Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Lead the Team (Top 2% of Podcasts)
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Why This CEO Became an Intern | Puneet Raj, Fieldwire | 08 Sep 2026 | 00:30:47 | |
When Puneet Raj became CEO of Fieldwire after its acquisition by Hilti, he inherited a successful 250-person startup facing a pivotal transition: the founders were leaving, employees were worried about losing the startup culture, and a new leader was walking in. Instead of arriving as the new boss with all the answers, Puneet introduced himself as an intern. For six months, he rotated through Fieldwire’s teams, learned the business from the ground up, listened to the people who had made it successful, and even failed the company’s demo certification twice. The approach helped him earn trust, opened a direct channel with employees, and gave him a deeper understanding of the company before trying to change it. Puneet shares what that experience taught him about humility, listening, organizational trust, leading experts, and creating alignment at scale. He also explains why he now treats his leadership team as his most important “product”, and why leaders in the AI era need to know when NOT to use AI. His warning: when leaders outsource their thinking to AI, they can lose the ability to debate, question, and think deeply about the decisions that matter most. In this episode:
Leadership starts with learning and sometimes the best way to lead is to become a student first. ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| HP Solutions President Manoj Leelanivas - How to Lead Through Uncertainty | 01 Sep 2026 | 00:37:20 | |
How do you lead through uncertainty when the path forward isn’t clear? Manoj Leelanivas has done it at extraordinary scale. Today he’s President of HP Solutions. Before HP, he helped lead a major transformation at Juniper Networks, moving into new markets, building belief across thousands of employees, and helping build a new enterprise business approaching $3B in revenue in 5 years! In this episode, Manoj shares the leadership lessons behind that transformation, including why people don’t resist change...they resist uncertainty, how small wins can create momentum for massive change, and why speed with learning beats waiting for certainty. He also shares the courageous question an employee asked that changed the way he leads, why he had to reinvent himself as he moved from engineer to business leader, and what he’s learning about innovation inside one of the world’s most iconic technology companies. If you’re leading a team through change, making decisions without all the answers, or trying to turn disruption into growth, this conversation is for you. ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| SAP's Mark Niemiec - The Decision That Cost the Quarter, but Saved the Business | 30 Aug 2026 | 00:30:49 | |
What happens when leaders face intense pressure to compromise short-term gains for long-term survival? In this episode of Lead The Team, host Ben Fanning sits down with Mark Niemiec, Global Chief Revenue Officer for SAP Customer Experience. Mark shares the story of a massive enterprise deal where his team walked away from a short-term commission boost to do the right thing for the business long-term—and why the customer’s head of procurement called days later to thank him for not "taking the bait." Key Takeaways & Highlights
Episode Chapters
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| The Leadership Rule That Changed Tony Ball's Career | CEO of Entrust | 25 Aug 2026 | 00:37:08 | |
What does it really mean to take ownership as a leader? In this episode of Lead the Team, Ben Fanning sits down with Tony Ball, CEO of Entrust, to explore the leadership lessons that shaped his career—from working alongside Intel during one of the most demanding periods in technology history to leading a global cybersecurity company with more than $1 billion in annual revenue. Tony shares how one defining experience taught him a principle he still lives by today: "When you find a problem, you own it until conclusion."Ben and Tony discuss:
Whether you're leading a team, building a business, or navigating your own career, this conversation offers practical insights on trust, ownership, resilience, and leading through change. About Tony Ball Tony Ball is the CEO of Entrust, a global leader in digital identity and cybersecurity serving organizations in more than 150 countries. With more than 25 years of leadership experience, Tony has built a career helping organizations earn trust, navigate disruption, and lead through transformational change. ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| The Multi-Million Dollar Failure That Started a Billion-Dollar Company | Anthony Woods, Co-Founder of Grafana Labs | 23 Aug 2026 | 00:42:16 | |
What do you do when you inherit a problem everyone else has given up on? Before helping build Grafana Labs into one of the world's leading infrastructure software companies, Anthony Woods inherited enterprise software that had already cost millions of dollars—and concluded it was never going to work. Instead of accepting it, he spent one weekend building a better solution. That single decision became the turning point that ultimately led him to co-found Grafana Labs, now a company valued in the billions. In this episode of Lead the Team, Anthony shares the leadership lessons behind innovation, confidence, and building organizations where great people do their best work. You'll learn:
Whether you're leading a team, building a business, or looking for the confidence to take your next bold step, Anthony's story is a reminder that extraordinary careers often begin with one decision to solve a problem no one else will. ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| The Customer Conversation That Changed a Company | CEO Motus, Phong Nguyen | 18 Aug 2026 | 00:29:09 | |
When Phong Nguyen stepped into the CEO role at Modus—a technology platform processing over $2 Billion annually in driver reimbursements—he skipped the victory lap and did something his team was terrified to arrange: he got on a call with one of their biggest, angriest ex-customers. The client "ripped them a new one," exposing a hard reality: Modus had lost its innovation edge and treated them transactionally. But instead of getting defensive, Fong took a walk to cool down, gathered his leadership team, and used that uncomfortable call to recalibrate the company’s "true north". Within 12 months, they won that customer back. In this episode of Lead The Team, host Ben Fanning sits down with Phong Nguyen to discuss:
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----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| The Quarter From Hell That Created a $500M AI Company | Gong's Amit Bendov | 15 Aug 2026 | 00:37:01 | |
Every leader eventually faces a moment when the numbers stop making sense. For Amit Bendov, Co-Founder and CEO of Gong, that moment came during what he calls "the quarter from hell." Sales were collapsing, investors were asking tough questions, and every report looked normal. The CRM had data—but none of the answers. That painful experience sparked an idea that would become Gong, one of the world's leading AI-powered revenue platforms, now generating more than $500 million in annual recurring revenue. In this episode of Lead the Team, Amit shares the leadership lessons behind that defining moment and explains how AI is changing the way leaders understand customers, coach teams, and make better decisions. In this episode:
Whether you're a CEO, founder, executive, sales leader, or entrepreneur, this conversation offers practical lessons on leading through uncertainty, building better teams, and using AI to create a lasting competitive advantage. ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| The AI Security Threat Leaders Aren't Ready For | Dennis Kozak, CEO of Ivanti | 11 Aug 2026 | 00:39:42 | |
AI isn't just transforming business—it's transforming cyberattacks. In this episode of Lead the Team, Ben Fanning sits down with Dennis Kozak, CEO of Ivanti, to discuss why artificial intelligence is changing cybersecurity faster than most organizations can adapt. After leading companies through cloud computing, mobile, remote work, cybersecurity, and now AI, Dennis explains the leadership principles that remain constant even as technology rapidly evolves. He shares the story of a company that unknowingly allowed attackers to remain inside its systems for more than a year—even though the security patch already existed. The lesson isn't just about technology. It's about leadership, prioritization, and preparing organizations for a future where AI accelerates both innovation and risk. You'll also learn: • Why AI is changing cybersecurity forever • How executives should think about AI adoption and risk • The leadership mistake that leaves organizations vulnerable • Why companies fail to deploy critical security patches • How to balance long-term strategy with constant operational fires • What separates future executives from everyone else • Why curiosity and adaptability matter more than expertise in the AI era If you're a CEO, executive, technology leader, or anyone responsible for navigating AI transformation, this conversation offers practical leadership lessons for one of the fastest-changing business environments in history. ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| One Cell Tower Survived | Chris Hillabrant, CEO of Crown Castle | 09 Aug 2026 | 00:29:40 | |
