Live Like a Leader Show — Where Great Leaders Master Great Communication
L = f (c): Leadership is a function of Communication. Great leadership is a function of great communication.
Join leadership communication expert, TEDx speaker, author, and executive coach John Bates, founder of Executive Speaking Success, as he explores the communication, leadership, and life secrets of the world’s top leaders. From NASA astronauts and bestselling authors to Navy SEALs, global executives, entrepreneurs, and Keynote/TED/TEDx speakers — discover the lessons, stories, and strategies that empower them to lead with authenticity and impact.
If you want to level up your leadership development, build an authentic executive presence, and master the art of public speaking, this podcast is your ultimate resource. Each episode offers immediately actionable insights to help you become a more inspiring leader, a more compelling speaker, and a more confident communicator.
Whether you’re an aspiring leader, a seasoned executive, or a professional ready to amplify your influence, you’ll love the inspiring, heart-centered conversations on LiveLikeaLeader.show.
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Building the Long Game — From Pandemic Food Relief to NomadAI + “Universe” (LinkedIn for Gen Z) with Camden Francis
Episode 146
Wednesday, July 29, 2026 • Duration 45:35
Today I sit down with Camden Francis—a 21-year-old founder in the Boston area who’s already lived a few lifetimes worth of leadership reps.
We talk about the real story behind the highlight reel: how Camden co-founded a pandemic-era food distribution charity that moved $100,000 worth of food and resources, how that experience became a launchpad into the startup world, and why his newest projects—NomadAI (AI-assisted travel planning) and Universe (a career/network platform “for Gen Z,” currently under wraps)—are rooted in something deeper than ambition: service, meaning, and the long game.
A big thread in this conversation is something I care about a lot: your origin story—not as marketing, but as emotional credibility. Who you are. What shaped you. What you’ve survived. What you’re here to build—and why people should trust you enough to follow.
In this episode, Camden and I cover:
Starting early: Camden’s “self-starter” drive—and the mentors who helped him learn fast (including Kathleen Walsh, President/CEO of the Metro North YMCA).
Beyond the Crisis: how watching families in the Boston area wait in long lines for food during COVID sparked an “Uber Eats-style” nonprofit distribution model—and how they partnered with Catholic Charities of Boston.
Momentum and credibility: how the charity’s visibility led to major exposure and new relationships (including appearances on CBS, Bloomberg, PBS, the Drew Barrymore Show, and even White House conferences).
NomadAI: why Camden believes travel is a perfect industry for AI disruption—and how NomadAI aims to build itineraries and handle planning like a “24/7 assistant in your back pocket.”
Meridian Capital Partners: a founder-focused “hub” that invests very early stage in college founders—especially people who don’t have the usual resume or network.
The hard parts: being misunderstood in a high-pressure prep school environment, dealing with racism, isolation, and having to finish part of high school online.
The turning point: Universe taking three years to get funded, losing an early investor, and Camden’s “dark night of the soul” moment—where he had to stop chasing comparison and decide what he’s actually committed to.
The mission behind Universe: Camden’s focus on helping Gen Z navigate a brutal job/internship market—and building something that serves them in a way he feels LinkedIn doesn’t.
A few lines worth remembering
Camden on mission: “I’m really committed to making a difference and solving problems and connecting people.”
Camden on perseverance: after setbacks and many calls, they found an accredited investor who put six figures in because he saw the MVP—and the dream.
Camden to Gen Z builders: if you’re in a tough season, keep going—try new things—persevere.
Camden Francis is a Gen Z founder based in the Boston area. He co-founded:
Beyond the Crisis, a COVID-era food distribution charity that moved ~$100,000 in food/resources with partners like Catholic Charities of Boston
NomadAI, an AI-assisted travel planning and itinerary platform
He’s also building Universe, a career/network platform aimed at helping Gen Z navigate internships and jobs.
