless decisions every day. But as a manager, you know it's even more. In this video, I break down the neuroscience of decision fatigue, how it affects your energy, focus, and productivity. More importantly— I have guidance on how to fix it so you can be a better manager. 00:00 Feeling tired at work all the time? 00:42 Meet David Burkus 01:00 What does the research tell us? 02:55 Self-control is a limited resource. 03:09 Meet Dr. Roy F. Baumeister 03:59 Know your mental tankand plan for it. 05:32 Embrace delegating tasksto the team. 06:32 Double down on the basics. 07:04 You're probably not sleeping enough! //ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David Burkus’ forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are helping leaders and teams do their best work ever.He is the best-selling author of four books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, USAToday, Fast Company, the Financial Times, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS This Morning. Since 2017, Burkus has been ranked as one of the world’s top business thought leaders by Thinkers50. As a sought-after international speaker, his TED Talk has been viewed over 2 million times. He’s worked with leaders from organizations across all industries including Google, Stryker, Fidelity, Viacom, and even the US Naval Academy.A former business school professor, Burkus holds a master’s degree in organizational psychology from the University of Oklahoma, and a doctorate in strategic leadership from Regent University. //SPEAKINGLike what you heard? Find more on David's speaking page (and find out about bringing him to your company or event) at https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ //CONNECT + LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ + Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus + Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus + Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||
| Active Listening For Leaders | 06 Jan 2025 | 00:07:07 | |
Download my Best Team Ever PlayBook now! https://davidburkus.kit.com/playbook-yt Most of us think we’re good listeners—but the truth is, we’re just hearing. Listening isn’t just about nodding and making eye contact; it’s a skill that can be built and refined. And when done right, it’s a game-changer for trust, collaboration, and communication at work. In this video, I’ll introduce you to the REAL framework for active listening: Receive, Engage, Align, and Learn more. It’s a simple, memorable approach that will help you truly connect as a manager with you team.Listening well isn’t just about understanding someone’s words; it’s about ensuring they feel heard, accepted, and valued. That’s what builds trust and strengthens relationships. And this idea isn’t just mine—I’ve been influenced by the incredible work of Julian Treasure, who highlights the science and art of communication, and Charles Duhigg, whose research into habits and human behavior shows how listening can become a superpower for anyone willing to practice it. We’ll also look at eye-opening research from Harvard Business School about how so many of us struggle to stay present in conversations. Chapters: 00:-00 How do you Listen? 00:37 Meet David Burkus 00:54 What does the research tell us? 02:17 The REAL Listening Framework 03:58 Receive! 04:18 Engage! 04:42 Align! 05:11 Learn More 05:48 Also, don't overcomplicate it! //ABOUT DAVID One of the world’s leading business thinkers, David Burkus’ forward-thinking ideas and bestselling books are helping leaders and teams do their best work ever.He is the best-selling author of four books about business and leadership. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into dozens of languages. His insights on leadership and teamwork have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, USAToday, Fast Company, the Financial Times, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, CNN, the BBC, NPR, and CBS This Morning. Since 2017, Burkus has been ranked as one of the world’s top business thought leaders by Thinkers50. As a sought-after international speaker, his TED Talk has been viewed over 2 million times. He’s worked with leaders from organizations across all industries including Google, Stryker, Fidelity, Viacom, and even the US Naval Academy.A former business school professor, Burkus holds a master’s degree in organizational psychology from the University of Oklahoma, and a doctorate in strategic leadership from Regent University. //SPEAKINGLike what you heard? Find more on David's speaking page (and find out about bringing him to your company or event) at https://davidburkus.com/keynote-speaker/ //CONNECT + LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/ + Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/davidburkus + Facebook: http://www.FB.com/DrDavidBurkus + Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DavidBurkus | |||