Chris Hillabrant was only days into a new role in New York when the September 11 attacks changed everything. As communications infrastructure across Manhattan began to fail, his team discovered they had one cell site still standing. What happened over the next 72 hours became one of the defining leadership moments of his career. Technicians drove into the city, manually hauled thousand-pound equipment dozens of stories to triple the site's capacity, opened the network to competitors, redirected hundreds of surrounding antennas toward Manhattan, and helped provide 10,000 cell phones to first responders coordinating rescue efforts. Now the President and CEO of Crown Castle, Chris shares the leadership lessons that crisis forged—and how they continue to shape the way he builds teams today. In this episode, Chris discusses:
Whether you're leading a global organization or a small team, this conversation is a masterclass in leading with clarity, courage, and purpose when the stakes couldn't be higher. ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| The Impossible Decision That Shaped This CEO | Doug Braun | 04 Aug 2026 | 00:33:21 | |
What does it take to make the kind of decision that changes how you lead forever? In this episode of Lead The Team, Ben Fanning sits down with Doug Braun, CEO of eProductivity Software (EPS), to discuss the leadership experiences that shaped his philosophy long before he became CEO. Doug shares the unforgettable story of a company making the difficult decision to walk away from a customer representing nearly half of its revenue, and how witnessing that moment taught him one of the most important lessons of his career: great leaders choose long-term success over short-term comfort. The conversation also explores leading through acquisitions, building trust across organizations, embracing AI, and why Doug believes every leader should spend more time listening than talking. Whether you're a CEO, executive, entrepreneur, or aspiring leader, you'll walk away with practical insights on courageous decision-making, leadership under pressure, organizational transformation, and building cultures where people can thrive. In this episode:
If you enjoy conversations about leadership, business, AI, and executive performance, be sure to follow Lead The Team for new episodes featuring world-class leaders and actionable insights. ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| How to Beat a Monopoly and Outsmart AI | CEO, Thryv Joe Walsh | 02 Aug 2026 | 00:43:42 | |
He Beat a Monopoly. Then Had to Reinvent Everything. What do you do when the business model that made you billions faces sudden, total obsolescence? Most executive leaders miscalculate technological shifts—they either panic and move too early, or ignore the noise and move too late. In this episode of Lead the Team, host Ben Fanning sits down with Joe Walsh, Chairman and CEO of Thryv, to break down the tactical frameworks required to lead a legacy brand through the absolute chaos of print, digital, SaaS, and now AI revolutions. Joe famously scaled Yellow Book from $38 million to a $2 billion national powerhouse by dismantling an entrenched phone company monopoly. But his greatest leadership test wasn't storming the castle—it was repeatedly reinventing the business when the entire technological landscape shifted underneath him. If you are currently navigating massive industry uncertainty, AI implementation, or market disruption, this conversation serves as your executive blueprint for the new rules of survival. CHAPTERS00:00 – The Real Definition of a CEO: Predicting the Future for Your People 04:08 – The Danger of the Bleeding Edge: Why the Second Mouse Gets the Cheese 07:16 – Shattering a Monopoly: The Hertz-Avis Strategy That Scaled Yellow Book to $2B 11:31 – The Core Principles of Value: Giving Proof and Credibility in Advance 14:43 – The NASDAQ Turnaround: Converting a Dying Print Giant into an MRR Machine 19:43 – Managing Wall Street & Fighting Legacy Inertia Simultaneously 25:36 – Corporate Blindspots: Why Enterprise Missed the Main Street Tech Boom 33:38 – The AI Landscape for Local Business: Democratization vs. Tech Debt 37:37 – Leading Through the Blur: The Golden Rule of Modern Disruption 41:17 – "Stay Calm and Carry On": Overcoming Executive Overwhelm EXECUTIVE RESOURCES & LINKS
👥 JOIN THE MOVEMENT Take 10 seconds to Rate, Follow, and Review the show on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help keep this positive leadership movement alive! ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| How an Underdog Beat the Market Leader | Alessio Artuffo, CEO of Docebo | 27 Jul 2026 | 00:35:20 | |
How do you beat the industry leader when everyone says you don't belong? In this episode of Lead The Team, Ben Fanning sits down with Alessio Artuffo, CEO of Docebo, who helped transform a small Italian startup into a global SaaS leader, scaling the business from roughly $1 million to more than $200 million in ARR. Alessio shares the pivotal moments that shaped both the company and his leadership—from being underestimated because of his accent, to winning an enterprise customer that was ten times larger than Docebo's annual revenue by competing against the industry's biggest player. He also explains why authenticity beats polish, how clarity becomes a competitive advantage as organizations grow, and why the best leaders inspire rather than control. In this episode, you'll learn:
Whether you're building a startup, leading a growing organization, or competing against companies much larger than your own, this conversation offers practical lessons on leadership, resilience, and scaling with purpose. Chapters:00:00 – How an underdog startup challenged the market leader 02:18 – Why Alessio joined a 15-person company 06:39 – The challenges of expanding into North America 09:22 – The customer who criticized his accent 13:35 – Winning an enterprise deal against the industry's biggest competitor 20:19 – Scaling a culture built on clarity and trust 24:28 – How AI is reshaping workplace learning 33:10 – Why great leaders choose grace over force ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| Advance Auto Parts CEO is Rebuilding from the Front Line | Shane O'Kelly | 22 Jul 2026 | 00:43:25 | |
What separates great CEOs from everyone else? According to Shane O'Kelly, President and CEO of Advance Auto Parts, it starts by getting out of the boardroom and onto the front line. After taking over an $11 billion company with nearly 5,000 locations and more than 60,000 team members, Shane's first move wasn't another strategy meeting—it was visiting stores, listening to employees, and uncovering the leadership blind spots holding the business back. In this episode of Lead the Team, Shane shares the leadership philosophy that has guided him from West Point and Army Ranger School to leading some of America's largest organizations. You'll learn:
Whether you lead a global enterprise or a growing team, this conversation offers practical lessons on building trust, staying connected to your people, and leading meaningful transformation. Chapters00:00 Introduction 01:43 The Ranger School failure that shaped Shane's leadership 08:21 His first days leading an $11 billion company 09:07 Why every CEO should start on the front line 12:00 "Don't be a tourist" leadership 14:25 The $100 million investment in frontline employees 15:24 The store visit that changed everything 19:05 Why frontline employees tell you the truth 21:09 The "Say-Do Ratio" and building credibility 25:24 Fixing the employee experience first 30:23 How Shane identifies future leaders 35:31 Breaking down silos inside large organizations 39:21 Staying healthy while leading under pressure 42:16 What's next for Advance Auto Parts Connect with Ben FanningFollow Lead the Team for weekly conversations with CEOs and executive leaders on leadership, organizational transformation, AI, high-performance teams, and the future of work. ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| Why Change Initiatives Fail | MSX Deputy CEO, Andrea Sorrenti | 07 Jul 2026 | 00:31:54 | |