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Camden Francis, a dynamic 21-year-old currently pursuing a degree in Finance and Business Management, seamlessly blends academic prowess with an entrepreneurial spirit. Beyond the confines of his desk, Camden revels in the exhilaration of sports, cherishes quality moments with family and friends, and takes leisurely strolls with his beloved Goldendoodle, Brooks. His summers are often punctuated with escapes to Cape Cod, where he finds solace and inspiration.
At the core of Camden's ethos is his commitment to making a positive impact. In 2020, he founded Beyond the Crisis, a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the community. Under his leadership, the organization diligently distributes food and resources to housing communities and homeless shelters. Camden's visionary approach extends to the research team at Beyond the Crisis, which collaborates with major organizations to strategically combat food insecurity and enhance nutritional health at a national level.
Not content with just one venture, Camden is also the visionary force behind "Univerze," a tech company that has birthed a professional networking mobile application. His multifaceted abilities extend beyond the boardroom; Camden is a captivating public speaker, having appeared on renowned platforms such as the Drew Barrymore Show, CBS, PBS, Bloomberg, and NPR. His insights on entrepreneurship have been shared with a broader audience through various podcasts, while his recently published book further underscores his commitment to knowledge dissemination.
Looking ahead, Camden is set to expand his horizons. He envisions penning another influential book, venturing into real estate, and strategically growing his investment portfolio. For interviews or business inquiries, Camden Francis invites you to connect with him at info@camdenfrancis.com. Embrace the opportunity to engage with a young luminary whose charisma, innovation, and commitment to positive change define his journey.
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John Bates provides 1:1 Executive Communications Coaching, both in-person and online. He also gets 92+ Net Promoter Scores for his large and small group leadership development trainings at organizations like Johnson & Johnson, NASA, Google, Intuit, Boston Scientific, and many more. Find more at https://executivespeakingsuccess.com.
Sign up for his weekly micro-trainings for free at https://johnbates.com/mini-trainings and create a great leadership communications habit that makes you the kind of leader who inspires trust, loyalty, and connection.
AI, White Space Strategy, and the Future of Business Growth with Ryan Edwards
Episode 145
Wednesday, July 15, 2026 • Duration 41:03
Some conversations arrive exactly when they’re needed.
This is one of them.
In this episode, I sit down with Ryan Edwards, my friend and the co-founder of Camino5, for a conversation that’s been years in the making. Ryan and I first met at one of my live events in Los Angeles, and ever since, he’s been one of those people who quietly shifts how I see the business landscape. He has a rare vantage point: deep experience working with startups, global brands, and billion-dollar companies, and the pattern recognition that comes with it.
Ryan’s work centers on white space strategy... finding the overlooked opportunities where real growth lives, and there couldn’t be a more relevant moment for this conversation. The pace of change has accelerated dramatically, especially with the rise of AI, and many leaders are trying to move faster without losing control.
This episode exists because the rules of business strategy have changed faster in the last year than they did in the previous decade. And most leaders haven’t recalibrated yet.
What we explore here isn’t fear-based. It’s grounded, optimistic, and practical.
Three Operating Principles from This Conversation
1. White space is now dynamic, not static
White space used to be analyzed every 18 months. Today, Ryan is seeing strategy cycles compress to quarterly—or even monthly—reviews. Not because leaders love churn, but because technology and culture are moving too fast for set-and-forget thinking.
White space isn’t always a massive blue ocean. More often, it’s a small, highly specific intersection of your value proposition, your customer’s real needs, and what you can actually execute well, right now.
Leadership in the Age of AI with Pete Sacco
Episode 144
Wednesday, May 27, 2026 • Duration 50:54
Today I sit down with Pete Sacco—entrepreneur, technologist, “modern-day mystic,” and a 30-year veteran of designing, building, and operating serious data centers. Pete is also the founder of Gray Wolf Data Centers, and he has a front-row seat to what AI is about to demand from our infrastructure—and from us as leaders.
What I loved about this conversation is the range: we go from the brutally practical realities of leadership (cash flow, culture, motivating people) to the big human questions AI forces into the open: Who are we when our “work” no longer defines our value? And how do we stay grounded, connected, and useful in the middle of a technological hockey stick?
