Explore every episode of the podcast Do Something Different: A Leadership Podcast
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| More Strategic Decisions in 3 Steps | 10 Mar 2025 | 00:15:35 | |
Despite best intentions, many high achievers make suboptimal decisions in the workplace. The combination of stress, information overload, social pressure, and authority figures creates an environment where even the smartest professionals fall into predictable decision-making traps. These patterns—often the very same behaviors that brought early career success—become the invisible barriers preventing advancement to higher leadership levels. You'll learn:
Listen to discover how shifting your decision-making approach can transform your effectiveness as a leader and position you for greater impact with less stress—even in high-pressure environments. Duration: 15 minutes Rusty Gaillard is an executive coach, helping mid-level corporate leaders break out of the corporate mold and create more impact as leaders... while enjoying work and putting in fewer hours in the process. | |||
| 3 Steps to Mastering Influence | 03 Mar 2025 | 00:23:21 | |
Influence is about changing how others think and act, not simply directing them what to do. Discover why transformational influence—the kind that creates lasting change and builds strong relationships—requires a completely different approach than the transactional tactics many resort to. You'll learn:
Listen to discover how mastering the art of true influence can transform your effectiveness as a leader and position you to create meaningful change—even when you don't have formal authority. Duration: 23 minutes Rusty Gaillard is an executive coach, helping mid-level corporate leaders break out of the corporate mold and create more impact as leaders... while enjoying work and putting in fewer hours in the process. | |||
| 3 Actions to Go from Manager to Leader | 23 Dec 2024 | 00:22:11 | |
High achievers often get trapped by their own success. Rusty Gaillard is an executive coach, helping mid-level corporate leaders break out of the corporate mold and create more impact as leaders... while enjoying work and putting in fewer hours in the process. | |||
| 5 Rules for More Confident Decisions | 16 Dec 2024 | 00:23:02 | |
Smart, high achieving leaders often make sub-optimal decisions. Rusty Gaillard is an executive coach, helping mid-level corporate leaders break out of the corporate mold and create more impact as leaders... while enjoying work and putting in fewer hours in the process. | |||
| 3 Easy Habits to Command More Respect at Work | 09 Dec 2024 | 00:16:23 | |
Struggling to command respect at work? This episode tackles why blaming external factors - like company culture or difficult colleagues - completely misses the point. The discussion explores how habitual behaviors, particularly those of high achievers, can actually undermine authority and influence. Rusty Gaillard is an executive coach, helping mid-level corporate leaders break out of the corporate mold and create more impact as leaders... while enjoying work and putting in fewer hours in the process. | |||
| Increasing Your Executive Presence in Meetings | 02 Dec 2024 | 00:14:39 | |
Meetings with senior leaders are a prime opportunity to demonstrate executive presence. But they make many leaders anxious. In this episode, we tackle the uncomfortable truth about why capable professionals often stay silent in high-stakes conversations. From claiming introversion to avoiding vulnerability, discover the five hidden barriers that may be limiting your impact and visibility when it matters most. Through concrete examples and real client experiences, we explore why "supporting the team" or "having nothing to add" might actually be self-sabotaging behaviors. Learn why your discomfort in these situations could be rooted in deeper psychological factors - and how shifting your mindset about meetings could transform your leadership presence. Perfect for:
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Listen to discover how your next executive meeting could become a pivotal moment in your leadership journey. Duration: 15 minutes Rusty Gaillard is an executive coach, helping mid-level corporate leaders break out of the corporate mold and create more impact as leaders... while enjoying work and putting in fewer hours in the process. | |||
| Navigating Challenging Times: A Thanksgiving Reflection | 29 Nov 2024 | 00:06:38 | |
On Thanksgiving, most of us practice gratitude. It's easy during the holidays, but finding gratitude in the midst of difficulties requires a fundamental shift in perspective that can transform how we experience and overcome obstacles. Rusty Gaillard is an executive coach, helping mid-level corporate leaders break out of the corporate mold and create more impact as leaders... while enjoying work and putting in fewer hours in the process. | |||
| Getting Promoted: 3 Actions to Take Today | 26 Nov 2024 | 00:21:00 | |
Has your career progression slowed down? In this episode of Do Something Different, we tackle promotion and career advancement - specifically why many high achievers hit a plateau and struggle to reach the next level. Learn why the behaviors that made you successful early in your career may now be holding you back, and how the "A Trap" can limit your growth. Through practical strategies and real-world examples, discover how to shift from pure execution to true leadership, why focusing solely on deliverables can backfire, and how to demonstrate executive presence without losing your authenticity. Find out why vague feedback like "be more strategic" or "read the room better" is so common - and what to actually do about it. Perfect for:
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Listen to discover why your drive for excellence might be the very thing keeping you from reaching the next level. Duration: 21 minutes Rusty Gaillard is an executive coach, helping mid-level corporate leaders break out of the corporate mold and create more impact as leaders... while enjoying work and putting in fewer hours in the process. | |||