Most leaders think they know why people resist change—but they are usually wrong. In this episode of Lead the Team, Ben Fanning sits down with Andrea Sorrenti, Deputy CEO of MSX International, to expose the hidden truth about corporate transformation: it’s not resistance holding your team back, it’s fear. After nearly three decades leading global teams through major automotive industry shifts, Andrea shares the raw leadership lessons that only come from painful, real-world mistakes. In this episode, you’ll discover:
Whether you’re a CEO, executive, founder, or an ambitious professional navigating leadership under pressure, this conversation will challenge you to build a culture that welcomes big ambitions. Timestamps: 00:00 – The real reason teams resist change (It’s fear, not resistance) 02:03 – What 30 years at one company teaches you about execution discipline 04:02 – How to break out of being "pigeonholed" in your career 05:11 – The crucial skill of articulating your ambition to leadership 08:36 – How to reinvent yourself without losing your core identity 09:38 – Getting thrown into the deep end: Andrea’s hardest career shift 12:31 – Overcoming executive fear in the age of AI disruption 15:11 – How MSX scales capabilities with AI while protecting human connection 17:42 – "Pick Up the Damn Phone": The battle against corporate email culture 19:44 – The costly mistake made after becoming Supplier of the Year 22:27 – Reading your audience: A universal principle for leading across cultures 24:40 – Roger Federer’s 54% rule: Processing executive failure 28:04 – How radical transparency with a customer saved a failing market 🔗 Connect & Grow:
----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| Box COO: If Nothing Feels Broken, You're Moving Too Slowly | Olivia Nottebohm | 05 Jul 2026 | 00:43:30 | |
AI is changing leadership faster than most executives can lead their team. In this episode of Lead the Team, Ben Fanning sits down with Olivia Nottebohm, COO of Box, to discuss why the companies that win technology shifts aren't the ones with the perfect strategy—they're the ones willing to move before they have all the answers. After helping scale Google Cloud, Dropbox, Notion, and now Box, Olivia shares the leadership frameworks she's used to navigate some of the biggest technology shifts of the last two decades. You'll learn:
Whether you're a CEO, executive, founder, or ambitious professional navigating leadership in the AI era, this episode will challenge the way you think about decision-making, organizational transformation, and leading through uncertainty. Chapters00:00 – If Nothing Feels Broken, You're Moving Too Slowly 02:02 – The Biggest AI Mistake Leaders Are Making 03:59 – Why Speed Beats Certainty 07:54 – Reinventing Organizations for the AI Era 09:16 – Turning AI Anxiety into Optimism 14:16 – Why Data Strategy Determines AI Success 17:40 – Leading Teams Through High-Pressure Sprints 22:22 – The Culture Behind Elite Technology Companies 25:07 – Why Great Leaders Embrace Failure 30:11 – Turning Vision into Execution 33:36 – The Transition from Consultant to Operator 36:49 – Why Empathy Makes Leaders More Effective 42:51 – Olivia's Final Leadership Advice Ben Fanning interviews world-class executives, founders, and leadership experts to uncover the real-world lessons shaping modern organizations. Topics include AI leadership, executive psychology, high-performance teams, decision-making, organizational transformation, communication, and leadership under pressure. Follow Lead the Team for weekly conversations designed to help you become the leader others want to follow. | |||
| How Great Leaders Eliminate Team Silos | TeamViewer CRO, Mark Banfield | 28 Jun 2026 | 00:40:30 | |
When growth pressure hits an organization, it triggers a hidden survival instinct: teams become political, siloed, and reactive. Most executives try to solve this by pushing harder—but driving pace without dignity is exactly how you destroy organizational trust. In this episode of Lead The Team, Ben Fanning sits down with Mark Banfield, Chief Revenue Officer at TeamViewer (and former CEO of 1e), to break down what it actually takes to scale a high-growth SaaS business across private equity and public markets without causing massive team burnout. Mark shares the exact framework required to create "constructive interference"—a powerful force multiplier that aligns every single employee, from the front lines to the C-suite, toward a singular North Star. This conversation covers: • The early warning signs that your company is becoming political instead of mission-driven • Pace vs. Dignity: How to demand high execution without breaking your team's culture • The transition from CRO to CEO: What leading revenue can never prepare you for • Trust vs. Surveillance: The reality of implementing autonomous tech and AI in the workspace Whether you’re a CEO, executive, founder, or ambitious professional navigating modern leadership under extreme market pressure, this episode will fundamentally change how you balance performance with human relationships. Chapters 00:00 – The growth pressure mistake most executives make 02:18 – The CASE framework for authentic leadership trust 05:15 – Early warning signs of toxic organizational silos 07:45 – Pace vs. Dignity: Balancing pressure and human relationships 09:35 – CRO to CEO: The brutal reality of total accountability 14:10 – Lessons from competitive swimming: Mindset, monotony, and discipline 22:14 – Trust vs. Surveillance: The future of autonomous AI workforce tech 37:04 – Constructive Interference: How to build a true force multiplier Ben Fanning interviews top executives, CEOs, founders, and business leaders to uncover the real-world leadership lessons shaping modern organizations. Topics include executive psychology, high-performance teams, SaaS scaling strategy, crisis leadership, private equity growth, organizational transformation, and building trust in the AI era. Subscribe for weekly conversations on leadership under pressure, executive performance, team alignment, and building resilient organizations. Boost your productivity and decision-making—get vital insights from each episode delivered directly to your inbox at: http://benfanning.com/insight #leadership #ExecutiveLeadership #TeamAlignment #HighPerformanceTeams #SaaSLeadership #BusinessPodcast #LeadTheTeam ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| How Resource-Starved Teams Use AI to Beat Massive Budgets | CEO Bonterra, Scott Brighton | 24 Jun 2026 | 00:41:57 | |
What if the organizations doing some of the most critical work in the world are being held back the most by traditional technology? In this episode of Lead The Team, Ben Fanning sits down with Scott Brighton, CEO of Bonterra, to break down a massive paradigm shift: how resource-starved, underfunded teams are leveraging agentic AI to completely transform operations and defeat massive budgets. Scott reveals the exact operational playbooks behind "capacity amplification"—explaining how agentic AI can function like hiring five or six additional staff members to reactivate lost revenue streams at scale without increasing your headcount. But with rapid tech adoption comes severe executive pressure. We dive into the hard governance lines leaders must draw regarding data privacy, automation boundaries, and human accountability. You'll discover:
Whether you’re a CEO, executive, founder, or ambitious professional navigating leadership under pressure in the AI era, this episode will challenge you to think differently about scaling your team and your impact. Want to boost your productivity and decision making? Get vital insights from each episode delivered directly to your inbox at BenFanning.com/Insight. ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| BNI COO: The Networking Mistake Costing Leaders Millions (Dave Collins) | 22 Jun 2026 | 00:50:10 | |
Most business leaders approach networking completely wrong—and it is costing them real revenue. They show up to events, hand out business cards, and try to sell directly to the room, wondering why nothing ever converts into sustainable growth. In this episode of Lead The Team, host Ben Fanning sits down with Dave Collins, the Chief Operating Officer of BNI. Dave oversees a staggering global network of 355,000 members across 76 countries that generated over $27 Billion in self-reported closed business over the last 12 months alone. Dave shares the exact structural behaviors and core mindset shifts required to transform casual interactions into a relentless, highly profitable referral machine. If you are relying purely on automated digital outreach or cold algorithms to scale your pipeline, this conversation will completely reframe your approach to modern leadership and business development.