In this episode, we covered:
1) Pete’s 4-part framework for modern leadership
Pete lays out what he sees as “endemic” to great leadership today:
Master cash flow (because nothing survives without it)
Know whether you’re a visionary or an integrator (and don’t pretend you’re both)
Be the master motivator (the era of fear-based leadership is over)
Own the culture (and use story as one of your most powerful tools to shape it)
2) Storytelling as culture-engineering
We dig into why stories are more than “nice to have.” Stories become the myths that create the mythology of a company—how values become behavior at scale. And if you want to influence culture, yesterday was easier than today.
3) The next AI infrastructure shift: from training to inferencing
Pete breaks down the difference between:
Executive Branding in the Age of AI: How to Build Trust (Without Selling Your Soul) with Jess Jensen
Episode 143
Thursday, January 29, 2026 • Duration 43:25
Today I sit down with Jess Jensen, founder and CEO of Copilot Communications, where she helps executives build trust, credibility, and warmth online so they can open doors to clients, partners, and opportunity.
Jess has lived through the “birth, boom, and backlash” of social — from launching the first Adidas Facebook page in the early days of brand pages, to building global governance at Microsoft when every country team was spinning up pages with no consistency, to leading executive digital comms at Qualcomm after realizing that people connect with people, not brands.
We also go to the deeper place: the moment Jess found herself explaining her work to someone outside tech — and felt that pause, that sadness, that “do I need to apologize?” — because social media had become increasingly divisive and weaponized. From there, we turn toward what’s working now — especially LinkedIn as a platform for professional trust-building and thought leadership.
Key Takeaways from this Episode
Your digital presence is portable. You may not stay at one company for 30 years, but your platform goes with you — and it compounds over time.
Social is a “rented” platform (this is a brilliant point!). Think owned, earned, paid — and rented. Algorithms change, and you don’t control the land you’re building on.
Brands are losing lift; leaders are gaining it. At Qualcomm, Jess saw corporate campaigns decline while executive voices gained traction — because people want a human point of view.
LinkedIn is no longer just a resume. Jess shares why it’s become a writing platform and an editorial home for experts — not just job seekers.
Pick 3–4 narrative themes and repeat them. The strongest executive brands aren’t random — they’re built on an editorial strategy that consistently returns to a few clear territories.
Leadership and the Front Line Workforce: Lessons from the Targets of Change with Gilmore Crosby
Episode 142
Monday, January 26, 2026 • Duration 49:48
In this episode of Live Like a Leader, I sit down with organizational development expert Gil Crosby (https://www.crosbyod.com/) to explore timeless principles for change, leadership, and frontline empowerment. Learn why most “programs” fail, how to balance authority with freedom, and how leaders can unlock performance by listening to the people closest to the work.
Gil Crosby has been an Organization Development Professional since 1984. He applies the Social Science of Kurt Lewin to help organizations navigate change and improve performance, as the same principles apply in both business and society. He is also a Professor at the Leadership Institute of Seattle, and he has just published his 7th book, Leadership and the Front-Line Workforce, for anyone in an organization.
Here's what we get into:
Kurt Lewin’s social science—and why it still works
Gil explains Lewin’s core insight: when people who live with the problem talk it through together, design solutions that make sense to them, and test them, change actually sticks. Whether it’s improving productivity in a plant or reducing violence in a community, people implement what they help shape.
Why “forcing best practices” often fails
We talk about how organizations take something like Lean or the Toyota Production System and try to copy-paste it—usually by forcing compliance. Gil highlights what gets left out: at Toyota, when a worker stops the line, the supervisor’s first response is “Thank you.” That level of respect and engagement is the point—and when it’s missing, the system becomes just another top-down “program of the month.”