| Delivering Effective Feedback | 25 Nov 2024 | 00:09:19 | |
Is performance review season making you anxious? In this episode, Rusty Gaillard tackles the elephant in the room: why most leaders either avoid giving feedback or do it poorly. He reveals why treating feedback as a time management problem completely misses the point, and shares a personal commitment that transformed how he approaches difficult conversations. Rusty Gaillard is an executive coach, helping mid-level corporate leaders break out of the corporate mold and create more impact as leaders... while enjoying work and putting in fewer hours in the process. | |||
| Conquering Fear of Failure | 23 Nov 2024 | 00:17:51 | |
Are you a high achiever who's built your career on being smart and avoiding mistakes? In this episode, Rusty tackles the paralyzing pressure that successful professionals face when it comes to making mistakes, especially in high-stakes situations. Through a revealing client story about "Steve," who struggles with a seemingly unfixable situation, Rusty challenges the common belief that avoiding mistakes is the path to success. He introduces a simple but powerful framework called BEAR (Beliefs, Emotions, Actions, Results) that could transform how you handle high-pressure situations. Learn why the very mindset that made you successful might be holding you back from reaching the next level, and discover why true leadership isn't about having all the right answers. (Hint: It's about asking better questions!) Perfect for:
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Listen to discover why your next "failure" might actually be your biggest opportunity for growth. Duration: 17 minutes Rusty Gaillard is an executive coach, helping mid-level corporate leaders break out of the corporate mold and create more impact as leaders... while enjoying work and putting in fewer hours in the process. | |||
| Mastering Prioritization | 19 Nov 2024 | 00:12:46 | |
Are you constantly juggling back-to-back meetings, endless Slack messages, and mounting deliverables? If you're like most senior leaders, you've probably tried various prioritization techniques to manage it all. But what if prioritization isn't actually the answer? In this episode, Rusty shares a personal story from his time at Apple that changed his perspective on time management and career advancement. He challenges the common belief that being better at prioritizing tasks is the solution to our overwhelming workload. Learn why the skills that made you successful so far might actually be holding you back, and discover a surprisingly simple tool that could transform how you approach your work day. (No, it's not another productivity app!) Perfect for:
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Listen to discover why your next cup of coffee might be the most important meeting on your calendar. Duration: 13 minutes Rusty Gaillard is an executive coach, helping mid-level corporate leaders break out of the corporate mold and create more impact as leaders... while enjoying work and putting in fewer hours in the process. | |||
| Do Something Different Trailer | 15 Nov 2024 | 00:04:46 | |
Welcome to Do Something Different, a leadership podcast. This podcast is for high achievers: smart, ambitious, successful people who've done a lot in their career, but want even more impact and fulfillment. The premise of this podcast is that the behaviors and habits that have been key to your success so far may be the things that are holding you back now. You’ll learn new skillsets and a new mindset to help you see which old habits to change, and what to do instead. Acceleration comes from removing your foot from the brake, not just stepping harder on the gas. This podcast is actionable, so you’ll come away from each episode with specific things you can do that elevate your leadership and impact. Thanks for listening. If you like what you hear, the best way you can support us is to subscribe, leave a review, and share with a friend. Rusty Gaillard is an executive coach, helping mid-level corporate leaders break out of the corporate mold and create more impact as leaders... while enjoying work and putting in fewer hours in the process. | |||
| How to appear more confident | 17 Feb 2025 | 00:16:14 | |
Many accomplished professionals hit a ceiling not because they lack skills, but because they overuse "pleaser" behaviors that undermine their executive presence. This episode exposes how an over-reliance on being likeable and getting along - qualities that may have served you well early in your career - can actually diminish your leadership impact. Through real coaching scenarios, learn why expanding your behavioral range beyond "nice" is crucial for authentic leadership presence. Discover how you can maintain your naturally friendly style while developing the capacity to command attention and respect when needed. The solution isn't about becoming less authentic - it's about becoming more complete in how you show up as a leader. Key themes:
Listen to discover how breaking free from the "nice" trap could be your biggest leadership breakthrough. Duration: 15 minutes Rusty Gaillard is an executive coach, helping mid-level corporate leaders break out of the corporate mold and create more impact as leaders... while enjoying work and putting in fewer hours in the process. | |||
| Mastering Executive Presence with Cindy Skalicky | 10 Feb 2025 | 00:27:34 | |
What is executive presence, and why do so many talented leaders struggle to develop it? That is the theme of this conversation with Cindy Skalicky. Through practical examples and proven frameworks, this episode reveals why focusing solely on technical expertise and data can actually undermine leadership effectiveness, and how authentic storytelling and human connection create lasting impact. Key themes:
Listen to discover why your next presentation or meeting could be an opportunity to transform how others perceive your leadership. Duration: 27 minutes Cindy Skalicky, founder and head coach of On Point Communications, has helped clients raise millions in venture capital funding, secure next-level invitations to speak to global audiences, and win high-stakes deals from partnerships through M&A. A specialist in rhetorical theory, Cindy is an expert at assessing messages – and the speakers who deliver them – to determine their collective persuasive value. She has presented to thousands of executives on a global level, teaching them how to apply and integrate her proven methods which are step-by step, easy to follow, and produce results fast. Follow Cindy on LinkedIn or check out her podcast, Red Light Green Light. Rusty Gaillard is an executive coach, helping mid-level corporate leaders break out of the corporate mold and create more impact as leaders... while enjoying work and putting in fewer hours in the process. | |||
| Less is More: 4 Steps to Productivity | 03 Feb 2025 | 00:15:42 | |
This episode tackles the counterintuitive truth about high achievement: doing more isn't always the path to greater success. Learn why many successful professionals get trapped in patterns of overwork and discover the CALM framework for breaking free from this cycle. Through real-world examples of executives who transformed their approach to work, the episode reveals how strategically working less can lead to better outcomes, including faster decision-making, improved team performance, and career advancement. Key themes:
Listen to discover why "working harder" may be the very habit that blocks your career growth. Duration: 15 minutes Rusty Gaillard is an executive coach, helping mid-level corporate leaders break out of the corporate mold and create more impact as leaders... while enjoying work and putting in fewer hours in the process. | |||
| Learn to Speak for Yourself, Because Your Work Doesn't | 27 Jan 2025 | 00:24:00 | |
The ingrained belief that "my work speaks for itself" - while admirable - is not true. It may be a major factor keeping you from reaching your full potential and gaining the recognition your contributions deserve. Learn why "the work speaks for itself" doesn't work, and how to authentically speak up about your accomplishments. Key themes:
Listen to learn why what got you here won't get you there - and how to make the mindset shift needed for greater leadership impact. Rusty Gaillard is an executive coach, helping mid-level corporate leaders break out of the corporate mold and create more impact as leaders... while enjoying work and putting in fewer hours in the process. | |||
| How to Delegate Effectively: A Practical Guide | 20 Jan 2025 | 00:20:15 | |
Many high achievers struggle with deeply empowering their team. Learn why letting go might be the key to unlocking your next level of leadership. Rather than focusing on doing more, explore how doing less - strategically - could transform both your effectiveness and your team's engagement. Key themes:
Listen to discover how mastering the art of letting go could be your biggest breakthrough as a leader. Duration: 20 minutes Rusty Gaillard is an executive coach, helping mid-level corporate leaders break out of the corporate mold and create more impact as leaders... while enjoying work and putting in fewer hours in the process. | |||
| Overcoming lack of discipline | 13 Jan 2025 | 00:24:49 | |
Do you consistently avoid doing things you know would make you more successful? In this episode, Rusty tackles the hidden truth about why high achievers struggle to implement important changes. Learn why defaulting to "I need more discipline" or "I don't have time" completely misses the point, and discover a new way to understand what's really holding you back. Key themes:
Duration: 26 minutes Rusty Gaillard is an executive coach, helping mid-level corporate leaders break out of the corporate mold and create more impact as leaders... while enjoying work and putting in fewer hours in the process. | |||
| Master motivation with 1 simple question | 06 Jan 2025 | 00:22:44 | |
Many people struggle maintaining motivation to achieve their goals. It's why so many people don't achieve their New Year's resolutions. In this episode you will discover a powerful perspective shift that can transform how you approach change - whether in your career, health, or relationships. Perfect for:
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Listen to learn a simple but profound mental shift that could finally help you break free from limiting patterns and create lasting positive change. Duration: 22 minutes Rusty Gaillard is an executive coach, helping mid-level corporate leaders break out of the corporate mold and create more impact as leaders... while enjoying work and putting in fewer hours in the process. | |||
| Setting better goals for 2025 | 30 Dec 2024 | 00:13:03 | |
Are your New Year's resolutions setting you up for another unfulfilling year? This episode tackles the common pitfall of traditional goal-setting that keeps ambitious professionals stuck in patterns of busyness and disconnection. Through examining holiday reflections and end-of-year planning, learn why focusing solely on achievements and to-do lists undermines the potential for meaningful growth and joy. Perfect for:
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Listen to discover how shifting your perspective on goal-setting could transform your approach to personal and professional growth in the coming year. Duration: 13 minutes Rusty Gaillard is an executive coach, helping mid-level corporate leaders break out of the corporate mold and create more impact as leaders... while enjoying work and putting in fewer hours in the process. | |||