[ABOUT THE GUEST] Dave Collins is the Chief Operating Officer of BNI, the world’s largest business networking and referral organization. With over 41 years of sustained global growth, BNI helps small businesses, solopreneurs, and elite executives build powerful, long-term relationship pipelines that drive massive revenue impact. [CONNECT WITH BEN]
----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| Why Energy Became a CEO Problem | SmartestEnergy US, CEO Andy Cormie | 16 Jun 2026 | 00:37:01 | |
ENERGY GOT STRATEGIC Andy Cormie, CEO and Board Chaiir of SmartestEnergy US, shares how one hurricane, one geopolitical conflict, or one AI-driven demand spike can send a company’s energy costs from $2M a month… to $12M almost overnight. That’s not a utility problem anymore. That’s a REAL leadership problem. Most companies still think about energy as a line item on a bill. But according to Andy, energy is rapidly becoming:
One line that hit me hard: “Boards shouldn’t be giving you a pass…” Especially as AI, data centers, aging infrastructure, and geopolitical instability continue reshaping global energy demand. The leaders who win over the next decade may not be the ones who react fastest after disruption. They may be the ones who planned before it arrived. What’s an operational risk most companies still underestimate right now? ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| Why Great Leaders Don't Trust Polished Reports | John Case, CEO of Acumatica | 14 Jun 2026 | 00:35:45 | |
The bigger your company gets, the more polished reports can distort vital truth. In this episode of Lead the Team, Ben Fanning sits down with John Case, CEO of Acumatica and former Microsoft executive who helped scale Office 365 into one of the most successful cloud businesses in the world. John shares why one of the most important responsibilities of leadership is creating direct access to truth before critical information gets filtered on its way up the organization. From customer conversations to strategic decision-making, he explains how great leaders stay connected to reality as their companies grow. Along the way, he shares lessons from helping drive Microsoft's transition to the cloud, scaling high-growth companies, building executive teams, and navigating the opportunities and risks of AI. You'll learn: • Why leaders must create unfiltered feedback loops with customers • How scale can separate executives from the truth they need most • Lessons from helping grow Office 365 into a global cloud powerhouse • The biggest mistakes leaders make during periods of rapid growth • Why "the job will outgrow everyone" • How to identify when a problem is really a leadership problem • Where AI should accelerate decisions—and where humans must remain in control • Why trust may become the most valuable competitive advantage in the AI era TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – What Happens When Truth Gets Filtered 01:44 – How John Case Built Unfiltered Customer Feedback Loops 08:40 – Lessons From Scaling Office 365 at Microsoft 13:36 – The Biggest Mistake Leaders Make During Rapid Growth 16:22 – "The Job Will Outgrow Everyone" 18:04 – How to Tell When a Problem Is Really a Leadership Problem 20:05 – Where AI Should (and Shouldn't) Make Decisions 22:45 – The Biggest AI Risk Most Leaders Overlook 24:16 – Why Trust Is the Ultimate Competitive Advantage 25:15 – The Career Setback That Changed Everything 27:50 – Leaving Microsoft After 16 Years 30:17 – Why AI May Be the Biggest Technology Shift in 20 Years 34:35 – Leadership, Trust, and the Future of AI 35:00 – John's Advice for Leaders Navigating What's Next Whether you're a CEO, executive, founder, or ambitious professional navigating leadership in the AI era, this conversation will help you think differently about customer insight, executive decision-making, organizational trust, and leading through rapid technological change. Subscribe to Lead the Team for weekly conversations with top executives, founders, and business leaders on leadership, AI, organizational transformation, and high-performance teams. ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| The AI Mistake Costing Companies Millions (iMerit CEO Radha Basu) | 10 Jun 2026 | 00:37:01 | |
AI is changing leadership faster than most executives realize, pushing teams to move at a speed that introduces multi-million dollar operational blindspots. In this episode of Lead The Team, Ben Fanning sits down with Radha Basu, Founder & CEO of iMerit, to break down why "right beats fast" when scaling technology. Discover how to navigate high-stakes AI disruption, structure true organizational ownership, and prevent executive burnout while leading a hyper-growth team. What You'll Learn in This Episode:
----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| How to Build an AI-Native Company (KK, CEO of Ascendion) | 27 May 2026 | 00:13:38 | |
AI IS REBUILDING LEADERS KK, CEO of Ascendion, believes most companies are still thinking about AI too small-scale. The leaders pulling ahead are rebuilding how they operate. And that’s a very different conversation! KK walked away from one of the world’s largest IT services companies because he could already see the old model starting to crack: More headcount. More layers. More complexity. Meanwhile, AI was changing how decisions get made, how work gets executed, and what great leadership actually looks like going forward. One of my favorite moments was when he said the first move every CEO should make is building an AI agent for themselves first. Not for the company but for themselves. Because your team can tell pretty quickly whether leadership is truly embracing change… or just asking everyone else to do it. I think that’s the real shift happening right now. AI isn’t just changing technology. It’s rebuilding leaders. What’s one part of your workflow you’d trust an AI agent to help you with today? ----- Follow KK here on LinkedIn Learn more about Ascendion ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| Why Safe Leaders Stall (CEO Greene Tweed, Magen Buterbaugh) | 26 May 2026 | 00:45:13 | |
Comfort Stops Growth. Magen Buterbaugh, President & CEO of Greene Tweed, walked away from leading a billion-dollar business at DuPont because she realized something… Success can become a trap. Her role was secure. The path was clear. The reputation opened doors. But she knew she had stopped growing. So she left the corporate safety net to help build a startup with one employee, real payroll pressure, and no guarantee it would work. That decision completely changed how she leads. In this conversation, we get into questions every ambitious leader eventually has to face: • How do you know when your career has become too comfortable? • What happens to your leadership when the safety net disappears? • Are you actually growing… or just getting better at protecting what you’ve already built? She told me: “Until your back is against the wall, you really haven’t faced adversity.” I think a lot of leaders spend years trying to avoid discomfort. But discomfort is usually where the real growth starts. When has leading outside of your comfort zone helped you grow? ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| I Fight AI Fraud with Military Tactics (Socure President, Matt Thompson) | 20 May 2026 | 00:43:27 | |
Most leaders are preparing for the wrong enemy. Matt Thompson, President and Chief Commercial Officer at Socure, is helping lead the fight—where machine identities already outnumber humans 80 to 1. And fraud isn’t just growing… it’s evolving faster than most businesses can keep up. Most leaders are still treating this like a tech problem. It’s not. It’s truly a strategy problem. The adversary is decentralized, fast-moving, and increasingly powered by AI. After spending over a decade in Army Special Operations under Stanley McChrystal, Matt is now applying those same battlefield-tested tactics to fight this new kind of enemy. Which means the old playbook—protect the front door and call it a day—is already outdated. In this conversation, we break down: Why fraud now behaves like a networked enemy. What leaders are getting wrong about defending their organizations. And how battlefield-tested thinking is being used to fight it at scale. So the real question for leaders is: Can your team and organization adapt faster than the threats evolving around it? ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| The Biggest Mistake Leaders Make in a Crisis (CEO of Cygnet, Keval Hutheesing) | 16 May 2026 | 00:35:51 | |