Duty, Honor, Country: Building an Authentic American Brand with Army Ranger Dean Wegner
Episode 141
Thursday, January 22, 2026 • Duration 44:57
🧠 Key Topics we discussed in this episode:
Dean’s path from West Point to entrepreneurship
How Ranger School forged his leadership mindset
What “authentically American” really means—and why it matters
The challenges (and joys) of building a mission-led brand
Innovation in apparel: soft shirts, secret prints & national pride
Why values like integrity, faith, and country still lead the way
Branding from the Inside Out: Speaking from Your Core Essence with Jenna Flanagan
Episode 140
Thursday, January 8, 2026 • Duration 46:15
We dive into:
Why your beingness is the brand—and how to access it
The quiet resistance most leaders carry that keeps them from full expression
Her philosophy on “branding from the inside out”
How she helps clients identify and speak from their core essence, not just what they do
The real story of how she and I met—and why she decided I needed a podcast
This conversation goes far beyond brand strategy. It’s about being brave enough to be fully seen and fully yourself. Jenna doesn’t just build brands—she calls people home to who they are.
If you’re ready to stop performing and start resonating, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.
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Jenna Flanagan is an award-winning broadcast journalist, host, and producer whose work bridges public media, local accountability reporting, and smart, accessible conversations about civic life. She has reported and hosted for WNET’s MetroFocus, bringing audiences across the New York region in-depth coverage of policy, culture, and community voices. She has also been a field reporter responsible for covering how policy presented in the New York State legislature impacts constituents across the state for WMHT’s government and public-affairs program New York NOW.
Jenna began her career at New York’s 1010 WINS, rising from production assistant to assistant editor in a fast-paced newsroom. She then went on to WBGO in Newark as a general-assignment reporter before spending six and a half years at WNYC’s All Things Considered as a writer, reporter, and producer. Her work has also aired nationally on NPR.
Her recent projects include co-creating and co-hosting the podcast Laid Off and Looking, a candid series that examines how news is made, who shapes it, and what’s at stake for democracy as the media industry restructures. She has also hosted the award-winning podcast series, After Broad and Market, revisiting the 2003 murder of Sakia Gunn to explore the power and limits of local journalism.
Confessions of a Hacker with Jeremiah Baker
Episode 139
Tuesday, December 23, 2025 • Duration 50:14
In this episode, we cover:
✅ How Jeremiah went from bootstrapping websites during the dot-com boom to building a global cybersecurity business.
✅ Why most cybercrime isn’t about “hacking systems,” it’s about hacking humans.
✅ The emotional tricks scammers use, and how to spot them before you get duped.
✅ Real-world stories of cybercrime that cost companies hundreds of thousands of dollars in seconds.
✅ The single most important (and shockingly simple) thing you can do to protect yourself today.
Jeremiah also shares powerful insights from his keynote, Confessions of a Hacker, including why it’s often too late once the money is gone, and how you can take smart, preventative action without expensive software or technical know-how.
💡 Whether you’re an entrepreneur, executive, parent, or just someone who uses email (that’s you), this episode is essential listening.
🔗 Learn more about Jeremiah’s work and connect with him:
🎧 Listen, learn, and protect yourself—before it’s too late.
If you enjoyed this episode, please give us a five-star rating and share it with someone who needs to hear it. I’ll see you next time on http://livelikealeader.show
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John Bates provides 1:1 Executive Communications Coaching, both in-person and online. He also gets 92+ Net Promoter Scores for his large and small group leadership development trainings at organizations like Johnson & Johnson, NASA, Google, Intuit, Boston Scientific, and many more. Find more at .
Three Simple Things, and the Never-Quit Mindset with Thom Shea
Episode 138
Thursday, December 4, 2025 • Duration 44:04
In this episode with Thom Shea, we cover:
What makes someone truly “unbreakable”
How to survive the worst day of your life, and what happens if you don’t give up
Why “just doing the basics” is often the most advanced move you can make
His life-saving experience during a firefight in Afghanistan that earned him the Silver Star
The Rule of Three; how simplifying complexity transforms business, health, and leadership
Whether you’re leading a team or leading your own life, Thom shares insights that will challenge and empower you to show up—again and again—no matter what.
If you’re looking for proof that persistence is even more potent than talent, this is the episode to hear.
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Retired Navy SEAL Thom Shea served with the US Navy for 23 years with distinguished valor before writing his bestselling books, “Unbreakable: A Navy SEAL’s Way of Life” and “Three Simple Things: Leading During Chaos.” Thom has trained thousands of executives around the world to overcome chaos by applying the rule of Three Simple Things to their lives and businesses.
Next Level Healing: From Trauma to Transformation with Dr. Tara Perry
Episode 137
Thursday, November 20, 2025 • Duration 45:58
We get into interesting topics like:
Why communicating with human beings isn’t logical—it’s biological
What Navy SEALs, elite surgeons, and business leaders all get wrong about stress and recovery
The surprising ways trauma shows up in leadership, relationships, and performance
And the decisive importance of celebration in reprogramming the nervous system
Whether you’re a high-performing executive or just someone looking to be free of your invisible walls, Tara’s insight is not to be missed.
👉 Visit ConsultTara.com and let her know you heard her on Speak Like a Leader. She’ll send you her “Unzip” meditation to start rewiring today. I think you'll like it!
This one’s packed. Listen, take notes, and ---> of course---> celebrate when you do something with it.
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Dr. Tara Perry is a Clinical Hypnotherapist & Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine.
She specializes in Core Trauma Transformation, helping people get to the root of their biggest block, connect to their authentic selves, and thrive in deep, confident peace. For 25 years, Dr. Perry has successfully treated celebrities, Olympians, first responders, world record holders, doctors, scientists, teachers, parents, and children. Clients suffering from Anxiety, PTSD, Stress, Trauma, Addiction, Pain, Insomnia, and a variety of other challenges have discovered the power of their subconscious mind to heal better and faster than they thought possible.
Dr. Perry has been featured on Lifetime Television, Esquire Magazine, UCLA Bruin, Fox Sports West, Wall Street Journal, CosMed Magazine, Travel Host Magazine, and many more. For 10 years, Dr. Perry taught at the #1 Acupuncture College in California. In 2000, she was chosen to be the first acupuncture teacher at the famous Arthur Ashe Center at UCLA. Dr. Perry hosts her own podcast as well--available on all major platforms called .
2. AI works best when it supports judgment — not when it replaces it
Ryan offers one of the clearest, most useful frames I’ve heard for AI and small business:
Don’t ask AI for big, sweeping answers.
Ask it a series of small questions you can common-sense check, and let those answers ladder up.
This takes longer. It requires thinking. And it keeps humans in the loop.
That matters because for a small business, one AI mistake isn’t annoying; it’s expensive. One missed email, one misrouted opportunity, one wrong automation can cost real money.
Interestingly, Ryan is also seeing large corporations pull back from “AI everywhere” toward controlled automation and fixed workflows. The lesson? We’re not at the point where we can responsibly turn everything over, and pretending we are is risky.
3. Community is now a strategic advantage
Ryan makes a compelling case that small business owners should be in their local business community at least once every two weeks, not to network performatively, but to gut-check reality, compare notes, and stay human.
Some of the most valuable insights right now are coming from people with just a few years of experience, because they’re in it, learning fast, and willing to share what’s actually working.
You never stop learning. And you don’t need decades of experience to contribute. You just need a clear point of view and an open mind.
The Bigger Picture
Despite uncertainty, Ryan is seeing more optimism in business than he has in years. Not blind optimism, earned optimism.
As he puts it, we have more control than we realized last year. But control only matters if we use it.
This is a conversation about:
Staying human in an increasingly automated world
Using powerful tools wisely instead of stupidly
Showing up—locally, imperfectly, consistently—for the world we want to create
This episode makes no difference without you. If you enjoyed the show, please leave a five-star rating and share it with someone who’s navigating leadership, strategy, or AI right now. That’s how we learn from — and support — each other on the journey. Thank you!
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Ryan Edwards is the co-founder of Camino5, a strategy consultancy built on a simple belief: insights create strategy and strategy creates growth.