Pressure reveals leaders. Keval Hutheesing, CEO of Cygnet.One, was 25 when he suddenly became responsible for 900 people—in the middle of a crisis. No playbook. No certainty. And hundreds of people counting on his decisions. Most people think leadership in moments like that is about having the "right" answers. That’s the mistake. As Keval told me: “I didn’t have all the information… but I had our core goals and vision.” This raises a few uncomfortable questions for leaders in a crisis: - What do you do when you have to make an important decision with incomplete—or bad—data? - What if hesitating is higher risk than making the wrong call? - When the pressure is on what actually guides your decisions? Amateurs panic. Great leaders create direction. That’s how his team stayed aligned, customers stayed supported, and eventually they achieved success and became even stronger. What’s helps you stay calm under pressure? ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| Why Most AI Initiatives Are Failing Before They Start (Ascendion CCO, Arun Varadarajan) | 13 May 2026 | 01:03:15 | |
Getting AI Wrong Arun Varadarajan, Chief Commercial Officer at Ascendion, reframed how I think about why so many AI initiatives are failing. “90% of projects fail because people don’t spend enough time defining the problem.” Not because the technology failed or the team wasn’t smart enough. It's because leaders started building BEFORE they got clear on what actually needed to change. So what looked like AI progress was really just motion without transformation. And once leaders DO identify the real problem, many still don’t move boldly enough to create meaningful change. They get stuck in pilots. Experiments. Incremental improvements. But never challenge the “untouchable” systems and ways of working that have existed for years. And when that happens, the real transformational impact of AI never materializes. The organization just falls further behind while thinking it’s making progress. Arun shares with us the leadership conviction and organizational courage to get AI right. Where do you think most organizations are still getting AI wrong? ----- Follow Arun on Linkedin Learn more about Ascendion ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| The Best-Scaling Teams Share One Leadership Lesson (Josh Kanagy, Hightouch CRO) | 10 May 2026 | 00:41:28 | |
The Scaling Mistake Hightouch CRO, Josh Kanagy, showed me how companies scaling fastest right now are creating their biggest future leadership problem. Companies are obsessed with scaling: • systems • process • AI • automation Yes, those things matter. BUT there’s a real danger when leaders start believing scaling the system automatically scales the company. Josh learned that the hard way in a humbling quarterly business review early in his career. Because systems don’t build judgment, create confidence, or develop leaders ready for the next level. People do. The best scaling companies aren’t just building better systems. They’re building people who can rise with the company. THE BEST SCALE PEOPLE. In this conversation Josh also shares: • The humbling QBR that changed how he leads. • Why great sales leaders think like community builders. • The AI battle most executives don’t realize they’re fighting. And once you hear where Josh learned that philosophy… it changes how you think about leadership. Are we scaling our systems faster than we’re scaling our people? ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| Bruce Springsteen Revolutionized My Company (Chairman at Virtual, Andy Freed) | 05 May 2026 | 00:47:36 | |
Do you know BRUCE? Andy Freed, Chairman of Virtual, Inc. has seen Bruce Springsteen nearly 100 times, and was so inspired by what he saw that he wrote a book about it.... ...Lead Like The Boss: The Bruce Springsteen Framework to Elevating Your Leadership What Andy took from those shows completely changed how he leads. For instance at the end of every show, Bruce walks to the back of the stage… …and personally acknowledges every single band member. For about 10 seconds each, he makes them feel like the most important person in the world. Andy saw that and thought: "Isn’t that the job of a leader?" But it raises bigger questions… Why can a rock concert hold attention for 3 hours… while an executive loses the room in 3 minutes? When did leadership become about slides… instead of connection? Most leaders are focused on: what they need to say what they need to get done what they need to present Bruce is focused on: what the audience feels how the moment lands how people walk away That’s the difference. I’ve been in rooms where the strategy was right… …but the leader lost the room in 60 seconds. And I’ve seen the opposite—where the message wasn’t perfect… …but the leader had people leaning in, locked in, all the way through. That’s not an accident. That’s intentional. So here’s the real question: Are you trying to be heard… or are you trying to make people feel something? ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| monday.com CRO - Why Great Mentors Push You to Leave, Case George | 03 May 2026 | 00:34:34 | |
Why Leave Success? monday.com CRO Case George once got career advice he never expected. After decades at IBM a close mentor looked at him and said: “I’ll deny it if you tell anybody… but I think you should leave.” It was unexpected but that advice changed everything for Case. He went on to help scale billion-dollar revenue organizations and now leads global revenue at monday.com, a platform used by 200,000+ organizations worldwide. You'll also discover: • Why great mentors sometimes push you out of comfort • The strategy that grew monday.com into a $1.5B+ company • What happens when your response times drop from 24 hours to 2 minutes? ---- He shared with me that you don’t fully appreciate what you’ve learned… until you’re forced to use it somewhere new. Do you believe ambitious leaders leave successful companies earlier to grow faster, or can they do it where they are? ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| From NYSE to DailyPay: The Risk That Reshaped a COO’s Career (Andrew Brandman) | 30 Apr 2026 | 00:43:29 | |
They Said Don’t. Andrew Brandman, COO of DailyPay and a former leader at the New York Stock Exchange, knows risk taking When he decided to join the NYSE back in the day, everyone told him he was making a mistake. “Everyone was saying to me, don’t do it!.” He did it anyway. That decision didn’t just work out — it actually put him at the center of transforming a 200+ year old institution and reshaped the trajectory of his entire career. But it wasn’t just the risk. It was why he took it. He saw a mission big enough to matter. A chance to impact not just a company… but the people behind it — the ones whose lives are affected by every decision. It's a call to action for leaders at every level... - How often are we evaluating opportunities based on comfort… instead of impact? - What if the best career decisions don’t feel safe at all? - What if consensus is actually a warning sign? And how do you know when to ignore smart people… and trust your instincts anyway? ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| ZOOM COO Admits Fastest Tech Adoption in History (Leadership Talk with Aparna Bawa) | 28 Apr 2026 | 00:57:15 | |
Fastest Tech Adoption in History. Zoom COO Aparna Bawa was right in the middle of it... helping lead the company as the entire world moved onto one platform in a matter of weeks. For work. For school. Even for final goodbyes. I sat down with Aparna to understand what leadership actually looked like in that moment. One decision changed it all... They turned Zoom on for K–12 schools across the U.S.—for free. No perfect information. No time to overanalyze.J ust a call that had to be made. And as she put it: “Never once thinking about whether it’s a great opportunity for Zoom…it was about the obligation to help people get that human connection.” That’s leadership. Not certainty, but responsibility. And when things did break (because of course they did), her mindset was just as clear: “You cannot blame the customer. You have to own it, fix it, and move forward with humility.” If you’re leading through pressure right now, making decisions without all the answers...this conversation is worth your time. And if someone came to mind while reading this… send it to them. Because this a powerful of example of leading team in the uncertainty.. ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| Microsoft CEO Changed How I Lead My Company (Hayden Stafford Seismic CRO) | 26 Apr 2026 | 00:43:50 | |
Inside the Room. Hayden E. Stafford, President & CRO at Seismic, had a front-row seat to Satya Nadella rebuilding Microsoft from the inside out. The world saw the outcome. Hayden saw the decisions. The ones that got challenged. The ones that got changed. And the ones leaders refused to change. He saw that alignment didn’t break all at once. It broke when signals said something isn’t working… and nothing changes. That’s when teams drift. Priorities split. And small gaps turn into real consequences. You’ll discover: - What it was really like in those rooms—and how Satya handled bad decisions. - What Hayden saw that changed how he leads. - What makes asmall misalignment turn into a million-dollar problem. And he’s now applying those same lessons across thousands of employees and customers at Seismic. So: When you know something isn’t working is your tendency to… Change it— or convince yourself it will? ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| You Still Own It: The Leadership Skill You Can’t Delegate to AI (with PROS CRO Eileen Sweeney) | 21 Apr 2026 | 00:35:10 | |
AI isn’t accountable. Leaders are. Eileen Sweeney, PROS CRO, operates in a world where algorithms influence billions in airline revenue. The scale and speed are staggering. What a conversation on a big idea that leaders and teams are challenged by right now... When algorithms shape decisions… who owns the outcome when it goes wrong? Not the system. The leader. You see it in high-stakes deals—everything points to “close it.” The system says go. But the real question becomes: Are you willing to own what happens next? And sometimes… the answer is no. Not because the technology failed— but because the risk isn’t something you’re willing to stand behind. Algorithms can optimize. But they can’t take responsibility. That still sits with the leader. 🎯 Questions worth thinking about: How do you evaluate when the risk–reward no longer makes sense in the AI age? How do you build trust when decisions are shaped by data and models? And when a decision carries real risk… how do you ensure it’s clearly owned? 👉 Where have you seen a decision made—but no one owned the outcome? ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| The Automation Mistake That Costs Millions (CEO Americas HAI Robotics, ex-Target, GXO, Adrian Stoch)) | 19 Apr 2026 | 00:48:40 | |
Looks Like Progress. It’s Not. So I asked Adrian Stoch, CEO Americas at Hai Robotics: What’s the mistake that looks right… but costs millions? Why do “working” systems still fail? What breaks first when you scale? He’s led automation at massive scale. Inside Target. Inside GXO. Now leading robotics. He told me about one warehouse…Robots installed. Systems live. Dashboards green. It looked like progress. Until it didn’t. 30% of the products didn’t even fit the system. $3M a year… gone. Here’s what most leaders are missing: The failure didn’t start with the robots. It started earlier. Bad inputs. Broken processes. Assumptions no one challenged. Automation didn’t fix it. It exposed it. Fast. Expensive. Unavoidable. Amateurs scale chaos. Leaders fix the system first… then automate… then scale. If your systems look like they’re working—but outcomes aren’t— 👉 where do you actually look first? ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| Why Charisma Fails Leaders (After 10,000 Interviews) CEO Rod McDermott, McDermott + Bull; Activate 180 | 13 Apr 2026 | 00:38:36 | |
After 10,000 Interviews... Rod McDermott, CEO of McDermott + Bull and founder of Activate 180, has noticed that the executives who win interviews… ...aren’t always the ones who build results. And that’s the trap. It's so easy to fall for the wrong signals. The leader who owns the room. The polished answers. The one who leaves everyone thinking, “That was impressive.” But impressive DOESN'T SCALE. Rod reminded me:Leadership isn’t performance.It’s followership. The real test of a leader isn’t how they show up in the interview. It’s what happens after they leave the room. Do people trust them? Do people believe them? Do people want to follow them when things get difficult? That’s a very different standard. In this episode of Lead the Team, Rod shares what he’s learned from decades inside the world’s most elite boardrooms: • Why charisma wins interviews but loses organizations • The leadership trait that actually creates followership • How great CEOs strengthen the entire enterprise, not just the corner office Are we still falling for impressive leaders… instead of effective ones? ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| Why Great Leaders Ignore Noise and Direct Attention (Clear Channel Outdoor CRO Bob McCuin) | 31 Mar 2026 | 00:33:13 | |
Noise vs Focus. Bob McCuin, Chief Revenue Officer and EVP at Clear Channel Outdoor, has spent decades inside the attention economy...radio, sports media, and literally the most valuable billboards on the planet. When you live in that world long enough, you start to notice something about leadership. What's shaping how organizations behave.Bob told me that attention determines priority. Most leaders think priorities are set through goals, meetings, and KPIs. But teams don’t really follow the slide deck. They follow what the leader consistently pays attention to.If the leader reacts to the loudest issue…the team learns to chase noise. If the leader jumps to every new idea…the team learns that focus doesn’t matter. But when a leader consistently directs attention to what truly matters…the entire organization starts to align around it. Bob put it this way to me: “Where I place my attention determines the organizational energy.” That’s an enormous leadership responsibility. Because attention isn’t just something leaders give. It’s something they teach the organization to VALUE.What do you think? Are most organizations struggling with strategy…or with leaders who simply can’t stop chasing noise? ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| Why Leaders are Losing Their Best People (Adam Block CRO, Motive) | 29 Mar 2026 | 00:41:29 | |
Leadership Blindspot Adam Block, Chief Revenue Officer at Motive, who helped scale the company to serve 100,000+ customers and more than a million drivers, shared a real wake up call with me. Early in his career, he spent a lot of energy trying to help struggling employees succeed. Then he realized something uncomfortable. “The people that suffer the most in that situation are actually the best players.” Because when leaders spend most of their attention fixing what’s broken… the people who are actually driving results start getting less attention. Less coaching. Less challenge. Less investment. And eventually, they start looking elsewhere. That insight changed how Adam approaches leadership today (and the results are undeniable). Instead of trying to make everyone great, he focuses on hiring great people and making them even better. And it raises a tough leadership question: Should leaders spend more time fixing weak performers… or investing in the people already carrying the team? ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| The AI Leadership Choice Every Leader Must Make (CEO Abhijit Mitra, Outreach) | 22 Mar 2026 | 00:39:03 | |