With more than 15 years of experience across digital, brand, and customer experience, Ryan’s career began in web design and programming before evolving into creative and CX leadership roles. Over the last decade, his work has focused on understanding how people actually engage with brands across platforms, moments, and decisions, turning that understanding into strategies that move businesses forward.
At Camino5, Ryan leads work through Paired Perspective™, the firm’s approach to connecting customer behavior across a fragmented landscape. The goal isn’t channel optimization in isolation, but strategic clarity that enables speed, alignment, and action.
Ryan has partnered with global brands including Disney, P&G, NBCUniversal, Unilever, Chase, Nike, and Kaiser Permanente, as well as high-growth startups and emerging category leaders. His work has supported multiple unicorns, driven category-defining launches, and contributed to research that led to $20M-per-month business turnarounds.
Ryan works with companies that believe strategy should create momentum and that growth starts with seeing the customer clearly.
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John Bates provides 1:1 Executive Communications Coaching, both in-person and online. He also gets 92+ Net Promoter Scores for his large and small group leadership development trainings at organizations like Johnson & Johnson, NASA, Google, Intuit, Boston Scientific, and many more. Find more at https://executivespeakingsuccess.com.
Sign up for his weekly micro-trainings for free at https://johnbates.com/mini-trainings and create a great leadership communications habit that makes you the kind of leader who inspires trust, loyalty, and connection.
Training LLMs (building the model)
Inferencing (asking the model questions in real time—what most people experience as “prompting”)
Then he takes it further: the next wave isn’t human inferencing—it’s machine inferencing. Robots, cars, devices, sensors… constantly asking “what do I do next?” at massive scale.
4) Why “edge” data centers are coming back
Pete predicts we’ll move away from only massive, centralized “mega” campuses toward distributed, high-performance data centers near the edge—“in every town,” similar to telecom “points of presence” in the 1990s. That’s the strategic thesis behind Gray Wolf Data Centers.
5) The modern mystic: mind, body, and the inner game
Pete shares a candid chapter of his own life—anxiety, therapy, CBT, and a pivotal lesson: don’t make the events you can’t control your “problems.” He connects this to resilience through sleep, health practices, and the belief that we can reshape the mind through neuroplasticity—and even how he sees us as “quantum beings,” responsible for how we observe and choose our reality.
6) A hopeful thesis: “good AI” vs “bad AI” + post-scarcity
We touch the fear many people carry (yes, I mention growing up in the Terminator era), but Pete offers a provocative counter: the way we beat bad AI is with good AI—models designed around human flourishing and shared broadly as a public service. He believes we’re headed through disruption toward post-scarcity, and that our descendants will wonder why we didn’t support each other sooner.
7) The closing leadership message: “we are all one”
Pete’s final note is the one that matters most to me: we’re all connected—and we’re here for each other. In my book, that’s not just a spiritual idea; it’s a leadership standard.
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Resources Mentioned:
Pete’s company: Gray Wolf Data Centers
Pete’s book: Living in Bliss: Achieve a Balanced Existence of Body, Mind and Spirit
Pete Sacco is a visionary entrepreneur, technologist, and modern-day mystic who blends conscious leadership with breakthrough innovation. As the founder of multiple ventures—including PTS Data Center Solutions, INTUVA, GRID7, InstaGuardIP, and Gray Wolf Data Centers—Pete has led transformative initiatives across AI, energy, blockchain, and digital infrastructure. His journey from electrical engineer to spiritual author and advisor reflects a rare fusion of high performance and inner awakening. Pete is the author of Living in Bliss: Achieve a Balanced Existence of Body, Mind, and Spirit, a guide for high achievers seeking fulfillment beyond success. A finalist for Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year, Pete holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and serves on the advisory board of its School of Computer Sciences and Engineering. Based in New Jersey, he helps purpose-driven professionals unlock clarity, vitality, and purpose—one system, one person, and one moment at a time.
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John Bates provides 1:1 Executive Communications Coaching, both in-person and online. He also gets 92+ Net Promoter Scores for his large and small group leadership development trainings at organizations like Johnson & Johnson, NASA, Google, Intuit, Boston Scientific, and many more. Find more at https://executivespeakingsuccess.com.
Sign up for his weekly micro-trainings for free at https://johnbates.com/mini-trainings and create a great leadership communications habit that makes you the kind of leader who inspires trust, loyalty, and connection.
Your voice matters (especially now). Many leaders think they have “nothing to say,” but your experience and point of view are valuable — and the world needs more constructive voices.
Addressing Relevant Issues
Algorithmic amplification and polarization: We discuss how feeds shifted away from chronological and toward “what keeps you engaged,” fueling echo chambers and intensity.
The ethical wake-up call of social media: Jess describes the internal pivot moment — realizing the space had become toxic in corners, and questioning how to use her skills more constructively.
Mental health and unintended consequences: I reference a stark data point Jess brings up — a 65% increase in the suicide rate for high school girls from 2010 to 2019 — and we talk about responsibility and systems.
AI and the rising importance of trust: In an AI-dominated age, credibility, warmth, and real human presence become competitive advantages, not “nice-to-haves.”
Next Steps
Get Jess’s free LinkedIn Audit: Jess offered to review both your profile and your editorial strategy and give actionable next steps. Mention you heard her on Live Like a Leader.
Define your 3–4 “narrative pillars.” Decide what you want to be known for — and build content around those themes consistently.
Publish what you already say internally. Turn your best internal leadership messages into public leadership content — and let it travel.
Jess Jensen is the founder of Co-pilot Communications, a Portland-based advisory helping bold executives sound like themselves online—clear, confident, and human.
After 20 years inside Fortune 100 companies like Microsoft, Qualcomm, Nestlé, and Adidas, Jess left corporate life to help leaders stop playing small and start showing up online as their full selves—story-rich, imperfect, and unapologetically human.
Through sharp messaging, editorial strategy, and smart use of platforms like LinkedIn and podcasting, she helps clients build a digital presence that earns trust, inspires action, and sounds like them.
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John Bates provides 1:1 Executive Communications Coaching, both in-person and online. He also gets 92+ Net Promoter Scores for his large and small group leadership development trainings at organizations like Johnson & Johnson, NASA, Google, Intuit, Boston Scientific, and many more. Find more at https://executivespeakingsuccess.com.
Sign up for his weekly micro-trainings for free at https://johnbates.com/mini-trainings and create a great leadership communications habit that makes you the kind of leader who inspires trust, loyalty, and connection.
A perfect frontline story: the Channel Locks lesson
Gil tells an incredible example from a manufacturing plant: management tried to reduce theft by making workers check out channel locks (basic tools used constantly), which slowed production every time someone needed one. When we asked the obvious question—what does downtime cost compared to a $15 tool?—The plant manager immediately changed course: “Tomorrow, we’re putting channel locks everywhere.”
And the best part? Once workers saw leadership was actually listening, they didn’t steal them. Trust went up, friction went down, and productivity improved.
Empowerment isn’t “nice”—it’s operational
I share why bad customer service drives me crazy (including what I’ve seen in Slovakia), and the pattern underneath it: people on the front line aren’t empowered to make decisions. If the people closest to the work can’t act, everything bottlenecks—and leadership often doesn’t even know what’s broken.
Battlefield leadership and “commander’s intent.”
We connect this to military lessons: when leaders hoard information and control, people suffer. When teams understand the goal and the intent, they can make smarter decisions in real time. That’s true in combat, and it’s true in business.
Democracy vs. autocracy—at work and in society
Gil shares Lewin’s conclusion that hit me hard: every generation has to learn how to be effective democratic citizens, because democracy isn’t self-sustaining. The same is true inside organizations: if people aren’t taught how to think, participate, and take ownership, you’ll get passivity… or rebellion.
The leadership sweet spot: structure + freedom
One of my favorite parts: Gil breaks leadership down as a balance of structure and freedom.
People need clarity, information, accountability, and guidance.
They also need autonomy and space to think.