My AI just joined the meeting... I expected Abhijit Mitra, CEO of Outreach, a multi billion-dollar AI company, to tell me about their legendary tools and automation. Instead, he it took a different direction. When he’s in a meeting… his AI agents actually join the meeting and coach him in real time. Not summarize it later. Not send notes afterward. They’re in the meeting, helping him think, respond, and prepare. That’s when the real insight hit. Myself and most leaders today are experimenting with AI tools. But we aren't fully redesigning how our teams operate around AI. And Abhijit made something very clear: “It has to be a top-down initiative… this cannot be delegated downwards.” Boom! Because if that’s true, AI isn’t really a technology shift. It’s really a leadership shift. The leaders that win this era won’t just deploy better AI. They’ll have leaders willing to own the operating model change that comes with it. So consider... How many of us are treating AI like a project… when it might actually be the most important leadership decision we make this decade? ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| When Mistakes Cost Lives, How to Lead (Fluke CEO, Parker Burke) | 17 Mar 2026 | 00:39:15 | |
Lives Depend. Parker Burke, Group President at Fluke Corporation, leads an organization whose tools help technicians safely test electrical systems in power grids, hospitals, factories, data centers, and mines around the world. So when a technician trusts the reading on a device…they’re trusting it with their life. A 99% success rate isn’t success. Because the remaining 1% can mean catastrophe. That reality forces a different kind of leadership perspective. Parker’s years in the Marines shaped how he approaches it.Not by carrying the weight alone…but by serving the people who carry it WITH him. If he didn’t lead that way, the pressure would crush a team. Fear would creep in. People would hesitate. And hesitation in environments like these can be dangerous. He explains in our conversation: - Reverse Rank Leadership In the Marines, officers eat last.Parker carries that mindset into Fluke — leaders support the team first because the mission depends on them. - Ending the “What If” Spiral In high-stakes environments, leaders can’t allow teams to live in fear.Instead, Parker aligns people around a mission bigger than themselves:keeping the world up and running safely. - Process Is Respect When the stakes are this high, discipline isn’t bureaucracy. It’s how you honor the people trusting your products and decisions. The idea that sticks with me most: 👉 Purpose crowds out fear. His teams don’t pursue excellence because a boss demands it. They pursue it because “good enough” actually betrays the people counting on them. How do you see leadership differently when someone’s life actually depends on the outcome? ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| Nuclear Submarines and a $22B Merger Shaped a CEO (Deltek's, Bob Hughes) | 15 Mar 2026 | 00:47:04 | |
Details Define You. Bob Hughes, President & CEO of Deltek, learned that in moments when the stakes were highest.. on a nuclear submarine… in the middle of a $22B merger… and during a ransomware attack. He was inspired early in his career when a leader told him: “The devil’s in the details… but so is salvation.” I particularly appreciated his insight: “Operational discipline scales trust.” We’ve all seen the opposite play out too. One meeting starts late. One deadline gets missed. One “good enough” decision slips through. Trust doesn’t explode. It erodes....gradually. Bob’s team didn’t lose trust in those massive moments because he refused to let the small things slide when they mattered most. That’s what I keep thinking about: When leaders lose trust its rarely the big thing; it's because of the details long before. 👉 What do you think the "details" say about leadership? ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| From Team USA to CEO (Bluebeam CEO Usman Shuja) | 10 Mar 2026 | 00:43:56 | |
Elite CEOs and athletes share a belief. Usman Shuja, CEO of Bluebeam, learned it long before the boardroom, representing the USA national cricket team and becoming one of the top wicket-takers in U.S. history. Talking with him made me think about how differently pressure shows up across seasons of life. In sports, the pressure is loud and public. In leadership, it even heavier....Board expectations. Team decisions. Real consequences. For most of my career, I thought confidence was what carried leaders through those moments. Loved how Usman reframed it for me: Pressure is a privilege. It’s PROOF that what you’re doing actually matters. That belief was forged for him in a hostile away game in Nepal with 20,000 fans cheering against him and everything on the line. They even rioted❗ Years later, he taps into that perspective everyday as CEO. Leadership isn’t about avoiding pressure. It’s about learning to INTERPRET IT differently than everyone else. 👉 Is pressure the cost of leadership or the reward? ----- Connect with Usman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/usmanshuja/ Learn more about Bluebeam: https://www.bluebeam.com/resources/ebooks/aec-tech-outlook-2026)/ ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| Google's "Wolverine" to CEO (PandaDoc's CEO Keith Rabkin) | 08 Mar 2026 | 00:43:36 | |
Google’s “Wolverine” is now a $100M+ CEO Keith Rabkin, CEO of PandaDoc, is one of the few leaders I’ve met who can bridge the gap between "big-tech discipline and scrappy underdog grit". At Google, Keith was one of only 25 people (out of thousands of geniuses) to win the "Great Manager Award." His secret isn't just a high IQ; it's what he calls the "Wolverine Mindset" . It’s a relentless, "never-give-up" grit that focuses on one thing: obliterating roadblocks so the team can win. Our conversation forced me to rethink my own leadership style, especially how much time I spend clearing roadblocks versus just setting direction. Three ways Keith has lived the Wolverine mindset: - How the best "strategic" leaders get into the details to accelerate progress. - Why Keith left the safety of a global giant (Adobe) to hunt for survival in the trenches. - The controversial move he made that instantly drove 5x profitability. Question: Are we overvaluing "vision" and undervaluing raw determination? ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| The $1.1B Transformation Most Leaders Fail (Winpak's Chief Operational Excellence Officer, Randall Troutman) | 03 Mar 2026 | 00:41:58 | |
THE TRANSFORMATION WALL Randall Troutman, Winpak's, Chief Operational Excellence Officer leads a massive $1.1 billion transformation, tasked with turning 13 independent "kingdoms" into one efficient operating system. But there’s a moment in every change effort where leaders mistake resistance for failure, and that’s when teams stop following. Randall discovered that project success is never about the initial launch; it’s about what you do when the "physics of people" takes over. We went deep into the "Valley of Despair" in this interview... ...that predictable, dangerous phase where the initial hype dies and the true energy requirement sets in. EVERY BIG project I've ever been part of hits make-or-break moment! It’s the exact point where most leaders flame out, pack up, and say, "I knew it wouldn't work". In this episode, you'll discover: - How to recognize the "Valley" phase in real-time before it stalls your progress. - Why most change efforts quietly die exactly when they should be accelerating. - The framework for keeping thousands moving when fatigue and doubt peak. - The "Visual Roadmap" Randall used to make a global crisis actionable. If your initiative feels stalled, you aren't failing....you're just hitting THE WALL. It takes a courageous leader to admit they've lost momentum, but it takes a PRO to expect it and share the map to get out. Question: Ever had a big project lose momentum? What helped? ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| How Great Leaders Navigate Uncertainty (CEO Jed Ayres, ControlUp) | 01 Mar 2026 | 00:45:48 | |