Too much control creates compliance-without-commitment. Too little structure turns into leaderless chaos.
Meetings, fear, and why delegation is so hard
We talk about why leaders struggle to delegate well: endless meetings, unclear authority structures, and fear—fear of upsetting someone, fear of saying no, fear of authority (often rooted way earlier than work). I share a line I coach leaders to use when they’re overloaded: “I’d be happy to do that. I’m maxed out—what would you like me to deprioritize so I can take this on?”
Gil’s low moment, and a leadership lesson
Gil opens up about the Great Recession: no safety net, consulting work dried up, and he drove a taxi to survive. His takeaway is powerful: do your best, no matter the role. And don’t get cocky when money is flowing, because it can stop.
MY BIGGEST TAKEAWAY
If you want performance, stop trying to “roll out” solutions to people. Build solutions with them. The front line sees what leadership can’t—and when you treat them like owners instead of obstacles, everything improves: morale, execution, and results.
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John Bates provides 1:1 Executive Communications Coaching, both in-person and online. He also gets 92+ Net Promoter Scores for his large and small group leadership development trainings at organizations like Johnson & Johnson, NASA, Google, Intuit, Boston Scientific, and many more. Find more at https://executivespeakingsuccess.com.
Sign up for his weekly micro-trainings for free at https://johnbates.com/mini-trainings and create a great leadership communications habit that makes you the kind of leader who inspires trust, loyalty, and connection.
John Bates provides 1:1 Executive Communications Coaching, both in-person and online. He also gets 92+ Net Promoter Scores for his large and small group leadership development trainings at organizations like Johnson & Johnson, NASA, Google, Intuit, Boston Scientific, and many more. Find more at https://executivespeakingsuccess.com.
Sign up for his weekly micro-trainings for free at https://johnbates.com/mini-trainings and create a great leadership communications habit that makes you the kind of leader who inspires trust, loyalty, and connection.
A Hudson Valley native who grew up in New Paltz, Jenna studied communications and journalism at Seton Hall University. She continues to champion localism and public-interest reporting across platforms, appearing on radio, television, and digital outlets to elevate stories that inform, challenge, and connect communities.
John Bates provides 1:1 Executive Communications Coaching, both in-person and online. He also gets 92+ Net Promoter Scores for his large and small group leadership development trainings at organizations like Johnson & Johnson, NASA, Google, Intuit, Boston Scientific, and many more. Find more at https://executivespeakingsuccess.com.
Sign up for his weekly micro-trainings for free at https://johnbates.com/mini-trainings and create a great leadership communications habit that makes you the kind of leader who inspires trust, loyalty, and connection.
Sign up for his weekly micro-trainings for free at https://johnbates.com/mini-trainings and create a great leadership communications habit that makes you the kind of leader who inspires trust, loyalty, and connection.
Thom developed his leadership and human performance process during his military career where he trained and led SEAL Teams in three wars. Thom earned a Silver Star, Bronze Star with Valor, Army Commendation with Valor and Two Combat Action Medals. He was later hand-picked to serve as officer in charge of the famed SEAL Sniper course.
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John Bates provides 1:1 Executive Communications Coaching, both in-person and online. He also gets 92+ Net Promoter Scores for his large and small group leadership development trainings at organizations like Johnson & Johnson, NASA, Google, Intuit, Boston Scientific, and many more. Find more at https://executivespeakingsuccess.com.
Sign up for his weekly micro-trainings for free at https://johnbates.com/mini-trainings and create a great leadership communications habit that makes you the kind of leader who inspires trust, loyalty, and connection.
John Bates provides 1:1 Executive Communications Coaching, both in-person and online. He also gets 92+ Net Promoter Scores for his large and small group leadership development trainings at organizations like Johnson & Johnson, NASA, Google, Intuit, Boston Scientific, and many more. Find more at https://executivespeakingsuccess.com.
Sign up for his weekly micro-trainings for free at https://johnbates.com/mini-trainings and create a great leadership communications habit that makes you the kind of leader who inspires trust, loyalty, and connection.
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