Leaders Are Built in the Blur. Jed Ayres, CEO of ControlUp, told me something most leaders won’t say out loud: Clarity usually comes after you move, not before. If you’re waiting for the perfect signal…You’re already late. That “responsible” decision you’re about to make? It might be the very thing slowing your flywheel before it ever turns. We talked about what it really takes to move when things aren’t clear: - When the leader (who drove 600% revenue growth in three years and a $1B valuation) believes the safe decision becomes the most dangerous one. - How a former dishwasher turned hotel owner turned tech CEO learned to scale transformation — long before collecting 10,000 metrics every three seconds. - What six Ironmans teach you about pushing when nothing feels like it’s moving. There’s a mental shift required when you can’t see the finish line. Many leaders miss it. So consider "Are you leading…or too focused protecting your downside?" Have you ever confused “responsible” with fear? ----- Learn more about Jed and his organization here: https://www.controlup.com/ ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| The Question That Reset Avaya (CEO Patrick Dennis) | 22 Feb 2026 | 00:47:10 | |
That first all-hands. Patrick Dennis, CEO of Avaya, walked in expecting nerves and optimism. Instead, one question he was asked changed the room. It wasn’t dramatic or confrontational. But it was revealing. It showed to him that the organization wasn’t aligned on reality. And misalignment at that level doesn’t stay neutral. It compounds. I’ve seen this pattern more times than I can count. Leaders hear a question and assume pushback. But sometimes the question asked IS THE DATA. Sometimes the raised hand is the WARNING LIGHT. What inspired me most in our conversation was how Patrick responded. No corporate speak or protecting people from the numbers. You'll hear in our conversation how he chose to communicate with clarity, knowing it would cost comfort. That decision shifted everything and ultimately made HUGE results possible. It shifted the organization's trajectory. So, when your team asks the uncomfortable question, how often do you treat it as resistance or as information? ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| What Only Hard Seasons Teach (CEO Planview's Matt Zilli) | 18 Feb 2026 | 00:34:20 | |
The Hard Season Matt Zilli, CEO of Planview, told me the hardest years of leading a company through billion-dollar growth (including restructures, tough people decisions, and uncertainty) became the most valuable leadership training of his career. That really resonated for me. Some of the most uncomfortable stretches building my podcasts and business were the exact moments I wondered if I should pivot, slow down, or walk away. The audience wasn’t growing yet. The results weren’t obvious. The path felt uncertain. Ever had the "uncomfortable stretch"? You know, those seasons forced me to get clearer, tougher, and more patient as a leader. Matt called it in our conversation “SCAR TISSUE"...the kind you only earn by staying in the work when it’s not fun, not fast, and not guaranteed. Wins build confidence. Hard seasons build leaders. Looking back, the seasons I wanted to escape were often the ones doing the most to shape how I lead today. Question: Do you think we leave the hard season too early or make a mistake by preventing it all together? ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| Repeat Elite Performance (The Change that Matters)- CEO John Leach of FLS Transportation | 16 Feb 2026 | 00:33:43 | |
Is obsession with "The Win" actually preventing it? John Leach CEO of FLS Transportation shared with me that fixating on the win is the fastest way to lose control. He breaks down what happens when he walked away from "personality-first" leadership to build a system where success isn’t a roll of the dice. It made me reflect on some of my own team's results where we delivered short term but they weren't always sustainable. Wish I'd chatted with John years ago! We discuss:
Stop chasing the outcome. Start mastering the activity. Question: Could your team repeat last year's wins without you looking over their shoulder? ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| Monetize Your Leadership (Thinkific CEO & Founder Greg Smith) | 08 Feb 2026 | 00:39:46 | |
Missed Opportunity. Greg Smith, Founder of Thinkific, shared with me how most leaders are sitting on their most undervalued asset: their own expertise. And I’ve been guilty of this too. For years, I thought growth meant building something new (a new product, new offering, new initiative). BUT some of the biggest growth I’ve seen (in my own business and with companies I work with) came from teaching what they already knew. Not as marketing. Not as training. As a product. When leaders and their organizations share their thinking clearly and consistently, something powerful happens: Trust grows faster. A new sales channel opens. Revenue flows. Education and training used to be a COST CENTER. Now it’s becoming the new GROWTH CHANNEL. And truly, it makes sense because customers don’t just want vendors anymore. They want guides. Why are leaders still hesitant to monetize what they already know? ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| The RISK of Your Top Performers (CEO Americas at Nortal, Alain Dias) | 01 Feb 2026 | 00:35:18 | |
High performance deceives. Alain Dias, CEO of Nortal Americas, knows a thing or two about building at scale..after all his team helped build the world’s very first "digital nation." When a leader with his kind of track record speaks about growth, I'm in! His interview is a gut-check for most organizations: If your expansion depends on a "Hero," you aren't ready to scale. In many cultures, we celebrate the "firefighter" who pulls the all-nighter to save the project. We give them the shout-outs and the awards. But as Alain points out, constant heroics are actually a warning sign. When you rely on individual brilliance to save the day, you aren't building a resilient business...you’re building a dependency. Beware "The Heroic Trap": - The Bottleneck: Critical knowledge stays trapped in one person’s head. - The Single Point of Failure: Your best people become your biggest risk for burnout. - The Chaos: As growth accelerates, clarity vanishes, and your "Hero" simply can't keep up. What I admire about Alain’s approach is the focus on maturity. World-class leadership is designing systems that make heroics unnecessary. Your vision can’t outrun your systems. Have you seen the limits of heroics? ----- Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben Fanning Speaking and Training inquires | |||
| Scaling Deceives (Here's Why) - CEO of Forescout, Barry Mainz | 23 Jan 2026 | 00:31:10 | |
Scale deceives. Barry Mainz, CEO of Forescout Technologies Inc., reveals how leaders unknowingly become responsible for massive risks they never personally approved. As your organization grows, leadership doesn’t just get harder, the real issues become harder to see. More effort stops producing better outcomes. And more hustle just starts masking risk. Barry’s work shows something unsettling: even elite tech leaders are often blind to 30–50% of the devices actually connected to their networks inside their own organizations. But that’s not a technology failure; it’s a leadership one. In our conversation, you’ll discover: - The Hidden Effort Tipping Point - The Great Leadership Management Flip - The Habit That Sabotages Scale - Why Hustle Is A Warning - The Dangerous Illusion Of Control If you spend all your time working in the business, you’ll may miss the off-radar decisions forming around you...until they surface as a crisis. A leadership question to consider: Is the leader who knows every detail actually a pro… or just a bottleneck in disguise? | |||